Ten offbeat travel tips to “beautify” your experience

by McLean Robbins on

Debbi Kickham, former editor at Robb Report and a 25 year industry veteran, boasts hundreds of thousands of airline miles to her name. While we’re not big on books simply because they have big name behind them, we have to admit – we’re intrigued by some of her offbeat travel tips.

Kickham offers ten of her favorite travel tips – including some that we never would have thought of (where do you even buy Rollerblade wheels?). Check them out:

  • Bring a hot-water bottle. One of Debbi’s interviewees confessed to bringing a hot-water bottle, which she filled on the plane, in order to stay warm and cozy while sailing through the skies.
  • Replace your luggage wheels with Rollerblade wheels. A flight attendant gave Debbi this extraordinary tip. She says this technique, which takes about five minutes, will have your luggage practically rolling itself.
  • Stash a rolling pin in your checked luggage. That’s right – the same rolling pin used to make pastry. One road warrior takes a rolling pin so she can roll out the kinks in her legs.

  • Pack a pool thermometer. Want to swim at your destination’s pool? What if it’s too cold? One travel writer “checks in and checks out the pool” the minute she arrives. If the temperature is too cold, they ask management to raise it to about 80 degrees, so they can swim comfortably.
  • Jumprope in your room – without the jumprope. This is Debbi’s age-old technique, which she has used everywhere from Walla Walla to Bora Bora. When she wants to exercise, a gym isn’t available, and she wants to do aerobics, she simply goes through the motions.
  • Carry on your own air purifier. A cruise-ship professional confessed that she wears a personal air filter on the plane, to make the atmosphere more healthy.
  • Ice your face. If you really want moisturizer and serums to sink into your skin, take the advice of one travel editor: ice your face for a few minutes first. Her dermatologist gave her this great advice!
  • Bring a blow-up ball. One fitness enthusiast who travels frequently always packs a blow-up ball so she can do more effective stomach crunches.
  • Add Vitamin C powder to your water. Want a more effective beauty product? Add Vitamin C powder to water, to make a terrific tonic. Or add it to your moisturizer, to get better results and an antioxidant blast.
  • Bring your own salad dressing to restaurants. Why bother with fattening dressings around the world, when you want to watch your weight?

What do you think? Do you think these tips are great or should some be left at home?

Video of the Day: Brett Erlich’s Unconventional Travel Tips

by Mike Barish on

Movies are full of wild ideas about travel. From Airplane! to Castaway, there’s no shortage of bizarre travel tales in cinema. Thankfully, Current packed many of those moments into this video from The Rotten Tomatoes Show starring Brett Ehrlich.

So, whether you want to ride a dragon, pilot a plane or just get from Point A to Point B as dramatically as possible, look to the movies for your travel tips. It’s where you’ll find the most realistic suggestions.

If you have a great travel video that you think we might enjoy, share the link in a comment below. We could feature it as our next Video of the Day!

Top five uses for Ziploc® bags when traveling

by Laurel Miller on

Over the years, I’ve become a bit of a bag lady. I’m always finding new and surprising uses for Ziploc® bags or their generic counterparts when I travel. I’m also a rabid recycler, so I like getting extra mileage out of my airport security “liquids and gels” see-through baggie.

But that’s not the only reason I love these little guys. They’re tough, they’re resealable, and they’re economical, because they usually survive multiple trips. Below, my favorite uses for this home kitchen staple:®

1. Holding a wet swimsuit.
When you’re on a day or side trip, or don’t have time to dry it before catching your flight.

2. Collect seashells.
Make sure it’s legal, first.

3. Safeguard against spilled liquids.
I also place bags on top of shaving cream canisters (secure with a rubber band). Because it only takes one exploded can in your backpack to learn your lesson.

4. Seal off your shoes (or socks) for packing.
Hiking. hot weather. ‘Nuff said.

5. Keep your passport/money/other paper valuables (including tissues/t.p.) dry.
If you’re an adventure traveler, you may find yourself in situations where your daypack (or whatever you use to carry these items) gets soaked. I’ve had to hang my passport out to dry after a.) having to hitchhike in a major storm; b.) having to swim across a deeper-than-expected creek; c.) falling into the water while climbing out of a dinghy in rough surf.

*Bonus: “Have food poisoning/need to vomit while stuck in Marrakech rush hour traffic” emergency satchel.
Not that this happened to me.

Have your own travel uses for Ziploc® bags? Let us know!

