EmailKid

For non Canadians, Tuque's a soft hat like one would wear in the winter.

segacs

Oops. Hehe. I sometimes forget that the rest of the world doesn't know that.

This is a tuque:

financialhippie

I read your post and immediately looked up "tuque" good to know a new word!

rhivolution

Number 1 item is a filter water bottle. This is especially useful at airports such as LHR where you can fill up after security and avoid having to pay £2 for a bottle of water. Annoyingly at smaller / budget airports, water coolers are few and far between. It's a major bugbear of mine to be in a major airport, have to ditch your water, then have no opportunity to refill without paying for it. Grrrrr!

Seen a couple of shout-outs for travel towels, and just want to throw linen towels out there as an alternative. I used to travel with microfibre type towels, but now I've switched to a 100% linen towel. It's ever so slightly heavier/bulkier, but dries about as quick, and also doesn't smell after a couple of uses like microfibre. It also actually dries you. I find microfibre just sort of moves the water droplets around until your body heat evaporates the water, whereas the linen one actually soaks up the water.

After a recent budget trip, I will now never leave home without ciprofloxacin. Bought for $3 in a Somali pharmacy.

Other than that, I guess the Kindle is the ultimate tech-related budget gadget.

itdontmeanathing

Slow or no wifi in the room or expensive data on prepaid mobile phone plans? Before a trip I download languages for offline use with google translate, and download my travel areas for google maps.

EmailKid

OK,

I know about offline maps, but how do you Translate offline

itdontmeanathing

After finding a hotel (or guesthouse) on a booking site, search for the hotel on Google Maps because the result will include the hotel's website if it has one. Sometimes there is a clear advantage to booking directly.

Does your room have a pot to boil water for tea? Make hard boiled eggs in it. And be nice by cleaning it when done.

irish_goat

That's a great idea!

Romelle

Keep going here ... Instant oatmeal. Instant rice. Those cup-a-soups.

If no fridge, quart of milk, packaged cheese, and/or lunch meat in the ice bucket to stay fresh. Or even in the basin, surrounded by ice with a towel on top. Stays nicely cold.

I also totally support cleaning up after oneself. And leaving tips for maids too.

EmailKid

OK,

finally broke down and created a Wiki for this.

Somewhat stumped so only added the two things that came in REALLY handy on my last trip:

Unlocked SmartPhone with local Sim card with data (not all countries have addresses posted)

Extension cord with multiple outlets (some budget hotels have exactly ONE electrical outlet)

Pretty sure unlocked phone has been mentioned before, and came in handy in Peru where some places are just NOT easy to find. Case in point:

Flight arrives at 11:15 at night with hotel relatively close by, BUT name of street on maps is DIFFERENT from sign at intersection AND no visible house numbers

At any rate, feel free to add YOUR favorite Budget Travel items to Wiki - subject to being edited of course

TravelingNomads

You can make soup and other canned quick meals in them as well, but bring along a small bottle of dishsoap and don't choose anything red since the washcloths are likely white! I posted once on here about a griddle for grilled cheese, but that idea got shot down pretty quickly. The main reason was that it could be a fire hazard in older buildings and the smell could offend other guests.

We've had cereal before, yogurt, etc. Usually there's an ice bucket or fridge, but as someone else mentioned, the sink can work in a pinch. We always tried to dispose of the trash ourselves so that the maid doesn't have to deal with a bunch of paper plates and such. Ordering pizza always works as well and is pretty inexpensive.

TravelingNomads

Just a side note, but you can pick up some pretty inexpensive travel items on Vipon.

3 pc hard case, wheeled luggage with a separate computer pocket for $50 - https://www.vipon.com/product-page.php?id=3902889

You can find travel bottles, pillows, RFID wallets, etc. on there for usually 50% of the normal Amazon price. They hope that you'll leave positive feedback, but feedback is always optional. Items sold by Amazon arrive within a couple of days if you have Prime, but items not sold by Amazon usually take about a month.

Tizzette

A couple of gallon size zip lock bags come in handy for so many possibilities. Ice packs for food in sink. Hold wet bathing suit. Pack up some food in suitcase that might leak or would make your clothes smell. Hold your charger cords. Protect your electronics from getting wet. Clean place for your sandwich when you don't have a plate.

Care to add a few?

Romelle

The zip-locks start out in my air carry-on. Airline meals usually contain way too much food for me for one meal. Anything that will survive a few hours outside a fridge can go in the zip-lock. Those nice little well-packaged items first - crackers, cheese, brownie, etc. Definitely the banana. Might toss in any needed plastic utensil. It is usually my first meal at the new location.

EmailKid

You are obviously NOT flying United .....