In an excellent example of how to go viral gracefully, Katie from Tripbase first posted her 3 Best Kept Travel Secrets and tagged 5 other bloggers to do the same. The meme started small but has snowballed in a profoundly satisfying way, and the aggregate of all these travel secrets will be a valuable document when Katie is done.
I’ve now been tagged by both Shannon from A Little Adrift, Akila & Patrick from The Road Forks and Audrey & Dan from Uncornerned Market. Before any more tagging occurs, here are my 3 best kept travel tips, along a ‘how to make your life easier on the road’ theme:
1. Get a Priority Pass Card. I am currently writing this post from the 1st class lounge in Qatar, even though I only fly economy. Why? Because I splurged on a Priority Pass before I left for my travels, and it gives me access to over 600 first class lounges worldwide. I do not always make use of the card; when travelling with others, when I don’t have much time before boarding or when I want to sit back and people watch I keep it in my wallet. However, these lounges translate into an endless supply of free food, magazines, newspapers, coffee, WiFi, spotless bathrooms and sometimes even a shower. And when you have 8 hours to kill in an airport with little amenities, all of the foregoing will be extremely exciting to you.
At $99-$350 per year (depending on the membership you choose) the card is certainly not cheap. However, everyone has a splurge – be it a night in a fancy hotel after months of hostels, expensive dinners or drinks, or clothes – and this one is mine. I’ve found that it has paid its way and then some over the course of my long haul flights, and has provided an oasis of calm and quiet during those times where I was too exhausted to think straight. An extra bonus: being the small trailrunner-clad backpacker in a sea of business suits.
Please let the record reflect that the hummus and lentil soup at Qatar’s lounge are delicious.
2. Pack Your Clothes in Compression Sacks. I mentioned this in my ‘Updated: What to Pack for a RTW Trip‘ post but I cannot emphasize it enough. Not only will your clothes remain dry in thes
e lightweight siliconized nylon bags, but they will take up almost no room in your pack. To the right? My entire wardrobe for my travels, minus a hoodie sweatshirt and my windbreaker. For short people like me, being able to cinch your bag down tightly to the frame of the pack is indispensible in making it lie more comfortably on your back. I also use the siliconized nylon version of dry bags, stuff sacks (for laundry) and as a pack cover for my bags.
3. Duct Tape is your Best Friend. Oh, the many uses of duct tape. I’ve taped up the rips in my pack co
ver, incurred when my bag fell out of a bus and was dragged a ways before the bus driver heard me yelling at him to stop. I’ve taped up holes in the window screens in just about every country in Asia (mosquitos 0; Jodi 1). I’ve taped up the leaks in my tents on a variety of camping trips. I’ve taped up the hole that something chewed in my sleeping bag while I slept, a hole that I discovered in the morning when I woke up awash in a synthetic, white fuzz. And finally, I taped up the cord to this very computer when rats chewed through it in several places in El Nido, The Philippines – a cord that took a whole town to help me repair. You get my point: duct tape is important. To bring it with me, I wind it around itself until I get a decent sized roll – that way I don’t lug the whole large roll with cardboard centre around. When trekking with poles, I will wrap the duct tape around the poles instead. You can also use a pencil. Bottom line: don’t leave home without it.
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It was hard to pick only three tips to share, but since I have been on a packing-and-planning kick, I chose to stick with my service-y theme. Please leave any questions you might have about my trip or planning in the comments, or via twitter (@legalnomads).
I am now tagging five other travel bloggers to share their top 3 best kept travel secrets, with the theme of their choice:
Dave from The Longest Way Home: Dave and I bonded over a shared love for the Philippines and sweetened condensed milk on our fruit salads. After almost 5 years on the road, he is still on the lookout for a place to call home.
Wes from JohnnyVagabond: I only recently became acquainted with Wes via Twitter, but his hilarious writing style and prior travels through India is a recipe for a great TripBase post.
