Name:
Eagle Creek Switchback Max ES 25
Description:
Tour the world with the Eagle Creek Switchback Max ES 25 backpack with detachable daypack.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
This is one sturdy ass backpack that can take being dragged through the fringes of Africa to easily being pulled through the cobblestone roads of Western Europe. I remember on my first trip through Europe, I had a normal backpack that didn't have any wheels to roll it around with. I thought it wouldn't be a good idea to have one since most of the roads would be made of cobblestone and that I would also be dealing with many flights of stairs. Boy was I wrong! Some of my friends in my group had wheels, and they easily rolled their backpack everywhere. As my back and shoulders began to get sore from constantly carrying my backpack around while enviously watching my friends pull theirs along while drinking beers, I decided that the next time I left on a long trip, I was getting a backpack with wheels. I chose the Eagle Creek Switchback Max ES 25, and it has held up very well. It has enough room to store all my clothes, laptop and some extra stuff that I decided to bring on my trip while still not bring too crowded, and also not being too big to the point that it makes me look like a Sherpa carrying a closet on my back. The detachable daypack is a very nice addition that can easily hold my 14.1 inch laptop while it is in its sleeve along with all of its accessories, as well as a bunch of other little things that I needed to bring with me. Finally, if you are ever trekking through an area that isn't wheel accessible, you can convert the backpack to be carried on you back with a good weight distribution system that includes shoulder and waist straps. From what I understand, the Eagle Creek Switchback Max ES 25 has a lifetime warranty on it in case it ever tears or the zippers get ripped off.
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Master Lock TSA-Accepted Lock with Personal ID Tag
Description:
Keep your valuables locked up and safe inside you backpack with the TSA-Accepted Mast Lock.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
These are tiny little locks that you can put thru the zippers on you backpack to keep it locked up while traveling. They are also "TSA-Accepted", which means that you can keep your backpack locked up while it clears through customs. At first, I was a bit skeptical as to how strong these locks were since they were so tiny. I purchased three of them, two for my daypack and one for my backpack. One of them jammed the first time I used it, and cursing my luck, I went to a locksmith to use his bolt cutters to snip the rogue lock off. I put the lock between the bolt cutters and began to squeeze away as hard as I could and the fucking thing wouldn't snap! However, it did get un-jammed. After this, I was convinced to their strength. As of now, the locks have been doing a great job of keeping my stuff secure. Besides one of the locks occasionally jamming (and it un-jams when I pull on it really hard), they have performed pretty well. They also give me piece of mind when I am away from my stuff. Lastly, they are nice to have when you are carrying you gear around in crowded cities since some enterprising thieves will unzip your backpack while you are wearing it, say in a subway or crowded bus, and steal your stuff right out from behind you. Naw-aw sucker, not while I got my shit locked up with these Master Locks.
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ScottEvest Hidden Cargo Shorts
Description:
Keep all your valuables hidden in one of the many hidden pockets of the ScottEvest Hidden Cargo shorts.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
I've used these shorts a lot, and have yet to be pick-pocketed. In fact, I think it is virtually impossible to pick-pocket anything that I put in the hidden pockets of these shorts. It makes things a lot less stressful while in transit when you have to have all your important documents on your person and don’t want to constantly have to go into your backpack to get it or deal with carrying around a waist or neck wallet. The nice thing about these shorts is that they actually look relatively cool. I do have one complaint about these shorts. The fucking things ripped on me the first day I had them! I don't know how the fuck that happened since they weren't tight on me, but needless to say, I was pretty pissed since I still had another year or two to travel, and these shorts were one of two pairs of shorts that I was going to use on my entire trip. I had to go to a tailor to get them fixed. Since then, they have been fine, but I'm not convinced to the durability of this product after that happened.
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Eagle Creek Undercover Security Neck Wallet
Description:
Avoid getting pick-pocketed by storing all your valuables and important documents in the undercover neck wallet.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
On my first trip, I used to use the neck wallet all the time because I didn't want to leave my passport and other documents or excess money in my backpack in the hostel because I was afraid someone in there would steal it. On this last trip however, I haven't used it once and I am seriously considering abandoning it. I would have already if it wasn't for the fact that it is so small. The reason I never use it anymore is because I now feel safe keeping my important stuff and excess money in my backpack since I have it locked up with Master Lock backpack locks and when I am in transit between countries, I always make sure to wear my ScottEvest pants or shorts that have hidden pockets that I can store all of my important stuff in. Sure, if someone really wants to steal the stuff out of my backpack, they can, but it would take some work and most thieves in hostels are opportunists whom only steal items that are easily accessible. I also make sure never to have too much extra money on me in the rare instance that a thief is around. As for the pickpockets that saturate the streets of Western Europe and other parts of the world, I keep all my money in my front pockets where they are going to have a hard time stealing from. I have yet to have a problem from not using this security neck wallet and I am sure that I am going to ditch the item soon enough.
