This Week in Food and Travel: How to ensure the money you spend traveling reflects your values

Spending money, especially while traveling, is almost too easy. But do we always know where our hard earned cash is going? With the news of celebrities boycotting the controversial Sultan of Brunei’s Dorchester Collection properties this month, a seemingly unlikely tie between the small Southeast Asian nation and super luxe European hotels, we looked into how consumers can better see the social and economic connections at the businesses we support, or choose not to.

Once you’ve picked out how you want to spend that cash, you’ll need to book a flight, pack and maybe even take a hike around town. We had travel experts share the items they always have in their carry-on bags (duct tape, anyone?) and hiking enthusiasts spill on the best hiking boots for exploring new terrain. And as you rack up frequent flier miles with all your new gear, be sure to check out the latest Airline Quality Rating (AQR), which we broke down so you figure out which flight won’t leave you delayed in cramped, funny-smelling seats... Hopefully. Happy travels!

Ethically spending your travel dollars is a lot harder than it seems

Shopping your values is no easy task, so when you’re away from home, perhaps unable to speak the language, interact with business owners or even easily use Google, how do you make sure the money you’re spending isn’t funding ideals you’re against?

The items that should always be in your carry-on, according to travel experts

Noise-canceling headphones? A nice blanket? Duct tape, old-school iPod, binder clips? Check, check, um... what? Frequent travelers let us in on the necessities they always have at an arm’s reach during any flight and why you’ll want to pack them too.

These are the best hiking boots, according to people who have put the miles in

Your hike is only as good as the boots on your feet, so we asked expert hikers to share their favorite boots to walk the world in.

This new airline ranking could make you rethink where you book your next flight

Delta tops the list of nine major flight carriers in the 29th Annual Airline Quality Rating (AQR) — run by Wichita State University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University — but who’s at the bottom?