It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen. – Coach John Wooden
Friday, January 8, 2016 (DAYS 1,403 – 1,406)
I feel that after more than 1,400 days of extended travel and living abroad in more than 19 different countries while experiencing almost every type of environmental climate you can image all while only limiting my material possession to fit within two backpacks, there has been a number of lessons I've learned–particularly quality items that you will want, if not need for long-term travel. This is a small comprehensive list of items that I've deemed to be valuable assets primarily for long-term travel, however, some of these suggestions can also be great for general travel whether that be long weekends or slightly longer trips.
I feel that after more than 1,400 days of extended travel and living abroad in more than 19 different countries while experiencing almost every type of environmental climate you can image all while only limiting my material possession to fit within two backpacks, there has been a number of lessons I've learned–particularly quality items that you will want, if not need for long-term travel. This is a small comprehensive list of items that I've deemed to be valuable assets primarily for long-term travel, however, some of these suggestions can also be great for general travel whether that be long weekends or slightly longer trips.
1. COMFORTABLE AND QUALITY SHOES
© New Balance
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© Salomon
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When thinking in terms of long-term travel, a pair of tennis shoes or lightweight hiking shoes and flip flops make a world of difference over time, especially on your lower back. For the first three-plus years I continued to go with cheap flip flops and it wasn't until I returned for a brief visit to Colorado where my best friend Josh gave me a quality pair of flip flops that I realized how much of a difference this made on my lower back! Once again when you are a minimalist with your material possessions you want durable gear that also has strong health benefits.
2. TECH GEAR JUST AS IMPORTANT
© Apple
Yes, some long-term travelers or purists may insist that it's unnecessary to bring a laptop, smartphone, tablet, or all three in my current situation. However, the reason I currently have the trifecta of Apple fanboy products is because I use them for running my own businesses at the moment and this is what has allowed me to continue to extend my travels for nearly four-years. Once again as I have mentioned before, when you use your technological devices to work FOR YOU by making money to extend your travels, it's hard not to agree with this fact. Plus, it's almost become a necessity in many ways to have some form of tech gear for online or mobile banking, communicating internationally for free using wifi and free apps, finding jobs or help exchange situations to save you money, as well as for doing research for your travels because this WILL save you money by taking time to do a bit of research for visas, any current events (i.e. once while traveling the overland border was impassable because farmers in Ecuador were protesting and not allowing ANY pedestrians or traffic between Ecuador and Colombia), searching budget flights, etc and etc. Also, the reason to upgrade your technology as either as a person that is setting out for long-term travel or that has been doing so is because these devices become lighter, faster processors, and better connectivity to wifi connections, especially in Third World countries. Yes, they are expensive, but when you stop and think of them as an investment and as ways to save you money, as a budget traveler this is a HUGE advantage. Plus, I enjoy shiny new technology items I must admit.
3. SOLID CASES
© Lifeproof™
As I mentioned in my last sentence above, when you invest in your technology you also need to remember to protect your investment. For example, I had and traveled with an iPhone 4 for nearly five-years before FINALLY breaking down and upgrading because it became a necessity as the phone was finally starting to give out. In terms of durable cases, you cannot just think about waterproof but also the enormous levels of dust that creeps in the smallest of crevices and can begin to either slow the device processor down or cause it to stop working altogether. Therefore, I suggest cases that are of course waterproof because this will generally protect them from dust, but I would also highly consider cases that have some level of shock absorption as well.
4. QUALITY BACKPACKS (GENERALLY TWO)
Throughout traveling to nearly every continent in the world, minus Africa—but it's on my list in the near future hopefully—quality backpacks are a MUST! When I say this, I'm speaking of good strong durable zippers, lots of pockets, easy accessibility—that conforms to you specifically—and that conforms to your body height to reduce future back problems. For Americans, you can easily go to REI and try different size backpacks and have an associate or employee assist you in providing you with a pack that is the proper size for your body style and they can also add weight to the pack and show you how it should sit and fit with the proper adjustments. Once again DO NOT go cheap on a good pack, which doesn't mean you need to spend $300 plus, but in terms of overall quality. My green Eagle Creek backpack that is 65 liters and while it's listed as a woman's backpack, I could care less because I had it sized properly and I purchased it new for less than $85 and it's held up for more than four-years since I purchased it. My newest small backpack, the SwissGear™ Scan Smart, was only $55 and I think it's now even cheaper online. My biggest advice, and this is from personal veteran travel experience, DO NOT purchase a single-strap sling mini backpack, because the weight is not distributed evenly and when you're trying to board buses in Central America where it's a free-for-all this can be a nightmare trying to balance this smaller pack while fighting for a seat on a 10-hour bus, otherwise you're standing the ENTIRE time.
5. PORTABLE WATER PURIFICATION SYSTEM
© Sport Berkey™
Pretty simple here. Choose a portable water purification system NOT a water filtration system. Also, choose one that can store water, unlike the LifeStraw™ however the LifeStraw Go would be a good choice. I've chosen the Sport BerkeyⓇ and it's held up in more than 19 countries and I've filled this up with water from streams and some of the most filthy looking conditions and tap water systems you can imagine and (knock on wood) it has provided me with constant clean drinking water while saving me money and being better for the environment overall.
*ANYTHING YOU MAY NEED FOR SOLID REST (OPTIONAL)
© www.sony.com
As an optional piece of advice, I would say one of the hardest and worst things for ANYONE—traveler or not—is when you go for consecutive days without a proper night's sleep. Therefore, whatever you need to do in order to be able to have that 'hard reset button' with a full night's uninterrupted night's sleep it's worth it. Sometimes I use things like NyquilⓇ or sleeping pills but I've realized that soon I will be investing in some type of noise-cancelling headphones or headband for those snoring monsters and thieves of precious PRECIOUS sleep!
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