Being a road warrior for my business, I realized the importance of time. Everything in life boils down to how much it costs hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, and annually. Oftentimes, the efficiency of a business, even convenience and a peace-of-mind, have price labels. At the end of every travel budget, the top priorities for money saving is to pack light and be organized. We do not get paid from any of the companies, so whatever I wrote are strictly my own opinions. The top travel gear that aid my OCD at the center of the efficiency cloud-node branches are as follows:
Red Oxx SkyTrain
This 20″L x 9″W x 13″H luggage is compliant with any airline’s carry on restrictions. The quality of this bag is heavy-duty-ly amazing. 95% of the time I use the side strap feature of the bag, but when my shoulders are tired, the simple backpack conversion feature is a life saver. It also fits into my self-imposed limit of 20-25lbs one bag rule. In black, it looks professional for business and efficient for vacations of any length.
REI Flash 18
I have tried several day packs including the ever so raved Hammock Bliss Ultralight (the strap snapped in 7 days.) Flash 18 gave me peace of mind for over 3 years and 15 different countries. This versatile pack can be turned inside out to bag my shoes or just lay flat in my SkyTrain which only takes up cardboard-thin space. It holds two 2-liter water bottles plus all my miscellaneous accessories for daily outings.
eBags Packing Cubes
A few different sizes of the cubes organize everything in my luggage and help keep the luggage flat.
Magellan’s StowAways 3-1-1 Tote
Super durable TSA compliant 3-1-1 tote for my liquid toiletries. In fact I have two of them in different colors, the other is used for non liquids and as a handy backup. (NO LONGER AVAILABLE)
Universal World Wide Travel Adapter plug
This cheap $4.00 adapter has worked everywhere we’ve been. The lock and unlock switch was confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s an easy concept. There are many reviews of the product being cheap and easily defective, so I’ve bought two, with one for backup. So far, for over 3 years, they haven’t caused me any problems.
Magellan’s Dual-Voltage Power Strip
This has just enough plugs for the both of us along with USB outlets. It is compact and wraps around itself. I’ve never gone anywhere without it.
Garmin nüvi 1370
With an 8gb class 4 microSDHC, I have the entire Europe and North America at my finger tips. Having a GPS saved us a lot of headaches and money while driving in Europe. I did not get the lifetime traffic model, instead I opted for lifetime map updates to avoid the advertisements that may be shipped with traffic updates.
Fujifilm X-E2 w/ XF 23mm F1.4 Lens
A picture is worth a thousand words. The light weight X-E2 with the powerful low light lens is the perfect street photography camera for me. The camera along with the comfortable custom length Lance Strap. I can capture some amazing photos without feeling bulky.
iPhone 5
I do not travel with a laptop nor a tablet. My phone has all the features I need for traveling. I don’t see a need for a laptop especially during a vacation. If I must use a computer, every hotel/hostel I’ve stayed at provides it for free with printing. The headphones that comes with it saved me from wasting money on noise canceling headphones. (I am not a light sleeper.)
Dryer Sheets
I stuff a sheet or two in the luggage to keep everything smelling fresh. It may be up to 3-5 days in between each hand-wash, fresh scented clothes in the morning automatically put me in a good refreshing mood.
Good Night Sleep Mask
The bra-like design prevents pressure build-up on my eyes. It sits flush and comfortable on my head.
Manila File Folders
One of these relatively inexpensive folders keeps all my printouts, copies, travel related papers organized and flat in my luggage without the risk of folded corners.
Cable Lock
Many areas we travel to are infested with pickpockets. I really don’t see a point of luggage locks. This simple cable lock gives the thieves an extra step into my belongings. An inexpensive investment for a peace of mind.
Mophie Juice Pack Powerstation Duo
This product allows me to play Candy Crush on my iPhone for 15 hours straight in an airplane/train with no charging ports without worrying about the battery. It is relatively small and easy to pack.
Kleenex Pocket Facial Tissue
Not every public restroom supplies toilet paper in the world. We always have these easy to carry pocket tissues ready for the unexpected.
Copyrights of product images belong to each individual source. Apple Inc. owns the copyright of the iPhone image. P&G owns the copyright of Gain.
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