After 2 years of travelling light I’ve learnt a thing or two, in this post I’m going to focus on a few travel hacks I’ve learnt along the way.
1) Packing cubes
If there’s only one hack you take from this post it’s this one. Packing cubes, they squash down clothes meaning you can take more with you. Win! I would seriously not be able to travel without them. I use these Eagle Creek ones, and normally take 2 regular size ones, a small one and a long thin one. These all fit perfectly into my backpack. I have also tried the Amazon own brand ones but didn’t think the quality was as good.
2) Lush shampoo bar
This product has changed my life!! My New Year’s resolution was to use less plastic, so discovering Lush Shampoo Bar on Instagram was such a great day for me. I’ve been using Montalbano as the assistant in Lush said this one would best suit my oily hair. Initially I was a bit sceptical at the idea of using a bar of shampoo, but after my flatmate confirmed they were incredible I decided to try one. And boy has it changed my life. They’re only 2.5cm x 5cm so really small, and you get around 80 washes from one bar. So not only are these actually great for my hair, I’m using less plastic and they’re not a liquid so you can just pop it init your bag when flying. Win! Also it gets smaller as you use it which is one of my favourite travel hacks.
3) Foldable water bottle
I did not get my first foldable water bottle till 7 months into travelling and now I have two. One for everyday use, then a separate one in my snowboard bag with a cable attached. There are many reason why a foldable water is a must: 1) The environment, you’re not buying plastic bottles which we all know are not good 2) You save money not buying plastic bottles 3) As you drink it, it gets smaller in size and lighter And 4) if you ever happen to stay on a boat and there are no glasses by the sink and all the shops are shut, you’ll find yourself slurping water from the tap. True fact, this happened to Adam and I in Dresden. This way you’ll always have something on you to put water in. I use these clear 1L Platypus ones, I have used this Vapur one before but it didn’t like the cold, so on a cold morning trail run in Chamonix I found water trickling down my leg.
4) Squeezy toiletry bottles
I know some digital nomads buy new toiletries whenever they move to a new location, but sometimes Adam and I can move every month so this would not be financially worth it. One thing we always try to do is buy squeezy products, as you use them they get smaller which can save us a ton of space. And it means we don’t waste money buying new products every destination.
5) Free samples
Whenever I’m offered samples I will always take them. They take up barely any space, and when you’re moving between locations and have one/two nights somewhere they come in super handy. Plus it’s a great way of trying out new products.
If there are any hacks you use that I’ve not mentioned then please do tweet or DM me on Instagram.
KC x