Enola KnezevicPacking. My compression packing cube with just-in-case clothes (and travel towel) weighs 1.25 kg. I'm also bringing a jacket, but in an outer pocket of my backpack, so that I can put it in a small pillowcase I'm also bringing, to get a travel pillow.
Let's make this an awesome-travel-products thread? First the travel backpack. I have an older version of Deuter Aviant 65+10 litres. It is adjustable in every possible way and 20 kilos in it feel like 10 (thanks to the hip belt). I don't use the daypack because my laptop doesn't fit in it, I carry a somewhat larger backpack in front, and use the pocket for my jacket and lunchbox. #travel #travelgear #backpack #backpacking https://www.deuter.com/de-en/shop/backpacks/p226903-travel-backpack-aviant-access-pro-65-sl
I also have an older version of Deuter Aviant 38 litre carry on backpack. I have used it for shorter trips (up to 12 days) in combination with a daypack. Actually I use that carry on as my daypack in everyday life because I do everything by foot, so it's great for carrying heavy groceries because it has a hip belt as well. Unlike the 65 litre version, it has a large laptop compartment. #travel #travelgear #backpack #backpacking https://www.deuter.com/de-en/shop/backpacks/p226880-travel-backpack-aviant-access-38-sl
My daypack when travelling is a Fjällräven Kånken 15'' laptop backpack. It fits a 16'' laptop in the laptop compartment plus a 14'' laptop in the tablet compartment, so I can bring both my work and private computers. It is surprisingly ergonomic for its simple design, but the laptop version has padded straps (unlike the classic version). #travel #travelgear #backpack #backpacking https://www.fjallraven.com/uk/en-gb/bags-gear/kanken/kanken-bags/kanken-laptop-152?_t_q=&_t_hit.id=Luminos_Storefront_Web_Features_Catalog_Product_Domain_CommonProduct/CatalogContent_8883c368-c60b-433d-aca4-ca1daa85534c_en-GB&_t_hit.pos=12
Here's an advice: pack clothes in packing cubes by outfits, not by type (like all socks together). If you're staying in the same accommodation for 3 nights, pack outfits you need for that time (including sleepwear) in one packing cube and the rest in other packing cubes. Those outfits (-1 but +1) will be transferred to the dirty laundry bag by the time you leave for your next destination. Of course that's easier to do if, like me, you have almost identical black pieces for each day 🧛 #travel
Or have a separate once-in-the-accommodation packing cube containing pajamas, eye mask, ear plugs, loungewear, slippers (or sliders, a must if you share a shower), towel, kitchen towel (especially if you plan to eat in bed), microfibre cloth (once a smoothie in a glass bottle broke in my backpack, so I had to buy it, never went without it again), desinfectant wipes (for touch points such as light switches, door knobs, remotes, all the surfaces in the room, also headboard). #travel
Food containers! Bring two, Lock'n'Lock are leakproof (you can put soup in them, turn them upside down in the backpack and they won't leak). You can start with socks in them so that they don't take up too much space, and later use them for any leftovers (or something that needs to be isolated from the rest of the baggage, such as a wet bathing suit). I haven't had much luck with cheap collapsible ones, but Sea to Summit brand might be good. #travel #travelgear
https://www.locknlock.com/eng/product/container/food-storage/classic
Speaking of food: bring trail mix, nuts, chocolate bars, tea bags, some instant coffee, or caffeine drink powder such as Koawach, those salt, pepper, sugar, artificial sweetener, soya sauce, wasabi (or ketchup if you like it) packets you get in restaurants. Instant soup or bouillon cubes are also a good idea. Bring a reusable cuttlery and a reusable straw. #travel #travelgear
