I am a sad to admit that long term travel has made me more of a smartphone junkie than I was at home. My smartphone comes in so handy: reading my travel guide; avoiding taking taxis when I can walk the distance with the aid of GoogleMaps or maps.me; messaging fellow travellers; messaging people at home; calling home with Skype or WhatsApp; communicating with locals with a digital translation tool, …
I find myself using about 2 smartphone batteries a day, so my power bank, or “charger baby” as the Chinese call it, is pretty essential to me. Also, there’s quite a lot of circumstances where you will want to charge your phone but the electricity socket is in a common area. In such cases, I find it much more convenient to charge my (relatively cheap) power bank in the common area, so I do not have to leave my smartphone there and risk theft. Powerbanks come in all sizes and weights, but I find I only need a small one which can charge my phone once or maximum twice. Other questions on travel gear? Check out my travel gear page!
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Dorm rooms are rarely an oasis of calm and quiet, buses (also sleeper buses) in Southeast Asia often play Karaoke music with the volume turned way up, and yes, at some point, there will be a howling baby on the airplane seat next to you.
If you haven’t got the point yet: earplugs are a travel ESSENTIAL! Travelling in Yunnan, China, and now starting my travels in Myanmar, made me realise that, contrary to my previous beliefs, it is not that easy to find earplugs everywhere around the world. You will sure be able to locate some in very touristy countries, but do take a small stash from home and find new ones before your stock is all finished! Other questions on travel gear? Check out my travel gear page! Recently I got to experience some rainy days in Yunnan. I am not the kind that likes to stay inside when travelling, especially if staying inside means sitting in a cold small bedroom in the Red Lands... Luckily, with the appropriate raingear, rainy days do not have to ruin your travels.
I chose for a poncho rather than a normal rainjacket because many of the countries I wanted to visit, were rather warm. So I wanted to have raingear that is as loose as possible, to have some ventilation. Also useful if you are doing physical activity (like trekking) while wearing the raingear. Think about whether you want a poncho that covers your backpack too. I would suggest to buy one that does, even if your backpack comes with a raincover. There is nothing as horrible as having your backpack contents soaked! I was trekking in Nepal, and it rained quite often (at the start of the trek). I cannot imagine what it would have been like if my spare clothes etc. would have gotten wet - since it was pretty cold at altitude, it would have taken days for things to dry… Also consider the color of your poncho: personally, I would opt for a poncho in a bright color. More often than not, you will want to get noticed when walking in the rain (as in many countries, you may be walking on the road, not on a sidewalk). For a complete overview of the travel gear I am using or recommend, see my travel gear section. Do you have tips of your own on travel raingear? Send me a message via the contact form on this website! Yes, I’ve been there, time and time again: a couple of days before Christmas and no idea what to buy as a Christmas present.
If the person you are buying the present for, likes to travel, search no more. Having travelled for quite a long time, I can suggest some great items of travel gear! Have you thought of the following? packing cubes Yes, it may sound dull as hell, but trust me, during travel they make the difference between (un)packing in 3 minutes, or in 30. Honestly, it is one of the most useful items on my travel gear list. headlamp You will need this piece of equipment time and time again: for a hike in the early of late hours of the day, for reading a book outside at night, for packing your stuff in a dorm room in the early hours of the day, etc. sleeping bag liner Having some doubts on the cleanliness of your guesthouse bedlinen? Just roll out your sleeping bag liner! Power bank Most travellers these days are making extensive use of their mobile phones on holidays. Personally, I consume about 2 battery loads per day. That means that a power bank is pretty much essential when travelling. It also comes in very handy if you have to recharge in a communal area: recharge your power bank instead of your smartphone, to reduce the risk of theft. Merino thermal T-shirts I love my merino T-shirts: on the one hand, they provide that bit of extra warmth when needed, on the other hand, it takes ages before they start smelling, so no need to pack 20 T-shirts anymore! I personally carry 1 short sleeve merino wool thermal T-shirt and 1 long sleeve merino wool thermal T-shirt. But probably, I’ll pack more of them next time! Still craving for more travel gear suggestions? Check out my Travel Gear page! Happy Holidays everyone! |
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