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Passport Cover
Description:
Keep your passport protected and your nationality hidden while using a passport cover.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
This is a pretty useful item. First off, it does a good job of keeping my passport protected, which is very important because of anything were to happen to my passport I would have to deal with a ton of hassle to get another one while abroad. Secondly, it has a little pocket inside of it that I can store credit cards and immunization records in. Thirdly, in a lot of countries, especially in Africa and the Middle-East, I don't want to walk around advertising the fact that I am an American (hell, our own U.S. State department advises American's to keep our nationalities under wraps in those areas) each time I have to pull out my passport to check into a hotel, so having this item has been useful in that regard.
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Franzus Auto Adjust, Smart Converter and Adapter Set
Description:
The adapter set includes plug adapters for the entire world, plus it comes with a transformer that automatically converts electricity to high or low voltage settings as needed.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
A lot of people buy transformers thinking they need them for all their electronics when in fact, they only need them for certain items. In North America, items run on a certain voltage, if you bring these items to areas that run on different voltages, say Europe and plug your item into the socket without converting the voltage with a transformer, your item will get fried. The thing that some people don't realize is that if your item has an AC adapter, you'll more than likely not need a transformer since the AC adapter does the converting for you. You only have to look at that AC adapter and somewhere on it, there should be something that says what voltages it can take (e.g. 110 – 240). If the country you are in uses a voltage that falls in that range, you're ok not using a transformer. I barely ever use the transformer I have, but when I do, it works well. Common items that need a transformer that people bring with them are blow dryers and electric shavers (neither of which I use). The plug adapter set is nice to have, especially for me since I am going all over the world. However if you aren't going to be touring the entire world, you're better off purchasing an adapter at the airport you land at, or asking your hotel staff where you can get on. They are normally super cheap and easy to find abroad.
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Motorola V551 Unlocked GSM Quad Band
Description:
Use this unlocked quad-band phone anywhere in the world.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
I bought this phone so that I could easily call hostels and hotels up to make reservations while I was on the road, plus for whatever other situations that would warrant having a phone. The fact that it is unlocked means that I can purchase a sim-card anywhere in the world, put it in my phone, and start using it right away. Purchasing sim-cards overseas is very easy. If your phone is locked, you can't do this. For example, if you have a locked T-Mobile phone, you can only use T-Mobile sim-cards. However, if it is unlocked, you can use the phone with T-Mobile or any other carrier that uses sim-cards. Since this phone is Quad Band, it can be used anywhere in the world. Each country uses one (or two) frequencies for their cellular phones. If you have a dual-band phone that is setup to be used in North America, even if it unlocked, you more than likely won't be able to use it in Europe since they use different cell phone frequencies. If you're phone is quad-band though, you'll be able to use it anywhere in the world. The reason I got this prehistoric cell phone model is because I didn't want to attract any unwanted attention overseas when I was using it. To date, I have used this phone all over the world with sim-cards from all kinds of countries with no problem whatsoever.
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Adventure Medical Kits Traveler Kit
Description:
Take care of minor wounds and maladies with this simple medical kit.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
This is a good little medical kit to take along with you while traveling. It is compact, comes in a little carrying case, includes everything you would need for minor problems and isn't very expensive. If you plan on going to high-risk areas, you would be better off getting a more advanced set, but if you don't plan on traveling to the middle of the Congo anytime soon, this kit will do. I have had to use medical kits before while traveling, and would have been in a pretty precarious situation without them.
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Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight Gear Repair Kit
Description:
Repair minor tears and rips on clothes and on your gear with this repair kit.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
This set comes with items like spare clips for your backpack, sewing needle and thread, along with duct tape. I haven't really had much use for it so far, but if the time ever comes where I really need it, I'm sure I'll be happy that I have it. I also don't mind that it is only sitting in my backpack for the time being taking up space since it is very small and light.
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McNett Micronet Advanced Microfiber Travel Towel
Description:
A quick-dry Microfiber towel to bring with you while traveling.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
This towel has been pretty useful to have while traveling for two reasons. First off, it does get dry pretty quickly which is nice because the last thing you want to stuff in your backpack is a wet towel. Secondly, it takes up a lot less space than a normal towel. The only thing about this towel that seems to bother some people is the feel of it. It feels somewhat rough, and clings to your skin when you are drying off. It really doesn't bother me much at all though.
