Jun 18, 17, 4:17 pm
Last edit by: EmailKid
Best items to have for Budget Traveler:
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)
Free local maps that you might pick up at tourist information places (the more the better - different versions seem to list different streets depending on what printer considers important)
USB battery pack for when you are lost and mobile is running low on juice and you need Google maps
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)
Free local maps that you might pick up at tourist information places (the more the better - different versions seem to list different streets depending on what printer considers important)
USB battery pack for when you are lost and mobile is running low on juice and you need Google maps
Favorite budget travel items?
Feb 24, 22, 12:44 pm
#316
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 175
For gear/equipment:
- aTactical A1S: 1150 lumen torch/flashlight (I think they changed to wowtac, looks the same but not sure its the same) - great for checking under the seats after dropping bluetooth ear piece or other things. Also on higher settings, which I leave it on, it can be used as emergency defense as it will temporarily blind someone at night at close range giving a few seconds of extra time to get away. Or as comedy device when the carry-on bag that it is in gets pulled for security search, and the agent blinds themself by deciding to check that it lights up while looking directly into it.
- Electronics/cable bag organizer
- Anker 20100 power bank
- PlugBug power adapter (2 usbs, macbook port and 5 adapters)
- Pacsafe and EagleCreek: Solid well made bags that hold up well to rough travel treatment, have zipper locks/loops built-in, plus slash guard material among other thief prevention measures.
- Non-TSA Masterlock 600 series: for securing carry-on bags. Sure, they can be broken off, but its more of a deterrent by avoiding being low-hanging fruit. One of the best ways to make small talk is to point out to the person in front of you that their bag is partially unzipped. Its crazy how often I see this especially in long entrance lines.
- Compression packing cubes/bags
- Quest protein bars (chocolate chip, apple, oreo): since most inexpensive food is carb heavy I usually only do one meal out/day and then couple protein bars.
- Collapsible water bottle
- Strava: for recording my days walk around a city, park, mountains, where-ever - can add notes/comments and even photos that will be tagged on the viewable map at the place they were taken if location meta data is on, along with route, distance, elevation, etc and time you were out. If they weren't such a great exercise tracking tool they could pivot to the travel space without losing a step.
- Google Translate: the camera translation is tied for first with Strava as my favorite app/tool and is also a conversation starter as I have had many people walk up and ask what it was while reading a historic marker, signs without English translations. It's not perfect, especially in Asian countries, but it is good enough to get the job done with a bit of patience (download the language ahead of time to save time & data)
- hotels.com: best general lodging rewards program, imo.
- AllTrails: (free account) has gotten me back to more than one trail.
