Hey there my Steemit friends. I'm bringing back and oldie but a goodie! It's been a while since I got back into my Travel Pro Gear Series. Since I've slowed my travel roll here in Santiago Chile I've got some time to sit down, do some writing, and bring back this fascinating series; which highlights all my possessions!
I don't own much. In fact everything I own only weighs about 12 kilos. I travel light so I can walk as far as I need with all my belongings on my back. I skip the baggage claim area and save hundreds of dollars each year on not having to check any luggage. Traveling so light takes a lot of thought determining which items I really need. Each item is essential and very important to my minimalist travel lifestyle. Now let's get back into what you need to Travel Pro!
Umbrella
I try to travel where the weather is nice, but sometimes it just doesn't agree. I bought this small, but not too small umbrella in Thailand at the end of 2017 during a typical evening tropical storm while on the Island of Koh Phanagn. Since then I've decided it's a keeper. It folds up nicely, doesn't take up much room. If the sky looks threatening I put it in my day backpack when I'm out and about. It keeps me dry as long as it's not a torrential down pour. Quite frankly this thing has come in handy on many occasions.
I used to travel with a heavy thick water proof poncho. This was years ago. It took up too much space, I hardly used it, and since then I've honed my Travel Pro Skills and ended up giving it away to a friend. I then purchased a couple super light weight cheap one time use plastic ponchos that came in a little plastic bag the size of a wallet. That was like wearing a garbage bag. It worked, kind of. But once you use it, it's used. To dry it and crumble it back up in your bag which I did attempt to do once was just a mess. It got smelly after a day and I tossed it.
Then I concluded this umbrella gets the job done. It's lighter than my heavy poncho, it's more durable than the cheap plastic bag kind of poncho, I don't have to wear it, obviously I can use it time and time again. Quite frankly it's fantastic! In the past when I used umbrellas they were either too big to travel with, or too small to block the rain well, or too cheap and would break quickly. This one for five USD, seems to be the perfect size and quality. It has taken it's rightful place in my Travel Pro Bag!
Paracetamol (Generic Tylenol)
Every so often I get a head ache and paracetamol always sets me straight. Fortunately I don't recall getting a head ache in maybe six months, but I still keep this with me just in case. You never know when you may need a pain reliever or be with a friend who may need one as well. So I always carry a few of these pills with as they take up almost no space anyway.
I got these paracetamols in Thailand; I think they were about five Thai Baht per pill. That's about 15 cents each. In many parts of the world especially South East Asia and Latin America you can buy pills individually as needed. No need to by a bottle of 100 or anything like that. I find this really great as I have no need to carry around a whole bottle of Tylenol when I may take only five in a year.
Also in these parts of the world many medicines like antibiotics and much more are sold over the counter. Which makes getting medicine very easy and convenient. Moreover in Thailand I've seen everything from anabol steroids sold over the counter to quaaludes! Sometimes the pharmacist isn't suppose to sell this stuff, but they do anyway. Heck, I was offered morphine from a pharmacist in Cambodia! Not to get too off topic, these are things I don't do or travel with; just letting you know some parts of the world laws are lax and you need to be responsible for yourself in every way.
Quitips
I don't travel with much, and most of what I travel with is very important yet costs almost nothing. Quitips certainly fit that bill. Without these I'd have awfully dirty ears. I meet some people who travel a lot and their health and higene goes down the drain after a while; it's very un-travel pro. There is no reason not to take good care of yourself when traveling and having some quitips in your bag makes a lot of sense.
That about does it for this latest round of Travel Pro Items. Until next time! -Dan "World Travel Pro!"
With over 11 years of travel experience I answer travel and international lifestyle questions. Leave a question in the comments and I may make a Steemit post just for you!
THANK YOU
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