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45 TRAVEL HACKS THAT WILL MAKE YOU A BETTER BACKPACKER - The Sun Seekers Store

45 TRAVEL HACKS THAT WILL MAKE YOU A BETTER BACKPACKER

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Yup, you read that right – call us optimistic, call us deluded, call us arrogant, call us  whatever you like, but what we have for you here are all the travel hacks you’ll ever  need; from ensuring you never miss a flight to finding your own personal omnipresent  guide, from making sure your electronics are always working to weaselling yourself a  little VIP treatment, it’s all here. Here are 45 travel hacks you’ll wonder how you ever did  without.

  1. Never pay for water at the airport

Things have got rather strict with bottles of liquid recently. Doesn’t matter whether it  looks as if the seal been tampered with or not, a bottle with liquid in it is a no go. So,  instead of bringing a full bottle, bring an empty bottle to the airport and refill it after  you’ve passed through security.

  1. Turn on ‘Private Browsing’ for cheaper flights online 

Airlines and travel sites can record your visits by installing cookies on your browser,  which can cause the prices you’re shown to rise simply because you’ve searched for  those flights before. This is to trick you into buying your flights sooner and encourage  impulse buying, the cheeky beggars! Avoid it by switching to ‘Private Browsing’  whenever you book flights.

  1. Roll your clothes for more space

One of the most simple but effective travel hacks there is. Rather than folding your  clothes, roll them up into a little tube. This will save a ton of space and stop creases and  wrinkles – all in all, pretty sweet!

  1. Charge your electronics through a TV

Lost or forgotten your wall plug for your charger? No worries, most modern TVs have a  USB connector on the back or side. Simply plug in your electrical device and watch that  little battery icon charge. 

  1. Book Your Accommodation with Hostelworld 

Hostelworld’s brand new mobile app makes booking the best budget accommodation  even easier. Read full descriptions and full reviews of each property to make sure you  get what you want. From party places with bars and pub crawls galore to the cool but  

comfortable spots where you can simply sit back and chill out after a long day’s  exploring. The app’s in-built map feature also makes finding your accommodation a  doddle. Best of all, it’s free! 

  1. Buy a portable phone charger 

Yeah, alright, this one might seem a little simplistic, but it’s very useful. Essentially these  act as an external battery you can charge separately using a USB connector or even  replenish with a store bought battery. Worth having one of these in reserve in case an  emergency arises while your phone is out of juice.

  1. Use a binder clip to protect razors

This is one I can’t advocate enough! When travelling America by train, I was fumbling in  my wash bag for some sleeping pills and, hey presto, managed to drag my index finger  across the entire length of all three blades of my shaving razor. Cue profuse bleeding  and stained train seats. Cover your blades, people.

  1. Email yourself a scan of your passport

You’ll thank yourself if you’re ever a victim of theft or loss. It’s also worth taking a  screenshot of any journey confirmations. If you’ve booked any flights, buses or trains,  whether you’re on your phone, laptop or tablet, make sure you screenshot them while 

you have Wi-Fi or internet access so you can access them when you’re no longer  connected. So much easier than lugging around printouts. As travel hacks go, this is  one you don’t want to ignore in case anything goes wrong. 

  1. Make your own airplane TV 

If your plane is somehow lacking in personal TVs, you can create your own with your  phone and a clear plastic bag. Simply insert your device, position it, then hook it onto  the back of the tray-table. Apparently, you can also use the metal bits from the sick-bag,  though I’m not sure how that works… maybe you can work it out from the instructions.

  1. Mark your baggage as fragile 

Not only does this mean your bag is more likely to be handled correctly, but it’ll also find  itself at the top of pile in the storage compartment of the plane. The result? Why, you’ll  get your bag back first, of course. Jackpot.

  1. Use ATMs/cash machines to get local currency 

In this day and age it’s best to use these automated bad boys to get hold of the national  currency, rather than local the currency exchange/bureau de change. Money converters  usually have their own fees and rip-off exchange rates, very likely to be far worse than  your bank.

  1. Only unpack what you really need

If you’re backpacking your way across the universe, then it’s likely you won’t be staying  in one place for too long. To save on packing time, only take out what you’ll definitely  need in each hostel. This will leave you free for a quick and easy escape when you’re  next on the verge of missing that bus. 

  1. It’s only jet lag, go run it off…

Apparently, a bit of exercise before your trip can stave off the jet lag and leave you  feeling fresh as a daisy. 

  1. Make real travel friends using your phone 

There are a whole load of apps out there that can help you make friends out on the road  without going through the anxiety of having to approach groups in person. Travel  Buddies and Backpackr can help you find travellers nearby and check out their  itineraries. You can even match up your personalities by checking out their public  profiles.

