The travel gear thread

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qirex: Feb 15, 2001

I geek out on my travel stuff a lot, I just did a week in London with under 16 lbs total. I've never really been able to get away with a single pair of shoes, I tend to actually go hiking when I travel. I take either low-top hiking boots or skate shoes if it's a city trip and pack a pair of Ecco dress shoes.

My main bag is this one, it's discontinued now but it's made it through a shitload of trips and is still going pretty strong. If anything I'm getting to a point where it's too big for the way I pack but I like having room for souvenirs and presents. If I was going to buy a new one now I'd probably get the Golite Travelite convertible or maybe a Tom Bihn Tri-Star. I also carry a Chrome Vega for my day bag. I like it a lot but I'd love something similar that's not Cordura. I've used a bunch of other small bags such as a Chrome Mini Metro and Timbuk2 small messenger but the smaller size of the Vega is great.

Some of my recent items of note:
Nau Riding Jacket is a lightweight softshell that can half-rear end as a blazer. If you look around online you can find Nau stuff way cheaper than list price.
Nike Dri-Fit Golf Pants I don't normally buy Nike or play golf but these things are great, they dry really fast and actually pass for slacks at night. Just make sure you check the logo color, some of them are contrasting. Definitely summer weight.

edit: one thing I wish I'd figured out sooner is that I usually destroy my travel guides before I go, literally tearing out the sections I don't need and only bringing the bits I do. If it's a book I want I can buy another copy when I get back.

qirex fucked around with this message at 05:59 on Jun 1, 2011

# ¿ Jun 1, 2011 05:48

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# ¿ May 4, 2024 02:57

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

I did my first trip with an iPad recently and was pretty happy with it. For one once you factor in the power adaptor it's over a pound lighter than my netbook, way smaller and it's much easier to use on a plane than a laptop. Plus it was easy to back up, edit and upload photos with the camera kit. I don't really do hostel travel and look for places with room safes though.

I am super pissed that there's no cheap or easy way to unlock an updated iPhone 4, I ended up using my old Nokia E71 on my last trip instead.

# ¿ Jun 1, 2011 20:55

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

There's shoes built in the same vein as Vibrams like the Merrell Barefoot or the New Balance Minimus that look like actual shoes and not like you're an open source software enthusiast heading to the gym. I wouldn't want to be wearing any of them walking all day in a city with granite sidewalks and cobbled streets though. Or anywhere it was really cold. Or anywhere I didn't want people to stare at my gimmicky shoes.

If I'm going somewhere where I'm actually going to be doing real hiking I take these, I've been wearing Lowas for like 12 years and they're pretty much bulletproof. Definitely not stylish city wear but they've done me good in really tough conditions [rain, snow, scree descents, desert, jungle].

Like I said before I like skate shoes for city travel, they have good cushioning and they don't look like moon boots like they did a few years ago. I wore these in London and when I wanted to dress up I switched to my Eccos. There's other shoes that are super-easy to pack like Puma K-Street or Vans SRPLS or 106 SF. Well under a pound for the pair and can be squished flat for easy packing. I guess stuff like Tom's too but ugh.

# ¿ Jun 2, 2011 07:10

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

Unlocked smartphones are not cheap, you're probably looking at at least $150 for a used Android. Also check on what bands the countries you're going to use, because the US has weird frequencies for both 2G and 3G compared to the rest of the world, most unlocked GSM phones have a "US version" and an "import version". As far as getting a SIM Latin American phone companies are notorious for price gouging and I have no idea how data roaming would work and what it would cost.

Most translation software requires a data connection, maybe just carry a dictionary?

# ¿ Jun 2, 2011 15:37

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

lostleaf posted:

Get a good credit card with cheap forex fees for ATM withdrawals. Credit cards use standard exchange rates then add on the forex fees. You'll get much better rates than at any local banks or money changers. I use penfed credit card which charges 1% but there are credit cards that doesn't charge any forex fees. Before you leave for the trip, preload whatever amount of money you think you might need on your trip. Why? Because cash advances on your credit card accumulates interest the second you take it out. If you have a positive balance, there's no interest. Why credit vs debit card? Because credit cards have much stronger protection to dispute false charges. With a debit card, you'll get your money back but that's after the bank feels like returning your money.