Want to cut down on plastic altogether? ChicoBags come in their own little stuff sacks, and are the size of a deck of cards. I clip one inside of my day pack when I travel for groceries or other purchases.

[Photo credit: Flickr user hfabulous]

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How to keep your house plants alive when you travel

by Amy Chen on

There are pet sitters, of course, but do you hire someone to water your house plants while you’re on vacation?

Since I live in a New York City apartment building, I don’t usually bother asking anyone to pick up my mail or to water my plants when I’m gone. I hate to inconvenience friends, so unfortunately, I pay the price with dead plants (and stolen newspapers).

Though I rarely travel for longer than a week, I’ve killed two potted basil plants since June and recently had to throw out an orchid plant, which had shriveled up during my absence and was beyond salvation.

After feeling like a terrible person for neglecting my orchid, I was happy to come home from a recent trip and find that my two Clearly Good soil-free plants were still very much alive. Sadly, the rest of my plants looked a little parched. (R.I.P. orchid).

Small enough to sit on a windowsill, the Clearly Good plants help brighten apartments or office cubicles without the mess or maintenance of typical potted plants — and the leafy plants look a little more cheerful than, say, a cactus. The see-through vases also clearly indicate the water level, which only needs to be replenished once every 10 days.

These Clearly Good plants, which were introduced at select Lowe’s retail stores in August, are being rolled out to Lowe’s stores nationwide over the coming weeks.

Price: $12.98 each

Where to Buy: Go to lowes.com to find a Lowe’s location near you. According to a Lowe’s spokesperson, the Clearly Good plants will become available for online purchase sometime next year.

Have you found other hardy house plants that can survive when you’re on vacation? Feel free to share.

[Photo by Amy Chen]

Top five travel documents to email yourself before you travel

by Laurel Miller on

A lost or stolen passport or ATM card is a surefire way to add stress to any trip. As a preventative measure, I keep a list of travel documents (scanned, as necessary) in my inbox, so I have them at the ready should I run into trouble. Before you head out on your next trip, make sure you have the following documents, copied, prepped and prepared in the event you need them quickly:

1. Passport
If your passport mysteriously goes missing from the hotel security box or hostel front desk, or you’re mugged or robbed on the road, scanning a back-up copy can save you hours of paperwork and waiting. If you need a visa for travel, scan a copy of it, as well.

2. Medical and travel insurance cards (if applicable)
Not all medical insurance covers travel outside of the U.S., so check before you get on a plane. If you plan on visiting a region prone to civil unrest, natural disasters, or general sketchiness, have a medical condition, or are a fan of adventure travel, travel insurance might be worth looking into.

3. Bank and credit card collect call numbers
Keep the bank phone numbers nearby. It won’t bring your cards back if they’re lost or stolen, but at least you can report and cancel/put holds on them, ASAP. Most financial institutions have collect call numbers you can use from a foreign country.

4. Emergency contacts and relevant health information
At a recent appointment with a new physician, he noted that I was allergic to penicillin, and asked what happens if I take it. I explained I have a family history of anaphylaxis, and he asked why I don’t wear a medical alert bracelet, especially given my occupation as travel writer. It’s a good idea that never would have occurred to me. So while you’re typing up that list of contacts, including doctors, add in any life-threatening allergies or medical conditions. Should you wind up in a medical emergency, odds are someone, somewhere, will speak English. Or write it down in the language of the country you’re visiting (Lonely Planet Phrasebooks are invaluable for this kind of translation, even if you need to say it in Urdu or Thai).5. Itinerary
Be sure to send copies of your travel itinerary to family and/or a close friend. If you’re backpacking and don’t know where you’ll be staying or don’t have a world phone, the ubiquitousness of global cyber cafes makes it easier than ever to stay in touch, even in rural areas.

*Bonus round

U.S. Department of State contact info/Embassy and Consulate list
If you spend a lot of time overseas, especially if you fall into the category cited in #2, it’s a very good idea to register your trip with the U.S. Department of State. In the event of an emergency requiring evacuation, you’ll be in their system. It’s also helpful to keep the embassy/consulate link in your inbox and on your person, in case you or a fellow traveler runs into trouble.

Immunization card
Some countries or regions require you to present this, to prove you’ve had the necessary vaccinations before being admitted entry. Admittedly, I’ve never actually had to produce this document, but better safe than denied. For a list of recommended and required inoculations for destinations, go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention site.

[Photo credit: Flickr user cubicgarden]