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Cocoon CoolMax Travelsheet
Description:
The Cocoon CoolMax is a single person travel sheet that keeps the heat away while also keeping yourself clean.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
This is a handy item to have because you never know if the hostel or hotel you are going to be staying at might possibly have dirty sheets (or not even have sheets at all). Chances are, they will sheets, and those sheets will be clean for you when you arrive. However, there may be a few rare instances when that isn't the case, and you'll be very happy you brought a travel sheet with you. The CoolMax is nice because it uses a material that is soft, keeps you warm, but at the same time doesn't keep you too warm which is very helpful in hot areas (like Italy in July). The Cocoon CoolMax also comes with a nice carrying case so that you can keep it tucked away in your backpack when you are not using it.
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Victorinox Swiss Army Champion Plus
Description:
It is a Swiss army knife that has a myriad of uses.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
Do I really need to tell you what use a Swiss army knife has while traveling? It can cut, screw things in, has a magnifying glass, nail file, scissors, can solve advanced calculus problems, etc. One of the things I have used it for a couple of times was for its wine opener, since the hostel I was at didn't have one.
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Lenovo T61 14.1 inch Widescreen Laptop
Description:
The T61 bills itself as more of a business workhorse then a multimedia funhouse. In other words, it's more for work then play.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
This laptop has been nothing but amazing. I bought it because I'm doing web development with it on the road and it has been nothing short of perfect. It's light, durable (dropped it a couple of times), loads fast, isn't flashy (I don't need people in hostels or cafe's eyeing my shit), can handle running multiple programs that require a ton of memory all at the same time, and still has a good enough graphics card to allow me to play a game of Counter Strike Source from time to time with zero lag. This laptop has it all, and is the perfect laptop for someone who needs to do work on the road, but at the same time wants to have a little fun with as well.
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ZeroShock II 15-Inch Notebook Sleeve
Description:
It protects your laptop from breaking when you are clumsy enough to drop it, and also keeps it from getting smashed up when you transport it around in your backpack.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
I had to do some research on what size and model laptop carrying case would fit my Lenovo T61p 14.1 widescreen perfectly. After some research, I heard about the Zeroshock, and I have to say that it fits my laptop just right. It also does a good job of protecting it since I have dropped my laptop a couple of times while it was inside the case, and my laptop was fine.
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Logitech VX Nano Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks
Description:
It's a tiny, wireless, laser, laptop mouse.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
This little guy has been doing a great job for me so far. It's small enough that it barely takes up any room in my backpack, but not too small that it feels weird when I use it. The batteries last a long time and it is also very accurate. It's a great mouse to take with you traveling.
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Kensington 64343 MicroSaver DS Notebook Computer Lock with Keys
Description:
Keep your laptop safe and secure when you have to walk away from it.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
I honestly almost never use this, so I am considering shipping it back home instead of having it take up space in my backpack. The only places I use my laptop are in hostels, cafes or internet cafes. In which case there is almost always enough people around to where someone won't be able to steal your laptop. Also, in hostels I make sure to get to know the staff, so that when I walk away from my laptop I can count on them to watch the other hostel guest (even though in all honesty, you for the most part don’t' have to worry about other hostel guest stealing something huge like a laptop, the bad ones go more for the small things like IPODS and cameras).
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Lenovo External Battery Charger
Description:
The external battery charger allows you to charge your laptop battery without having to have the battery connected to the laptop.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
I didn't need this, and ended up leaving it in Cairo. I thought it would be of great use since I could charge my battery for my laptop, say overnight while I slept, without having to risk getting my laptop stolen. Truth is, there is always a power outlet at the hostel or cafes that you can use when you working meaning you don't need you battery to begin with, so the external battery charger simply takes up space. I think it's more geared towards people who need to carry a couple batteries around with them.
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ZyXel AG-225H Wi-Fi Finder and USB Adapter
Description:
Walk around and immediately find any wireless signals in the area. Also, it doubles as a wireless adapter for your laptop.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
This did a good job of finding wireless signals, sometimes finding ones that my laptop's wireless card couldn’t' find. I thought when I bought this that I would be walking around town, searching for free wireless signals, but that simply never happened. In most countries you can't find a wireless signal to save your life, and when you do, 9 times out of 10 it will be password secured. It was useful though for checking to see if a free wireless signal was in my immediate vicinity, say when I was waiting for a plane or in my hostel room. This was a lot better than having to power up my laptop to find out. Only problem is, after 3 months, the thing stopped working.
