What's in your carry-on (tech, travel essentials, OzBargain acquired stuff etc)?

• 

  tanoshiiki on 28/03/2014 - 10:55

  I have to say, it looks like you're carrying a lot of stuff, especially if you throw in a laptop.

  How do you have three Priority Passes?

  Combination of Citibank Plus and 28 Degrees is a must for me.

  • 

    neil on 28/03/2014 - 11:01

    2 for me as one is expiring half way through trip (they keep sending them to me) and one for the lady. Have yet to use one yet.

    All of those fit quite comfortably into a backpack (albeit a bit heavy).

    • 

      Holysmoke on 29/03/2014 - 19:54

      Always debated on taking the laptop on holiday trips, do you think its still required if you have the galaxy tab and excluding the need to do proper work stuff?

      • 

        neil on 29/03/2014 - 20:10

        I prefer laptops to tablets. I currently have 83 tabs open in Firefox, 2 in chrome, email program and a few other programs open. Multitasking and hoarding open programs with a tablet just can't cut it. However, that's just me. The Lenovo S430 is fairly light so not too much of an issue.

        Additionally, I'm using my laptop connected to the hotel rooms ethernet connection to enable a hotspot in the room.

      • 

        daydream on 01/04/2014 - 13:38

        I usually have a lot of tabs open on my laptop too but I find Firefox really begins to struggle on mine with a lot open. It might be time for me to do a reinstall if you are able to have that many viably open :-)

• 

  retiredfeline on 28/03/2014 - 11:04

  +1

  What about your airline ticket Neil, did you get that from a bargain?

  I travel light, usually my backpack comes in under 12 kg outward bound and I grab some loot before returning.

  The items I acquired due to OzBargain would include a Chromebook, an Android phone, some SD cards, a Kindle, noise cancelling headphones, and maybe a sleep mask. Oh and the Citibank Plus. So mostly electronic gear where OzB is concerned.

• 

  PissLUR on 28/03/2014 - 12:50

  Micro Sim & Nano Sim Cutter 2 in 1 Dual Sim Cutter.
  3.5mm Audio Airplane In-Flight Headphone Converter Travel Adapter

• 

  bhm133 on 28/03/2014 - 15:02

  +1

  Plus 1 for the details and effort in posting!

  I'd ditch the lonley planet and see if you can get it in pdf for the tablet. Saves weight!

  I also carry a small yum cha branded Wirless N dongle with ethernet port. When staying in hotels that offer wired internet, I plug that in and make my own wifi hotspot. Great for when I travel to Japan (which is quite regularly).

• 

  Foxtail on 28/03/2014 - 16:04

  iPad, iPhone, leads, Bose Comfort 15 headphones.

• 

  jasong on 28/03/2014 - 16:46

  +1

  Switch a powerboard in for the 2 point adapter? Less stress about having to unplug something haha

• 

  [Deactivated] on 28/03/2014 - 16:54

  +2

  Oh I have been waiting for this!

  http://imgur.com/gallery/MfLH5

  Currently building a new bag as we speak based around handheld consoles.

  • 

    retiredfeline on 28/03/2014 - 21:40

    +1

    Wow, as one comment said, you don't need a home with all the gear on the go. :)

• 

  twilsoncrow on 28/03/2014 - 19:04

  Hi Neil
  I am flying tomorrow (Sat from Sydney) to LA how about you?

  • 

    neil on 28/03/2014 - 21:07

    +4

    I was supposed to fly out this morning to LA. United cancelled the flight and I'm now flying through Honolulu. United crew in airport were useless so ended up calling their phone centre to get rebooked. Not the worst thing in the world to be stuck in Hawaii for a couple of days.

    • 

      Astro551 on 09/04/2014 - 01:12

      Urgh United. Last I went with them they had terrible customer service on flight, got given a voucher to make up for it, but still wasn't anything pleasant.

      JetBlue on the other hand, some smaller Airline - best flight I've ever had. Very friendly flight attendants, awesome captain, they even ended up putting the movies on for free.

• 

  Extinction Rebellion on 29/03/2014 - 08:24

  +2

  I'm travelling light - all together my clothes will weigh 4kg, and I will have a shoulder bag with ipad, phone, passport, toiletries, camera, book.
  This is for 10 weeks in Europe! Just so I will never have to wait around for luggage and can jump on and off trains easily.

  Plus I have a small number of items to manage, travel easy I say.

• 

  anna10 on 29/03/2014 - 10:15

  +2

  Having turned up all over with mislaid checked bag and therefore no change of clothes, I'd pack a pair of undies and tshirt and maybe shorts - won't take up much space. Put some of the smaller heavy stuff in yr pockets till on board.

  why do you need books when you have e media to download onto?

