I have spent a lifetime traveling the globe on expeditions and filming projects. This is installment two of my top 100 travel tips to make your journey more relaxed and earth-friendly.
1. Small Footprint – Rolling your clothes and socks saves space.
2. Compress It – Use silicone compression sacs and dry bags to further squeeze the air out of your clothes and maximize packing space.
3. Electronics – Get a cable bag to organize your charging and computer cables.
4. Storage – If you are going to shoot a lot of photos, take a hard drive for backup and storage.
5. The Cloud – If you think you will have sufficient bandwidth, backup your photos to the cloud for easy access that eliminates the need for a backup hard drive.
6. Gifts for Kids – A small token gift can go a long way when you are abroad. A flag pin or interesting sticker is a far better gift than giving children money or candy.
7. Comfort Items – A pillow, eye mask, and earplugs might be lifesavers on the plane or even in your hotel
8. Dress for Comfort – You want to be warm and comfortable on a long plane ride. Cozy loose clothing, compression socks and a hat you can pull down over your eyes are helpful.
9. Ziplocks – Ziplock bags are great for packing clothes. Use the soft clothing packs to pad more sensitive or fragile items. If you roll a fragile object in clothing, place it in a bag, so it doesn’t get accidentally dropped during luggage inspection. use heavyweight models so they can be reused.
10. Organize – An organized suitcase will look that way on an airport x-ray, preventing the likelihood of a supplemental security search.
11. Saving Weight – If your weight limits are tight, use soft baggage like a duffle. You can line it will corrugated plastic to make it sturdier.
12. Shelf Liner – Cushy rubber shelf liner is excellent for protecting fragile items.
13. Battery Boxes – Extra lithium batteries must be carried in hand luggage. Protect the contacts with tape or store them in lightweight battery boxes.
14. IKEA Batteries – The best rechargeable batteries are Eneloop brand by Sanyo. Buy them under IKEA’s house brand and save significantly.
15. RFID – Think about getting a small RFID-safe card-carrier or wallet or line your wallet with aluminum foil to defeat identity thieves who roam in airports, train stations, and tourist spots.
16. First Aid – Pack a small kit with pain reliever, Benedryl, decongestant, antacid, cough drops, bandages, activated charcoal pills (for diarrhea and minor allergic reactions), and antibiotic cream.
17. Lost Bags – Photograph your luggage prior to departure in case the airline loses your bag.
18. Power – If you are heading outside North America, consider packing a small 240V-capable power strip with USB outlets for charging multiple devices and don’t forget a local outlet converter. Otherwise, carry a 120V model with the same features.
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