  1. Meet locals using your phone 

Sick of hanging around with other backpackers? Well why not get a local to show you all  the best places in town to get your groove on, using the Party with a Local app. Get a  real feel for life in the town you’re in, or the nightlife at least, avoid all the tourist traps  and make a new friend, all through downloading this free app.

  1. Book your flights on the go 

Decided on an impromptu trip to Borneo to chase that buff beauty from the beach  yesterday? Well you can find the best deals on flights on-the-go using  the SkyScanner app. The world of finding cheap flights can be complicated, but stick  with the travel hacks in this article and you’ll have the basics covered in no time.

  1. Bung a (tumble) dryer sheet in your bag

Sick of your clothes picking up the faint scent of old socks? Well this little trick will keep  them smelling fresh throughout your trip. If you’re going for the long haul, take a little  pack with you and replace whenever the sheet seems to be losing its potency.

  1. Get your own personal departures and arrivals board 

Ever get sick of straining your neck or even, God forbid, having to leave the airport bar  to see the departures board at the airport. Well, thankfully modern life has done away  with that ridiculous inconvenience. Simply download FlightBoard onto your phone and  experience the VIP lifestyle.

  1. Get your own personal AI tour guide

Having a problem finding a decent tour guide, think tours are a little pricey or just want  to avoid people while you explore for the day? No problem, simply install Google  Goggles onto your phone and take some photos as you explore. Every time you  photograph a famous monument, your phone will fire back a bunch of interesting  information for you to read. You’ll be an expert in local culture, customs and history in  no time.

  1. Put your rechargeable batteries in the fridge 

If you want to keep your batteries fresher and full of juice for longer, bung them in the  hostel fridge with your food. This is one of the more bizarre travel hacks on the list, but  most rechargeable batteries retain 90% of their full charge when kept in cold  temperatures, meaning you don’t need to charge them as often.

  1. Buy a dummy wallet to confuse pickpockets

Get yourself a dummy wallet to trick those dishonest types, making sure it contains a  suitably offensive note and a very, very grim and disturbing picture of your choosing.  Then hide your real wallet somewhere cunning and close to your person, like in an  ankle holster or within the crack of your bum…

  1. Give up your seat for free perks and upgrades 

OK, it might not look like a cool hack on the surface, giving up your seat on that flight,  but it’s true what they say about karma and ‘one good turn’. Volunteer to be bumped  from an over-sold flight and you could find yourself reaping all the benefits; free meals,  drink and accommodation nearby, then all the comforts of business class when you  finally do make it on a flight. I’m not going to complain.

  1. Get all the freebies as a market researcher 

Free meals, films, drinks; all that kind of stuff. Companies all over the world are looking  for people to try out their wares, test their staff and give feedback. It involves very little  work and is pretty enjoyable, really, so why not apply to be a market researcher in the  country you’re travelling and get all the things for free.

  1. Follow the pub crawl path 

You don’t necessarily need to shell out for that pub crawl package. Instead, look up the  popular pub crawl routes in your city and head to the starting line. There’s bound to be a  bunch of backpackers in there, or even one of the organised groups, who you can  covertly tag along with for free.

  1. Steal the rich man’s WiFi 

Do you rightly feel that lack of access to free WiFi is oppressive? Then don’t stand for it.  At airports, locate the First Class Lounge, pull up a pew, connect and browse away like  the Robin Hood of internet service. 

Likewise, if you’re on the street, sidle up to a swanky restaurant and sign the hell in.  And if the networks are protected, never fear…because humanity is generally decent,  lots of people share WiFi passwords online – FourSquare is the best place to find them.  In the words of no one; WiFi access is a right, not a privilege! Join the revolution!

  1. Make an instant lantern from a water bottle 

Time to get all Ray Mears or Bear Grylls and stuff. Grab your head torch, strap it to the  side of a big old bottle of water and, thanks to refraction, you now have a full on lantern.  The apocalypse will now be a breeze for you.

  1. Waterproof your bag with a bin liner

Pretty self-explanatory, really. Line your rucksack with a bin bag and it’s instantly  waterproof and ready to use in all conditions. Couple it with this next hack and you’ll be  on to something really special.

  1. Beeswax will waterproof all the things

That’s right, buy yourself a chunk of bees wax and get rubbing. You can coat the  outside of your rucksack, your little light jacket, hell, you can even waterproof your  Converse. Travel hacks don’t get much stranger than this, but don’t you just love bees? 

  1. Make your very own mobile phone speaker 

Everybody just wastes their empty paper cups and used toilet rolls, filling the rubbish  heaps of the world. Why, I ask. Why?! Simply cut a slit in the side of your used toilet roll,  insert your phone and you have a speaker. Even easier, pop your phone in a cup and  that tinny, faint sound is instantly transformed into a blaring cacophony of sound.

