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- Travel writer and television personality Rick Steves spoke to Insider about his go-to travel items.
- Steves spends four months out of the year traveling Europe for work, and he only brings a carry-on bag.
- Steves' must-haves include hemp shorts, Bose headphones, Patagonia pants, and bags he designed.
If you've watched public television in the last 30 years, chances are you're familiar with Rick Steves. Steves is best known for his travel show "Rick Steves' Europe" detailing his travels throughout Europe and beyond.
He still spends 4 months out of the year in Europe filming and researching his show. Yet, he only brings a carry-on. He never checks a bag. "When you're going on an international trip, especially Europe, you pack for the best scenario, not the worst scenario. If you need something, you buy it," Steves told Insider.
We caught up with Steves while he was home in Washington state to learn what exactly he packs in his carry-on.
Steves has his own line of travel gear that he sells on his site. We tend to avoid including recommendations when an individual has a financial interest in the product. However, Steves helped design the products and uses them when he travels. So, we've included his favorites from his product line in our roundup.
Here are the products Steves considers indispensable when traveling:
Rick Steves Convertible Carry-On Bag
"The carry-on bag that I use, I designed, and I just love it," said Steves. "It's designed to be as big as you can take onto the airplane. That's basically 9 by 22 by 14 inches. To me, it's got a real smart configuration of pockets with a laptop in mind and with a quick ability to stow things when you're going through security and a big panel in the flap that is really good for putting shirts. You can carry it like a suitcase and hide the shoulder straps, or you can pull out the shoulder straps and throw it on your back. I like it because it's squishy, so it fits in the overhead locker with no problem."
"It only costs, what, about a hundred dollars? If somebody said 'this bag's better' and it costs $400, I'd buy it. But, I can't get a better bag than that for my purposes," Steves added. "I'm sort of a minimalist. You can't even see our name on the bag. It's gray on black. Nothing pops out. If there's a fancy bag and this bag sitting there in the hotel lobby, and a thief wants to grab one, they're not going to grab mine. That works really well for me."
Rick Steves Security Pouch
"I've got this little black flipped-in security pouch that I've designed that just clips into the bottom of the bag," said Steves. "I hope there are no thieves listening right now. They could look around, they could even look in the bag, and they wouldn't even see it. That to me is very comforting."
Rick Steves Civita Day Pack
"When I'm out and about, I need to have like a purse or a day bag or a briefcase or whatever you want to call it," said Steves. "We've designed this thing called a Civita Day Pack. It's got a very light and huggable material. You can put a sweater in, and it almost works as a pillow, and they added shoulder straps. The security pouch can flip into this one. The pocket configuration is simple but very, very practical."
Osprey Day Bag
"Now, when I go hiking in the Alps, I've got an Osprey bag that I just love," Steves said. "It's a high-tech day bag. I'm crazy about it, but that's for hiking in the mountains. I don't even feel it's on my back when I've got my Osprey bag on."
Moleskine Classic Notebook
Whether you're a writer or you just want to remember the details of your adventures, a pocket-sized notebook is a smart item to bring along on your journeys. "My little Moleskine, I just love," Steves said. "I'm fanatic about those little black notebooks." Moleskine notebooks are celebrated for their durability, a must if you keep your notebook in your pocket.
Coast Refreshing Deodorant Soap Bar
"I've got a quirky approach to toiletries," said Steves. "I leave home with one bar of soap and one squeeze bottle of my favorite shampoo. I never ever use one of the 'itsy-bitsies' for my own personal cleaning that a lot of people just use in hotels. I just have my little tube of shampoo and my favorite bar of soap." Steves's favorite soap is Coast Classic Scent.
Biolage Shampoo
Steves kept mentioning that he always brings his favorite shampoo. I had to press him to find out it's Biolage, which comes in several varieties depending on your hair care needs.
