My Updated Top 10 Travel Must-Have Items

It's been over three years since my last "10 Essentials" list for air travel carry-on, and since I've been working on my packing lists this morning for my upcoming trips, I have realized that my "essentials" have changed a bit over the last few years. Here's the updated list:

1. Food. I always pack at least one protein bar, and maybe some raw almonds. If you wait until getting to the airport, and through security, to purchase your munchies, be prepared to fork over your wallet for a usually-not-too-good selection.

2. Water. Buy the biggest bottle you can find once you get past the security checkpoint. Buy two. You can never have too much water.

3. My iPhone. While I may still be rockin' the iPhone 4S, it still can't be beat for its camera, guidebooks, maps, travel apps, games, communication, and music.

4. Travel documents in a pouch (or two). Although I tend to also keep these items digitally, it's sometimes good to print out your various reservations and tickets to bring along. I use a large Tom Bihn clear/Dyneema organizer pouch. I'll also use a Tom Bihn RFID Blocking Passport Pouch for my passport and credit cards.

5. Toiletries. Even if I'm only going for a long weekend in Florida, I still bring, at a minimum, any prescriptions, a toothbrush, small toothpaste, small deodorant, dental floss, lip balm, gum, moisturizer, a few individual wipes. In case of a delay, I know that I can at least keep fresh. All of this fits nicely in my Tom Bihn 3D Clear Organizer Cube.

6. Spare undies. I don't think I need to explain. I swear by ExOfficio's.

7. Noise-canceling headphones. Expensive? Yes. But if you travel frequently, you'll appreciate the way they block out engine noise, as well as your chatty seat mate.

8. Kindle Paperwhite. This wasn't on my last list, because it didn't exist yet. Never again do I agonize over what reading materials to choose. Now I can bring everything!

9. iPad. I purchased my iPad 3 with Retina Display over a year ago, and it has practically replaced my MacBook. I realize that the iPhone can do almost everything the iPad and Kindle do, but I like the screen real estate.

10. Evernote Moleskine. While I've had an Evernote account since almost Day 1, I haven't used it to its fullest until now. I just recently purchased this notebook which allows me to capture all sorts of things into Evernote - travel writings, plans, recipes, contact info - you name it, I can put pen to paper, then capture it all electronically into my Evernote account. The bonus is that the notebook comes with 3 months of Evernote Premium.

All of the above now goes into my Tom Bihn Synapse 19. I cannot stress how much I absolutely LOVE this bag. I've been using it every day, even when not travelling, because it is so well thought out and sleek looking. It holds WAY more than it looks like it should. It's durable. Did I mention it looks great? If I don't want to use a backpack, I'll grab my Tom Bihn (are you noticing a theme here?) Co-Pilot for my carry-on. It makes a great day bag, and it fits beautifully under the seat, leaving plenty of room for your feet.

Other than these 10 essential items, and depending on my destination and time of year, I'll often also carry a rain jacket, extra shirt, and maybe a really thin fleece top.

TripCase vs. TripIt

 VS 

I don't know about you, but when I travel I find there's a lot of information I need to keep track of - flights, hotel confirmation, shuttle services, etc. A few years ago, I started using TripIt on my iPhone. Recently, I stumbled across a different app - TripCase - and have decided to compare the two, using both on my upcoming trips. TripCase is even offering a FREE trial period for its Pro version until the end of 2012.  Pretty good marketing, if you ask me.

One of the first differences between the two is that TripCase does not offer an iPad version, which is a bit disappointing. Perhaps this will come in the future? Both offer two methods of entering trip data - manually, or importing (via email confirmations). In this respect, both operated smoothly. Currently, even though I have two additional trips planned, I only have the data available for my next trip, a cruise. Once I finalize the bookings for another trip, I will be able to compare the two apps as far as multiple trip list views.

TripIt also allows me to connect with others who have TripIt accounts - a nice feature for business travelers and families. I use this feature often. TripCase looks to have this same functionality, although I have not set it up, as none of my existing contacts have TripCase accounts.

Both apps also have the ability to publish information to your social networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), although I'm not sure I'd want to share that much.

Both apps also have the ability to share your trips to your online calendars, via subscription, something I use all the time.

Both apps have associated web sites which also allow for manual entry of your trip info, although I personally prefer the layout of the TripIt site. Both apps have free and paid versions, but I do not yet know what the cost of the Pro TripCase account is; I've been unable to find it on their site. TripIt offers their Pro version for $49 a year, not really a bargain unless you're a road warrior.

