Funny all of the things you don’t notice until someone points them out... such as gear.
Considering not only the amount I travel—but the means of travel themselves—I go through a lot of stuff.
So here’s a little list of what might make your life easier this year.
(None of these link to referral programs or whatever. I don’t even know how to do that.)
eSims – this has been the biggest blessing to those of us who are constantly relocating. What was once having to land, figure out the metro system by old school methods, doing the same to find your hotel, then walking around town–passport in hand–to find a mobile phone shop that would then take an hour to copy your information, change out the sim for you, sometimes even signing a contract, sometimes even having your photo taken and sent to the government, is now a simple 10 minutes with an eSim. I’ve had great luck with Airalo (both ease of set-up and financially), and have been using it now in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan and the US. It’s a bit intimidating at first, but Airalo lays out in video and print how to set it up, the nice thing being that you can still use your normal sim for phone calls, etc. Will end up saving you heaps of money.
Nite-Ize – these little things are tiny, bendy pieces of pure gold. Basically just industrial twist ties, but super-strong, in numerous colors, shapes and sizes and honestly can be used for all sorts of things–not just attaching. It seems like such a simple and superfluous piece of swag, but if you start to think about all the uses, you'll see what I mean.
Even just the past few months, I've used them for:
Keeping detergent (or coffee, or whatever) rolled up.
A makeshift outlet platform holder thingy
Securing a hanger on a windy day
Sticking it to whatever jerk came up with the hot water faucet having to be held down while showering one-handed.
And I'm not sure what I was doing with it in bed, but this photo looks dangerous and suggestive and I'm STILL rock n' roll, you guys.
Travel Bidets – I won’t stop until every one of you is no longer wiping your bum with paper (that sentence alone somehow not detouring some, strangely). And while you probably have your own toilet that can have something permanent, carrying one while you travel is so incredibly important. This is my favorite, nice little angle there. Comes in a discreet little pouch, and looks to the commoner like a weird water bottle.
Lord knows how many times I’ve mentioned the reaction (worldwide) my 10 year-old leather bicycle wine holder gets, but even if you’re not one of us winos, and even if you put an old bottle of wine there just to scoot around in, the laughs and smile and thumbs up alone will make your day.
Power Banks – do I really have to tell you that the bartender/barista/server’s life isn’t made any easier by you having them plug you in? Dangerous as well, if you think of it. Carry Anker (different sizes) and congratulations on not having your food spit on.
And lastly, my Old Man once told me “Never travel without a good book and a corkscrew”, so let me pass that one on as well.
Good? Great.
Get shopping.
