Thelma and Louise is one of my all-time favorite road trip movies, and every time I watch a clip from the movie I want to take to the road on a new adventure.

There is something about the freedom of being able to turn off on a new unknown road or stop over for a break whenever you feel like it that makes road trips so appealling – all the opportunities for spur of the moment trips.

But if you’re going for a long trip that will last at least a couple of days, you will need a little more planning – other than the usual packing list with clothes and toiletries, here is a list of the essentials when packing for a road trip…

Rags, Wipes and Tissues

You would be surprised to find just how grateful you will be that you brought that rag along in the last moment, or that you remembered to bring the wet wipes and a toilet paper roll.

The only thing you can be sure will happen is that at some point of your road trip you will spill something, you will need to wash your hands and you will need to find a toilet – and the last one will not be the most hygienic..!

Crucial Contact Numbers

Be sure to have contact numbers for your insurance agency for auto and homeowners, in case something happens and you need to reach them. Also have other numbers handy such as a family member, police and emergency numbers.

Don’t rely on your phone but jot the numbers down in a notebook - if you need insurance, look at WorldNomads, and if you’re road tripping with a caravan take a look at the Caravan Club website as items in your caravan may not be covered by regular insurance.

The Travel Outfit

I always marvel at how classy the girls in old 50’s movies look when they step out of their convertible cars in high heels and wrinkle free skirts. It’s yet a mystery how they manage to pull that off, and I don’t suggest anyone taking on the challenge.

Instead, dress comfortably, and wear shoes that are easy to slip on and off. If you are lucky to have a convertible, however, there is one thing you could learn from the classy 50’s girls: the head scarf – without it your hair will be a mess and surprisingly greasy already after a few hours – trust me I made that mistake once myself.

Many Small Snack Packs

Bringing snacks on a road trip is as obvious as bringing car keys for the trip to actually work – but there is a risk that you will run out of snacks before you even hit the high way.

To avoid this, repack all your snacks into smaller bags so that you can store some away for later during the day.

Picnic Bag Essentials

The best part about road trips is that as lunch time approaches, you can stop over by a lake or other resting area along the way and have a picnic.

Don’t bother bringing real plates and cuttlery, but stick with paper plates and plastic cups and cuttlery instead – do bring a proper knife and cutting board though, and a bottle opener.

GPS and a Map

Whether it’s an app on your iphone/blackberry, or an actual GPS device in your car, knowing exactly where you are and which roads you should be on is one of the best ways to make sure that you stay on track.

Even if you do decide to take a different road than the one your GPS has chosen for you, it will be easy to get back on the right track later on.

However, DO NOT use Apple’s own map, we’ve all heard of how dangerously wrong it can be (read: Apple Map Fails).

We use an app called “Pocket Earth” which has been incredibly useful! Bring along a normal map of the areas you will be driving through as a back-up, since you can never trust technology to 100%.

Road Trip Music

The number one essential is of course to have some good road trip songs, preferably tracks you can sing along with.

One of my favorite ways of finding good road trip music is via sharemyplaylists.com, where others put together and share their playlists.

Simply search for “road trip” playlists and you will find some great music for the road!

App it Up

After enough sing-along road trip songs you will want to entertain yourself with something different, and for that there is no better and more travel-friendly thing than apps. But aside from games, also download some other useful apps like the weather so you know what to prepare for down the road.

Electricity Power Inverter

To prevent running out of battery with your phone, laptop and everything else you bring along, invest in an electricity power inverter.

These devices turn the charge from your car’s battery into electricity to power most small electronic devices like laptops and phones.

Just plug it into your cigarette lighter and it covnerts in the direct current (DC) from the battery to the alternating current (AC). An alternative is to bring a portable charger that you have charged up before hand, and recharge it again when you stop for the night at a caravan camping station.

Finally, unless you haven’t already thought of it, make sure you have an emergency toolkit in your car with an orange flag and flares in case you need help, a spare tire and a flashlight.

