My Top 10 Favorite Things

Preface:  Unless you're passionate about traveling and love gadgets, you won't enjoy reading this blog post. However, if you're a geek like me, strap on your money belt with the secret compartment and check out these cool tools...

There are certain personal belongings everyone loves to have with them when they travel.  

For some it might be a blow-dryer or a set of golf clubs.  For others, a scented candle or a chainsaw for that special occasion.  And if you're an international spy,  don’t leave home without a white dinner jacket and a pair of night vision goggles.

As I begin my 21st month of travel, having culled my worldly possessions down to about 100 items ( today I got rid of a pair of shoes, a wind-breaker, a wool cap, a pair of gloves and a thermal undershirt) here's a list of my favorites: 

#1 and #2: iPhone with Mophie Juice Pack

These are the two most useful items I own….they have saved my bacon more times than I can count.  I can access Google maps, check my email, verify foreign currency exchange rates, translate any language and read books I've downloaded.  


I much prefer turning the pages of an actual book, but it's not practical to lug them around.  I have almost 150 books on my phone which enables me to make use of time on trains, planes and automobiles.  Plus, it's slightly less obvious that I'm a clueless tourist when I discreetly consult my Lonely Planet guide on my phone rather than ostentatiously unfolding a map that's 2 feet square.

When I arrive in a new country, the first thing I do after going to the ATM machine at the airport is to buy a local pre-paid SIM card.  This only works if your phone is "unlocked".  Chances are your phone ISN'T unlocked unless you purchased it without signing a contract, or you paid someone to unlock it. Once it's unlocked, it will work with with any SIM card anywhere.


Beware:  Unlocking your phone will void the warranty and means you won't be able upgrade  phone's software without running the risk of having problems with your phone. You'll need your passport to buy a phone or a SIM card. 


If you're a short term traveler, this isn't a practical solution.  What you CAN do is download apps like Skype or Viber which allow you to make phone calls to any number anywhere for very little money or even for free.  The only hitch is that you have to be in a wifi environment for this to work.  The other solution is to buy an inexpensive local phone and then remove the SIM card and give the phone away when you leave.  Or, you can try to sell or trade it. (I traded one in Fiji for a massage!)  

Because many of the applications mentioned above put a lot of drain on the phone's battery, the Mophie Juice Pack is a extremely handy accessory which fits snugly around the phone like a stream-lined case, and is an external battery.  When not in use, it can be turned off, and can be charged via a USB cable from your computer.

#3 and #4: 13" MacBook Pro and Verbatim External Hard Drives 

I love it in a way that is unnatural for a man to love a machine. I love it for its ability to do all of the above, plus it’s the repository for all my thoughts, travel schedule, emails and photos. It has enough horse-power and hard drive space for me to run Adobe Photoshop and to store hundreds of high resolution photos.  It's not the lightest or least expensive computer on the market, so you might want to consider one of the options below.

I see a lot of other travelers whose primary need for a computer is to check email and store photos.  There are very small laptops made by Acer and Hewlett Packard as well as the ubiquitous iPad.  There's now an iPad case which even includes an external keyboard.


Equally handy are my two 500GB external hard drives...the smallest ones money can buy....made by Verbatim.  I make a double back up of all my photos and keep them in a separate place from my computer.  I hear so many travelers talking about losing all their photos when the have their camera stolen.  The question is not "will I lose/break my camera/memory card?" but "when?".  Like death and taxes, it is inevitable.

#5: Oral B Electric toothbrush

A battery powered toothbrush?  Seriously? You bet.  

I used to think this was quite an indulgence...at least until I stayed in a dorm recently with a Dutch couple who had "his and hers" ultra-sonic toothbrushes with plug in chargers and matching carrying cases.  Now THAT's some serious oral hygiene.


I've heard you're supposed to brush your teeth for two minutes.  That's about as much time as it takes to sing all 6 stanzas of "Amazing Grace."  I'm lucky if I make through a rushed version of "Happy Birthday" before I spit in the sink and call it a day.  But what I lack in quality I make up for in quantity. So I brush several times a day.


At age 53 I still don’t like to brush or floss my teeth, so an electric toothbrush makes that chore a little more palatable.