I have Eagle Creek compression packing cubes. They are great because they weigh almost nothing, but make for extra wrinkly clothes, and the compression zipper is tiresome to use every time I change the location. So I only use one for just-in-case clothes. Also, cubes aren't cubes (prisms) anymore when compressing, they're bulging in the middle, so I need to squeeze smaller gear in between them to use up the space. #travel #travelgear https://www.eaglecreek.com/products/pack-it-isolate-compression-cube-m
If you're flying you need one one-litre ziploc bag for your liquids, but bring extra ziploc bags of different sizes regardless. They can be used to store food leftovers, wet bathing suits, worn FFP2 masks, dirty shoes, or can be used as tech pouches, jewellery organisers or similar. Also bring some trash bags, they weigh almost nothing, but can be very useful when there's only one trash can, either in the room or the bathroom. #travel #travelgear
My Deuter backpack weighs 18.15 kg. My Kånken backpack weighs 7.55 kg. That's with food and water. I told everyone at work that I can't bring my work laptop because I already carry 23 kg 😅 Well, it's almost 26. And I, a couch potato, was able to run carrying them to catch the tram (it's not like I would be late for my train, but didn't want to wait for 10 min). So much for minimalism 😅
Get yourself a hanging toiletry bag. If the hook is plastic, replace it with a metal one (trust me). There are many kinds, but the huge one from Tchibo turned out to be the best for me (older version, which is navy blue and with fewer pockets).And it's squishable if not all the space is needed. #travel #travelgear https://www.tchibo.de/products/400144754/kulturtasche-zum-aufhangen
Kulturtasche zum Aufhängen
Kulturtasche zum Aufhängen | Ob für die Reise oder einfach, um zu Hause einen besseren Überblick über die Kosmetikartikel zu haben: Eine Kulturtasche ist eine gute Aufbewahrungsmöglichkeit, denn ihre vielen verschließbaren Fächer bieten eine Menge Stauraum und sind dank Reißverschluss perfekt vor Staub geschützt. Und auch größere Utensilien wie Shampoo oder Bürste finden in den geräumigen Seitenfächern der Tasche Platz.Kulturtasche zum AufhängenEine umweltschonende ecorepel®-Imprägnierung macht das Futter des Kulturbeutels wasserabweisend. Generell ist die Tasche sehr strapazierfähig und abwischbar gestaltet. Und falls man Platz sparen will: Die Kulturtasche lässt sich einfach an ihrem Tragegriff an einem Haken aufhängen.
Oh, the new version doesn't have a hook. No problem, just use a carabiner. I always bring an XXL carabiner by Tchibo because it can be really odd spaces where I need to hang my toiletry bags. Yes, bags, I have another, small one, which is my everyday toiletry bag for make up, deodorant, and other essentials, don't know the brand, got it from my credit card company. And both of them together fit into my Kånken backpack. One large carabiner hook is enough for both. https://www.tchibo.de/products/400132868/2-xxl-karabinerhaken
2 XXL-Karabinerhaken
2 XXL-Karabinerhaken | Diese zwei Camping-Alleskönner sind Haken, Griff und Halterung in einem. Mit ihnen kann man die unterschiedlichsten Gegenstände – wie beispielsweise Tüten, Spielsachen und Sportausrüstung – aufhängen, bündeln und dank der Schaumstoffummantelung angenehm tragen. Durch sie liegen die Karabiner angenehm in der Hand, rutschen nicht ab und sind gut geschützt. Außerdem sind sie leicht mit einer Hand bedienbar und können mit bis zu 20 Kilogramm belastet werden.