Do you have any tips of packing essentials for a road trip?

(photo credit: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4)

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Before switching from backpacks to roller bags just over a year ago, we never expected the impact this seemingly small change would have on our travels.

Practically every year since 2008 we’ve bought new backpacks, constantly downsizing, going from 95L to 45L and finally carry-on sized roller bags, and each change has brought a new experience with it.

There are positives and negatives about each of them, and we thought we would sum up some interesting experiences we’ve learned through the years…

The “Better Backpacker”

two huge backpacks, a 7kg tent bag, sleeping bags and daypacks… need we say more? (2008)

For some reason, a lot of “backpackers” seem to think that the only “real” travelers are those actually wearing a bulky, heavy backpack.

If you’re not carrying around a backpack but a roller bag instead, people immediately assume that you’re not a long-term traveler.

I don’t think many people who have seen us rolling our small roller bags down the street would think that we had been traveling for years.

A lot of backpackers simply have that look that says “I’m so cool, because I’m backpacking off the beaten path with my backpack”, smirking at us with our little “weekend bags”.

I would never have thought that the type of bag you used mattered to anyone but yourself, but for some people it really does.

Standing Out & Fitting In

Likewise, you get judged in a different way from hotels and staff depending on your luggage.

While we most often like to find affordable and budget friendly hotels where anyone “fits in”, we used to get very surprised looks when arriving at a fancy hotel with backpacks.

Personally I love to mess with peoples’ assumptions so I quite enjoyed the confused looks, but when we traveled with roller-bags nobody in the staff at fancier hotels would raise an eyebrow.

Roller bags look more professional and usually blend in and fit easier anywhere, while backpacks often take up a lot of space when you squeeze into trams, trains and buses.

Physical Struggles …

1 month after the first photo in 2008

Backpacks:

- We were tired of always being soaked in sweat after carrying our backpacks for an hour, and after some time my shoulders and back started to hurt and I ended up with a very bad posture.

I was sure that a few months longer with that and I would look like Quasimodo’s sister..!

+ On the plus side you have both hands free and can walk up stairs easier, and you can get away with over-packing easier as they tend to give more space to expand.

Roller Bags:

- Trying to drag a roller bag through a layer of snow or on extremely big cobble stones is just a ridiculously hard task, and after a few weeks of hardcore traveling I actually had started to get calluses on my hands..!

+ With the roller bag, I don’t get a sweaty back and don’t have to actually carry the weight even when standing still.

Convenience

The main reason we decided to switch to roller bags was because we wanted to be sure that our bags could be brought as carry-on with flights like Ryanair.

When traveling with our backpacks as carry-on, we were always worrying about whether the bag would be too big for their sizing, while the roller bag will never expand in size and therefore guarantee that it fits.

This has made traveling by plane more convenient, although it sometimes sucks having to throw stuff out every time you buy something new.

Backpacks are great for hiking and trekking, but since we’re not hikers we found that most places we traveled to had at least a dirt road to the hotel where we could unload our stuff.

Which do you prefer – roller bag or backpack?

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Company: Lingibli
Product: Mobile Phone Language Course.
Purchase from: App Store & Android Market

During our first month in Garmisch-Partenkirchen we became frustrated with our poor knowledge of German, knowing the basics simply wasn’t good enough, as we missed out on many conversations with people.

There is nothing more annoying than when someone cracks a joke with you and you have no clue what they just said, and then you stand there with a foolish smile on your face trying to play along…

So when Lingibli contacted us to try their new iPhone language app the timing couldn’t have been better.

We’ve been playing around with the app for a while now, and I have to say I really like it, and I have learned more German than I expected.

Compared to so many other language courses, this is up-to-date and innovative, both in the language with the modern phrases they use, as well as modern technology.

It’s the perfect language app to bring with you on your travels.