I am so confused by what you're going for here. There's usually a cash advance fee from the ATM company and you should almost never do a cash advance on a credit card even if you have a positive balance because frequently you will get charged a different [worse] rate. There should be no difference in which bank's ATM you use for a cash withdrawl on an ATM card. Also I have never seen these magic "better deal" small money changing places people talk about anywhere, they're all ripoffs. You may get a better rate but these places make money on fees.

Overall paying cash for everything is the easiest way to avoid weird fees, fraudulent charges and stay on budget.

What I do:

Get $50ish worth of local currency from my bank before I go to get from the airport to where I'm staying.
Take a credit card and an ATM card [different banks] and stash a US $100 bill.
Leave my ATM card in my hotel unless I'm on a cash run, leave anything over my daily budget in the hotel.
Take out larger amounts of cash at a time to minimize the impact of fees [my bank charges a flat $5].
Pay for everything except transportation and hotels [and maybe a really large purchase] with cash.
Check mint.com daily [with a unique email and PW from any of my financial accounts]

Also Capitol One is basically the only US bank with no foreign currency fees on their ATM cards. Which is a shame because they're a horrible bank. Might be worth opening an account if you're doing a big trip though.

# ¿ Jun 2, 2011 23:26

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

That reminds me, a lot of ATMs in other countries only accept 4-digit PIN numbers/

I really like having a smartphone when I'm traveling, mostly because of Google Maps. That said I mostly go to big cities. Sometimes getting lost and wandering can be fun but sometimes you just need to find that one record store. If I was going on a beach trip or out into the boonies I'd probably just bring a cheapo Nokia dumbphone for emergencies.

And I really wish the US would adopt chip & PIN credit cards but it seems like everything is going NFC or some other non-secure system that won't be compatible in any other countries.

# ¿ Jun 3, 2011 19:29

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

There's a good hiking/backpacking thread in Watch & Weight.

# ¿ Jun 6, 2011 21:52

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

Some other bags you may want to include:
GoLite Travelite Convertible
Eagle Creek Overland
Timbuk2 Wingman

Also I seriously don't believe you can actually hike in those waiter shoes you love so much and I feel like you're doing a disservice to people by recommending flimsy slip-on junk as the canonical "this is the best travel shoe".

# ¿ Jun 9, 2011 18:07

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

Ribsauce posted:

Does anyone know about the ebags weekender etech convertible?

That bag is certainly reviewed well and $50 for a non-ugly one seems like a steal. My concern would be durability but at that price if it only lasts 5 trips who cares? I personally like split compartments better than one big one but some packing cubes could address that easily.

edit: apparently it doesn't come with a shoulder strap, make sure you get one.

qirex fucked around with this message at 03:46 on Jun 13, 2011

# ¿ Jun 13, 2011 03:43

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

Sheep-Goats posted:

Pants and shorts is up. NO JEANS FUCKERS!

/ducks

You just don't know about Coolmax jeans.

Also have you bought any REI adventures pants since they changed them a couple years ago? Recent reviews are full of people complaining about lovely construction and busted zippers.

My pants picks:
- The aforementioned Nike Golf Dri-FIT Flat Front Tech pants
- Kuhl Kuhl Jeans [definitely more technical than styley]
- Prana Stretch Zion Pants
- Coolmax jeans. There's a bunch now from Royal Robbins, Quiksilver, Prana, etc.

qirex fucked around with this message at 19:29 on Jun 13, 2011

# ¿ Jun 13, 2011 19:23

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

Those REI pants don't fit me right so I never bought any. And you're right there's a dearth of pants with that extra pocket that aren't like HERE'S SOME BULGY POCKETS. I'm pretty sure I saw some Columbia ones recently. I'm going to get some Nau S Cargos if I see my size on sale, I'll report on them if I get them.

