Travel Tip Tuesday: Compression Bags

How have I lived the last few years not knowing the wonderful invention called compression bags?  Seriously...these are space savers!

I'm sure they won't work on jeans or any fabrics that don't fill with air, but they can really make a difference with cottons and my jacket.

Here is a before and after Kris and I did whenever testing these to figure out if we should return them:

After seeing our overflowing bag go from unable to be closed to having extra room, we were sold.  Plus - Academy carries a great two pack for only $9!

You don't need a vacuum for these puppies...just stuff and roll!

Check out this great Magellan Outdoors Compression Bags 2-Pack:

(Just make sure you don't make your bag too heavy so you don't get charged for extra weight.)

Happy packing!

Travel Tip Tuesday: Don't Forget to Pack the Mustard

I've never tried this myself, but I will be doing so next time I travel...

Apparently, along with your liquids, you should pack two small condiment packets of Heinz yellow mustard, which, when eaten, can relieve leg cramps.  (It contains turmeric acid.)  Who knew?

I do like to grab extra condiment packets (mustard, bbq sauce, salt, pepper) from fast food restaurants when I travel just because you never know when it'll come in handy.  Now I'll be grabbing some mustard too.

Travel Tip Tuesday: Send Your Documents to Your Kindle

I have a simple $79 Kindle with advertisements, but it has an awesome feature...I can email my Kindle a PDF file.  I'm not sure about Nooks and other eReaders, but every Kindle has a dedicated email address.
So lately I've started emailing a PDF backup to my Kindle of my various travel documents and itinerary.

It's a great way to have an offline copy of my documents in a lightweight form.

Travel Tip Tuesday: String Backpack

Whenever we travel, we always bring a string backpack.  It never fails...when traveling, we'll need to carry something around or buy an item (and it's eco-friendly for shopping).

Sometimes it gets just too hot to carry around your jacket anymore.  We like to carry around an extra bottle of water and sunscreen too.  This backpack is so light - you often forget you are wearing it.

Not only is it easy and convenient; it fits in nooks nothing else will when packing or offers a great carry-on option for souvenirs.


 

Travel Tip Tuesday: Travel Itinerary Template and Binder

Whenever I travel, I plan it out.  I create a binder that has all of our printed documents, itinerary, terms & conditions of my credit card/travel insurance, and other notes in one place.  I store address labels, stamps, and a spare pen inside (ballpoint is best for writing out postcards).

I also have these documents stored somewhere on the web (Google Docs, online email, Dropbox, or SugarSync) in case something were to happen to my binder.

I personally prefer a soft, floppy binder as it will fit easier into my backpack.

Here's what my binder looked like for our trip to northern Europe:

If you'd like to use a copy of our blank travel itinerary, you can make a copy of your own from Google Docs.  Just click here and enjoy!

Awesome Visual for Travel Visa Requirements

An awesome visual representation of countries requiring visas popped up on my Twitter feed today.

Travel Tip Tuesday: English Faucet Fix

For those traveling to Europe who are cursed having to use the two faucets when washing your face, check out this awesome fix posted by Made in Shoreditch.  Love it!