Buying a new language is easy and quick, and the language app is laid out so that you can easily find the phrases and words you’re looking for on your iPhone while out exploring a new town.

The app is easy to use and the course teaches you useful words and phrases, by clicking on the words and phrases you can also hear how they are pronounced – to help you say them correctly.

The phrases are divided in different categories; Time, Numbers, Traveling, Basic Talking, Hotel, Eating & Drinking, Emotions, Shopping & Money, and Getting Help.

As you can tell, it covers all the categories you need when you travel to a new country, and more.

It’s a great tool to quickly pick up when you’re looking for a certain word or phrase, at a restaurant for example.

Useful words like ”how much does it cost?” or ”I don’t eat meat” are examples of phrases in the app that we have found very useful on our travels through Germany.

I especially like that the whole course works offline, and that the only time you need to be connected online is when you buy a new language.

They have also put a twist on the good old post-it notes that you normally place around your house to to help you learn new words, and instead of writing the words down you put up QR codes around the house that you can scan with your iPhone.

I would say that it’s not a complete language course and you shouldn’t expect to be fluent in the language just by using the app, but it’s a great tool to get you out there practicing the new language and interacting with the locals.

And it’s definitely something we can see ourselves continuing to use on our travels.

Disclaimer: Lingibli sent us a free copy of the German version of the language app to test, but our opinions, as always, are our own.

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As many of you probably know we are currently in the Bavarian Alps in southern Germany enjoying a ski season.

Now that spring is approaching, we’ve had some amazing days of sunny warm weather lately, but this also affects the snow and makes it more dangerous if you go skiing off-piste.

Many people who go for ski holidays think it sounds cool to ski off-piste, not realizing the precautions they have to take, and end up getting trapped in avalanches.

If you’ve planned to do some off-piste skiing this spring, take a look at this gear guide to make sure you have everything you need for your trip to the mountains.

We’re going to assume that you’ve already figured out that you need a ski jacket and pants, gloves and base layers, and consider some of the less obvious items that can come in handy while you’re away.

And don’t forget, as the season draws on a lot of the gear you need will be available at a discount, so look out for a good ski sale before you buy.

Powermonkey

This is an awesome tool which lets you charge your phone, ipod or other 5V device without having to find a plug socket.

Which can be tricky on a mountain. The latest version is solar charged, so you can top it up when you stop for a rest.

Thermal insoles

This will make your fellow skiers or boarders really jealous – a battery heated insole for your boots – not recommended for late season sun, but if you’re on the mountain in early January they’re worth their weight in gold.

Toko Hot Wax

Ideally, your board or skis need to be serviced after every trip away. So rather than paying for someone else to do it, buy some hot wax and a file and do it yourself.

It’s easy (as long as you haven’t been hitting too many stones) and has the added advantage of letting you give your kit a quick once over half way through the trip.

Pocket Screwdriver

This is one for the snowboarders; a pocket tool lets you adjust your bindings, or more importantly tighten them up if they get loose. This can happen with surprising ease if your set up is new.

And if you’re set up for freestyle and hit a huge downhill, then you can change the angle of dangle in a couple of minutes.

Two Way Radios

A phone signal can be hard to find in more remote parts of the mountain, so a couple of radios are the ideal solution. There are a lot on the market, so take your time and read some reviews before you decide which set to buy.

Avalanche transceiver

A lot of good ski and board jackets have a transmitter built in these days, but if your friends haven’t got a transceiver they won’t find you. Essential for deep off piste conditions high up the mountain.

 Avalanche Probe

This is essentially a lightweight stick that collapses to fit in your pack. It has one invaluable purpose – finding someone when they’re buried, and can literally make the difference if one of your party gets caught under the snow.

Avalanche shovel

Does what it says on the tin, and once you’ve used the transceiver and probe to locate the buried person, it will help you get them out a lot faster. The fact that it can also be used to build small kickers is an added bonus.