#6: Mack’s Earplugs

Wherever I lay my head, or whenever I fly, I can absolutely guarantee you that one of the following will begin within 30 seconds:


• A dog howling
• A cat fight
• A rooster sounding the alarm...at 3 a.m.
• A circular saw
• A pile driver
• A jack hammer
• A sledge hammer
• A baby screaming
• A woman screaming

#7: Canon G12 Compact Camera

The question I'm asked most frequently is "What kind of camera do you use?"  The answer is the Canon PowerShot G12.


When I first started my trip I had two digital SLR bodies, 3 lenses, an external flash, a monopod, an underwater housing and an underwater flash.  After three months, I got tired of lugging all that stuff around, and I found that for the vast majority of situations, I was using my compact camera. 


It's small enough to fit in my pocket so I can carry it all times, which means I'm able to capture a lot more of those "fleeting moments" than I would if I were fumbling to get my SLR out of the bag and find the right lens.  Not to mention the fact that I'm a lot less conspicuous, making me less of a target for theft


I always ask someone if I can take their photo, unless they're far enough away that they won't be recognizable, and if they still decline after a few polite attempts to persuade them, I don't try to "sneak" a photo.  During my travels I've had a few people try to take photos of me without asking, and it's a really creepy feeling. 


The great thing about the internet and digital photography is that if someone has an email address, it's a simple matter to send the photos to them.  But please don't promise to do that if you're not going to follow through.  It gives the rest of us a bad name.


I’m on my 4^th Canon G12 because I keep dropping them, losing them and scratching them.  I've learned my lesson and I now keep mine on a lanyard that I made from heavy duty nylon rope that I keep clipped to my belt  when not in use.  I also keep the strap around my wrist when using the camera, not only to avoid dropping it, but to minimize the risk of someone snatching it out of my hand and making a dash for it.  Unless you've actually won a medal for sprinting, and have some advanced qualification in martial arts, beware if a stranger approaches asking if you'd like them to take a photo of you with your own camera.  Many an unsuspecting tourist has lost their camera this way.

#8: Energizer Headlamp

Really handy when walking at night where the sidewalks are uneven, or full of 6 foot deep holes, or where there are no sidewalks.  


Also particularly handy when there's a power failure in the middle of the night.  


I keep mine on the bedside table or in within easy reach it's dark.  And by the way, you look like a dork if you wear it during the daytime, so don't forget to take it off when you wake up.

#9: Leatherman CS4 Multi-Tool

A bit on the heavy side, but handy to have.  It has every tool from a saw to a Phillips head screw driver to an awl for punching holes in leather, should you need to tighten your belt.  


Within the past week I’ve used the corkscrew for medicinal purposes, the pliers to adjust the settings on an air-conditioner that had all the knobs broken off (classy place), the beer opener (some people refer to this as a “bottle opener”), the scissors for opening a pesky package on a bar of soap, and the knife blade for spreading peanut butter.  


But I always have to remember to put it in my checked luggage when I'm on my way to the airport.  I missed a flight once because I got nabbed by security for having it in my carry-on, and it's too expensive to throw away.

#10: Screw-top Bottles

These are ideal for shampoo, sunscreen, vodka, vitamins, ibuprofen etc.


We've all had the experience of arriving at our destination, opening our toilet kit and finding a gooey mess because something has exploded all over everything.  I don't know why product manufacturers package ANYTHING intended for travel in a container that doesn't have a screw-on lid.


The other option is to pack everything in plastic bags, but when your bottles leak, and they will, you still have to rinse out the bag, wait for it to dry, or find a new one.  When you're on the move as much as I am, that's just no fun.


There's only thing that's really missing from my travel accoutrements and that is a quiver of...

Blow darts

Ideally, these would each be filled with a different dose of extra strength horse tranquilizer...starting with just a few drops for screaming children sitting near me on airplanes, departure lounges and in restaurants.  A slightly larger dose would quiet the barking dog next door.  And an adult dose to restore the peace and quiet that has been disrupted by the guy who insists on hammering before 7 a.m.


Footnote: I just realized that 6 of my 10 items require batteries...and one of them IS a battery!  When there's no way to charge them, they become very expensive paper weights...with the exception of the toothbrush, which can still be used as a weapon or a jaunty fashion accessory. 


What would Robinson Crusoe say...if he had access to email or a cell phone?