Gillette Fusion5 Razor
The Gillette Fusion5 Razor is the best-selling men's cartridge razor on Amazon. It features five blades designed to offer a smooth shave. "I love my Gillette Fusion5 shaver," said Steves. According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) site, disposable razors are permitted in carry-on bags.
Kevin Murphy Rough Rider Clay
"The only little fancy thing I have is some moldable styling clay for my hair, Kevin Murphy Rough Rider," Steves said. "Nobody knows that."
Rick Steves Removable Toiletries Kit Caddy
"I love my little toiletries kit. Remember when you stay in budget hotels, a lot of times you don't have a lot of hard surfaces in the bathroom, and you also have stray hairs. It's not always as clean as you might like it to be. What I like to do is be able to hang my toiletries, and you don't need a big flat area to spread out your toiletries. You got it right there hanging on the wall next to the sink. That works well."
Dash Hemp Shorts
"I love a company called Dash Hemp," Steves said. "It's hemp wear, and it's in Santa Cruz. Their shorts are great for travel."
Patagonia pants
"I generally just wear jeans, but if it's really hot and I want a lighter pair of pants, I've got a pair of Patagonia long pants that I really like. It's just smart from a zippers and buttons and pockets point of view. It's very comfortable, but I like long pants on when I'm on the road. It's cool, even though it's long."
Meriwool shirts
"Since I hiked in the Alps, I've really gotten into wool undershirts and underwear. I use Meriwool." Meirwool clothes are made from merino wool, which is celebrated for its moisture-wicking and odor-resistance properties.
REI shirt
"The hemp shirts are not great when it's really hot. When it's super, super hot, I go to REI, and I buy a shirt that you can wash and wring and put it on, and five minutes later, it's dry. I'm always working when I'm traveling, so I've got notes, and I've got things I got to keep track of. I put my glasses on and off, and if I don't have a shirt pocket, I feel like I'm at a disadvantage. I like shirts with a pocket."
Ecco walking shoes
"For shoes, I've long used my Eccos," said Steves. The Ecco Exostrike shoes are designed to be lightweight and offer a durable grip and shock absorption, making them ideal for long days on your feet.
Merrell hiking boots
"If I'm hiking in the Alps, it's Merrell hiking boots," Steves said. Merrell hiking boots are featured prominently in our guide to the best hiking boots for women because they work for various foot shapes and are well-suited for long hikes.
Rick Steves 500 ML Stainless Steel Water Bottle
Steves always has a water bottle with him in his day pack. This 17-ounce option is available on his site for $10 and is made of durable stainless steel. It's small enough to fit in a bag's side pocket, and the leak-proof screw-top features a hole to accommodate a strap or carabiner.
Rick Steves Civita Moneybelt
"I bring a money belt for times when I'm feeling like I'm going to be out and about on the road, and it's a smart idea to have things tied to my waist under my clothing, as far as my valuables. We've produced a beautiful money belt to my specs on our website."
Rick Steves Packable Tote Bag
In addition to the carry-on and day pack, Steves also packs an empty tote bag. "I'm lucky because I've got my own company, so I just designed the bags to my needs," said Steves. "We've got a thing that is called the Packable Tote Bag. That is one of those kinds of bags that pulls up into its exterior pocket. You can stick it just in the bottom of your main bag, but then you've got a sturdy bag that you could actually check onto the airplane if you're flying home with souvenirs."
Rick Steves Packing Cube Set
"Packing cubes are something that help you organize your bag in a way that's almost like a chest of drawers. It's odd, but I guess it's probably one of the most popular things we offer. You have to have stuff bags or packing cubes to organize your gear within your bag. Otherwise, it's just a mess."
Ziploc Bags
"Ziploc baggies are a godsend. I rip up my guidebook and staple together the chapters and either rubber band them together or put them in a Ziploc baggie. That's important. Ziploc baggies are really handy on the road."