If you’ve got the transceiver, probe and shovel in your pack, then statistics say it should take no more than 16 minutes to find the avalanche victim. Without them, it will take over an hour – so choose your mountain equipment carefully.

What gear would you recommend bringing on a ski trip?

(photo credit: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4)

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During our current trip through Germany we’ve been testing the latest travel product from David’sBeenHere.com: a digital luggage scale - watch our video review below.

For us this was one of those products we hadn’t realized how much we really needed until David sent it to us, and it’s been SO useful!

We only travel with carry-on luggage, and with airlines becoming more and more strict with carry-on weight limits, we would always have that nagging feeling on the day of departure – worrying whether we would have to pay for extra baggage or not.

With the digital luggage scale you can easily keep track of how much your luggage weighs, anytime you want, while flying around the world.

It’s a great product which we will definitely continue to use on our travels – click this link to read more about the Digital Luggage Scale & buy it online from amazon.com

The post Digital Luggage Scale – Travel Product Review. (VIDEO) appeared first on Travel Videos & Travel Blog - As We Travel Blog.

This months As We Travel travel product review is the xShot Camera Extender – the great guys at xShot sent us a review copy a few days ago, and we have had a fun time testing out this product with our camera.

Check out our As We Travel video review below:

If you would like to purchase one of these xShot Camera Extenders then make sure you check it out below:

Click here to get your own xShot Camera Extender on Amazon.

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Sleeping Bag Liner – A Must Have Travel Item

Something I bought as a little extra luxury item on my travels turned out to be one of the best things I’ve ever bought. I cannot recommend a sleeping bag liner enough.

Both me and Nathan bought one each a few years ago, and since then they have saved our nights more than once.

So, What’s A Sleeping Bag Liner Good For?

Well, first off, if you travel with a sleeping bag you know how bad they start to smell, and it doesn’t take very long until you have to choose between either throwing it out and buy a new one, or even worse – washing it…

There is nothing more difficult to wash than a sleeping bag, and you’ll to have to sleep without it for the next few nights since they never dry!

If you sleep with a sleeping bag liner inside the sleeping bag, all you have to do is to wash the sleeping bag liner, which dries within an hour.

Even if you’re traveling without a sleeping bag, this will be your best friend.

I’ve used my sleeping bag liner everywhere – from the snowy alps in Europe to the tropical rain forests in the Pacific.
What the sleeping bag liner does is warm you up when it’s cold, and cool you down when it’s hot – and it really does a good job.

Saving Money

There are so many hostels in Europe trying to squeeze as much cash out of poor backpackers as possible, and after having payed for an overpriced dorm they want to charge you another 5 Euro for sheets.

Only sheets and pillows are allowed (no sleeping bags), which of course no backpackers carry around. But a sleeping bag liner perfectly fits in between these two.

A sleeping bag liner is very much like bed sheets, but designed like a sleeping bag. So for me, I count my sleeping bag liner as my sheets

I’ve also had great use for my sleeping bag liner at dirty hostels. Sometimes I’ve ended up at some really nasty rooms, and to avoid bed bugs and whatever could be in those sheets, the sleeping bag liner was a blessing.

My sleeping bag liner is truly the one travel item that I’ll never be without.

I love everything that can wrap up to tiny little balls, and this is my favorite. A sleeping bag liner takes up no space at all in your bag, and you use it every day.

Do you have a sleeping bag liner, or another item that you’ve been taking with you everywhere for a while?

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REVIEW: We were recently sent a new spanish language course called: “Bueno Entonces…”, which was released by General Linguistics. With my lacking Spanish knowledge and Nathan’s zero knowledge, we were really keen to try this course and see what it was like.

Our REVIEW:

What Makes It Different?

This course was especially designed for backpackers, study abroad students & expats.

The course is very different from the courses I’m used to. I’ve tried nearly everything; books, audio tapes, cd’s, kids’ books, classes, computer courses etc.