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Canon Powershot SD750
Description:
A digital camera with multiple viewing modes that not only takes pictures, but also records movies.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
This camera is a fucking legend! It takes great pictures, has all kinds of viewing modes to choose from, and is highly customizable for more advanced use. Plus, it takes high quality videos (with sound) so that you don't have to lug a digital video recorder around with you. I've also dropped this thing more times than I would like to admit, and it is still functioning like brand new.
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IPod Nano 8 GB 3rd Generation
Description:
Listen to music and watch movies on this tiny little player.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
The IPOD has been doing a good job for me. The music quality is awesome, and the battery life is good enough for those long train rides/plan rides I have to take every so often. The interface is pretty good with my only complaint being not being able to set the song repeat settings anywhere but in the starting menu. Every now and then it will completely freeze up though, and the first time this happened to me, I was completely baffled on how to reset it. Luckily, a girl on the bus next to me knew how. When your IPOD Nano freezes, hit the play and middle circular buttons at the same time and hold them for a couple seconds. After that, it will reset and you'll be able to use your IPOD shortly after.
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Apple 3rd Generation iPod Nano 4gb 8gb Video Premium Leather Flip Carrying Case with Rotating Belt C
Description:
Keep your iPod protected with this carrying case.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
First off, I removed the "Rotating Belt Clip" because I didn't need it and I thought it made the carrying case too bulky. Besides that, the case has been holding up, and keeping my iPod (especially the screen) protected when I am not using it while it is mashed up in my backpack.
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Shure E2g Sound Isolating Earphones
Description:
Get high quality studio sound with these tiny little headphones for an affordable price.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
The sound quality on these little guys is pretty damn good. Also, it comes with an assortment of ear bud sizes and types so that you can find the one that best fits your ear and comfort levels. When you use the foam attachments, they also do a good job of blocking out outside noise, like say, a baby crying on the airplane a couple rows in front of you. Make sure not to walk around while listening to these though since you're likely to walk into traffic since you can't hear outside noise.
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CD Wallet
Description:
CD wallets…what do you use these for again? Oh yeah, you store CDs in them.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
Having a CD wallet is nice for those times when you do some type of activity on the road where they offer a DVD for at the end that you can purchase, say for example, Bungee Jumping. Also, if you are bringing a laptop, it is good to have a CD wallet that you can store all of your backup and restore CDs in.
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Xshot Extendable Hand Held Metal Monopod
Description:
Take pictures of yourself or with friends when nobody else is around to take the picture for you.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
The Xshot extendable monopod is basically a telescoping metal rod that you can attach your digital camera to, set a timer, and then extend the rod so that you can take a picture of yourself while not having the camera right in your face. It's also useful for those times when you are with a group of friends, but want everyone in the picture and can't find somebody to take the picture for you. Finally, if you are doing a still shot of scenery or a city, you can use it as a monopod to take the photo. This is very useful when you are doing night shots and need to keep your camera very still to compensate for the slow shutter speed. This has been somewhat useful for me, especially since I am traveling solo, but I have found that getting someone to take a picture for me hasn't been too much of a problem, and if not, I can usually find something to place my camera on to take a picture from when I set the timer.
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Steiner 10x26 Safari Binocular
Description:
It's a very small, but powerful set of binoculars.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
I bought these mainly for when I went on safari in Africa, and when I did, they were very useful. However, besides that, I have had limited use for them. They are really small though, so instead of sending them back home I figure I can carry them around for that time when having a set of binoculars will be really helpful. You never know! Also, they came with a carrying case, but I left that at home because the case was fucking huge.
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Casio Men's Illuminator Watch #F105W-1A
Description:
The Illuminator watch is an inexpensive digital watch that you can use in the dark.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
I bought this cheapie because it was perfect to have while traveling through really impoverished areas of the world since having an expensive, shiny watch was a good way to get myself mugged. Also, it came with an alarm which had been really useful when I need to wake up to catch a flight or check out of a hostel. To date, the watch has performed up to par and the backlight is still working like it did when I first bought it.
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Bathroom Sink Clogger
Description:
This clogger is great to play Frisbee with when you get bored.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
I would really recommend for guys to get this for traveling. The main thing I use this for is when I shave. Sometimes the place I am staying at doesn't have a way to clog up the sink when I need to shave, so I go and get this and the problem is solved. Another use for clogging up the sink is when you would like to wash some clothes, say when you can't find a washer/dryer or don't want to spend the money to have your clothes washed.