Speaking of carabiners, the best I've ever used are Nite-Ize S-biners. They have 2 'compartments' to prevent detaching them altogether when you only need to remove one thing, they come in different sizes (and maximum loads), and some of them are lockable, in 2 different ways (I did manage to lose one key by using a non-lockable one, so I suggest lockable ones for valuables, attaching to backpacks, or anything moveable. #travel #travelgear
https://www.nite-ize.eu/de/menu/shop-by-category/hardware/s-biners-carabiners-1037.html
https://www.nite-ize.eu/de/menu/shop-by-category/hardware/s-biners-carabiners-1037.html
I don't know what these clips are called, and I'm not sure where I got them, probably Flying Tiger Copenhagen or Tchibo, but they are amazing and weigh just a little. They're meant for hanging kitchen towels which don't have their own loops, but have many more applications. For example if the terrace door won't stay open just a few cm during the night, you can do this. #travel #travelgear #lifehack
I always need to hermetically (and I mean it) close some packaging, whether food or cosmetics, and these clips from DM turned out to be the best, better than Ikea or any others I have tried. Just have in mind that they easily break if you try to press too much material into them. For smaller packagings that don't need to be hermetically closed (salt, pepper, sugar packets) bobby pins will do. #travel #travelgear https://www.dm.de/profissimo-universalverschluesse-in-3-groessen-p4058172067020.html
There are 3 options regarding laundry:
- bring enough clothes for the duration of your stay, don't do laundry
- bring less, hand wash clothes, I did it last summer for a month, every few days I would hand wash clothes in the sink with whatever hand soap was provided, but it did get tiresome
- bring enough for a week, do laundry once a week, either by renting accommodation with a washing machine or finding a laundromat (or let the hotel laundry service do it if you don't mind paying by the item)
- bring enough clothes for the duration of your stay, don't do laundry
- bring less, hand wash clothes, I did it last summer for a month, every few days I would hand wash clothes in the sink with whatever hand soap was provided, but it did get tiresome
- bring enough for a week, do laundry once a week, either by renting accommodation with a washing machine or finding a laundromat (or let the hotel laundry service do it if you don't mind paying by the item)
Machine washing every week turned out to be the best for me. I bring clothes that can be washed together (dark colours, similar materials). I don't have a dryer every time I use a washing machine, so I bring my own clothesline which can be attached to pretty much any fixed point. It doesn't need any clips and weighs only 25 grams. I mostly bring quick dry sports clothing. In summer if I wash it in the evening, it is usually dry by the morning. #travel #travelgear https://seatosummit.com/products/lite-line-clothesline
Then I also need laundry detergent because hand soap or shampoo or whatever I would use to hand wash my clothes shouldn't be used in the washing machine. I'd used this liquid one for road trips, and refilled it at home: https://www.rossmann.de/de/haushalt-domol-feinwaschmittel-fluessig-2-3-wl-reisegroesse/p/0000043004515
When I started backpacking I would bring a few laundry pods in a ziploc bag, but liquid detergents are still too heavy for backpacking. Sometimes I would buy the smallest laundry detergent packaging I could find and leave the rest for other guests. #travel
When I started backpacking I would bring a few laundry pods in a ziploc bag, but liquid detergents are still too heavy for backpacking. Sometimes I would buy the smallest laundry detergent packaging I could find and leave the rest for other guests. #travel
I have these laundry sheets by Flying Tiger Copenhagen. Laundry sheets are waterless and light like laundry powder, but not as bulky. I have used them once in a washing machine, adjusting for the amount of water (there are only instructions for hand washing). It turned out OK, but I'm not sure that's how they're supposed to be used. #travel #travelgear https://flyingtiger.com/en-gb/products/laundry-sheets-50-pcs-3045338?mdApp_countryCodeDomain=GB
So, this is what I used yesterday for the first time, laundry sheets intended for machine washing (in most cases 2 are needed per wash). They are lightweight, smell nice, and get the job done. (Although at home I use a laundry sanitizer every time, I skip it while I travel.) #travel #travelgear https://www.dr-beckmann.de/unsere-produkte/detail/magic-leaves-waschmittel-blaetter-color/
I don't iron. I hate ironing. So I don't iron on the go either. If I'm giving a talk and need to have an ironed shirt I'll let the hotel iron it. Otherwise creased clothes are perfectly fine for me. I do own a steamer though and you might find that more practical than an iron for travelling (or life in general). Or you could hang whatever you want steamed in the bathroom while having a shower. #travel #lifehack