Bose Noise Canceling Headphones
"I just love my Bose noise reduction headphones, the big kind that goes around your ear. That's a major investment of packing space for me to take something that a lot of people would think is not essential. I leave home with about 20 pounds on my back. The noise reduction headphones give me privacy on the airplane and privacy on train rides, and they give me beautiful music or beautiful silence depending on what I like. When I'm wearing them, nobody will talk to me."
Headphone splitter
"Having a splitter and earbuds with a universal jack is handy because two people can listen to the same rented audio device. If there's a way you can split the output, you can be together. You can be in sync, and you can save money."
Rick Steves Continental Europe Electrical Adapter
"Bring extra adapters. It's a good idea to duct tape your adapter to your plugs, so you don't pull the plug out of the wall and leave the adapter in the wall. We sell our adapters at a loss on our website for a dollar a piece."
N95 mask
"Have masks, serious masks, the N95. Have a good selection of them, so you don't have to wear the same one for a long time, and have them always available."
More Travel Advice from Rick Steves
During our interview, Steves offered plenty of non-product-specific travel advice that's too useful not to share. Here are some highlights:
On traveling light
"I absolutely never check a bag. These days, with all the chaos and frustration at airports, that's more important than ever. I generally wait to board till the very end, and I just always find a place to squish my bag up on top."
On doing laundry on the road
"I just wash my laundry in the sink generally. I use the shampoo that comes in the hotel room. My philosophy about washing clothes on the road is you don't need to have the high standards that you have at home. If you get a step to 65% clean, that's dang good when you're on the road. Don't stress out about that."
On traveling with kids
"When the kids are really little, forget about packing light. Just rent the car and go from airport to airport with the car and take whatever the mom thinks is important to take. That was my philosophy when I had tiny kids. As the kids get older, then they become more like little adults, and they can carry their own gear, and they can pack light just like mom and dad. Of course, kids have a short attention span, and they need to have their entertainment. I think you err on the side of generosity as far as tools to keep them entertained on the road. I think it's fun to have the kids have their own money belt so they can be responsible and take care of their money."
On safe pandemic traveling
"Have a photocopy or some kind of a copy of your CDC card showing you're fully vaccinated and fully boosted. I tape one copy to my passport and another one I have in the outside pocket of my day bag. That's really helpful. But otherwise, I've got a special sensor in my own body: I want to have space. I want to have ventilation. I want to keep my distance, and I don't want to be stuck in an enclosed area that's not ventilated with a lot of people who are unlikely to have embraced science and have their shots. I don't go to crowded interiors where you got a lot of people who culturally would be opposed to vaccinations. When I go to museums, and I go to the little restaurants I like to go to, and when I go to galleries and palaces in Europe, I'm surrounded by people who believe in science and love art, and they got their shots. That's good. I still wear a mask indoors when I'm on public transit and so on."
James Brains Senior Reporter, Insider Reviews James is a Senior Reporter for Insider Reviews, specializing in sleep, HVAC, vacuums, and kitchen appliances. He has tested more than 70 mattresses from startups like Casper and legacy brands like Tempur-Pedic, using his background in experimental psychology to develop objective tests and evaluate comfort, support, motion transfer, and more. He authors our guide to the best mattresses. In addition to being Insider Reviews' mattress expert, James has extensively covered vacuums, air conditioners, air purifiers, and more within the HVAC space. He's tested more than 40 vacuums from brands like iRobot and Dyson and is no stranger to keeping his house at a chilly 60 degrees Fahrenheit for weeks on end, all in the name of testing air conditioners.He's a multifaceted writer who has covered everything from health and fitness to consumer technology. His mission is to help people get the most value for their money by guiding them in making informed buying decisions.James lives in Lansing, Michigan, with his wife, two kids, a tabby cat, and a rambunctious rat terrier. When James isn't testing products and writing for Insider, he helps run a popular local Facebook group, Lansing Foodies, and plans the Olive Burger Festival.See below for some of his work:- The 13 best mattresses of 2024, tested and reviewed
- The 6 best vacuum cleaners of 2024, tested and reviewed
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