Posts Tagged 5 things
5 Things I Always Pack – Corbett Barr
This month’s guest post of “5 things I always pack” is from Corbett Barr, editor and founder of Free Pursuits, a blog about living and working from anywhere in the world. Corbett has spent 11 out of the past 16 months traveling throughout Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. Here’s what he packs to keep the income flowing.
1. A Wireless Router Running DD-WRT
Since I work on the road, Internet connectivity is an absolute priority. When you’re traveling to remote parts of the world, connections to the Internet are sometimes weak and hard to come by. Having a wireless router with DD-WRT repeater capability lets me extend the range of networks I can connect to and has turned otherwise dead spots into instant productivity zones.
2. A Compact Surge Protector
Having a few essential electronics with you definitely makes life easier, but it’s a real bummer when a power surge destroys your setup. I lost a set of speakers to a power surge just two weeks into a recent three-month stint abroad. Power in developing nations is just too unpredictable, so I’m planning to carry a compact surge protector along with me every time from now on.
3. A Backup Laptop
Yes, I know carrying two laptops might seem a bit extreme, but if you’ve ever had one die on the road, you know what a disaster it can be. Instead of living in fear of being stuck without, I simply carry a second lightweight pre-configured laptop (I have my eye on the MacBook Air for the future) as a backup.
4. One No-fee Debit Card and a Backup from a Different Bank
OK, you might be sensing a theme here. I like to have backup arrangements with me, so I’m never stuck in an awkward situation in a foreign country. Having a backup debit card from a completely different bank helps make sure I always have access to cash. Just make sure not to carry both of them in the same place at the same time. If you’re on the road for an extended period of time, paying foreign exchange and ATM fees can really add up. Save yourself hundreds of dollars by doing a little research and opening an account at a bank with a completely 
fee-free debit card. The card I use from E*Trade Bank doesn’t charge me any fees to use foreign ATMs, and actually reimburses me for any fees the ATM operator charges, worldwide. [Editor's note: the current E-trade terms and conditions say U.S. only, so call first to check on your destination(s) coverage. Or open an account with Schwab, which says in writing it does reimburse foreign fees.]
5. A Pair of Compact Speakers
Living in another country for an extended period of time without music just kills me. That’s why I pack a pair of compact speakers that can plug into an iPod or laptop with me. They’re also good for watching movies when you’re with someone else (laptop speakers just don’t cut it for me).
Read more about Corbett and working from the road at Free Pursuits, or check out his new blog about building a high-traffic websites called Think Traffic.
See other 5 Things I Always Pack guest posts
Posted by Tim in Business Gear, General Gear on May 6th, 2010
5 Things I Always Pack – Janna Graber
This month’s guest post of “5 things I always pack” is from Janna Graber, editor of international travel site www.goworldtravel.com and the Colorado uber-site, www.goColorado.com. A travel journalist and video producer, Janna has worked in some 38 countries. She feels completely at home on the road.
1. My “airplane sleeping gear”
Over the years, I’ve developed a routine for sleeping on airplanes, and I always bring the same items with me. First, I travel in comfy clothes (my friends call them my “travel pants,” but they are really just nice looking sweatpants). Then I have a stuffed neck pillow (leopard print, it was all they had on sale at the time), and two inflatable neck pillows. I put one half-inflated pillow behind the small of my back (no back ache then!), and use the two other pillows to keep my head in place while I sleep. Then I have my usual ear plugs, eye mask and lightweight blanket. Sure, I may look ridiculous, but at least I’m fast asleep.
2. My book.
Reading is one of my favorite pastimes, and traveling gives me the opportunity to catch up on my favorite authors. I always have a good paperback with me. 
They’re easy to stick in my backpack, and I can get some good reading in whenever I have to sit and wait.
3. My Rhonda Allison sunscreen
Since it comes in 1 oz bottles, this Rhonda Allison sunscreen is perfect for my carry-on. It’s not greasy and is formulated specifically for faces, which means I actually wear it every day. This sunscreen is usually only sold in high-end salons or dermatologists’ offices, but you can find it online for a good price.
4. My cameras
Photographs are the best souvenirs, and they’re also a huge part of our reader experience at Go World Travel and Go Colorado. I always have a good digital camera with me. Right now, I use the Nikon Coolpix S630. I like the 7x zoom it has, as well as its light weight.
If I have the space, I also have my Canon HV20 3MP High Definition MiniDV Camcorder and tripod. (The newer version of this is the Canon VIXIA HV40.) These days, we produce video stories whenever we can.
5. My Samsonite carry-on suitcase
The zipper is on its last legs and one of the wheels is starting to wobble, but I still cling to my favorite Samsonite carry-on suitcase. It has my faded “I love Canada” handle protector, so I can easily locate the suitcase on the luggage belt, and has traveled with me across the world. Someday, I’ll have to break down and buy a new suitcase, but I’m keeping this one as long as I can.
See other 5 Things guest posts
Posted by Tim in General Gear, Travel Light on April 22nd, 2010
5 Things I Always Pack – Beth Whitman
This month’s guest post with “5 things I always pack” is from Beth Whitman. She is the author and publisher of the Wanderlust and Lipstick guides for women travelers, the editor of WanderlustAndLipstick.com, and leads tours to Bhutan, India, Vietnam and Cambodia. Here’s what she carries with her when she hits the road.