# ¿ Jun 13, 2011 19:31

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

Water filters [real ones, not a Brita or PUR] work well for giardia and other parasites but they won't make totally undrinkable water due to pollution or other chemical contaminants tolerable. If you're not heading into the wilderness bottled water should be pretty easy to come by most places. Whichever way you decide you'll probably want to pack some polarpure tablets for backup though.

The couple people I know who have tried a SteriPEN haven't been impressed.

# ¿ Jun 15, 2011 06:15

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

Sheep-Goats posted:

Thanks for reading the OP!

Honestly though, not only are you very THIS IS THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT in the OPs, you're also saying a lot of things that I and many other people who travel would disagree with.

# ¿ Jun 16, 2011 04:54

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

I don't bother with shorts unless I'm going to the beach, there's plenty of lightweight pants out there and if you're white like me the yellow face can be a deadly enemy. Basically there's a million more places where shorts are inappropriate and packing light is all about taking things that are versatile.

# ¿ Jun 16, 2011 20:33

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

I don't use cubes but my bag is divided enough that it's not necessary. For a "one giant pocket" one it might be a better idea.

The Precip is a good jacket, not the most durable but it packs small as hell. REI has their own house brand one that's around the same price. They're great for rain but they're not breathable so if it's not going to be really wet they're not that flexible and possibly very sweaty if you're somewhere tropical. Softshells are pretty versatile for wind or cold-ish conditions where you're going to be moving a lot but they're not 100% waterproof.

# ¿ Jun 17, 2011 03:34

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

kri kri posted:

Can someone recommend a low key man purse? I will be museum hopping and other fun things. Will need space for a camera, phone, guidebook, wallet. Thats about it, I would rather be on the small side.

I use this, I think it's a good size balance between capacity and not being bulky. It's not built quite to the level of my other Chrome bag but it also weighs 2 pounds less than my Mini Metro. When it's empty it's pretty much completely flat. They make a smaller one now as well but it looks very tiny. I really like the musette/vertical bag format and there's tons by other companies like Timbuk2, STM, Waterfield, etc.

# ¿ Jun 21, 2011 00:03

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

I like the American Apparel 50/50 t-shirts for hot places.

# ¿ Jun 28, 2011 00:41

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

Chris Poe posted:

Am I an idiot for planning on backpacking Europe for two weeks wearing a pair of Vans with a decent insole?

Vans slip-ons? Probably not ideal but it's been done by a million others in Chucks, flip flops, crocs, and worse. Maybe get some Era Pros or something else substantial for better cushioning?

The only thing I'd ever advise people on every time is to not check a bag, everything else is up to you, your trip and what you expect. That said shoes can be important and if you're not used to being on your feet all day on concrete/stone it can be really annoying. You won't cripple yourself or anything and if you really need different shoes you can buy some while you're there. You're going to Western Europe, not Siberia.

qirex fucked around with this message at 01:31 on Jul 2, 2011

# ¿ Jul 2, 2011 01:24

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

Cheesemaster200 posted:

Anyone have a recommendation for a light weight, quick drying button down shirt, preferably short sleeve?

Also, any suggestions for a light hiker shoe that isn't a moccasin or laceless?

it depends how "technical" you want to look, there's a bunch from Ex Officio, Mountain Hard Wear, REI, etc. but you tend to look like Travel Dad when you wear them. I have a couple Quiksilver poly/rayon button-ups that I like a lot, they're not the most durable but they dry in about 1/4 the time of all-cotton shirts and don't wrinkle much at all. I have one of their poly/cotton blend long sleeves that I like a lot too.

# ¿ Jul 14, 2011 19:08

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

official Travel Dad gear:
Tilley hat
Ex-Officio shirt
Convertible nylon cargo pants
giant but non-DSLR camera
$700 in Tom Bihn bags, packing cubes, wallets, notebook holders, etc.

