My first trip abroad was only 16 years ago, but it was completely analog; so were the two after that. I didn’t even bring my phone, because it didn’t use a SIM. The feeling of separation was motherfucking glorious. I’d kill a kitten just to get it back.
True, it’d be possible to experience that feeling again simply by leaving all the tech back home and hitting the road with a Motorola RAZR, but who’s to say for sure? Traveling without connectivity in the modern era sounds terrifying, and devices are so light and compact there’s no practical angle.
Going full flip-phone would be impossible now anyway. Some countries require you to request travel authorizations through apps. Booking flights offline has basically become impossible. And then there’s my content, which is all online and you now could never live without.
Kids, welcome to the future. Here’s what you need to live nomadically in it.
Your tech pouch can quickly turn into a rat’s nest of 15 cables for every device or situation – or you can be smart and get a few cables and a pouch of tiny adaptors. Be smart.
I committed to USB-C after I realized my toothbrush, beard trimmer and drone all used it. When Apple ditched Lightning, the deal was done.
If you want to live in USB-A world, you do you, but C is truly better. Whichever way you go, just stick to one and keep life simple.
My privacy policy is simple: I don’t share your information.
Yea, it’s just a name, email and nationality, but I’m sure there are people who would pay for it. My thoughts on that: fuck those people and fuck those fuckers who sell personal information to them. You’ll find none of that monkey business here.
If I get hacked and your info get stolen, I’ll shoot you a note to let you know. I don’t deal in passwords, credit cards or anything like that though, so there’s almost nothing for anyone to take.
To see the full privacy policy — it’s pretty boring and cost me a lot of money — you can follow the link at the bottom of the page or in the confirmation email.
Certain things can only be done on a computer
Lightweight, long battery life, compact charger. You can maybe achieve the same effect with a big tablet. Make sure you get a sturdy, waterproof carrying sleeve.
Tickets and payments are now all app-based
Use whatever you like, but get something with a really good camera. You’ll be on it all the time. More memory is helpful, so you can rely less on the cloud. Get one with a SIM tray.
For long trains and buses, you want something to read
Lightweight and preferably not a backlit LCD screen, like a tablet. Make sure you have a valid library card before you leave, so you can download books for free.
For the alarm alone it’s a necessity, but also helpful on hikes
Sturdiness is essential, but a long battery life will come in handy. GPS and satellite calling is a lifesaver if you get lost on a hike. Get a band that breathes well.
Maps and video use up a lot of juice and you do not want a dead phone
10k mAh is good, but 15+ gets you that third phone charge if it doesn’t add too much weight. Rapid charging is nice in a pinch, but you’ll probably charge while you sleep. One plug is fine.
For the beach, quiet hostel lounge or the rare hotel/private room
The tiniest speaker that can fill up the space. The lower the Hz (<100), the better the bass, and more watts (>4) mean more volume. Long battery is overrated, but waterproofing is essential.
For watching movies on airplanes and backup for taking video calls
Must have a minijack, not a USB or lightning. You also need an airplane minijack adaptor on many planes. A microphone helps if your wireless ear buds go flat.
Essential for taking calls or watching anything on your phone
Active noise cancelation is key, as is filtering that blocks background noise. No need for audiophile level audio. You’ll probably prefer the sounds of the city to music.
For video calls that don’t wear out your arm and selfies that don’t look like shit
A tripod is so insanely helpful, I can’t even explain. I love a remote control too. A wrist strap is good if you’re clumsy and going to high places or riding on boats.
Every now and then something needs to be printed and you’ll need this
This is the only time I suggest USB-A, mainly because that’s what most hostel computers and printers will use.
Everything is rechargeable now, so carry enough cords.
You need different lengths. Keep a couple short ones (~2 feet/65cm) and a couple long ones (~5 feet/1.5 meters). USB-C is better, which I explain in-depth below.
The world is a mess of different plugs and cords, so be prepared for all of them
Get 4 adaptors for your USB-C cables to connect to USB-A sockets, plus 2 for Micro and 2 for Mini. You only need the tiny ones the size of a plug, not a full dongle.
Public USB charging can hack your devices if you plug in and unlock
These are essential and easy to leave behind, so carry a few and use them religiously. You only need the tiny ones the size of a plug, not a full dongle.
There are 14 types of sockets worldwide and you’ll encounter most of them
Confirm that any adaptor boasting it’s ‘universal’ actually is. Also check weight. They can get heavy, which means the fall out. I use an ultra-light power strip, but it’s all personal preference.
Domestic American air travel is a racket run by three major companies and a few smaller ones who effectively collude on prices to screw passengers and support their bloated executives and corporate structures.
Even regional jets, which are technically independent, are fucking death traps that I literally never, ever fly.
It’s not this way in other countries, because most people are sensible and see transportation as akin to a public utility. It’s therefore common to find flights on foreign carriers for under $100. I frequently see fares less $50.
Booking far in advance is therefore unnecessary, except of course in places where tickets sell out. Avoid the temptation to book months or weeks out if you’re just trying to save money. Not only will doing so lock you into dates you might regret, you may end up paying. Why? Booking sites now sniff for your computer’s location and display higher prices for foreigners.
Rude, right? Blame the mirror. We invented that.
First, some bad news for most Americans: automatic transmissions are as rare overseas as manuals are in the US. Unless you want to seriously overpay, make friends with someone who owns an old Miata and learn.