One of the features which caught my eye with TripCase is its notifications - when I land, TripCase will let me know if a connecting flight has changed, or remind me to check my hotel to see if I can check in early. It will also provide traffic updates if I'll be driving to my next destination. TripIt also shares some of this functionality, but at a $49 per year cost. right now, while TripCase Pro is free, that will be my preference.

Overall, both apps offer nice visuals and comprehensive features, and I'm looking forward to exploring their differences on my next trip.

**UPDATE**

Ok, the verdict is in - it's a tie. No, seriously. I have two more trips scheduled this year, and will continue to use both apps. I really can't decide which I like better. At least not yet.

(6/8/12)

Utila Diving (originally posted September 19, 2010)

Ok, so this was two months ago, but I spent a week at the Utila Dive Lodge with a subset of Our Own Damn Dive Club (OODDC for short), and we had a blast. The trip was eight days, seven nights. Utila is one of the Bay Islands of Honduras (the other notable island being Roatan), accessible by boat and small plane, about 18 miles north of the Honduran mainland. I flew direct to San Pedro Sula, Honduras from Newark (and wisely used miles to upgrade to First Class for the 5 hour flight), then flew from San Pedro Sula to La Ceiba, on the coast, on a 16-passenger plane. From there, we took a 5-minute flight in an 8-passenger plane over to Utila.

Once we landed, we were greeted by our driver, and his van, into which we stuffed ourselves and our gear (we were only 7 so this wasn't awful). The Utila Dive Lodge sits in the harbor, and is entirely self-contained. The week was all-inclusive, so we never had to go in search of meals after diving. The rooms were very spacious and clean, with lots of room for gear storage. The Lodge only has eight rooms, of which we took four. We had the place to ourselves. There was a reason for that. Apparently, every year there is Carnival, during which the islanders choose and crown the next Queen for their pageant. Each night's festivities were RIGHT NEXT TO our hotel. And it was LOUD. This really was the only blemish on the whole trip.

Diving in Utila was surprisingly beautiful. I say that only because all of us have been incredibly fortunate and have been diving all over the world. This was up there on our list of places to return. What makes diving in Utila so special are the whale sharks. There are only a handful of places on earth where humans can interact with these beautiful, huge creatures. We spent a late morning spotting and snorkeling with four separate whale sharks, and I was able to get some amazing video clips (which i will upload). The reefs were in really good shape and we saw lots of fish, turtles, even a frogfish one day!

Packing for this trip was a bit of a challenge, as we were limited to 50 pounds in our checked bag (due to the tiny flight). I managed to get my bag to 37 pounds, which included all of my SCUBA gear and clothing for the week. I used a North Face Recon as a carry on, and it held my iPad, keyboard, Kindle, iPhone, cameras (2 Canon SD-1100IS') and housing, plus paperwork, a change of clothes, and some snacks and water. All told, I'd say it was my best, most efficient packing job to date.

We're not yet sure where we'll be going next year, but I'll be ready with a really short packing list

Time to Pack! (originally posted July 12, 2010)

This coming Saturday I am leaving for a week of diving in Utila, one of the Bay Islands off the northern coast of Honduras. I've been to my doctor to get all the prophylactic prescriptions (Malarone - it's apparently malaria heaven there; Cipro, Zpack, steroid ear drops), and am heading out a little later for the rest of the over the counter meds - Bonine, chewing gum, Advil, etc. Over the years, I've found that this stuff is more important than almost anything else I pack.

Regardless of where I'm going, or what I'm doing, I always make time to sit down and write out my packing lists. Instead of one giant list, I now make four distinct ones: dive gear, clothing, medications, and carry-on bag. I find that not only helps me organize my thoughts, but really speeds up the packing process.

For this trip, we have a checked bag limit of 50 pounds for the flight from San Pedro Sula to Utila. That's not a lot when you're packing dive gear, so I've decided to ditch my 8-pound eBags rolling duffle, and instead will use my LL Bean duffel bag, saving almost 7 pounds. In that will be my dive gear in a mesh duffel, and a few changes of clothing. When you spend most of the time underwater or in a pool, there's not much need for clothing.

