What gets engineers excited?  Spreadsheets and gear.  It’s like a universal love and source of purpose for the breed…I do believe they are a special breed….

After countless spreadsheets and lots and lots of Chasing Davis approved field-testing, here are a few products we use and love and thought you might enjoy!

#1.  Our Cameras!….more on this soon as we’ve added a new one!

#2.  Our Packs!

We love our Mindshift backpacks!  The slide-around hip pouch is nothing short of amazing for quick and easy access to the camera, lenses, filters, and SNACKS!  This pack allows you to have the camera handy without the discomfort of having it hanging around your neck.  Not only is it a great pack, its also great for your relationship because you don’t have to keep asking your friend, partner, spouse, etc to keep reaching into your bag for x,y,z camera equipment.  The pack comes in a variety of sizes; the Horizon 34L has been working out pretty well for Matt the work-horse (he carries all the heavy stuff), while I rock the Panorama 22L (enough room for the essentials, layers, snacks).

#3.  Chacos!

If you’re trying to travel light, you certainly don’t have tons of room for extra shoes!  That’s why we often (weather permitting…and sometimes not permitting) only travel with our Chacos or Chacos and hiking boots.  In Israel/Ghana, I’d say I wore my Chacos 300/365 days…thats no joke.  They are comfortable, have excellent grip, provide outstanding arch support, and come in ridiculously cute colors!

#4.  Patagonia R1 Hoodie!

Packing light and being prepared are two very important things for us.  This means always having a warm, versatile, (and cute!) layer in our packs.  The Patagonia R1 Hoodie is AMAZING.  It provides the perfect amount of warmth on a brisk hike, chilly plane, hanging out in mountain huts, or walking around town in the evening.  Its also an outstanding layer under a shell or puffy for skiing, backpacking, etc.  It packs light and feels great!  My only regret is that is SO versatile I can’t justify buying more jackets 😉

#5. Yahtzee!

Believe it or not, sometimes Matt Davis needs to sit down…yes, its true…and we can’t be bothered hauling around tons of things to keep us occupied, so we usually pack small games and a Kindle or iPad.  Our favorite game to pack is Yahtzee!  Its so simple, all you need are 5 dice, a score card or two, and a pen.  You can play anywhere and its fairly easy to teach new friends you meet along the way!

#6.  Google Flights

When your traveling bucket list is basically “everywhere” – it’s nice to peruse the prices of flights and see where you can get a good deal.  When we’re planning a trip, we usually start by checking Google Flights to get an idea of our options.  While it doesn’t always list the budget airlines, it’s a nice one-stop shop!  You can plug in your departure airport (or more than one), pick your dates, and hit “Explore the Map”.

more gear links coming soon….