No matter what I tried I got bored out of my mind, and often found myself drifting out of focus or simply just falling asleep!

But this course IS different from them all – they put a lot of focus on actually making it fun, and I found myself smiling and laughing through-out each episode.

Their purpose is  to learn Spanish for the street, not the test, and they have succeeded very well in this.

They teach you words and conversations that you’re very likely to use, rather than the typical “I would like to make an order, miss…” type of thing.

I also liked how real the people in the course came out, and how the course circulated around a normal storyline.

The course has a fun, laid back, young attitude, and is a fresh breeze to the dusty language grammar books.

So, what about the grammar?

In every chapter they go through a new grammar rule, although I must say that this area is a little brief.

In the Spanish language they put the words in a quite different order compared to English, and they also use feminine and masculine words.

It’s confusing to remember the feminine and masculine words, but it’s something you’ll learn over time, just like the way the sentences are built.

Learn Curses, Insults and Pick Up Lines

Have you ever had a language course where they provide you a whole alphabetic dictionary with 17 pages of offensive swear words and insulting sentences?

Read more about what you can learn here!

I think we can all remember times when we wish we would have wanted to known a rude sentence to someone in a different language.

Well, in this dictionary you’ll find everything from slightly mean words to really offensive words that I cant mention here….!

As sure as I am that you’ve sometimes wished to tell a sleezy guy (or annoying girl) to bugger off, I’m certain that you’ve wanted to know some a pick up line to say to a hottie in her/his language.

Well, this course offers a 17 page pick up line dictionary as well, with full of fun and sometimes sleezy pick up lines.

How about: “Do you work at FedEx? Because I thought you were looking at my package.”

I must say that I wouldn’t suggest anyone to actually use them, unless they know exactly how to make it come out funny – most likely however, you’ll sound like a jerk.

Knowing these words is good both so that you know what guys actually say to you, but it’s also a more fun way to learn words and how to build sentences.

Learn The Slang

Another thing that I’ve found so difficult when studying language and actually trying to understand the people, is that they often use so many slang words which courses normally never teach. This course has a whole dictionary of slang words, which I find very useful.

Would I Recommend It?

YES – If you were to take any language course in Spanish – this is the one. It’s both fun, educational, and you get a lot for your money. The course is jam-packed with information: 6 DVD videos, audios, dictionaries, study books and online support.

If you would like to find out more, or get yourself a copy then just Click Here.

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Travel Underwear Review – The SEXY Pair!?

Next year ExOfficio is launching a whole new collection called Lacy, and they sent me a free pair to test. ExOfficio has listened to their customers’ feed back about the not so sexy travel underwear style, and this new collection claims to be the sexy travel underwear style.

This sounded interesting, so I decided to make another travel underwear review…

Their new slogan is – 17 countries. 6 week. One Pair of SEXY underwear.

I’ve been trying out the Lacy travel underwear for the last few days, and I must say they’ve done a great job! The updated version of the travel underwear is better (and sexier) in many ways.

I’ve never liked underwear with a high brief, which is something I don’t need to worry about with these travel underwear.

In a previous post I complained about how I found it difficult to find any sexy travel underwear (and other travel clothing in general), so I was thrilled to find that this new collection kept their promises.

The Lacy brief is low-cut with a nice, slightly V-shaped front.

The Material

The material is very comfortable, and the fabric stays close and tight to the skin, no excess fabric hanging on the back like I’ve experienced with other travel underwear.

I haven’t had the travel underwear for very long so I can’t tell you what they will look like in a months time, but so far I’m impressed.

I washed them and followed their instructions on how to dry them (wrap them in a towel and stomp on it) and hung them up in a cold slightly damp climate.

At the same time I washed a sock and hung it up to dry, to compare the two and see whether they really dried faster than a thin sock.

Despite the “bad” climate the travel underwear dried within a few hours, so they would definitely be dry if you hung them up to dry overnight, especially in warmer climates.

