In this edition of Vee Travels’ In The Bag series, the essential accessories for traveling from Quito, Ecuador’s city life to its rural, mountain regions in the outskirts. Traveling light is key, but personal style can easily be implemented to the accessories selected as they all come in several design or color options.

For the bag, I selected the local find of a woven wool cross body, as the Andean pattern called my name. Other bags such as backpacks, duffles and satchels can be found throughout both the city and rural areas of Quito (and the rest of Ecuador), but often  they will have the country or city’s name splattered on it. It was nice to find one that didn’t give away where I found it just be looking at it.

External Power – myCharge

One of the most important necessities for traveling from city to rural, an external power source.  myCharge’s Hub 6000 ($99) comes in a sleek silver body and can add over 25 hours of talk time. Called the “Swiss Army Knife of portable power devices”, you can power three gadgets at once with the built-in Apple Lightning, USB port and micro-USB port (useful for my Sony Cyber-shot I used on the trip). It’s also very light and as you can see below, about the length and width of an iPhone.

Travel Journal – Denik for TOMS

Sometimes it’s nice to go old fashion, and a travel journal is one way to do so during a journey. Denik offers journals with artistic and creative designs for the cover, and has recently joined TOMS’ new Marketplace of fellow do-gooder brands whose portion of sales go towards various helpful causes. Denik Journals ($12-$18) are available in both hard- and softcovers, each with 100 pages to fill.

Sunglasses – American Eagle

It’s always good to have at least one pair of shades when traveling. These American Eagle aviators have been a favorite of mine for a couple years now for the olive green frame with the multi-colored mirrored lenses.

Headphones – Eskuché

You’ll need headphones for the ride from the central Quito to its rural sites such as the Pululahua Volcano region and La Mitad del Mundo, both 45 minutes away, or the Cotopaxi National Park, about an hour and half away (more about these areas and photos soon). Eskuché’s Control v2 ($59) are retro, 70’s styled headphones with cushioning rectangular ear cups, and come with an Apple three button mic control that allow you answer or end calls, and with play/pause and volume controls so you can leave your iPhone where it is as you sit back and enjoy the ride.

iPhone Case – Carved

No better iPhone cover to show off your love of travel than one with the world on it. Carved’s World Map Inlay case ($29) is handmade with an artwork laser-engraved on the wood skin that covers a plastic encased case to snap on and off the iPhone with ease.

Photos taken in the luxury Swissôtel Quito

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Outfit: Styling to Explore Rural Quito, Ecuador