Best Gear for Vlogging: My 32 Top Picks

Over two years as a full-time solo travel blogger and YouTuber, I've refined the Top Tech Picks that fulfil my photography, writing and filming needs. Everything I use is easily available and I've pulled together links to help you easily shop.

My Top Tech needs to include:

• Computer and camera equipment for blogging & YouTube.
• Be compact: fit easily into a standard-sized backpack.
• Smart budget: the right item for the job at a reasonable price.

LAPTOP

**Apple MacBook Pro M1 - 16GB RAM and 512 GB SSD. **This is my core work machine and travels everywhere with me. The MacBook Pro M1 is functioning great for me, and I use Final Cut Pro, Lightroom and Photoshop every day. I've included links for the update M2 MacBook Pro and the M2 MacBook Air if weight is a main consideration for you.

LAPTOP STAND

This laptop stand folds down to the size of a long pencil case and tucks away into a side pocket. It's extremely resilient and great value for money.

BACKPACK

Victorinox has been my go-to for plain black backpacks for the last couple of iterations. My exact model is still available (Pro) and I've provided an alternative Altmont shape as I like that too. I *want* the TUMI Alpha 3, but I am happy with the durability and price of the Victorinox.

KEYBOARD & MOUSE

With chronic tennis elbow and the a laptop stand, I soon found I need a separate bluetooth keyboard to keep typing and editing comfortable. I've added this Logitech K370 keyboard and M350 Pebble Mouse to my setup. So far, they're Pretty durable - I've gone with the blueberry colour, but there are grey, lavender, off-white or rose-pink alternatives.

CAMERA SETUP

In recent months I've started to leave my bigger camera rigs at home (sorry Sony A7 IV) and I rely mainly on smaller cameras for the vlog style of YouTube channels.

DJI Osmo Pocket 3

The Pocket 3 performs well in hot conditions (Batu Caves, Malaysia)

The Osmo Pocket 3 has become my go-to for travel vlogging because of its mechanical gimbal stabilization and lightning-fast setup - I can pull it from my pocket and be filming in seconds. The 1/1.3-inch sensor delivers genuinely impressive image quality for something this compact, and the rotating screen makes switching between horizontal and vertical formats effortless for YouTube and TikTok content. It's been brilliant for city walks, flight reviews, and cramped indoor situations, particularly when paired with the DJI Mic 2 from the Creator Combo for crystal-clear audio that actually works in noisy environments like busy streets or airports.

GoPro Hero 11

The Hero 11 has been a bit of a game changer for general vlogging because of its stability for run & gun on-street vlogging and ease of use for underwater or sports outings. The wide angle lens works for a lot of situations and it's been great for flight reviews, cruise reviews and destination work, particularly as I can use the Media Mod (shown) for sound or use the cold-shoe mount to add my Røde Wireless GO II (shown below) for better sound quality.

Sony ZV-1

The ZV-1 has been in my camera bag for nearly two years and is pretty resilient. It has a more cropped-in lens than the GoPro Hero, but gets excellent quality 4K results with simple, one-button point and click recording. I use the small tripod all the time with this setup. I've shown the camera (standalone) and a full content creator kit (which I bought) in the links below.

MICROPHONE - Røde Wireless Go II

The Wireless Go II by Røde has been in my kit since Day 1, simply because it's light and versatile. I can switch it between cameras and I even plug it into my MacBook Pro when I need to add voiceovers to a video clip.

TRIPOD & ACCESSORIES: Joby 3k Gorillapod

For a small, adaptable tripod, Joby Gorillapod is the main vlogging choice. This Joby 3k Gorillapod version is strong enough to manage my big DSLR cameras and has accessories for my GoPro or iPhone. I pack the Joby GripTight Phone Mount too for filming Reels or TikToks in portrait mode. Really, don't bother with a cheaper version, this one is the best.

IPHONE 13 PRO MAX

Deciding on your iPhone form factor is a tougher decision that you might think! I went big when Pro Max came out and the quality of the RAW photos and Pro Res video are the reason why.

IPAD MINI

The iPad Mini is the hero of productivity gurus and there's a reason why… it's light and the perfect size for note management which also fits in your bag.

JOURNALS & READING

Reading and writing are fundamental to planning blogs and videos, and yes, I am a total stationery geek.

NOISE-CANCELLING EARBUDS / HEADPHONES

For regular travel, noise-cancelling earbuds are a must. I use all three shown here for slightly different purposes.

Related: Read my review of the best travel headphones in 2025.

PORTABLE BACKUP STORAGE

Ask any YouTuber and the amount of external storage they carry will seem bonkers to anyone else. That's simply because 4K video footage is storage-intensive. Small portable storage has changed the game and I use both of these brands both for editing and backup.

If you would like to have your say (or let me know if a link isn't working), please leave a comment below.