When the travel underwear was dry the sock was still wet, and it would take a few hours more until it would be dry enough to wear.

The travel underwear is made in a quick drying, odor resistant and moisture wicking material, which feels really nice on the skin.

They’re very breathable and even after a hard core half hour workout I’m still comfortable wearing them.

Worth It?

YUP- I’m definitely bringing these travel underwear along on my travels, I might even get myself a few more pairs!

The Lacy collection comes in Brief style and thong style, I wish they would have them in a hot pant or boy short style too, but if you want to wear something tight and not get that pantie line showing, the thong works for that.

I hope you enjoyed this travel underwear review, and go get yourself a pair to try yourself!

(disclaimer: We received a free pair of travel underwear from ExOfficio)

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Towels are among the most bulky items to pack when traveling around the world, they take up too much space and take forever to dry. So ever since I bought my first travel towel it’s been much easier.

The major difference you will find from a normal towel is that they pack down so small, take up much less space in your backpack, and since I most often don’t stay at one place for more than a few days I need my towels to be dry when I pack them down – travel towels are very quick drying.

However, not all travel towels are the same – today I will go through 3 which I have tested.

McNett Micronet Advanced Microfiber

It’s amazing how just a name can persuade people into buying an item, but this towel is great and I can understand why it’s The Rick Steves Choice.

It’s exactly what you would ask from a travel towel – it absorbs really well, it takes up almost no space at all and it dries quickly.

It’s not like a big bath towel, but certainly larger than most other travel towels, and you won’t have to worry about the towel not wrapping the whole way around your waist – which often happens with other travel towels.

The only downside would be that it kind of sticks to your body when you dry yourself and the material isn’t the softest.

Two nice details is the snap loop on the towel and the storage bag to put it in.

The sizes come in: Small (10″ x 20″) right up to X-Large (35″ x 62″), and you can choose between 3 colors.

Click Here To Read More And Compare Prices

Aquis Travel Towel

This towel can absorb A LOT of water, although if drenched in water it can take some time for it to dry.

It’s also lightweight and has a little  snap loop to hang it up (perfect so it doesn’t blow away in the wind).

It is the towel that feels closest to a real towel, and unlike many other towels you can actually dry it in the drying machine – if you would ever need to.

Be careful though, as it can bleed in the first few washes!

The sizes come in: M (15″ x 29″), L (19″ x 39″) and XL (29″ x 55″), and you can choose between 3 colors.

The XL size would be more like a bath towel and you can wrap yourself up in it, the L size is narrower but long (perfect for using at the gym), and the M is more like a hand towel.

Click Here To Read More And Compare Prices

Sea To Summit DryLite Towel

I’ve always had a good experience with this brand, and the towel didn’t disappoint me.

This towel stands out from the rest because it’s so soft on the skin, softer than the other ones.

It’s light weight, absorbs a lot of water and dries quickly.

Another good thing about these towels is that there are so many different sizes to choose between, so you can get the one which suits your needs the best.

Sizes come in XS (12” x 24”), S (16” x 32″), M (20” x 40”), L (24” x 48), XL (30” x 60”) – and you can choose between 5 colors.

The fabric is slick, not fluffy (terry), and the best way to dry it to simply pat on the skin.

Click Here To Read More And Compare Prices

Things To Remember – When Buying Travel Towels.

• Travel towels are generally small in their sizes, so you most often have to go up a size larger than normally to get the size you want. XL really isn’t a plus sized beach towel, but a smaller one that just wraps around your body.

• Nearly all travel towels are made in some type of micro fiber material, and that tends to stick to the skin. This problem is hard to avoid.

• They starts smelling easier than normal towels, so make sure to clean them every so often. If you pack the towel down when it’s wet, it may get mouldy or gross – like any other towel would.

Do you use travel towels? If so, what do you think of them, and do you have a favorite?

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