  1. Use straws and tic-tac containers to carry spices 

You are travelling the world, people! Don’t go eating plain, that’s simply a sin. You can  easily store your spices in cut up candles or empty tic-tac containers. Just make sure  you clean that minty aroma out first, you don’t want it interfering with the flavour.

  1. Carry a packet of crayons instead of candles 

As a co-worker pointed out, why would you carry crayons over candles? True. Still, I’m  going to keep this Bear Grylls-like trick in here anyway, since you never know what  might happen on the road. In an emergency, a full crayon will burn for up to half an hour  and provide a pretty impressive light for its size.

  1. LifeStraw 

The genius LifeStraw makes contaminated water safe to drink as you drink from  anywhere – meaning your adventures are limitless!

  1. Predict the sunset like a survivalist

Out on a hike? A little lost? Need to know how much sunlight you’ve got left? Well this  neat little trick can help you work out how much time you have until the wolves come-a sniffing. Simply count the finger-width between the sun and the horizon and work it out  from there – each finger represents 15 minutes.

  1. Bring a power strip or extension cable

Looking after your electronics is a running theme in the world of travel hacks, but this  one means no more fights over the plugs in your hostel room. And because you no  doubt have some space on that little bad boy for everyone else too, they all love you  and will buy you beer. All good deeds deserve beer.

  1. Take selfies!

Whenever you start a new SD card on your camera make sure you take a bombastic  and over the top selfie. This way you can prove it’s yours if you ever lose it.

  1. Use Google Maps offline 

Obviously you can’t stick by a WiFi connection while exploring a city, not all that much  happens in a Starbucks. Which means you’re going to find it impossible to access live  Google Maps for that easy-peasy sat-nav style guidance for bi-pods. Thankfully, the  latest versions of Google Maps now allows you to save map areas directly to your  phone and call them up later to explore. Check out how it works.

  1. Protect your cables with some pen springs 

A nice and simple tip, this one. If you find your cable connections keep breaking, then  simply wrapping them in springs from a biro can help. See the picture for how to.

  1. Make your fragrances invincible

By transferring your perfume or aftershave to a smaller, plastic spray top bottle you can  save space and eliminate the danger of breaking the bottle while you travel. Think  something the size of a throat or antiseptic spray. Though if you go for either of those  options, make sure you clean them out thoroughly first. You don’t want the original  contents interfering with your aroma.

  1. Avoid bulky clothing

One of the top travel hacks on this list by a long way. Unless you’re planning to hike  Everest or trek through the Antarctic, you can probably get away without that insane  puffer jacket and those three thick lamb’s wool jumpers. Instead, try layering up. Pick  your fabrics wisely too. Thing like flannel are light, but great at retaining heat. You can  also find lighter cardigans that will keep you snuggly, especially when combined with a  lighter waterproof jacket. 

If you need a few more packing tips, then check out our Hostel Packing List to see how  experienced travellers keep things simple. 

  1. Learn irritating pop songs 

One for the musicians! I know, you have a sophisticated taste, you’re an artist. That’s  exactly why you learnt how to play the guitar. I feel for you, I really do. Do you think I  wanted to learn those Oasis songs? Do you think I want to charm the legion of lager lout  snakes while they wait for the next football game to appear on the bar’s TV? Of course  not. However, those three simple chords impress. In fact, they impress to the point of  free beer. And attention. Musical sophistication aside, who here didn’t start playing  guitar for some attention? Put your hand down…

  1. Learn to cook a traditional dish from each country 

This is a great travel hack for making new friends, but make sure you do this before you  go away. Then when you rock up to a hostel, you can buy a few cheap, local ingredients  and knock up your own take on the regional classic. Just make sure you make enough  to go around, then everyone will believe you’re a backpacker expert and want to be your  friend – and no doubt repay you in beers.

  1. Buy a small bottle of hand washing detergent 

Probably a bit of an obvious one again, this one, but you never know how long you  might go without a washing machine and you can only really turn your undies inside-out  once.

  1. Bulldog clips can also save your headphones 

Not content with just saving you from slicing open your index finger on your razor, the  bulldog clip is also here to save you from that insanely irritating time when just one  headphone breaks. It might be bearable, but the sound keeps coming through  intermittently, accompanied by distortion and white noise. Pretty easy to work out how  this helps. Simply wrap around said bulldog clip and clip to your bag strap. Safe and  accessible, all you’d ever need.

  1. Make sure you have Viber, WhatsApp and Skype 

Unless you’ve lived under a rock for the last couple of decades, or recently left the  Amish community, you probably know about all the wonderful apps out there that let you  phone, video call, text and instant message your friends and family for absolutely  free. Viberlets you make free calls, send texts and pictures over the internet,  while WhatsApp lets you instant message.

  1. Give your change to the homeless

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