# ¿ Jul 14, 2011 20:52

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

Also the shirt, pants and hat are all tan and he wears shoes that look like this whether he's climbing a mountain in New Zealand or going out to dinner in Paris.

Alternate shoes:
White New Balance
Mephistos if he's rich

# ¿ Jul 14, 2011 22:34

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

My #1 advice for people on electronics is to charge as much stuff via USB as possible then you only need one adapter and a few cables instead of a big pile of stuff. I used to do my phone/ipod/DS on one of these but now I just use my iPad charger [and I leave my ipod and DS at home]. Sadly there's very few cameras that can charge this way.

I'm a big fan of the iPad for traveling, my ipad + charger weighs 1.5 pounds less than my netbook + power supply did and I can offload photos onto it and the battery lasts 10 hours. That said I usually stay in hotels with room safes so it might not be a good idea to have something so trendy/desirable on your typical hostel adventure.

There's also some best practices as far as computer/account security you should do on the road because even if you are using your own hardware your connection may not be trustworthy. The simplest thing to do is make a separate gmail account just for that trip with a 100% unique password and forward your mail to that. This will prevent 99% of "oh man my main email account got compromised and now my whole life is poo poo" scenarios Also if you need to check your money [and you're in the US/Canada] set up a mint.com account [again with a unique PW] so you're not typing in your online banking credentials unless you really need to.

# ¿ Jul 18, 2011 20:46

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

I'm slightly less in love with my Canon s95 than I was when I first got it, I think because when pictures really come out they look so good that you're mad when you look at them next to the "OK" ones. I still think it's the best camera for its size you can get but I'd absolutely love it if it had faster shot-to-shot and autofocus and maybe some interface tweaks.

The s95 set on Auto with the lens at its widest and the flash off will produce better photos than pretty much any other small camera but it's kind of a waste to buy a $400 camera and not learn to use it.

qirex fucked around with this message at 21:15 on Jul 18, 2011

# ¿ Jul 18, 2011 21:13

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

Mradyfist posted:

This is probably a little paranoid; if you're using Gmail all traffic is encrypted via SSL so you should be completely safe. This is also true of most banking sites, but not true of Facebook; they only encrypt the log in page.

It's not paranoid if you've seen the extent some places go to to jack online banking credentials from tourists, e.g. hidden cameras over keyboards. Also hotel networks are the absolute "dirtiest" as far as malware goes.

Mradyfist posted:

If you had the money to blow, you could consider getting a Canon G12 - the S95 is based off the same big-for-a-small-camera sensor, which is why the pictures look so great, but it has a faster continuous shot speed.

The G12 has a slower lens at wide open and weighs twice as much, if I wanted a bigger camera I probably would have gone for a micro 4/3 or a NEX.

# ¿ Jul 18, 2011 21:42

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

ilovepy posted:

Is it possible to have a pack-able wide brimmed hat and not look like a Travel Dad? Hats are dorky but so much better than sunscreen. My neck is red enough as it is.

This is my biggest sticking point, I believe the answer is "there's no way to not look like travel dad but it beats skin cancer".

# ¿ Jul 25, 2011 18:32

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

I really like Nau stuff because it's not cut like outdoor gear but it is pretty pricey.

# ¿ Oct 10, 2011 02:06

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

Pompous Rhombus posted:

Just want to reiterate after a few months using the toiletries kit I recommended earlier, it does indeed continue to own.

I assume you're talking car/train travel or you check a bag, right? Because if not you'd have to put everything in a ziplock to clear security anyway.

The most interesting new thing I've seen lately is that American Apparel started making wicking t-shirts. I've been using them to work out in and I like them a lot, the fabric isn't shiny or performance-looking and they dry quite fast. The fit is similar to their normal shirts, maybe a little slimmer.

# ¿ Apr 10, 2012 16:55

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

If you're going to be checking a bag 65 isn't incredibly huge and you should be able to fit a whole lot more than that in there. I do 3 pants, 5-6 shirts, socks, underwear, extra shoes and a couple jackets in 40L.

