Airbnb hosts are not telepaths. Yes, most people who rent their vacation homes on Airbnb or VRBO put a lot of thought into the comfort of their guests, and the listing sites they work with offer all sorts of Support and Documentation. (At Wirecutter, we even have our own tips on how to kit out a vacation rental.) Yet, in my decade of staying in dozens of vacation rentals, I’ve put together a helpful, if bizarre, list. , equipment to bring with me, things whose availability I dare not leave to chance. There are a few items on my list that I wouldn’t suggest to other people, like the electric kettle, which I bring on road trips because 1) my car has room and 2) I’ll be much happier knowing that I can make you a good cup of tea in the morning. That said, here are five not-so-expensive items from the list that you may not already have that could enhance your stay:
An alternative to making coffee
While any decent rental should come with a decent coffee maker, that’s not always the case. Sure, you might be lucky enough to spot an OXO Brew coffee maker or a Chemex — or maybe even a Breville Barista Plus — sitting on the kitchen counter. Again, you might find a Keurig or worse. So choose a portable, easy-to-use option that makes great coffee: the AeroPress Go Travel Coffee Press, a slightly smaller, more compressible sibling to the original AeroPress single-cup “syringe.” (Not being a coffee drinker, I’m channeling advice from my partner and fellow Java addicts.) You might not need it, but at just over $30, being prepared doesn’t is not a huge extravaganza.
An extra-long charging cable for your phone
At home, having a charging cable for my phone or tablet that’s longer than necessary is a pain – I have to coil and encircle my cables with zip ties to avoid tripping over them (metaphorically as well as literally). But when I travel, having 3 or 4 extra legs can be a big help – who knows where the outlet closest to the bedside table will be? If you’re charging an iPhone, the 10-foot version of our favorite fast-charging Lightning to USB-C and Lightning to USB-A cables should be long enough. For newer iPads and Android phones, we recommend the Cable Matters 10ft USB-C Cable.
Inexpensive Bluetooth speaker
Over the years, I’ve built a network of audio devices that keep me safely within reach. morning edition as I prepare for my day: an old but beloved clock radio by the bed, a shower radio in the bathroom, an Echo speaker in the kitchen. Without my usual soundtrack, I feel unmoored, which is a problem when traveling. (Sure, the place may have a radio, but again, maybe not.) So I keep a cheap little Bluetooth speaker in my suitcase (the price of our budget pick, the Tribit XSound Go, can go down to around $25; the Oontz Angle Solo, which we also like, costs even less). As soon as I wake up, I find my favorite station streaming or, if I’m really breaking free from my daily routine, a new podcast. And if the rental doesn’t have a sound system at all, I also have a way to put on some music.
A pair of flip flops
I don’t wear a lot of flip flops around the house, but when I travel they’re a great substitute for the pair of clogs I keep by the door to take laundry to the garage, run to the corner store, or water the plants on. the rear deck. Flip flops serve the same purpose – to protect my feet when I go out for a minute – but they take up a lot less space in my suitcase. We recommend a few models in our beach equipment guide; the Havaianas Top pair, available in men’s and women’s sizes, is the more affordable of the two. And of course, if your destination involves sand and surf, flip flops are natural for that as well.
A headlamp to light your way
If you haven’t jumped on the headlight bandwagon yet (despite our best efforts), now is the time to take the leap. Let’s count the reasons: 1) To find the safe or the keypad at the front door when you arrive after dark. 2) To locate the oddly placed light switch in the newcomer’s bathroom. 3) To retrieve more logs from the woodpile when the fire needs to be stoked. 4) To get to bed when the power goes out due to the worse than expected blizzard. And it helps you with all that while leaving your hands free – you can’t say the same about a flashlight. We love the latest incarnation of our longtime pick, the Black Diamond Spot 350, but if you need more convincing on that front, here’s what we had to say about its predecessor, the 325. Trust us, that’s $40 well spent.
This article was edited by Jason Chen.
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