The first series I ever wrote was about you should pack this (formerly Useful Travel Items): all those bits and pieces that make getting around or getting outside easier or more comfortable. This is equipment, this is packing, this is electronics, this is the closest I come to “travel hacks” (get a pouch for all your documents, get a native European multi-USB hub and get a dry bag).
These are all things I’ve bought myself (or been given for my birthday or Christmas, I guess) which I’ve used and decided are good enough to be worth adding to the list of “things other people may find useful” so if it’s here, it’s because I’ve genuinely liked it and think you could benefit from it.
Back in December, our chief accountant came into work wearing her birthday present – a battery-powered coil-heated jacket. I’ve dreamed about owning such a thing ever since Artemis Fowl wore a full body suit in his Arctic Adventure (that’s a non-Amazon affiliate link, in case you want to read it) and now suddenly I found… More I own a heated jacket – do I like it?
About this time last year, I bought an Osprey Farpoint 40, every travel blogger’s favourite backpack. I bought it because I didn’t really have a good-ish bag for shorter trips, that could be easily and conveniently transported, and also because I saw far too many people raving about it for a really long time. So.… More Review: every travel blogger’s favourite backpack
I know that in the twenty-first century, the only people who don’t use a mobile phone for the time are the over-70s and stand-up comedians. But I like a watch and I wear one whenever I leave the house. It’s particularly essential when I’m travelling. How else am I going to know when to get… More Useful Travel Items: Watches
I already own a half-decent pair of walking boots. They’re not great but they’ve mostly been good enough for my purposes the last year or two. Their only major fault is that the insole slides up after about five miles and the edge rubs my toes and that hurts a lot but that’s easily corrected by… More What I thought of my new walking boots
July is going to be all about the Laugavegur Trail but as I’m still on the plane home as this is published, that’s not going to start until Thursday. But I can write about one of the Useful Travel Items that helped me survive six days on the Laugavegur Trail. It’s my mountain sandals, aka… More Useful Travel Items: Mountain sandals
For some reason, having a torch strapped to your head apparently makes you a nerd. I don’t see the correlation between hands-free lighting and nerdery myself but then I guess I wouldn’t. I lived for years with a succession of torches. Then I went on a caving party weekend, where half the student cavers in… More Useful Travel Items: a headtorch
I hate travelling with hand luggage only. I’m one of these weird creatures who would far rather take a bigger bag, check it in and wait for it at the other end. But I also refuse to pay extra for it unless absolutely necessary (when walking the Laugavegur Trail in the summer, it will be… More Useful Travel Items: folding day bags
Today’s Useful Travel Item is one of my smallest items of clothing and the one lost most often – well, second most often. First place goes to my merino liner gloves. As I write this, I don’t know where either windshirt or gloves are. Oh yes, this small and easily-lost item of clothing is my… More Useful Travel Items: my windshirt
I’m very much behind the times here but let’s go for it anyway. I’m talking about Kindles, as if you haven’t guessed. We were arguing ten years ago about paper books vs electronic books and by now, everyone’s settled on their side of the argument. I was on the paper side. I still am, broadly.… More Useful Travel Items: the Kindle
It’s winter, it’s time to be heading off to the ice and snow to meet Santa, look for the Northern Lights and go dogsledding etc. So it’s time to tell you how to get about in your winter wonderland. (This post features affiliate links – click them and buy from Amazon in the next 24… More Useful Travel Items: walking crampons