Travel
All my travel-related tips, guides, stories, resources, and gear recommendations from my time spent wandering the earth.
Helpful Travel Resources
Carry-On Travel Packing List
Minimalist Travel Packing List
Best Minimalist Travel Backpacks
Van Life Essentials
Complete Travel Resources Guide
20 Best Things to Do in Portugal (Recommended by a Local)
I’m here today to share the best things you can do in Portugal, that little rectangle in the southwest corner of Europe. I’m a local, so you’ll get the inside scoop, not just generic tour advice. This post will be a bit of a love letter to an extraordinary place that once was a vast … Read more
47 Best Adventure Movies for Travelers & Thrill Seekers
Are you eager to add some adventure to your life? First, use this list to find vicarious inspiration from the best adventure movies out there. I’ve gathered films and documentaries that are travel- and outdoor-themed adventures, to fit with the spirit of this blog. We’ll kick off this list with movies spanning everything from decades-old … Read more
16 Travel Jobs & Side Hustles for 2023 [Get Paid to Travel!]
There’s nothing like a quality vacation after working hard all year, but what if you could find a travel job and get paid to explore the world? There are loads of jobs and side hustles out there that are directly related to travel, and landing one is a lot more doable than one might think. … Read more
8 Best Travel Jeans of 2023: Stellar Denim for Men & Women
The term “travel jeans” might feel like an oxymoron. Traditional denim is stiff, adds considerable weight to your bag, and doesn’t pack well. However, our list of the best travel jeans for 2023 turns these old-school notions upside-down. With eight stretchy, lightweight, and well-fitting jeans at your fingertips, you can now wave goodbye to old-fashioned … Read more
22 Budget Travel Tips: Wise Advice on How to Travel Cheap
Seeing the world doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, if you stick to our time-tested budget travel tips, you can take longer trips while minimizing damage to your savings account. From using VPNs to find the cheapest flights to seeking out the lowest ATM fees, there’s a lot you can do to bring your … Read more
6 Best Titanium Flasks for Camping, Travel & Hiking
Hiding your booze from Johnny Law like a 1920s Prohibition-era rascal just got much easier with one of these best titanium flasks for camping, travel, and hiking. And while Prohibition is over, the devices’ usefulness continues. Unlike those old-timey flasks made from questionable metals, these ultralight, leakproof, durable, and discreet vessels won’t leach chemicals into … Read more
49 Van Life Essentials: Accessories, Gadgets & Must-Haves
Ol’ Champ, my beloved 2005 Chevy Astro camper van, has taken me through desolate deserts, breathtaking mountain ranges, chaotic city streets, and everywhere in between. I’ve spent months living under its humble steel roof with all I could ever need and nothing more. I know a thing or two about what’s essential when it comes … Read more
13 Best Waterproof Backpacks of 2023 [Keep Your Gear Dry]
Ever hiked in the rain, eager to change into the dry clothes inside your pack… only to find out they were soaking wet? I sure have, which is why I created this list of the 13 best waterproof backpacks of 2023. These weatherproof packs are a match for any humid or wet-weather adventure out there. … Read more
Living in China: What Life is Like as an Expat (Pros & Cons)
Living in China, whether residing in an uber-modern city of ten million in the far east or a bustling mega-city of 16 million, sounded absurd. With everything I previously knew about China coming from stereotypes and media stories, I was curious. Is China a good place to live? Could China provide a foreigner with a … Read more
Travel Essentials: 20 Trusty Necessities for Men & Women
What are you packing for? A quick business trip? A leisurely world tour? A laid-back weekend at the beach? Choosing the right items to bring along can be tricky, regardless of the trip you’ve planned. To help, we’ve compiled this updated list of our favorite travel essentials for men and women in 2023, plus six … Read more
7 Best Ditty Bags for Backpacking & Travel Gear in 2023
The last thing you need when taking a trip is to stress over completely preventable inconveniences. Careful packing and storage planning is a big part of that, so do yourself a favor and check out the best ditty bags to organize your travel and backpacking gear in 2023. What’s a ditty bag used for in … Read more
Pack Light, Travel Light: How to Travel with Less (Like a Pro)
Want to travel light? Then you’d better pack light! This simple bit of advice will fix most of problems if you’re a traveler who is weighed down with a suitcase that’s bursting at the seams and endangering anyone in its path. Beyond bringing less, there’s more to the art of one bag packing and travel. … Read more
Osaka Street Food: 12 Tasty Street Eats in Japan’s Kitchen
I heard it repeatedly — for a taste of Japan’s very best food, I had to sample Osaka’s street food. And in Osaka, street food in the Dotonbori neighborhood was the best-of-the-best. As a foodie, I clearly had no choice, so I booked a hotel in Dotonbori and set out on a four-day exploration of … Read more
11 Best Camp Showers to Stay Fresh & Clean in 2023
Sure, there’s a rugged charm to that all-natural, musky scent after a long day’s hike. More power to you if that’s your thing, but take it from a seasoned outdoorsman – you’ll have a much more comfortable time out in nature with one of the best camp showers of 2023. Life can get a little … Read more
Best Travel Organizers [Keep Your Luggage & Bags Tidy]
The best travel organizers of 2023 eliminate clutter, bring order to your life, and make packing a cinch. If you aim to keep your travel gear organized on the go, you made it to the right place. After all, when you’re dialed in, you won’t panic nearly as much over your passport’s whereabouts. But there’s … Read more
Minimalist Travel [DIY Packing List + Best Ultralight Gear]
Minimalist travel — these two words sound a tad extreme, don’t they? If they conjure up images of a sunburnt drifter hobbling down the sidewalk with ragged clothes and nothing to their name, I can’t blame you. But, it’s not like that, I swear. Minimalist travel is anything but an aimless struggle. It’s quite the … Read more
54 Road Trip Essentials [Handy Packing List + Must-Haves]
I’ve been learning the ins and outs of road trip essentials and perfecting my packing list since I was old enough to get behind the wheel. The open road had me hooked at a very young age and will continue to draw me in for the rest of my days. As an eager teenager, I … Read more
11 Best Packable Travel Hats for Men [Crushable & Stylish]
Heading out? Traveling in style is easy with with our guide to the best packable travel hats for men of 2023. We men carefully choose our headwear to block the sun, cover up our unkempt hair, or to make a fashion statement on the road. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of versatile hats and … Read more
12 Best Personal Item Bags for Underseat Carry-On Travel
Sixty bucks to carry on my bag at the Milwaukee airport?! That’s my backstory for this list of 2023’s best personal item bags. I usually fly budget airlines like Spirit or Frontier. They’re mostly okay, but if you don’t watch the size of your luggage, they’ll hit you with nasty gate fees that’ll wipe out … Read more
7 Best Titanium Water Bottles [Lightweight & Durable]
If you’re a minimalist traveler and ultralight backpacker like me, choosing the best titanium water bottle for your 2023 adventures is serious business. The vessel for your precious hydration must be lightweight, practical, and indestructible as it lugs your liquid from Point A to Point B and beyond. Though a touch pricier than a traditional … Read more