Amalgamations 05: June 2023

Five Things (That I Travel With)

[Intro]

San Francisco in the summer is a funny place. Everyone seems to constantly be on the road, floating back for a few days at a time (though somehow never when you’re around).

While my friends in New York are busy subletting out their apartments during their Sunday brunch, my friends in SF seem to be subletting for all of July. And all of August. I’m no exception to this trope. It feels like I’ve been away from home more than I have been home over the past few months.

I’m a pretty incessant optimizer and travel is an area ripe for optimization. I love finding just the right item to add to my travel kit. As a result, instead of an assortment of random things from my monthly rabbit holes, I’ll be giving you five things that come with me on every trip.

[What I’m thinking about]

Five Things (That I Travel With)

1. The Away Aluminum Bigger Carry On: This is my number one overall travel item and one of the top three things that I own (people that know me well know that I recommend it constantly). Is $645 a lot for a suitcase? Yes, most certainly (though when I purchased it I believe it was about $100 less expensive). Should everyone buy one? Probably not. For me, I’m Team #NeverCheck when it comes to baggage, which means I end up stuffing this bag absurdly full on most trips. Its internal organization and compression system allow me to get more into the bag than I would be able to otherwise. I also love that it has clasps, not zippers, so I can sit on it when it’s overstuffed and easily close it (and the aluminum frame means I know it won’t pop apart on me). I also love the quality of both the body and wheels. I’ve easily flown over 200 thousand miles with this bag over the past few years and it has never given me an issue. Finally, it looks awesome and as a result is an item I feel awesome about owning and using, which is something I index on pretty highly. Just as putting on an outfit you’re excited about can make getting up for a day of work you’re dreading that much easier, this bag makes me more excited to travel, even when it means a 5AM wakeup or a delayed flight.

   

2. The Invisible Backpack (no longer made, similar here): I bought this bag over six years ago and it has traveled with me even more miles than my Away Carry On has. Unfortunately the company that manufactured it appears to no longer exist, although this bag by Lo&Sons seems very similar and I actually just bought one that is on the way (it’s also currently on sale). What I love about the Invisible Backpack is just how much stuff it can hold while still being considered a personal item: I’ve done weekend trips out of it when I’ve flown Spirit and was too cheap to purchase a carry on bag (though the actual solution to this problem is just to not fly Spirit if you can avoid it). It has enough dedicated pockets for things you need to access easily in transit while also providing a big main space for you to tetris in any items that didn’t fit in your carry on. It also has a bottom compartment for shoes or dirty or wet clothes that collapses completely flat if not in use.

   

3. This Anker Charger: This charger has no business being as good as it is and I should probably buy like 3 more of them. It can charge 3 devices simultaneously (2 USB-C and 1 USB-A), including fast charging and has the ability to charge a laptop over USB-C (though not when charging other devices). Especially on planes, where most of the time you get two outlets for three seats, it’s nice to be able to offer your seat mate to plug into your charger also instead of having to fight for who gets the outlet.
   Bonus: An outlet converter, even when flying domestically: Speaking of planes, this one is a new addition to my travel kit, based on a hack that I read somewhere online. You’ve probably had the experience of your charger falling out of the plane outlet, which has become loose due to overuse. Since they’re all universal outlets and the other prong types are used much less frequently, using any other prong type will result in a much more stable plugging experience.

   

4. A good pair of noise canceling headphones: This one may seem obvious, but I know so many people who don’t wear noise canceling on flights. They’re the first thing I put on when I sit down and I don’t take them off until landing. Even when not listening to anything, I find that headphones significantly cut down on sound fatigue (airplanes average 80dB, which is the equivalent of sitting next to a hair dryer or blender for many hours). Sound fatigue is very real and you don’t realize how much it’s affecting you until you feel the difference. I travel with both Airpod Pros (the newest generation has significantly better noise cancellation and single session battery life than my first generation and would recommend an upgrade highly to anyone) as well as an old pair of Bose QC35s (the QC45s are the latest model), though I’m looking for an upgrade if anyone has recommendations. 

5. The TRTL neck pillow: I avoid redeyes at all costs (especially transcontinental ones) but sometimes they’re unavoidable. This is the best neck pillow I’ve found, since it both does a better job at supporting your neck than the traditional shape and also collapses down much smaller than the foam U-shaped ones that are commonplace. Pair it with an eye shade that is better than the one you got in a free amenities kit at some point (I just picked up this one on Amazon but friends swear by Manta for something slightly pricier).