Five Tips for Packing Better

On February 22, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Travel Tips12 Comments

With every trip, we get a little smarter about packing for our trips. Along the way, we’ve picked up a few tricks that really do make a difference. We go out both day and night when we travel and usually want a variety of clothes with us. So these tips aren’t about packing for a six month backpacking trip, we wouldn’t even begin to know where to start. This is about making the most of your luggage space or simply packing smarter, whether a suitcase that you’re going to check or a carry-on bag.

Roll Your Clothes – Honestly, it makes a difference. Physics tells us that an object should take up the same amount of space regardless of whether you fold or roll your clothes, but for once physics is wrong. For some reason, rolling your clothes really allows you to put more into your suitcase or carry-on. In addition to making more room, your clothes will also be less wrinkled, a win-win.
Use Contact Cases – For moisturizer, face soap, conditioner, foundation, lotion, creams or gels that you don’t need a lot of while you’re travelling. Rather than taking the large container that the product came in or buying expensive travel size containers, using contact cases can save a lot of space.
Choose One Color Palette – Whether for clothes or make-up for women, sticking to one color palette can save you space and aggravation. You can bring a single belt, single pair of shoes, pants with multiple tops/shirts, etc. Stick with black or brown with warm or cool tones and it will make getting ready to get out the door a breeze and save space.
Put Plastic Wrap on Liquids – Putting plastic wrap over the spray nozzle or top of a liquid container can save you from opening your suitcase only to find that something has leaked over your clothes. An ounce of prevention can make a world of a difference.
Wrap Your Necklaces in Plastic Wrap – Obviously, this one is for the women, but necklaces can get tangled when you travel, even if you use a jewelry travel case. Lay a piece of plastic wrap down, lay your jewelry on it with a space between each piece, then put another piece of plastic wrap on top, pressing down between the necklaces. No more tangled mess.

Give and You Will Receive

On November 20, 2015November 20, 2015 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Travel Tips2 Comments

It definitely isn’t true all of the time, but generally speaking, if you’re willing to give, you will get just as much in return. This is true whether it is just about being nice to the people around you or whether it comes to tipping the staff who waits on you. We’re probably guilty of over tipping at times, but we try to get to know the people who take care of us, especially if we’re going to be in a place for several days or weeks, and we tend to truly care about them by the time we leave.

When we’re at a resort, we will leave a tip for the housekeeping crew that comes to clean our room. We do it because that we know the resorts don’t pay them too much money to begin with, but also because they will usually make an extra effort and do something special in our room. On our trip to Cabo, we once again left a nominal tip every day, 20 pesos, which is about a 1 US dollar. Every day, when we returned to our room, we were greeted with another swan or other creation made from the towels and bed linens.

The same is true when it came to the waiter who took care of us at the pool every day. First and foremost, we took time to talk with him, learn a little about him, and yes we tipped him at the end of the day as well. In return, Castillo was always taking caring of us, bringing us whatever we needed, finding us wherever we might be in the pool area to make sure we were taken care of.

First and foremost, don’t give with the expectation of getting something in return. If you do, you will likely end up disappointed. However, if you give of yourself, treat others as you’d like to be treated, and genuinely show compassion to your fellow life travelers, you will find happiness wherever you go. It doesn’t take any effort to show compassion and treat those around you with the respect that they deserve.

Maximize Your Food Experience

On November 6, 2015 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Travel TipsLeave a comment

One of the things that we do whenever we travel, whether in state or to another country, is to have appetizers at a couple of different restaurants every night that we’re there. We’re not big eaters to begin with, so sitting down and finishing a large meal most likely means leftovers that will end up being thrown away. So, instead we have several small appetizers, basically tapas style that we can both share, which allows us to try several different dishes. This is especially true when we’re travelling to a place where the food is so diverse or exotic, like when we were in India. Because we don’t want to take up a table, we’ll usually sit at the bar or in the lounge. We tend to feel that we get better service when sitting at the bar because you get a chance to actually talk to the bartender and get to know them a little. If we find a place that we really like, we might visit them several times while we’re travelling, but still going to at least one different place in the same night or day.

We tend to walk as much as possible when we’re visiting someplace new. This allows us to really get a feel for the city, but also allows us to stop at a variety of places to eat or find places that we’ll want to come back later and grab a bite. Walking also has the added benefit of working up an appetite or burning off the food we’ve just consumed. Because we don’t tend to keep ourselves on a tight agenda, this allows us to just pop into a place that looks interesting and give them a try.

If you really want to savor more flavors of a country, city, or region, try going to several restaurants, pubs, or eateries and sampling a few small plates at each one. Or, better yet, wander through the city, stopping every now and then to experience something a little different everywhere you go. You will get to meet more locals, savor more food, and enjoy more of what the city has to offer.