If there are shops at your next destination, you can leave those unopened vanilla soya milk and pasta sauce behind. That's over 1.5 kilos! The housekeeping might take them. They might leave them for the next guests (if there's a kitchen). They might throw them away, but that's not on your conscience. Staying with a friend? Leave that half-used body lotion. If they don't like it, you can use it the next time you visit 😄 #travel
But do bring some oat (or soya, rice, whatever) milk powder, chai powder, matcha powder, whatever you drink. Also mie noodles can be prepared with hot water only (like instant ramen), just add instant soup powder or a miso/bouillon cube. Feel free to break them so that they take up less space. They're not spaghetti, you're not going to break any Italian hearts. #travel #lifehack
Your laptop is a charger. Just bring enough USB cables for all your gadgets. Or bring fewer cables if you don't have to charge all your gadgets overnight. Or bring even fewer cables and micro USB to USB-C and/or whatever-that-thing-apple-products-use converters. Bring a power bank, especially if you only have your tickets and other important documents on your phone. Guess you can always access the confirmation emails on your laptop, but still. #travel #travelgear
Maybe bring a a live OS USB stick, and an empty USB stick to exchange pirated films with other travellers 😏 I have this cable organizer from Tchibo (not available anymore): https://www.tchibo.cz/products/400132127/cestovni-organizer-na-kabely It also holds extra carabiners, superglue, zip ties, extra 'Fragile' stickers (stick those to your luggage, they might help), a lighter, velcro ties, pH strips, some rubber bands. I also bring some 20cm of duct tape, but that's in my toiletry bag. #travel #travelgear
Cestovní organizér na kabely
Cestovní organizér na kabely | Vše kolem nabíječek a kabelůDatové kabely a nabíjecí kabely k mobilu, laptopu, fotoaparátu atd. je na cestách prostě potřeba mít s sebou. Ideálním řešením, které zabrání změti kabelů v zavazadle, je tento cestovní organizér. Usnadňuje roztřídění a uložení nejrůznějšího elektropříslušenství a jeho přepravu – ať už při každodenní cestě do práce, nebo na cestách. Speciální pouzdro má nastavitelné zapínání a nabízí tři kapsy na zip a různá poutka.
You need some kind of a first aid kit, even if just a few plasters and some painkillers. Don't forget medicines you are regularly taking (once I forgot my levothyroxine and had to go to the emergency room just to get a new prescription). I started with Red Cross guidance and adapted it to myself. For example, although my ankles are prone to spraining, I stopped carrying instant cold pack that requires no refrigeration, because it's so damn heavy. #travel https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/anatomy-of-a-first-aid-kit.html
I also have a pulse oximeter in there. I use this accessory bag from Ikea for my first aid kit, it fits almost everything (including a survival blanket and a thermometer): https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/vaerldens-accessory-bag-black-60490500/ I also always carry a SARS-CoV-2 test and 7 FFP2/FFP3 masks, in a separate backpack compartment because they don't fit in the accessory bag. Masks can be reused after 7 days, they should be left to dry for a day or so after each use, and then stored in a ziploc bag. #travel #travelgear
I use this accessory bag from the same line as a pen case: https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/vaerldens-accessory-bag-black-20490516/ But then again I still write with pens in physical notebooks. (I'm being informed that laptops are also physical objects. I mean paper notebooks... analogue notebooks... you know what I mean!) I also bring a correction tape, a mechanical pencil and an eraser. Also some paperclips/bookmarks. I used to use a hard pencil case, even for backpacking, but everything needs to be squishable. #travel #travelgear
Need to charge your devices while you're not in your hotel room? You don't need to use your key card, just about any card will keep the electricity on. #travel #lifehack
When it's too hot to wear a jacket (9 months a year) I carry a Kånken fan^H^H^Hhip pack, because I don't want to dig through my backpack to get to my keys, sunglasses, mini sunscreen (needs to be reapplied each time I wash my hands), or mini disinfectant wipes. If I don't have any pockets (it happens) my phone, my lip balms, and my hand sanitizers also go in there. Have in mind that larger phones don't fit into the secret anti-theft compartment, just the main compartment. https://www.fjallraven.com/eu/en-gb/bags-gear/kanken/kanken-bags/kanken-hip-pack
Speaking of anti-theft, the things I have stopped using include: money belts, personal alarms, and baggage tracking devices. I still use combination locks.
