As I have now been on the road for just over 3 months and doing so with a pretty limited luggage there are lessons I have learned in my travels and found certain items and tools very helpful. I am hoping to share a few helpful things once in a while along my journey. As I learn more things, find some new tools, pick up tips from others along the way, I will add to this, revise perhaps (thus the version numbering). It would be wonderful to get feedback and even rebuttals from fellow travelers no matter the experience level. And of course if you find information helpful, please do share it.

Let’s start with something as simple as what you are packing with you. Most people tend to over pack. I have met backpackers who have been traveling for close to a year who admitted that up to 1/4 of their baggage is not something they use. Yes, it maybe nice to have an extra shirt or pair of sandals, but in many cases you can replace one cheaper in many places around the world and you can do with the ones you packed.

Related to clothes there are shoes. A friend, Russ who has traveled much more than I have (check out his blog) gave me good advice on footwear. Unless your plan is to go serious hiking, skip the heavy hiking boots and find versatile footwear. I have stuck with 2 pairs of Keens and they are doing everything I have asked them to do. Will keep you posted on how that continues.

If you are doing a lot of backpacker/hostels or camping out, think about laundry. Doing laundry too often will wear out the clothes and will cost you. I have found a lot of places have very inefficient dryers. Some travelers mentioned needing to run the dryer 3-4 times to even dry clothes a little. But almost every place in the world has somewhere you can hang clothes out to air dry. Aim for quick drying items (I am loving the exofficio brand stuff). Also make sure you have some outerwear and even pants that can dry quickly. If you get caught in a downpour or are going up on a glacier, jeans are not your friend.

Maximizing your space and staying organized is helpful, especially if you are moving around a lot between places. Rolling clothes when you pack them takes up less space and keeps some of the wrinkles out. Speaking of organization, one of my favorite little tools for organization has been especially helpful. With a wide variety of electronics I end up traveling with a serious selection of wires/cables. To keep the cables together I am using a GridIt, got mine like this one at Amazon and love it. Even in the dark I can easily extract a wire or put one back (and yes when you are sharing a hostel room you WILL end up packing up in the dark).

Since we are talking technology, think about the devices you are carrying. How many of them do you need? How are you planning on charging them? With the work that I do and being a gadget guy I am probably carrying more than an average number of electronic gear. One thing that has made it easier is that other than my camera battery they all charge via USB (come on Nikon, get with it, make a USB charger . Why does this matter. There may be times you will only have one or two outlets and you may even be sharing them with someone. When it comes to power, I also love my TripShell (also available from Amazon) – a single converter from any plug type to another, not a voltage converter. Again, since I am powering through my laptop for most things and the laptop has a voltage regulator this does the rest. Also, TripShell  has a fuse that can save your device from frying when power fluctuates too much.

Another thing to think about when it comes to technology is backing up your files. Some people travel with a backup hard drive (I have one). However, I have seen one girl whose backpack was stolen and she lost both her laptop and her backup. She also lost 2 years worth of photographs and journal entries she kept on her laptop. If you are traveling where internet speed is not an issue, consider using Carbonite. I have signed up for a 3-year service at $129 (now $139) and they give me unlimited storage. I have gotten close to 100gbs of backup data and no issues. So even if my laptop and local backup are dead – my photos still live on. For photos only you can use alternatives like Flickr or Picasa, just remember Flickr has a limit for photos on the free account and Picasa may compress some of your photos. (Note: if Carbonite is something you want to do, message me and I will email you a referral link, you get 2 months bonus that way, and so do I. It is a nice tool, even if you are not traveling too)

One last item when it comes to technology. Again, thanks to Russ for suggesting that I should have a phone when I travel and my former boss Elise for providing her older sim card phone which I was able to unlock. I think having a phone is helpful to connect with people locally. In some countries there are even very affordable sim cards for calling back home. There was a Lebara card that gave me US calls for under .05/minute. Be careful with the sim cards, read what they are giving you carefully. Some expire sooner than you think, others have flagfalls (charges every time you dial). Also be very careful with data. Many foreign phones use same credit bank for data and phone services. If you happen to have a smart phone that regularly checks email or goes online you may be out of credit sooner than you think.  Oh and by all means, don’t waste your cash on a US based cell. Yes, you will have your number, but it will cost you an arm and a leg and it will work a lot less than the local company phones. On average you can pick up a cheap unlocked phone for $20-$40 and then use it everywhere you travel. (Unlocked means phone not tied to a particular provider. Even with sim cards some phones are locked and can not be used on other networks).

The last, and definitely one of the less pleasant subjects is finances. Do your homework, check your wallet. Make sure you know if your credit card company charges international fees. I will say I have loved my Capital One cards, $0 of any international fees as long as I do not try to withdraw cash. For that I found a bank that gives me 2 free international transactions a month (there are several in US that will do it). If I were to try to use their debit card as a credit card though, it would cost me! Also, for people staying in same country or region for a decent amount of time, consider opening a local bank account. You may save money on exchange rates and other fees (e.g. local ATM fees). Speaking of exchanges, avoid cash exchange companies, especially at the airports, and definitely always ask about their fees. And remember, you can negotiate with them. They are buying and selling currency to  make a profit. Your best bet, if you are stuck with foreign cash is to find a spot in a larger city where several companies run an exchange business. And do not be afraid to walk away, rates may get better instantly.

I hope these few tips have been helpful. As time goes by there will be more and some of these may get revised. Your feedback is very much welcomed as is sharing. Thanks for reading.