Second, anyone who wants to rent a car should obtain an international driver’s permit. This is easy — just 30 minutes at AAA.
When it’s time to rent, don’t get tempted by lower prices with small, local companies. Go with a big multi-national.
Understand your insurance situation through-and-through. Know the limits of your credit card’s automatic coverage and have a printout of the policy. If you can get a translated copy, even better. If you’re still in doubt after all that, just pay for their coverage.
Research the scams. Before you drive off the lot, walk around the vehicle and video record it. When you return the car, do the same. Also record yourself locking it and depositing the key in the night box if you return after hours.
If you get a notice from the rental company later saying you owe for damage or not returning the car, you can send them those videos with an E-vite to go get fucked. You might also copy tourist law enforcement, so they get fined to oblivion.
It’s tricky, but you need to basically study each country’s road laws and signs like you’re getting your student driver’s permit again. Most places have tricky rules, and they love to fine gringoes like us for violating them.
In Cyprus, for example, you can be fined for eating or drinking anything behind the wheel, even a Snickers. In Denmark, you’re legally required to look under your car before you get inside to ensure no one is underneath. In Spain, drivers with poor vision have to carry a spare set of glasses. Dirty cars are illegal in Russia, as is splashing pedestrians on a rainy day in Japan.
In some places, driving is really difficult. I pity any fool who tries to drive in Cairo. You can also very swiftly kill yourself on a German highway if you’re untrained. Driving at 120 MPH is far more complex than simply pressing the accelerator further.
Fare classes are highly inconsistent.
First class in one country is generally different to first class in any other. The same is true of second, third and so on. They vary wildly by country and system.
If it’s fiscally reasonable, I choose first for early mornings and overnights. They really are better, even just for security of your belongings.
The one time I settled for a second-class overnight, I had to physically fight a mouth-breathing Russian girl who was sweating vodka and wouldn’t stop burying her face into my lap to huff my underpants like Whip-Its. I wish I was making this up, but it’s true. I arrived sleepless, angry and ugly. It ruined my first day in Lisbon and I only had five. First class would have been worth the cost. Second class is my usual go-to. For shorter trips or anything after 9 a.m. I go second.
If I want an adventure, I go even lower. Some agents won’t sell those tickets to tourists though unless you insist.
Nomads and backpackers who don’t do the travel hacking thing usually buy cheap flights. Be careful of taking that too far.
For starters, you need to observe weight limits on baggage. In the US, no one gives a shit, but elsewhere they care. The care deeply. Never buy a ticket that forces you to pay weight overages.
Seats are also important, but not for comfort. I never take bulkhead or exit-row seats unless I pay for early boarding. Both offer less (or zero) under-seat storage, so being in a later boarding group puts you at risk of having nowhere to put your carry on — or as you’ll hear them called “cabin bags.”
I’ve even been on a flight where the attendant nearly made me check my personal item. I shut that down by threatening to create a scene and de-board, but I could have avoided it by paying $8 for priority boarding.
Countless people have asked if I used an around-the-world plane ticket for my first trip.
My simple response: Don’t ask dumb fucking questions. Also, no, I didn’t.
ATW tickets are nearly useless. They typically require you to book your stops in advance, so there’s too little flexibility. The fine print is also brutal and changes constantly.
Last time I researched them, the price was based on allotments of miles. The number of stops also changed the equation. All of them required you to choose a direction (east-to-west, for example) and none permitted travel in the reverse direction even slightly. Some airlines even insisted all departures had to occur from the same point as arrival, meaning if you traveled by land elsewhere, the airline penalized your mileage allotment.
I said airline there, but ATW tickets come come from a single carrier. Instead, you buy into an alliance, of which I believe there are still only three. Quite the lack of competition there.
ATW fares do lend themselves marvelously to itineraries where you go to a different city each month and make it the base from which you explore the region. This is something we’ll talk about later when we discuss hub-and-spoke travel.
If you have status with a particular airline, you may want to consider their ATW option — emphasis on ‘may’ — but be warned that flying everywhere robs you of some great experiences.
Domestic American air travel is a racket run by three major companies and a few smaller ones who effectively collude on prices to screw passengers and support their bloated executives and corporate structures.
Even regional jets, which are technically independent, are fucking death traps that I literally never, ever fly.
It’s not this way in other countries, because most people are sensible and see transportation as akin to a public utility. It’s therefore common to find flights on foreign carriers for under $100. I frequently see fares less $50.
Booking far in advance is therefore unnecessary, except of course in places where tickets sell out. Avoid the temptation to book months or weeks out if you’re just trying to save money. Not only will doing so lock you into dates you might regret, you may end up paying. Why? Booking sites now sniff for your computer’s location and display higher prices for foreigners.
Rude, right? Blame the mirror. We invented that.
The beauty of hub cities is the slow pace. How slow you take it will vary according to the number of side trips as well as your pace. If you commit to a month though, this introduces the possibility of renting an apartment. Even if you don’t plan to stay the full 30 days, apartment rental is generally very cheap. It can also make cooking easier, which also saves cash.
Cooking for yourself doesn’t have to mean eggs for breakfast and chicken dinners. You can dial up the adventure full throttle if you sign up for a greenmarket food tour and a cooking class right after you arrive. Not only will you know what to do with the local ingredients, you’ll eat better. Plus if you know what you’re doing, the vendors may screw you less, which will offset the price of the guide.
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