There’s some stuff I like and have been recommending informally for a while. I’ve started to write it here because so many people ask me about it. More to come!

Health and safety

• Travel insurance: I adore World Nomads. They offer great insurance (for citizens of almost every country) aimed at the real traveller and the stuff we actually do while travelling (e.g, some travel insurance doesn’t protect you if you scuba dive or bungee jump, things travellers are wont to do).

They’re also a great company, providing a forum for travellers to share information and advice (e.g. Ask A Nomad travel Q&A service), guides and tips, travel writing and photos. Plus really cool travel scholarships. Memorize this URL: www.worldnomads.com.

• As a frequent solo traveller, I’m perhaps more aware of safety than most. One of the things that gives my mum peace of mind is my RoadID bracelet.
  • Mine is a discrete black bracelet (see how discrete on my right arm, above?) with a stainless steel plate that has written on it: my name, nationality, a 1-800 number, website, serial number and PIN. If I’m ever found unconscious or worse, someone can find my health and emergency contact information easily. All for $10/year.
  • You can get anything you want printed on your bracelet, and choose whether you want just the basic bracelet ($10) or the web interactivity. Originally intended for long-distance runners and bikers, this is a traveller’s (and her mum’s) best friend. Also good for kids, patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s who might wander, etc etc. 

• Products (and practices) to keep healthy while travelling: Belly health on the road (for World Travel Buzz).

• Cyber security: when doing banking and making purchases online, as well as to protect my identity on dodgy public wifi, I use a VPN. My favourite is TunnelBear because it is easy to install and use, and because I find the bear and his growling quite cute. A basic account is free, and you can get a free data top-up by sending out one tweet.

Money

• At $5 per withdrawal, foreign transaction fees can add up really quickly. In some countries, there is no way to avoid them (especially for Canadians). But by banking at a Global ATM Alliance member bank, you can avoid the fee in about 40 countries.
  • I’ve banked with Tangerine (formerly ING) for over a decade. Like Canada’s Scotia Bank, Tangerine is a member of the Global ATM Alliance so I save foreign transaction fees by using their affiliated ATMs. I also love Tangerine because I can easily do all my banking online from anywhere in the world, they don’t charge account fees, and have a higher interest rate than any other savings account I’ve found.
  • If you’d like to open a Tangerine account and get these benefits too, Tangerine has incentives for both you and me. If you quote my “Orange Key” number — 16353912S1 — we each get a $25-$50 bonus (varies depending on the incentive they have at the moment). Use this link: tangerine.ca/referafriend. When you open an account, you can get an Orange Key to share too.

Info and advice

• My favourite site for travel advice on Southeast Asia: TravelFish.org. Follow them on Twitter/Facebook and sign-up for their weekly newsletter to make sure you don’t miss a thing.

• As mentioned above, World Nomads provides a forum for travellers to share information and advice (e.g. Ask A Nomad travel Q&A service), guides and tips, travel writing and photos. Plus really cool travel scholarships.

• My fave source of info about tech from a traveler’s perspective is TooManyAdapters.com. They have lots of independent reviews, plus simple instructions for buying SIM cards in countries around the world. I wrote an article for them about the tech I bring with me on the road: Working on the road without a laptop.

Stuff

• I tested and reviewed a bunch of suitcases, carry-on bags, and packing cubes for USA Today’s Reviewed:
  • The best luggage of 2022: an update of the article I first wrote in 2021.
  • The best weekender bags of 2022: my picks from the best that’s put there to a great budget option.
  • The best underseat luggage of 2022: I tested a variety of luggage billed to fit under the seat in front of you on a plane, and then wrote up my recommendations. And yes, I was surprised that I found a bag I liked better than the basic black backpack I got from Costco.
  • The best packing cubes of 2022: after putting ten sets of packing cubes through a series of tests, I recommend Eagle Creek’s as the best packing cubes of 2022 (yes, I’m aware there are still typos n the article).
  • The best carry-on luggage of 2022 (originally 2021): I put many carry-on bags through rigorous tests to determine what’s the best to bring on a trip once you’re ready to start travelling again.
  • With the picks curated for The best carry-on luggage on Amazon of 2022.
• This article, for Men’s Journal, lists several items I love to travel with, including Ably Apparel’s hardly-ever-need-to-wash-tshirts. See: How to pack light.
• Also for Men’s Journal, Why you should bring a Roku Streaming Stick everywhere you travel.
• I just discovered the perfect travel jacket, which has FOURTEEN pockets! Here’s my write-up for Vancouverscape (’cause it’s also awesome for Vancouver):  Carry more, worry less with the Joey Jacket, perfect for Vancouver.
• Five essentials for a safari in Namibia: drier and dustier than most other places on earth, what to pack for your Namibian safari. Also good tips for packing for any trip.
• Ideas for gifts to bring back for yourself or friends to bring the taste of your travels home: Christmas Gift Shopping Abroad: International Foodie Edition (for World Travel Buzz).
• For La Carte, Looking for a gift for the traveller on your list: These will be a hit (PDF)
  • Worldly gifts for the traveller on your list.
• I’ve been discovering little packing items that are making my nomadic life much easier. One of these days I’ll get around to writing them up, but in the meantime, please feel free to pose any questions and I’ll happily answer.

Note: There’s an affiliate link above for Tangerine banking. Anyone can get a Tangerine bonus when they refer a friend.

I received the Joey Jacket and Ably shirts, reviewed above, at a discount. But all views are my own and no one from the company reviewed or approved my text.