Welcome to my new "Travel Pro Gear Series" my steemit friends! This series will be full of great travel tips and I hope you all find it very interesting to see what is in my "travel pro" bag and why. For each of these post we'll take a look at five items and go over what makes them "Travel Pro!"
Before we delve into the first item, you should know that I only travel with one medium size backpack so the principle of less is more is something you will notice. Also size does matter; and that's not what she said! Smaller, lighter, more compact is better, and is essential for making travel easier.
Traveling light has so many benefits. One being you never have to check your baggage at the airport. This is huge. For one you never have to wait for your luggage when you get off the plane. Two, you never risk losing your luggage. Three you save big on not having to pay for checked baggage and this adds up over the course of your travel year!
Another added bonus is that once you get to your destination you can then walk around all day if you have to with all your belongings and it's not a big deal. Depending on my destination I often do not book ahead for my hotel room. My normal approach is to arrive early and find an area of town that will be good to stay in.
Not being weighed down I'm able to walk miles if need be, inspecting one hotel after another to negotiate a "Travel Pro Deal!". You'd be amazed at the bargaining power you often have, and how much money you can save deploying this strategy. So many great reasons why traveling light, is the "Travel Pro Way!" Now let's have a look at our first item.
Hair Brush
A simple travel hair brush. It weighs almost nothing. I bought it in Ecuador over a year ago for a dollar. It has a tiny mirror and it's compact as you can see it folds in half making it easy to store. It's totally functional and has served me well.
Razor
A Gillette Mach 3 Razor with Equate brand replacement cartridges. This is the best kind of razor I've ever shaved with and I have been using this brand for years. A couple years ago I ran out of replacement cartridges while I was in Ecuador. I went for a cheaper brand and it was terrible, leaving me with razor burn.
This quality razor and replacement cartridges in Ecuador for what you see above is over twenty dollars due to high importation taxes. In the United states it's not that much less for Gillette brand. But during my visit to the US just a few weeks ago, I got the Wal-Mart Equate brand replacement cartridges, every bit as good as the Gillette brand but about half the price. "Travel Pro Score!"
Deodorant
I just came from Thailand. This country does a lot of things right, but deodorant selection is not one of them. The United States has one of the best and most affordable travel supply stores in the world; that being Walmart. Great selection of deodorant, great prices. I grabbed this for a couple bucks during my visit to the states a few weeks ago.
Contact Solution and Case
I wear contact lenses, so I need to travel with contact solution and a case. Again in Walmart with the Equate brand. I've noticed everything Equate is the same quality but one third to one half the price of the name brand stuff. So we went with that.
The key is four ounces, no more. One this will last me a month, I don't need the weight of more, and most importantly because it is four ounces this will not be confiscated when going through airport security. In the US these products are always cheapest. In South America you often have to buy name brand and pay double.
Dental Pick
Last but not least, my dental pick. I've been traveling with this thing for at least five years now. I proudly state I have great oral hygiene and have never had a cavity and have not had a routine cleaning in over 10 years! Last time I had a routine cleaning I was in South Korea. They gave me so much toxic fluoride treatment I was sick, nauseous, and dizzy for the next twelve hours; and my liver hurt!
About once every two months I scrape and clean the plaque out all around my teeth and gums with this tool until it hurts, below the gum line, everything. I mean like you're at the dentist spitting out blood and crap. I then floss real well and give them and extra good scrub down.
I totally feel like I visited the dentist when I'm done. It takes me a good hour and it's not pretty. I did go to the dentist in Ecuador a year ago just them to have a look; they said my teeth are really healthy and clean. Proof you can do it yourself. No dentist needed, or that nasty fluoride!
Thank you my steemit friends for checking out what it takes to "Travel Pro!" Until next time -Dan "World Travel Pro!"
Not To be Missed!
Travel Pro Art #6: New Year's Manigotes in Guayaquil Ecuador! Part Three (13 photos)
Real Life Captured #36: Krabi Town Thailand! Part Five (16 photos)
With over 10 years of travel experience I answer travel and international lifestyle questions. Leave a question in the comments and I may make a Steemit post just for you!