Because I always need to carry my passport Kånken travel wallet is my everyday wallet. It fits more than I need (since I've decluttered my loyalty cards). The wallet itself doesn't fit into their hip pack or most pockets. It fits into the inner pockets of my jackets. #travel #travelgear
https://www.fjallraven.com/eu/en-gb/bags-gear/kanken/kanken-accessories/kanken-travel-wallet
I mostly use Google Wallet (or whatever it's called right now) for loyalty cards (because I love to sell my data for a tiny discount, honestly, when they just started I was hoping for targeted marketing, but no, I still get generic catalogues with a bunch of animal products). For those that can't be added there, I use Stocard app: https://stocardapp.com/ #travel #travelgear #apps
To continue with the anti-theft theme, the idea is to appear as if you don't have any money (dress code permitting). So bring (and wear) clothing that's about to fall apart, mended already several times, but soon to be be beyond repair. Then just get rid of it along the way to ease the load (try to find a textile recycling program). #travel #lifehack
When selecting your train seat, consider the number of terminating Bahnhofs before the most scenic part of the journey 😊
If Google Maps says that 1100 metres take 22 minutes by foot it is not 'mostly flat', it is up-the-hill-down-the-hill!
Bought a new cosmetics or food product for travel just because it's lightweight or in a small container? Test it at home first. The powdered oat milk I mentioned in a previous post just doesn't work in drinks (it's OK for mashed potatoes). #travel
Cosmetics is heavy. Most of it is water. Bring only as much as you need in small containers. Airport security theatre and tickets which don't include checked baggage are already forcing us to do it, so there are plenty of types of travel containers to choose from. Silicone ones are squishable, but many not leakproof so at least the first time you use them, have them in a ziploc bag so that your nail polish remover doesn't ruin your clothes. #travel #travelgear
I have tried noname silicone containers from ebay, from Flying Tiger Copenhagen, from Tchibo, and from DM. The ones from Tchibo and DM haven't leaked yet, the others I ended up discarding during my travels. I had to stop using them for hand sanitiser because it would destroy them. I haven't tried GoToob yet, but that's the only brand travel youtubers swear by (not sponsored™). https://www.humangear.com/shop/p/gotoob #travel #travelgear
The original patented soft travel bottle - the standard in silicone travel and dispensing containers — humangear
humangear's GoToob+ is made from soft, rugged silicone and comes in 4 sizes. It's air travel approved (TSA); and all sizes are food-safe (FDA). The GoToob also offers a bunch of new features that no other soft travel bottle in the world has -- a new, larger opening for easy cleaning and filling, a c
Plastic travel bottles would be OK for a while, but would break or become leaky with time, especially if I used them for hand sanitiser. It happened to me with Ikea Förfina, which were otherwise amazing because they were made of soft plastic, as well as with no-name sets from DM. Sometimes the best containers are from mini brand products. If you need a bottle with a pump, get one with a cap, not one where the pump is blocked just by turning it for 90°. #travel #travelgear
I have tried these aluminium bottles, and my mouthwash dissolved the seal under the cap. https://flyingtiger.com/products/travel-set-3045032 I have no idea why because in cosmetics only acetone and DEET (mosquito repellent) are supposed to destroy certain types of plastic. In any case, for harsh products, try to use original containers. The tiny containers aren't screw top so they're only good for supplements and jewellery. #travel #travelgear
These are better, they are screw top and heavy creams don't leak. Also good for face powder. They weigh less than plastic containers of the same size. #travel #travelgear https://flyingtiger.com/products/travel-containers-3045035
These ziploc organizer bags are great for cotton pads, Q tips, travel cutlery, and similar. I go through my cutlery ones fast though, because I overfill them with salt, pepper, sugar, soya sauce packets. I might switch to a different type of travel case for that. #travel #travelgear https://flyingtiger.com/products/organizer-bags-3032069
