When traveling, you’re essentially living with nothing but the items in your bag, so it’s understandable why some travelers obsess over having just the right gear. From waterproof, windproof, stainproof, zip-off, mosquito-repellent, quick-drying clothes to the latest high-tech gadgets, they’re always in search of the next things that can make their trip easier and their pack lighter. And then there are the travelers on the other end of the spectrum - those who set off with the same clothes they’d wear at home, with nothing but their trusty iPod, phone, and guidebook to weigh them down. And of course, there are a whole lot of variations in between. Whether you are a gear junky or only invest in the bare minimum, there’s no doubt a few simple items you could add to your next trip that would make it easier, better, cheaper, or lighter. This week on BootsnAll, we’re all about the travel gear, from high-tech gadgets to simple tips to help you save time, space and energy on your trip. First up, we turn a critical eye on some cool gadgets that make big promises to help you travel better, and see if you really need the products for your travel style. Then we’ll learn about the art of the extreme road trip and what you need to do [...]
This is part of BootsnAll’s 30 Days of Indie Travel project, a daily blogging challenge with a prompt for every day in November 2011. Check out the prompt at the bottom of this post to find out how you can participate! My Must-have Gear Item I took a 35L backpack on my round the world trip. Occasionally I wished I had a bigger pack, but ultimately it was just the right size for me. While I’ve been told that I’m a pretty paired down traveler, (I try not to let this go to my head), I do pack a number of unnecessary awesome items… from perfume atomizers to stockpiles of Burt’s Bees chapstick. So I had a hard time narrowing down to just one ‘must-have gear favorite’ from my hypothetical list of “things you really don’t need to take traveling, but I like to bring anyway”. So I picked the most useful item, that is now a must-bring for me. Can I travel without it? Definitely, but life on the road is way easier with it. Flight 001′s Wet Suit bag is on my must-pack list. After returning from Panama with a bag even the customs agents didn’t want to open, I decided I needed a strategy for my bag not mildewing on my upcoming RTW trip. I stumbled across [...]
When traveling, you’re essentially living with nothing but the items in your bag, so it’s understandable why some travelers obsess over having just the right gear. From waterproof, windproof, stainproof, zip-off, mosquito-repellent, quick-drying clothes to the latest high-tech gadgets, they’re always in search of the next things that can make their trip easier and their pack lighter. And then there are the travelers on the other end of the spectrum - those who set off with the same clothes they’d wear at home, with nothing but their trusty iPod, phone, and guidebook to weigh them down. And of course, there are a whole lot of variations in between. Whether you are a gear junky or only invest in the bare minimum, there’s no doubt a few simple items you could add to your next trip that would make it easier, better, cheaper, or lighter. This week on BootsnAll, we’re all about the travel gear, from high-tech gadgets to simple tips to help you save time, space and energy on your trip. First up, we turn a critical eye on some cool gadgets that make big promises to help you travel better, and see if you really need the products for your travel style. Then we’ll learn about the art of the extreme road trip and what you need to do [...] 
This is part of BootsnAll’s 30 Days of Indie Travel project, a daily blogging challenge with a prompt for every day in November 2011. Check out the prompt at the bottom of this post to find out how you can participate! My Must-have Gear Item I took a 35L backpack on my round the world trip. Occasionally I wished I had a bigger pack, but ultimately it was just the right size for me. While I’ve been told that I’m a pretty paired down traveler, (I try not to let this go to my head), I do pack a number of unnecessary awesome items… from perfume atomizers to stockpiles of Burt’s Bees chapstick. So I had a hard time narrowing down to just one ‘must-have gear favorite’ from my hypothetical list of “things you really don’t need to take traveling, but I like to bring anyway”. So I picked the most useful item, that is now a must-bring for me. Can I travel without it? Definitely, but life on the road is way easier with it. Flight 001′s Wet Suit bag is on my must-pack list. After returning from Panama with a bag even the customs agents didn’t want to open, I decided I needed a strategy for my bag not mildewing on my upcoming RTW trip. I stumbled across [...] 