Travel Hacks

Everyone has their favourite tips and tricks to make travel easier and  more enjoyable. We have many old and new tricks and since this is our first trip and flight since the pandemic started we have a few more health and safety ones. Here are some of my travel hacks!

Luggage: First off, Travel Light, We do carryon only almost always. What helps this be successful is the right bags and accessories. We both use the Patagonia “Black Hole® MLC® bag, is burly, soft-sided 45-liter suitcase with enough room for world travel and convertible backpack straps for comfy load carrying” and one personal shoulder bag. A soft sided bag allows for some stretch and being both a suitcase and back pack eliminates bulky wheels that take up space. We also each carry a reusable TSA compliant clear toiletries bag (many options on Amazon etc), for liquids, of course each item is less 100ml or less. Wear your bulkiest clothes and shoes on the flight to save some room. On longer trips we do laundry and ensure we bring clothing that mixes and matches. 

Accessories: Some accessories are trip specific but in general we always bring a small power bar (so often there are not enough outlets!), two extra long charge cords for iphones, noise cancelling headphones, empty water bottles, plane snacks, Tru Earth laundry soap strips, flat rubber sink stopper, apple air tags in case we need to check a bag or for lost/stolen luggage, headlamp (we’ve been through a few power outages; hurricane Sandy and Brisbane floods etc, and a light was essential), two folding shopping bags, a super compact packable duffle bag in case we buy stuff to bring back (if hiking we bring a packable backpack, it packs to 2/3 of the size of a coke can!). Depending where you are going, you can pick up over the counter medication/supplies you might need but it can vary; we always bring tums, Advil, bandaids, sunscreen & bug spray (if applicable), and a thermometer. 

Documents: take a photo of your passport, driver license, health insurance, etc, and save them to something cloud based such as your email and ensure a trusted person at home has a copy. 

Internet and apps: Figure out how you want to access the internet. On trips I use it a lot for google maps! For short trips I have done Rogers “roam like home” that has a daily max data charge, on others I have purchased sim cards on arrival and for this trip I am trying the new E-Sim option and have selected Airalo (apple app store). Google maps is generally great for public transportation but I also check if there is a local metro app. Google translate app is terrific for communication and can even read labels and menus and translate! HappyCow vegan travel guide app is how I find all the best vegan food around the world. I use the Libby, By Overdrive App to download free magazines and books from the Calgary Library. I love using Tripadvisor to check out things to do and then save them to a trip plan for easy reference (plus great traveller reviews). As well Atlas Obscura is fantastic for finding odd ball activities and interesting sites. And don’t forget to download the airline app as many have their entertainment system on the app, plus trip notifications and management. 

Tips for smooth security: Check in as soon as you can online (usually 24 hours in advance), load your boarding pass to your iPhone wallet app, slip on shoes, keep electronics, passport and clear liquid bag in an external pocket or in easy reach to pull out for inspection.   

Infection Prevention: Let’s face it, no one wants to have a trip ruined by being sick or deal with health complications. We can’t always prevent illness and respiratory infections, such COVID-19 or even the common cold, but NPR had this January 2023 article “Coronavirus FAQ: How do I avoid catching COVID while flying in 2023?” with some tips to consider: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/01/09/1138627894/coronavirus-faq-how-do-i-avoid-catching-covid-while-flying-in-2023

We’ve missed a lot of trips since the pandemic began. I don’t know what future trips will entail for COVID-19 precautions but for now I want to be more cautious and not miss out on any fun feeling sick!