Pack like a pro with new travel apps

by Chris Owen on

There are a bunch of packing lists out there which can be helpful for those who do not travel all that much or serve as a checklist for those that do. But those “lists” require having a computer handy or carrying around a paper list like in the olden days before we all went green and stopped printing things. Here are some new apps that can help us pack like a pro.

Saving Grace Travel Packing Aid – Recently released by Grace Hotels, this app is a packing checklist and reminder tool all in one. Designed to cut the stress out of packing for any vacation, Saving Grace has customized lists for different trip types and activities that can be individually personalized. I like this one because it’s great to have when time runs short right before travel and things have got to be done. The Cost: $0
International Style App – Have your packing lists ready but not sure which outfits to choose from your wardrobe? FashionFreax app will assist you in your styling woes by supplying you with posts of stylish outfits from around the world. This is great for fashionista’s and cross-dressers. Good ‘ol boys from the land of “whatever I have on will be fine” or minimalist packers would never use it. I plan on gifting it to my wife before our next cruise when she says “Help me pack.” Like the whole idea of this? See (loosely) related video Cost:$0

Luggage Tracking App – Avoid accidentally leaving your belongings in the cab or at the airport with the All My Baggage App. With this app, users can quickly and easily manage and check their list of luggage and carry-ons. This one is in lieu of tying a string around your finger or sticking a post-it on your forehead after checking luggage to remember how many bags you have. Supplemental idea: Use that smart phone to take a photo of your luggage all lined up at home before you leave. Later, match photo to bags in hand, compare, note differences. Cost: $0

Flickr photo by twicepix

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Cruise survival kit: What you need to be totally prepared

by Chris Owen on

Carnival Inspiration finally docked in Florida at 8:30 p.m. last night after being held out at sea due to weather conditions. A bunch of other Carnival ships are sailing modified itineraries for weather-related issues. Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas was tossed around in bad Middle East weather.

News from the cruise industry lately has been all about weather-related delays, modifications of itineraries, disabled ships, braving storms and compensation to passengers for their troubles. With that in mind, cruise packing lists are being updated with a number of items normally found on lists for camping or backpacking. Start with these for your cruise survival kit:

Satellite phone
For as little as $24.95 a week you can rent global Iridium Satellite Phones from Satellite Phone.com. They can provide the lifeline you want when power goes out. Call rates of between $.99 and $1.59 a minute might sound expensive sitting on dry land but that will quickly be a bargain if you are the only one able to communicate with the outside world.

Lots of backup power
When the ship loses power the clock starts ticking on your cell phone or camera battery. What could be a timely call home (if and when you can catch a signal) to let friends and family know you are OK might not happen without plenty of backup power. iPhone users know Mophie.com is the place to go. Brookstone has a universal battery that works for phones and cameras.

Survival food
The passengers aboard Carnival Splendor, the ship by an engine room fire, have a lesson for us: Bring food. When lavish buffets and gourmet dining come to a screeching halt because the power got knocked out or the buffet lines thrown around by angry seas, some high protein snacks will come in handy. Think canned nuts, peanut butter, or other survival food high in calories that won’t take up a lot of space in luggage.

The right luggage
Now, more than ever, its a good idea to have only one piece of luggage that you can keep with you at all times. Cruise lines allow passengers to skip checking luggage if they can carry it on and off the ship without assistance. On Carnival Inspiration, held at sea for so long, guests who held on to their luggage were the winners. Durable Victorinox has some great choices.

The odds are you will have a totally safe and care-free cruise vacation. But savvy travelers know that being prepared for anything that might come your way is a good idea.