1. SteriPEN
In an effort to reduce my garbage footprint when I travel, I always carry a SteriPen Traveler water purifier. I’ve used this on numerous trips to India, drinking the tap water (hint: it still tastes yucky) and have never gotten Delhi Belly as a result.
2. eReader
I still buy the print versions of guidebooks because nothing beats lying in bed at night and highlighting all the places I want to visit. But for leisure reading, I upload books to an eReader, like Amazon’s Kindle, so that I’m not wasting space in my bag on a heavy tome.
3. Eyeshade
I’m never without an eyeshade that I wear on the plane or in my hotel room when there’s too much light coming through the window. It’s cheap and takes up little space, but is such a lifesaver when I really want/need to sleep.
4. Cable Lock
Nothing beats the added protection of a retractable cable lock. I can lock my backpack to my bed on an overnight train or to a stationary object in my hotel room if I’m staying someplace where I’m a little concerned about leaving my valuables behind.
5. Digital Photo Storage
Of course I always have a camera with me. But, I learned a hard lesson (I lost – but later recovered – about 300 images taken in India) about backing up my images nightly. These are generally small units that have the capacity to hold far more images or video than I’ll ever take on one trip. I use one from Digital Foci.
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Posted by Tim in General Gear, Travel Light on December 30th, 2009
5 Things I Always Pack – Max Hartshorne
This month’s guest post of “5 things I always pack” is from Max Hartshorne, editor of the long-running popular travel site GoNOMAD. (I like that site so much I’ve written articles for it for years.) Here’s what he always carries when he hits the road.
Power Strip
Almost no hotel outside of the US has as many plugs as we electronically-oriented travelers need. So I use a little black compact power strip that gives me three places to charge and I only need to use one of the hotel’s adapter-needing outlets.
Blazer
I usually wear my navy blazer on the plane, it speeds me through security for some reason. It’s a piece of clothing that makes any man feel well-dressed. Coming to dinner without a jacket makes you look like a rube, and so does wearing those ubiquitous white sneakers that brand a traveler as an American tourist. For this reason I always bring nice-looking loafers too.
Gadget sack
These days, everyone has their gadgets and each one needs its charger. In a stiff nylon zip bag, I have my electric plug adaptors, (either the two-prong European style, or the larger three-flat plug used in Britain) my cellphone charger and the various USB cords I need for my computer.
Smaller pack
I like to travel with a nylon drawstring day pack, which holds my travel writer essentials; my camera, my notebooks, my sunglasses and a few pens. Having this smaller pack is crucial because my daypack is full of stuff that I don’t need when in the field.
Neck Pillow
When I’m facing a long flight, using an inflatable neck pillow along with the airline-issued pillows gives me a small chance that I will actually fall asleep in the air. It’s rare but the neck pillow makes it closer to being a possibility. Without it, I’m awake the whole time, no matter how long the flight is.
Max Hartshorne is the editor of the GoNOMAD.com travel website and writes a daily blog called Readuponit. He travels abroad about 10 times a year to write articles for the website.
Posted by Tim in General Gear, Travel Light on November 3rd, 2009
5 Things I Always Pack – JohnnyJet
This month’s guest post of “5 things I always pack” is from John E. DiScala, otherwise known as Johnny Jet. His site has been one of my go-to travel resource sites for close to a decade now. Johnny travels around 150,000 miles and visits over 20 countries each year. He and his website JohnnyJet.com have been featured over 1,800 times in magazines and newspapers and on all the major TV networks.
I always pack: In no particular order, mind you …
1. My wardrobe essentials:
- A bathing suit because you never know when the occasion may arise.
- A sports jacket to look smart. 
- If I wear sneakers I bring dress shoes or vice versa. A reversible belt (brown and black). I’m also keen on the ScotteVest SeV jackets—they have multiple pockets (like 18-52 depending on the model) so you can hide your valuables.
2. My work gear:
My Toshiba Portege A600 laptop, with a 3M privacy shield (so no one can read what I’m typing) and a Sprint wireless card so log on to the airport domestically from anywhere (I rent it for cheap from RovAir.com)
3. Ear plugs and an eye mask
Ear plugs block the noise on a plane or in a noisy hotel room. I don’t like the cheap scratchy eye masks that the airlines pass out; instead, spend $10 or less and buy a fluffy one that will make you look silly but feel fresh. I have one from Lewis N. Clark.
4. Travel Journal
The moment I take my seat, I write down my destination, the date, the airline, the type of plane, seat number, the listed departure time, the actual departure time, flight time and miles. I know it’s kind of Rainman-esque of me, but I used to do it back when I was afraid to fly, to focus my mind on something else. But now it helps me with my story details.
I also jot down what I did, where I ate, how much I spent, transportation modes, weather. And on the last page, I put stamps of all the countries I visited (see the picture here). I get my journal from Graphic Image or Barney’s New York.
5. A box of chocolates…
…for either the gate agent and/or the flight attendants. They can make or break your flight.
John DiScala’s JohnnyJet.com has been named “one of the top best money-saving web sites for travel” by Budget Travel Magazine, while the L.A. Times calls it “one of the top 10 essential travel resources on the internet.” Every week, Johnny hosts a “travel website of the week” for several radio stations around the country, he writes weekly for Frommers.com and he has written for USAToday, The Boston Herald, LAX Magazine and Coast Magazine. Sign up today for Johnny Jet’s free weekly travel newsletter at JohnnyJet.com.
Posted by Tim in Business Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on October 8th, 2009