I find that the hardest part of packing, for me anyway, is the carry-on bag. Once I get past the necessities, I'm left agonizing over the rest - reading material? puzzle books? snacks? If there's anything that has remained consistent, it's that I always overpack this bag. Always. I swear I won't do it this time. Really.

iPad Frenzy (originally posted April 3, 2010)

For those of you living under a rock and who may not know it, today is iPad Day! And for those of us who live and breathe the latest tech news about gizmos and gadgets, well, we have been scratching off the days 'til the iPad release on our walls since its January announcement by Steve Jobs. Now the quandary. To buy or not to buy? The practical money manager part of me says "are you kidding? This thing cost $500 for the cheapest model!" And then the alpha geek part of me says "why the hell am I not already in line picking up my pre-ordered iPad?" Well, it's too late for that, since I did not order one.

After poring over all the updates on the interweb this morning as I sipped my coffee, I am kicking myself. After all, this is the same geek who was in line EACH AND EVERY TIME for the latest iPhone release. And the first iPod release. D'oh. I'm not sure what my original qualms were, really. Money? Probably. But LOOK AT THAT SCREEN! And after I had to update 20+ Apps yesterday because they are now "iPad compatible", well, I'm thinking it's time to pick up that glass of KoolAid and drink deeply.

Which brings me back to my original concern. The money. If I'm going to spend $499 for a 16GB Wi-Fi only model, why not wait and save up for the 64GB W-Fi + 3G model? After all, I already have a boatload of content, between music, photos, movies, podcasts, etc., not to mention the bajillion Apps I've already downloaded. If all I do is consume media and use Apps, right now, there appears to be no better device on which to do this. And I haven't even seen or touched one yet.

So, here I am, staring back at the money issue. I can sell more stuff on eBay, but just how much stuff? I was close to listing my Kindle 2, but am not quite ready to let go of it yet, even though there is a free Kindle Reader available for the iPad, which would allow me to read everything I've ever purchased on my Kindle. That's pretty sweet, but I don't think I'm quite ready to let go of the "lesser technology" for one reason. It's not as flashy, hence not as big a theft target. Yes, that harks back to the days of the first iPhone, when not that many people could be seen with one. BUT, you could slip it into your pocket until you were in a safer place. Not so with the iPad. When I travel with my Kindle 2, no one is staring at it lustfully, although many people are still curious.

The bottom line is that I will not resolve this today. I do know that at some point in the future I will own an iPad. Until then I guess I'll just have to make do with my outdated iPhone, Kindle, and netbook ;-)

10 Things I Won't Travel Without

Over the years, I've managed to pare down my carry-on travel crap quite a bit. I've learned that I really don't need 5 novels, or 2 portable gaming systems, or 2 sets of headphones. I don't need a change of clothes for every day, if I plan a little. But I do need the following essentials in my carry-on bag, in no particular order:

1. Inflatable travel pillow. It packs very small, and in this new era of airline cutbacks, one can never be sure that the little pillow you get on the plane is REALLY clean. Eew.

2. Bose Quiet Comfort headphones. Expensive, yes, but if you travel frequently you'll appreciate the way they eliminate the jet roar and they way they muffle your chatty seatmate.

3. My iPhone. Music, games, movies, and communication device all in one. And with AT&T, the ability to call from almost anywhere on the planet.

4. Travel documents in a slim case. These include my passport, health insurance cards, emergency contact info, drivers license, credit cards. I leave the wallet at home, because I'm pretty sure I'm not going to need my Shop-Rite card.

5. Water. Buy the biggest bottle you can find once you get past the security checkpoint. Buy two. You can never have too much water.

6. One book. This is usually the hardest thing for me to pack. I try and go for the smaller novels, ones I can leave behind so I don't have to carry them twice.

7. Bare minimum toiletries - must include moisturizing lotion, toothpaste, mini toothbrush, lip balm, deodorant. These pretty much ensure that I'll feel like a human being, no matter how long the delay. Unless I'm on some trip to an exotic locale, I can buy the other stuff (shampoo, etc) when I get to my destination.

8. Baby wipes. You just never know when you might need these.

9. Protein bar. Most short-hop flights don't give you ANYTHING, so be prepared. Protein bars are my favorite to carry - a meal in a bar, and they pack easily.

10. Spare undies. Usually quick-dry. I think this is self-explanatory.

I most frequently pack all of this in here. The Osprey React pack is very lightweight and has lots of useful pockets. With two mesh water bottle pockets, and a large outer pocket, everything I need is easily accessible. Sometimes I carry my North Face Recon pack instead, mostly if I'm bringing my MacBook along. Other than these essentials, I usually have one clean shirt, a rain jacket, two 1-gallon ziploc bags, a small camera, and sometimes a laptop. I'm heading to Florida next week for a 5-day stay, so when I pack, I'll post some pics.