I'm Wirecutter's Travel Editor. Here's What I Bring to Every Vacation Rental.
Although any decent rental should come with a good coffee maker, that isn't always the case. Sure, you might be lucky enough to discover an OXO Brew coffee maker or a Chemex — or maybe even a Breville Barista Plus — sitting on the kitchen counter. Then again, you might find a Keurig or worse.
So pick up a portable, easy-to-use option that makes excellent coffee: the AeroPress Go Travel Coffee Press. This is a slightly smaller, more packable sibling to the original AeroPress single-cup 'syringe.' (Since I'm not a coffee drinker, I'm channeling the advice of my java-dependent partner and colleagues.) You might not end up needing to use it, but it's not extravagantly priced.
Over the years, I've constructed a network of audio devices that keep me safely within range of NPR's Morning Edition as I get ready for my day. They include an ancient but beloved clock radio by the bed, a shower radio in the bathroom, and an Echo speaker in the kitchen. Without my usual morning soundtrack, I feel unmoored, and this presents a problem when I travel. So I keep a portable Bluetooth speaker in my suitcase.
The one I have now, a bright red JBL Go 4, is waterproof, has good sound quality, and is adorably tiny (the size of two decks of cards glommed together). The bass is nonexistent, but for listening to talking heads and podcasts, that doesn't really matter. No matter what sound system a rental has (or doesn't have), with this little speaker, I can find the stream for my preferred station and listen away.
These beach sandals are the same as the women's version but cut a bit wider; we still think they run a little smaller than regular shoe sizes.
I don't wear flip-flops much at home, but when I'm traveling, they're a great substitute for the clogs I keep by the door for quick trips to the corner store or back deck. We recommend a couple of models in our guide to beach gear. The Indosole Flip Flops (which come in men's and women's sizes) cost less than $50. And they offer the best combination of quality, discreet looks, packability, and responsible manufacturing from recycled materials. Also, if your destination involves sand and surf, flip-flops are perfect for that, as well.
This portable, battery-powered alarm can detect elevated CO levels caused by broken or poorly installed fuel-burning appliances (dryers, water heaters, and the like). It won't detect smoke, though.
Any vacation rental should have working smoke alarms. Yet not everyone is aware of the deadly danger posed by carbon monoxide, an odorless gas that can seep into a building via a malfunctioning chimney, water heater, gas stove, or other combustion appliance.
Doug Mahoney, who wrote our guide to smoke alarms, suggests packing the First Alert CO710 Carbon Monoxide Detector, a portable alarm from the same company that makes the in-home smoke-and-CO alarm he recommends. Unlike that alarm, however, the CO710 won't alert you to smoke — just to excess levels of carbon monoxide. (It does also display the temperature, though.)
Equivalent in size to a stack of three iPhone SEs, the CO710 weighs less than half a pound, so it's easy to slip into a carry-on if you're flying to your rental. (It is powered by a built-in lithium battery, though, so don't put it in your checked luggage.) We recommend having one alarm for each bedroom, and from now on, I won't travel without one.
This article was edited by Maxine Builder and Jason Chen.
What I Cover
I'm based in San Francisco, and I oversee a team of writers and editors covering travel gear and outdoors gear, including cycling gear.
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