I'd tried many travel toothbrushes, but because most dentists swear by Curaprox, I have been using them for the past few years. I have bought 3 of these sets so far (those toothpastes come in many interesting flavours) before I realised that the top half of the toothbrush can be bought separately (as well as the interdental brushes). I'll have to ask a pharmacy to order it for me, they don't carry it regularly. #travel #travelgear https://curaprox.co.uk/shop/dental-care/travel-set-red
I bring my own shower gel, I never know if I'm gonna get soap or shower gel with methylisothiazolinone or methylchloroisothiazolinone, which my skin doesn't tolerate, in my accommodation. I like this solid cherry blossom scented shower "gel": it weighs less for the same number of showers (I use 25 ml of water based shower gel per shower), it doesn't dry our or irritate skin like soaps (sodium salts of fatty acids) do, it can be hanged to dry, and it's vegan (of course). https://www.foamie.com/collections/feste-duschpflege/products/kirschblute-fur-intensive-feuchtigkeit
I also like this solid shampoo with BHA for scalp peeling, but I shampoo 3 times in total and also use 2 special shampoos, so I have to bring small bottles of those. Because I carry everything on my back, I measure water-based shampoo to the millilitre, but I add a little bit extra in case I'm delayed in my returning home (which did happen for the first time last month). #travel #travelgear
https://www.foamie.com/collections/feste-shampoos/products/bha-zur-kopfhautpflege
https://www.foamie.com/collections/feste-shampoos/products/bha-zur-kopfhautpflege
This solid facial wash works well, it doesn't dry out or irritate skin, but is too impractical for travel, it can't be hanged to dry, facial wash needs to be used in the morning just before the checkout (whilst I can shower and wash my hair the evening before), and then there's not enough time for it to dry. So I use it at home, and have a mini water-based facial wash for my travels. #travel #travelgear https://www.foamie.com/collections/feste-gesichtsreinigung/products/feste-gesichtsreinigung-fur-normale-bis-mischhaut
I haven't found any vegan solid conditioner that works well for me. Because I condition twice, the first time only the hair ends before first shampooing, I use solid conditioner for that, and for after washing my hair I bring individually packed hair treatments, the Langhaarmädchen one, or any of Jean&Len hair treatments. If there's a DM where I'm travelling, I bring less of all the water-based products in general and buy more along the way. #travel #travelgear
https://www.dm.de/langhaarmaedchen-haarkur-intense-repair-p4066447240665.html
https://www.dm.de/langhaarmaedchen-haarkur-intense-repair-p4066447240665.html
I do make mistakes while travelling. Last month my wallet was stolen on the train from Basel to Milan, because I had to put my backpack above the opposite seat (no luggage rack above mine), didn't use a luggage lock on that compartment, was working and didn't have it in my peripheral vision at all times. Now I'm taking the same route in the opposite direction to try and set a trap for the thief 😡 #travel
skry@rhelune What’s the winning strategy with train seats?
@skry If you want to be on the side of an attraction and there's an even number of terminating stations, where the train changes the direction, before it, you need to sit on that side from the beginning, if the number of terminating station is odd, you need to sit on the opposite side. In my case there were 2 terminating stations before lake Constance (Stuttgart and Friedrichshafen), so I sat on the same side.
kinocow@rhelune This is actually what I do. Trash clothes along the way and stock on new clothes for the way back home from my travels. Haven't done it in a while now but it's definitely the way to go.
Natalie Romana 🏳️⚧️@rhelune This tracks.
One hotel I stayed at gave me a blank unprogrammed card just for this.
One hotel I stayed at gave me a blank unprogrammed card just for this.
@natalie_romana Let's just hope they don't replace those mechanical switches with "smart" ones.
@rhelune Unlikely. That would cost money. Unless they think they can make significant savings on electricity use per room, they won't bother.
Jennifer Deseo