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LUXOR Professional 6 1/2 inch Ice Tempered Barber Styling Shears
Description:
These sheers are good to run around the hostel with, or you can use it to cut your hair with.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
It's a pair of scissors, so you can guess all the things you can use a pair of scissors for. Since they're main purpose though is to cut hair, you call them "shears". I got this because I didn't want to have to deal with barbers overseas and end up with some funky haircut because of the language barrier. These shears have done a great job so far. They are very sharp and haven't rusted over at all and I have used them many times to give myself a haircut.
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Guide Book
Description:
A guide book is used to get all the important information for an area you plan to travel to.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
Guide books are a very useful item to have while you are on the road. They tell you everything you need to know about an area you are planning to travel to. What the entry and exit requirements are, exchange rates, the local history, local customs, what sights are worth seeing, where to sleep, where to eat, maps, etc. If you want to get a lot of information packaged up for you in a nice book, then I would recommend purchasing a guide book. You can easily order them online, or call your local bookstore up and see if they have one for the area you want to travel to. You can get away these days by only using the internet to plan everything, but the guidebook can save you a ton of time and hassle. Some of the biggest publishers for travel guide books are Lonely Planet, Let's Go and Rough Guides. To date, I have found that when I had a guide book, my trip has been a lot easier.
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Cable Bicycle Lock
Description:
Keep your bike locked up when you're playing Street Fighter II at 7/11.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
You might be wondering just what the hell I am doing with a bicycle lock since I don't have a bike with me on this trip. Main use for this is to lock up my backpack to a stationary object, like a bed when I am at a hostel that I am not so sure about. I can wrap it around some of the straps of the backpack that can't be removed, put it around the bed, and Walla, I just added an extra level of security to my stuff. Of course if someone really wants to steal my stuff, they will still be able to, but this makes it that much harder and will deter the average hostel asshole thief.
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Prescriptions
Description:
When you're sliding into first and you feel a yucky burst...
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
Make sure before you leave to bring all of your necessary prescriptions with the original stickers on them that bare your name. Also, if you plan on bringing some type of painkiller, make sure to check and see if it is legal to bring it into your country of choice whether you have a prescription or not. Chances are, you will be fine, but some countries have strict laws on what is brought in, say like Saudi Arabia. Another thing that is a very common problem for a lot of travelers, as gross as it is, is Diarrhea, aka "Mud Butt". There are a lot of microorganisms in the food overseas that your body won't be used to and could potentially ruin your trip, so you would be well off to get a prescription for Diarrhea from your doctor before you leave.
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Pen
Description:
Use this to draw a penis on the head of the guy in the hostel who had a little too much to drink that night and woke everyone up when he stumbled back into the room at 5am.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
You would be surprised how many people don't bring pens with them when they travel. You're going to need a pen, whether it is at immigration, the hotel or hostel you are staying at, where ever, you will need a pen so make sure to bring one.
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Sleep Shade
Description:
Ever wanted to sleep all day long?
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
I don't use this very often, but it is great to have for those days that you have the hangover from hell and all you want to do is sleep. A lot of times in a hostel you won't be able to close the blinds to shut out the light, so unless you can easily sleep in a very bright room, having one of these will make for a much more restful day.
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Fidel Castro Hat
Description:
Look like the ex-dictator of Cuba with one of these.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
This is the perfect hat to travel with, which is probably why this is such a common hat for militaries around the world. The bill of the hat sits low on the head so it does a great job of blocking out sunlight, but at the same time, it is a really small bill, so it makes scrunching up the hat and throwing it into your backpack no problem. I had a regular hat with me on my last trip to Europe, and the bill of the hat got really bent from being in my backpack and started looking like shit.
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UV Protected Sunglasses
Description:
To complete that Fidel Castro look on sunny days.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
Depending on where you are traveling, the sun can become very intense so make sure to bring a nice pair of glasses with you that have UV protection. Also, bring a case otherwise you can bet on your sunglasses getting broken when you put them in your backpack.
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Gloves
Description:
They keep your hands warm for those early mornings and late nights.
Travel Gear Review and Usefullness:
If you're planning on doing some outdoor hiking, or going anywhere that might be remotely cold, make sure to bring a pair of gloves. Keeping your hands warm can make a huge difference, to the point that it can make or break your hike. Also, you never know when you will have to catch an early morning or late night bus or train, in which case you are going to be thanking heaven that you have a pair of gloves to keep you warm during you wait if it is cold out. I know I have.
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