# ¿ Apr 10, 2012 21:40

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

There's some evidence that fasting/undereating can help jetlag and some people I know who travel a ton do it.

# ¿ Apr 12, 2012 16:34

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

A couple companies have tried to make "lifestlye" versions of barefoot shoes and somehow they end up looking even worse than the "sporty" ones.

# ¿ Apr 19, 2012 21:14

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

Yeah, I have my carry-on and my "personal item" but I make sure I can cram my personal item into my big bag if necessary.

For insulation a light track jacket might be versatile enough.

# ¿ Apr 27, 2012 02:38

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

If I was going to buy a new bag now I'd probably get either the GoLite or the Timbuk2 Wingman, I've looked at both in stores. As far as dressy-ish shirts surf clothing companies like Quiksilver, Hurley and O'Neil make collared poly blend shirts that you couldn't wear to the opera but still look better than t-shirts and don't wrinkle as much as cotton dress shirts. For pants I have a pair of Nike golf pants that can pass for slacks and dry really fast.

# ¿ May 2, 2012 15:28

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

The Osprey is basically a giant duffel, I like more organization and a more rectangular shape since I don't use the backpack straps 90% of the time plus I'd feel weird doing business travel with it. The GoLite is more like my bag now in that it opens like a suitcase with compartments on 2 sides. On the other hand packing extra shoes would be easier in the Timbuk2, fewer compartments = less "organization" but simpler to just throw stuff into and flat sides are generally easier to deal with than the humps on the outside of the golite. The GoLite has padded handles which can be a big deal on a long walk.

If I really liked either one more than the other I'd probably buy it, after a couple dozen trips my old Jansport is showing its age. They're both good bags though and you'll probably he happy with either. There's a lot of people who have done perfectly well with the eBags one too, it's hard to beat the price.

In conclusion, convertible carry-ons are a land of contrasts.

# ¿ May 3, 2012 00:24

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

Movendi posted:

My concern is backing up photos to these devices might be slower/awkward than a netbook. But i'm not sure how to backup sdhc when you only have a camera on you (and not using internet cafe's).

I have no experience with Android tablets but I currently use my iPad for photo backup when I'm traveling and it works fine [with the requisite adaptor].

# ¿ May 9, 2012 14:27

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

I really like my Waterfield Cargo for briefcase use. I have a medium.

# ¿ May 25, 2012 18:00

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

I have a Platypus and it's kind of hard to use, especially if you're trying to fill it in a drinking fountain or shallow sink. I usually carry a Sigg for when I'm hiking but I make sure to take it out of my bag and take the top off at airport security [except for the time I forgot and accidentally poured water on the security table at Tiegel].

# ¿ May 29, 2012 16:47

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

I don't think you necessarily need a full ankle boot if you're not carriyng a heavy pack, I've switched exclusively to low-top hikers and been fine. What you do need on seriously rough ground is a shank in the sole, most of them are plastic now so they don't add a ton of weight.

# ¿ Jun 5, 2012 20:55

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

I haven't been in this thread for a while but if you really need water treatment you want a pump filter, not a straw. If you also want an option for chemical treatment Polar Pure tablets are the best I've used. Iodine sucks.

# ¿ Jun 25, 2012 15:16

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

This is my luggage scale, I like it. I don't take it with me on trips but it's pretty useful. I got down to 16 pounds for my trip to London last year because Virgin Atlantic had some ridiculous rules posted then watched people with 2 rolling cases board without issue.

# ¿ Jun 26, 2012 16:38

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# ¿ May 4, 2024 02:57

qirex: Feb 15, 2001

Someone in Australia posted a MLC-style bag from one of their domestic brands a while back but I can't remember who or what brand. Osprey makes stuff that's incredibly durable but they're basically just duffel bags on the inside which means that you'll probably end up spending even more money on organizers and stuff.

# ¿ Jun 30, 2012 17:16

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