I'm a bit of a minimalist so I give a lot of thought to everything I buy. I usually go for quality or value and prefer portable/light items.
I had an Osprey Kestrel 38 top-loading backpack when I first started my round-the-world trip. It worked very well, quality is great along with Osprey's awesome lifetime warranty (I broke one of the buckles when I was in Peru and was able to pick up a replacement part at a partner store in Lima at no additional cost). But when I returned to the US in November for Thanksgiving, I decided to “downsize" (while this backpack has a 44-liter capacity, it looks much smaller than the 38-liter Kestrel when not full, it looks more like a bigger daypack). I also like how it's front-loading, making it easier to pack and unpack. Another plus is it's easier to blend in with it as it looks just like a regular daypack, making you less of a target from touts/scammers/thieves.
I switched to this after my pair of Merrell Chameleon 4 Stretch started falling apart, which served me well for over 2 years of heavy use. I thought about getting another pair of Chameleon but decided to try out the Jungle Moc model instead as I like the style. I haven't actually tried them on a hike yet but walked around in them for hours in New York City many times and they're very comfortable, no blisters yet.
These are awesome for travel. You really only need 2 pairs of these as you can wash them in the shower, hang them, and they'll be dry in about 6 hours or so (fyi, I carry 4).
I used to only wear merino wool T-Shirts (Smartwool, Icebreaker brands) when traveling, which are great shirts but found them not very durable. A hole usually shows up after about 6 months of regular use and they're so expensive (like $60 each).
So I switched to these T-Shirts which are a lot cheaper ($5-7 each), more durable, and fit me well. They're also quite wrinkle-resistant and dry quick enough. I usually just hang them after washing, they're usually dry by the following day, and I don't really notice the wrinkles.
I'm currently carrying 4 pairs right now in different colors.
It's funny how I was originally against including a pair of jeans in my travel packing list as it takes up quite a bit of space, heavy, and hard to wash. But at some point, while I was in Buenos Aires, Argentina, I finally gave in and bought a pair as I felt pretty awkward attending some events and going to clubs wearing travel pants. I completely changed my mind and now I think a pair of jeans actually makes the best travel pants!
I just wanted an unlocked smartphone I can use overseas with a decent camera, screen, and GPS. After some research, the Nexus 5 sounded like a great value for its price at the time so I went ahead and got it. It didn't disappointment and was better than I expected. That was about a year ago and I still don't have any plans of replacing it anytime soon as it's still working very well for me.
This is my backup smartphone that I usually use when I'm in a poorer country where carrying a more expensive-looking smartphone (e.g. iPhone, Nexus, Galaxy) could tempt potential thieves. Smaller size but it's still quite good and it's nice that it's not so obvious when it's in your jeans pocket. Potential thieves will probably just think it's some cheap phone with a keyboard that's not worth stealing.
Camera is not that great, but good battery life. Even has an FM radio. Great value for the price.
Best value I've found for an ultrabook that works well with Ubuntu Linux. Great for travel! Read my review.
When you're out there in the woods or in a remote village somewhere without electricity and nothing much to do, you'd really appreciate having this nice little e-book reader with you. Battery lasts up to 8 weeks even with the backlight on. Great for those long plane/bus/boat/camel rides!