Jared from GlobeStompers: I’ve known Jared since my time at McGill in Montreal and we travelled through parts of Malaysia and Thailand together last year. He did his own round-the-world trip through South America, Asia and Australia/NZ in 2007-2008.
Chloe from Chloe, Now with More D: I met Chloe and her husband Dennis in Malaysia and they were the authors of the awesome How Not to Kill a Poisonous Spider videos.
Sherry Ott from Ottsworld: With both a sprawling RTW trip and a full year in Vietnam under her belt, Sherry is bound to have unearthed a ton of travel secrets for the spilling.
I am a former lawyer from Montreal currently eating my way around the world, one country at a time. Marshmallow enthusiast, volcano climber and cave spelunker - and also a geek. Traveling since April 1, 2008. See the 
Couldn't agree more about the duck tape! I wrap some along a pencil, add in some painters tape, and call it a day! That way it fits nicely in the pack rather than the giant roll!
Hi Shannon! Thanks for the comment and the tag. I actually realized I never specified to reduce the full roll into something manageable and just changed the post. I agree with you – a pencil or trekking poles is perfect.
Hell yeah to the lounge! I used one on my way back from France. It was great because I was wearing sweats and everyone else was in business wear. Great time killer, and stole some food for the journey.
That Priority Pass card sounds pretty awesome. I don't know if we want to splurge on it but it definitely will be something to look into, given how many flights we take! I am sticking with my Eagle Creek packing cubes but I can see how people really like the compression sacs. :)
Okay you've got me pretty much sold on the compression packs. I know what I want for christmas.
Tremendously useful tips, thanks for sharing!
Good tips !!.. and I love the way you write Jodi.. please! keep inspiring !
Jodi! I couldn't agree more with the duck tape.. it can save your life! Love the post!
Thanks for all the comments!
@candice @akila: My priority pass has paid for itself and then some, mostly because of the long layovers…and, um, the good hummus. :)
@katie: thanks to you for putting this in motion. what a great idea!
@cesar I love that we met at a couchsurfing event in Sydney and have stayed in touch since; looking forward to hearing more about your travels as well.
@offtrackpackpacking: I don't leave home without it.
The Priority Pass is a great secret! Thanks for sharing — I just wish we hadn't found out about it this late in the game! Will absolutely check that out.
hi there! i accidentally found your site thru boots n all. what caught my attention was the fact that you love my country – Philippines! I will take my time to browse your blog.
The Priority Pass is a great, great tip! Ive travelled many times and having this as an option to going around the airport shops is really fantastic. Thank you!
Thanks for reading! Yes, I enjoyed the Philippines and stayed for a full 4 months. Looking forward to going back one of these days. Glad you enjoyed the post!
-Jodi
Good one with the duct tape, though fortunately, I’ve not had to use that one yet. I’m similar to Shannon– I wrap it around a pen. That’s something I’d pack not only for travel but for production crew. The priority pass… I’m considering it. I’m always booking the cheapest flight (and those have loooong layovers. The last 2 times I traveled, I was hating myself for not having booked a pass. I think you can book individual days too (if you don’t buy multiples, right?)
Yes, you can buy a skeleton membership and then pay as you go instead of an-all in. I changed my membership to that option because I’ve been on trains and boats more than planes of late! Definitely good if you’re on longer layovers, but might not be worth it if you’re doing low & slow travel. Thanks for reading!
Thanks for sharing your recommendation on equipment. I just buy some stuff before leaving on my own trip to Mexico&Asia-Pacific (Australia).
I couldn’t get the Zinetic Pocket Slipper, do you have any idea where to buy that. I’m from Quebec city.
Meilleures salutations,
Pascal
As a former pro in the theatrical arts (electrics grip on film sets), might I suggest gaffer tape?
It’s similar to duct tape, but
-stronger
-more sticky in water
-easier to rip
Just a tip from the field.
Cheers!
That’s an excellent suggestion, thank you. I hadn’t thought about gaffer tape before and it would definitely do the trick.