Gadlinks for Tuesday 7.28.09

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Welcome to this Tuesday’s edition of Gadlinks. Ready for a rollercoaster ride worth of thrills and chills from around the travel world? Hang on tight, some of our favorite stories are coming this way:

  • Summer is all about hot days and delicious cold ice cream. Lucky for travelers, they serve up ice cream pretty much anywhere you might go, though they enjoy some rather odd flavors abroad. Ever considered Viagra or horseflesh-flavored ice cream? [Via MSNBC]
  • Imagine taking off for an around the world trip, with stops on six continents spanning wild extremes of temperature and activities. Ever wondered what you might pack for that trip? Here’s an insanely detailed look, with photos, of one man’s packing list.
  • Stereotypes are made to be broken. That certainly didn’t stop the team at Bootsnall from investigating 10 Backpacker Stereotypes. Did they hit the mark? Are they way off base? Take a look. [Via Bootsnall]
  • Eastern Europe was long known as the “Iron Curtain,” a reference to the all-too-real barriers separating these many Soviet satellites from the West. If you’re interested in Cold War history (and want to get a little exercise too) consider a bike trip along the “Iron Curtain Trail.” [Via The New York Times]

More Gadlinks HERE.

Chameleon with a Camera and Dennis Darling’s packing list

by Jamie Rhein on

There’s a photography book Chameleon with a Camera: A Unique Primer on Travel Photography and How to Survive a Trip in the Philipsburg, Montana Public Library. It’s a slim volume perfect for taking along on a trip for inspiration. The author, Dennis Carlyle Darling is a professional photographer and a professor of journalism at the University of Texas in Austin.

Each summer he and his wife, Helen Darling, country western song writer and singer, come to Philipsburg. They are both charming, lovely people.

As I read through the book, particularly enjoying the travel related quotes and rejuvenating my interest in taking pictures of people–one of Dennis’s fortes, his packing list caught my attention. He’s traveled to various countries on several occasions and has suggestions for items that are easy to take along and useful. One of them I haven’t seen on a packing list before.

It’s a sink stopper. As Dennis pointed out, and I’ve found to be true, many sinks and bathtubs in hotel rooms or hostels don’t have stoppers. To do laundry, keeping water in a sink can be helpful. Dennis suggests the round, flat rubber kind. To jazz it up, try this dolphin stopper version.

Dennis also suggests:

  • waterproof matches
  • a few clothes pins
  • string to use as a laundry line
  • packing tape in case you want to send packages home. As he said, good packing tape is hard to come by
  • a small pair of scissors
  • a needle and thread
  • zip lock bags
  • maps. In many countries, the maps may not be as good as what you can buy in the U.S. Even if they are, having maps from the get go can make a trip easier.

Although the book is not recent, the information is particularly pertinent to anyone who is interested in hitting the road with a camera and ready to capture artistic images worth sharing.

Dennis also points out that taking photographs is solitary and time consuming. Great shots come from effort. When traveling with others, such shots can be hard to come by. In that case, perhaps a dolphin sink stopper might be a welcome, happy looking relief at the end of a day of chasing images.

Travel “mind map” helps you pack

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Have you ever arrived at the airport only to kick yourself for forgetting something? Maybe it was your digital camera battery that you left in the charger or that swimsuit you put next to your bed and then forgot to put in your suitcase. Didn’t that suck? If you’re a geeky, obsessive-compulsive like me, you avoid this hassle by making yourself a packing list. I find that creating a checklist of essential items helps me stay organized much better than if I leave it up scatterbrained chance (and prevents me from descending into a panic).

But as good as it is to have a packing list, it might be even better to have a mind map. What is a mind map, you might ask? It’s a more visual way of organizing information around a central, common theme – in this case “travel.” For example, think about the items you might pack as falling into categories. Perhaps one would be your “beach wear,” including your sunglasses, your swimsuit, your towel and your suntan lotion. In a separate category would be important “travel documents” like your passport, your plane tickets and your baggage claim check.

Writer Paul Foreman has taken this mind map concept to the next level, crafting a packing-themed mind map on display above. You can see the full-sized version on his website. Is it kind of dorky? Yeah, probably. But you know what? Not only is it pretty cool-looking, I think it’s a novel way to organize yourself before that next trip. And besides, maybe next time you won’t forget that swimsuit…