Travel Tip Tuesday: Lost Camera Recovery Tip

With your phone and with your camera, take a photo of a piece of paper that says, "If found, please contact:" and provide your contact information.

If your camera is lost, hopefully the people who find it will go through the photos and will contact you.

If your camera was stolen, hopefully the people will at least be nice enough to send you back the memory card.

If you've got a minute, check out this guy's pictorial guide to avoid camera loss.  It's pretty awesome.

Travel Tip Tuesday: Airport Time Saving Tip

It's always packed outside of the arrivals gates at an airport, but the departures gates are usually clear. Get your party to pick you up at departures instead of arrivals. It saves lots of time and frustration.

If that isn't possible, check to see if there is a cell phone waiting lot at the airport you are flying in to (or picking someone up from).  You can often sit there for free until the person calls to say they are outside.

Photographic Moments

I fancy myself a traveler, not a tourist.  To most people, there is little distinction, but I hold true to the motto seen all over New Zealand...

Take only photographs...

Leave only footprints.

Kris and I try not to touch valued artwork.  We attempt to be cognizant to those around us and not ruin their moments.  I try to quickly take my photographs if a group is around and leave for the next person to get a turn.

We evaluate whether or not we really need to be in a photo if there is a crowd around.  If you are next to a monument, art, or something that attracts others, you are likely ruining someone else's moment or photo.  Do you need to be?

Kris says I should embrace it.  He says I should just make a photo album called, "Photos that could have been great if the tourists would have gotten out of the way..."

So, taking his advice, I got the photo with the tourists; then waited around for one without the tourists.

 

What do you think?  Better with the tourists or without?  Feel free to weigh in on the matter in the comments section!

Travel Tip Tuesday: Keeping Clothes Clean

Last Christmas, my mother-in-law got me a nifty little product called Shoe Ins from The Container Store.  They are two blue and two gray sets of shoe bags with a drawstring cord that keep my shoes from getting my clothes and bag dirty when traveling.  The bags are washable, so they are a reusable solution for people who carry extra shoes.  *If you don't have Shoe Ins, you could probably also just use some old large socks.

Kris, my husband, however, hates carrying extra bags around and has shoes too big to fit in the bag anyway.  If his shoes get nasty on a trip, we usually put them in plastic grocery sacks.  (I always carry a bunch with me.)

However, a nifty little trick I saw on Real Simple is to put your shoes in those cheap, disposable shower caps often provided gratis at hotels.  Small feet can shove both shoes into one cap.  Larger shoes might need two shower caps.  Assuming they don't shift in travel, they should also work as a water guard against your clothes and wet shoes.

Travel Tip Tuesday: Heat Guard; Stowing Hot Hair Appliances

Don't want to spend massive amounts of money to buy bags that are meant to store your curling iron, straightening iron, and other warm accessories as they cool down?  Pack them in an oven mitt.

Just as the oven mitt keeps your hands protected from the hot pans in the oven, it'll keep your clothes and suitcase protected from the hot metal of your styling equipment.

If you're crafty, LifeHacker has an article on how to repurpose a pot holder into a flat iron case.

If you're like me though, you'll just leave those products at home and throw your hair into a ponytail.

Travel Tip Tuesday: Inventory Luggage with a Photo

If you ever have a claim with insurance for lost luggage, you'll need proof of what you packed.  Snap a quick photo of the contents of your luggage before each trip with your camera or phone's camera and email it to yourself.

It'll take you seconds to do, but it's the proof you need later.