I have spent a lifetime traveling the globe on expeditions and filming projects. This is installment six of my top 100 travel tips to make your journey more relaxed and earth-friendly.
Toiletries
1. Small toiletries – Use contact lens cases for vitamins, creams, hair gels, and lotions. These little containers each carry a week’s supply of anything you need, and they won’t spill.
2. Toothpaste – To minimize taking a whole tube, make small dots of toothpaste and allow them to dry. Store them in contact lens cases. Put a toothpaste dot in your mouth and brush up.
3. Resist Plastics – Wherever possible resist consuming single user plastic products. Hotel shampoo bottles create an enormous waste stream. Take your own in reusable containers.
4. Handkerchief – I carry a handkerchief adorned with a Canada map. I can show people where I live, and if I need a tissue or small towel, this does the trick.
Little Extras
1. Headlamp – One of the most useful tools is a small headlamp. Whether you are trying not to wake up your roommate in a dark hotel room or searching for parts in the bottom of a dive bag, a headlamp is extremely useful.
2. Brompton – A favorite possession of mine is a Brompton folding bicycle. It fits in an overhead bin or small suitcase, and I have wheels when I get to my destination.
3. Take a Boat – A professional kayaking colleague of mine travels with a cheap $100 inflatable kayak. It is small enough to put in a suitcase and capable enough for fun exploration.
4. Smile – There is nothing that opens more doors than a smile.
If you are interested in reading my new memoir, Into The Planet:
