In less than a minute, you can unpack and hang all of your clothes at destination, then get out and enjoy the day.Ultimate Wrinkle Free Clothes: The best way to eliminate wrinkles is to fold and roll your clothes, put into a Ziplock back, while compressing to remove air and keep bundled tightly. You can also fold and roll clothes and use a rubber band to compress. Either way will bring your clothes along wrinkle free. While this is great for eliminating wrinkles, it adds lots of time. Hence why the carbon fiber hangar concept has evolved effectively.Sun Tan Lotion For Intense Sunshine: At higher end resorts, sun tan lotion (typically SPF 30 and SPF 60) are provided in large pump dispenser containers at the water sports (pool) desk. While they provide small paper cups, I now bring my own tube and simply fill up. It removes the hassle of buying a bottle of lotion (sometimes priced at $35 each at the resort store). For arrival or travel days, I buy and pack a small single-use packaged sun tan lotion. For higher end resorts, you're already paying more than $1,000 a day to be there, use the facilities and lotions they provide.
Digital Nomads
If you are working while traveling, or a hard core Instagrammer, then I recommend traveling with the smallest drone you can find. Try to standardize batteries (see below). Carry at least one extra cable for every device you are using. I only travel with two iPhones (no huge DLSR cameras). The camera quality is so good, that iPhone can handle 99 percent of all imaging. I also bring a lightweight travel tripod when I'll be doing time-lapse photography. For more than a week, I bring my M1 MacBookPro (13 inch to save space). Try to use Cloud backup if available. Keep important work files remotely and skinny versions on your phone. I use Filemaker Go for my databases, which are password protected and allow me to work from anywhere.
Rechargeable Lithium Ion Batteries:
I make sure my devices are all AA battery compatible. That way I only need to charge one type of battery, and one type fits all devices. Standardize any items you can, which make them interchangeable and good backup.
Standby iPhone:
I've had one experience when my iPhone X started overheating and would not turn on again. It’s a disaster when you don’t have paper backup, or no dedicated memory to phone numbers and important data. The entire arrival day was awful. I finally found an Apple store and bought a new phone, but could not back up all data until I returned home. Try to use Cloud backup if available. Keep important work files remotely and skinny versions on your phone. I use Filemaker Go for my databases, which are password protected and allow me to work from anywhere.Since 2007, I've only had two iPhone's stop working. Not bad for reliability.
On the Flight:
The best above your airline seat is on, and moving air. Ventilation is the key to reduce viral exposure. Wipe down your armrests, seat belt buckle, and tray table (the things you normally touch). Only consume drinks you can open (i.e. from a container that is sealed). Ice is probably one of the easiest contaminated things in the galley. No alcohol (reduces your immunity and makes you more chatty, which means more exposure to viral load if you're sitting next to somebody). I recommend compression socks for all flights. Also use low tech ear plugs to reduce noise. It’s surprising how the low hum of the engines can give you a headache especially after a 8 hour long haul flight. Drink bottled water (i.e. any water from a sealed container). For those long haul flights, get up at least once per hour and walk around (even if it’s just to the bathroom).
Long Haul Flights:
One of the longest flights I’ve been on was from Dubai (DXB) to Chicago (ORD) on a Emirates 787. It was 15 hours. Even in business class, it’s a long flight. We started late morning, flew through sunset, night, and then into morning, and afternoon arriving in Chicago. My biggest complaint (airlines are you listening?) for these flights are: flight attendants who wear hard sole or hard heeled shoes (they clank around the aisles and thump while walking, and wake you up if sleeping or simply create thumping sound and vibrations), and the auto dimming cabin shades (you can’t adjust for day and night circadian rhythms when the cabin is dark the entire flight). Plus I like to look out the window when flying. You have the best view on the planet, why not enjoy it ?The concept of cocooning in a dark cabin for 8 to 15 hours is awful during the day. For a overnight flight it's not an issue (i.e. Chicago or NY to Europe).Sleep: Related to jetlag, quality sleep can make or break travel. Here is some research I've done on sleep (see link).Long Haul Flight Activities: I log or journal the trip, or just log everything I can think of. It’s the only time I can sit down and do this, and it’s fun to look back to see how and what I was strategizing on a particular trip. Of course you can watch movies, or get caught up on work, but try to use the time to keep with your time zones. If you can computer code, these long haul flights are perfect for getting work done where you need to focus on a particular project.Time Zone Adjusting: Jet lag is a real problem. Flying backwards seems the most difficult for me (i.e. flying west). Flying east seems to be ok. The best advice is to follow the Sun. Wake up at sunrise, and don’t stay up too late after sunset. If you follow that simple rule, you’ll adjust faster. Skip breakfast. If you get a free (included) breakfast, get a to-go box and save some goodies for after lunch or a snack.
Research on Sleep
Label Printer:
It never ceases to amazing me how useful a simple label printer is. I now have three. For traveling, they are great for organizing making labels and to-do lists.
Summary:
Those are a few of my most cherished travel strategies which have evolved over the past decades of travel. The methodology of travel is constantly evolving, which makes it always a fun challenge. If you have any tips you want to share, please comment below.
Travel Tips
The quintessential travel packing and luggage methodology is constantly evolving as you travel. Gone are the days when you had to check large suitcases, filled to the brim with large sized toiletries, lotions, and unneeded clothes and gear. Todays sophisticated traveler goes for function over form, and travels with what is needed and trims the unnecessary. Less is more. Over the years, I have developed the following guidelines for what to pack, how to pack, and how to travel. Many concepts have evolved over time focussing on streamlining the travel experience and reducing time packing/unpacking so you can enjoy more of the experience. Time is your most valuable asset.
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