Travel Tip: Bag in a Backpack

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Sometimes the simplest solutions are the most effective. Over the past few months, I’ve been using what I call a “Bag in a Bag” technique when packing for trips. It’s an incredibly basic solution that makes traveling more efficient. Here’s how it works:

Start out with a backpack and find a spare tote bag or plastic grocery bag laying around the house.

Backpack and Bag

Backpack and Bag

Before a trip, pack clothes into the smaller bag.  This will help:
1. Prevent problems with overpacking and force you to pack lightly
2. Make the unpacking easier.  Simply take out the tote bag, laptop, and toiletries and your backpack is instantly empty again.
3. Make re-packing easier.

In addition, the tote bag can double as a shopping bag, dirty laundry bag, or even a purse, making the “bag in a bag” solution even more ec0-friendly than it already is.

When the trip is over, place all clean clothes back into the tote bag and leave the dirty ones out.  Once back home, it’ll be easier to manage the dirty vs. clean clothes conundrum. Again, it’s such a simple concept, but it really does take a lot of hassle out of packing, unpacking and washing clothes when traveling.

 

Eliminating Digital Baggage when Traveling

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Technology can be both a blessing and a burden when it comes to traveling.  Sure, it’s great to have the ability to take thousands of pictures, edit and store them, but carrying around all that precious data can be a bit wearing on the soul.  At any moment you’re one spilled drink or one purse snatch away from losing those coveted photos, journals, etc.

Over the past 3 years, I’ve spent over 7 months traveling and I became pretty fed up with maintaining my responsibility as my own personal data mule. Luckily, technology is a fast moving creature and great improvements in consumer-based cloud computer and user-friendly web applications have made traveling without digital baggage easier than ever.

Photos:
Traveling and photography have been joined at the hip since the advent of the first camera. With today’s digital cameras and smart phones it’s possible to take hundreds of photos a day. Instead of leaving these perfectly preserved time capsules on my camera or even saved on my computer, I prefer to use Flickr.com.

Flickr, owned by yahoo, is a free photo storage gallery allowing users to upload up to 200 photos free of charge. This may be enough to hold you over until you get home. If not, there’s an unlimited option (which I subscribe to) for only $20/year. Once uploaded, the images are saved to Flickr and barring a nuclear winter, you won’t have to worry about losing these photos.

Flickr Screenshot

Flickr Screenshot

The great thing about Flickr is that it not only stores your photos, but also allows you to organize them into collections, sets and add tags. Additionally, it is able to determine from photos taken from most modern smart phones and digital cameras when the photo was taken. Users can also add locations to their images and become members of different photo groups.

Photo Editing:
Serious photographers and photo editors may need to look away from this section, but for those looking for a simple, user-friendly photo editing solution that doesn’t require a software install, I suggest Picnik.com.

Picnik Screenshot

Picnik is perfect for casual photographers and is a web-based photo editing application. Basic photo editing features such as cropping, exposure, and color adjustment are free of charge to use. Extra features for those who require them can be purchased for a reasonable $24.95/year.

Personally, Picnik proved invaluable for me when I was traveling in Thailand for several months and using a borrowed laptop. Because it’s web-based, all I needed was a web browser to edit my photos.

File Storage:
Known mostly for selling everything under the sun, Amazon.com lovers will be delighted to know that they also offer cloud storage. Amazon Prime users in the US can utilize their own 5gb slice of the cloud for free. If you need more, an additional 20gb can be purchased for a mere $20/year.

Amazon Cloud Screenshot

For pure document storage, it’s pretty difficult to beat Google Docs which provides gmail account holders to save, store and share documents, spreadsheets, etc. all online.

Realistically, there are an innumerable amount of other options out there, but these are just some suggestions.  They’ve helped me over the past few years to release myself from the burdens of being a data mule.

Wanderbliss: Staying Chic when Packing Light

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When you pack light, there is a constant battle between what to take and what not to take.  Usually, a backpack will only have enough room to accomodate the essentials when it comes to clothes.  When you’re travelling, the essentials are comfortable clothes that are easy to wash, can be worn wrinkled and are versatile.  This doesn’t leave a lot of room for nicer clothes . . . or does it?
Unless you’re a hiker, chances are that there will come a time during your travels when you’ll need to wear something a little nicer than usual.  If you like to indulge in a nice dinner out without looking like a bum whilst on the road, I have a few fashion tips (ladies only!) for the weary light-packing traveller.
1. Black Boots
A comfortable pair of black books (sans heel) can be worn out for a day of sightseeing, and transfer seemlessly into nighttime attire.  With boots you get two functions for the price of one.  They will eliminate the need for you to carry around an extra pair of “nice shoes” and can replace sneakers or tennis shoes so long as you’re not doing any major hiking.  I personally prefer Bass’ collection of boots (a sample pictured to the left).  I have purchased several pairs of their shoes (including boots) and they’ve proven to be comfortable and very durable.
BASS: $90 USD (approx. 56 GBP)

Black Boots

2. Scarves/Wraps
The perfect way to dress up a top is by adding a scarf or wrap.  Not only are they fun, fashionable and inexpensive, but they don’t have to add any burden to your packing.  Especially in cooler weather, a scarf or wrap can be worn on you all day, giving you the look of an especially fashionable traveller. Target sells great wraps and scarves in a variety of fun colors.  I tend to pick simpler patterns or solid colors as those are more likely to coordinate with any outfit.
Target: $12 USD (approx 7 GBP)

Scarf

3. Cotton or Cotton/Poly Blend Blazer
Forget the sweatshirt at home.  There’s a more fashionable alternative that’s relatively cheap and just as comfortable. I discovered cotton blazers a few months ago and have been in love with them ever since.  They are perfect for travel as they’re so comfortable and the cotton/poly blends don’t really wrinkle.  These jackets are a perfect way to dress up an outfit, but they’re comfy and functional enough to be worn all day. The blazer on the left is from Uniqlo, though I also recommend ones sold by H&M
Uniqlo: 30 GBP (approx. $48 USD)

Cotton Blazer