  • 

    neil on 29/03/2014 - 19:55

    why do you need books when you have e media to download onto?

    Good point. I read some of it on the plane but its just been an extra load to carry unnecessarily.

• 

  Holysmoke on 29/03/2014 - 19:56

  Are you using cash only throughout the trip? Don't see the 28Degrees credit card for fee-free forex purchases.

  • 

    neil on 29/03/2014 - 20:52

    +1

    My situation is a bit different. I have a US bank account/visa debit so I can take out money from Citibank and throw it into the US account when needed. I've tried OzForex, bank transfers, and travelers cheques to exchange money but I think the simple cash in / cash out is cheapest.

    My US bank charges inbound transfers. Travelers cheques don't get a good rate as other methods and they now charge a CC surcharge. Cash is just annoying as I have so many $1 bills in my wallet I can't close it. Also pennies…argh. I'm quite curious to see if Bitcoin or some equivalent can eventually provide a universal currency worldwide.

• 

  neil on 29/03/2014 - 20:05

  +5

  I'm now overseas after a bit of drama.

  Best things so far

  Kogan powerbank - A lifesaver for keeping all of our gadgets charged.
  Noise cancelling headpones Worked surprisingly well.

  What I should have added

  • Long retractable ethernet cable as my hotel only has ethernet connection in room.

  What I shouldn't have taken

  • Guidebooks - Heavy and not being used.
  • Water bottle - Too bulky. Should have replaced with foldable water bottle.

  Annoying

  • Priority Pass doesn't have a Sydney lounge and Melbourne only has the United lounge which is open for a short time daily. Still keen to try this out.
  • Globalgig sim cards. Can only really get T-mobile 3g in US but keeps dropping off to 2g which disables data. Also can't seem to tether connection. Every time I do it I lose data connection on both phone and tethered devices.
  • 

    jy808 on 01/04/2014 - 17:00

    +1

    Would you recommend a pre-paid mobile sim card (calls & data) prior to landing in the US? If so, which? I would love to prepare myself before I land.

    • 

      neil on 01/04/2014 - 20:07

      +1

      If you want the calls as well then you have a few options. I've used Simple Mobile and T-Mobile and they were both pretty good.

      I'm not sure how you'd get the sim prior to arriving in the US. It's fairly straightforward to walk into a T-Mobile, AT&T store etc to get it done. In fact, Waikiki has a couple of dedicated shops just dedicated to dealing with tourists wanting sims.

  • 

    jaxon on 02/04/2014 - 00:04

    any of the details on the 'drama' or not really significant..? im headed to LA with my partner in two weeks and was wondering on what to pack and whatnot.. found this really informative great post btw

    ed: saw the post about the Honolulu business. that sucks, hope it wasn't too much of a hassle

    • 

      neil on 03/04/2014 - 19:01

      +1

      OK, the long story:

      The issue wasn't so much the cancelled flight but the lack of on-site customer service. We were at the gate when they cancelled the flight even though they knew ahead of time, they wouldn't be flying. So we were only told we would need to go back to the United counter to check in on a new flight.

      Our boarding pass was taken, went through the gate but instead of going to plane we went out exit (like arrivals do). Went through customs and immigration and back to the check-in.

      Was in line for check-in for almost 2 hours. Most people assumed they were putting people on another United flight or doing something. In fact, there was no United flights and they were trying to put people on other airlines. There was only 1 US bound flight left for the day (Jetstar) which was going to Hawaii but that was booked. So instead of waiting in a line going nowhere I called up reservations and read off all the outgoing flights for the day. Flights to the US were booked out on that day and next. Singapore was an option but that required a ridiculous layover. After 40 minutes on hold, we managed to source a flight from Melb-Syd (Qantas), Syd-Hawaii(Hawaiian), Hawaii-Houston-Atlanta (United). Due to our flexible schedule, we decided to skip LA and just spend 2 days in Hawaii which United were OK with.

      I said to the United staff roaming around that people in line don't know the United flight is not flying and that they should tell people to call reservations as it would be quicker. Nope, they reckon other passengers were talking to others. In any case, I felt bad for everyone so I addressed everyone in line that there was no United flight, that they should call reservations, and what options they had to get to US. People came up to me and said they had no idea and many just got on the phone.

      So basically the United staff while very nice are very poor communicators. I left to catch my domestic but met up with some passengers later who said United offered them a $20 food voucher for compensation which I didn't get. Ha.

      Qantas and Hawaiian flights were great. As for the United flight, they decided to remove all TVs/screens from the plane and replace it with this streaming wi-fi system which you could watch with your tablet/computer phone. Guess what, it broke. For most in the plane it was 8 hours of staring at nothing. Very glad we had 2 phones, 2 tablets, and a laptop between us.

      TL;DR: United suck. Advice is don't fly them albeit they are the cheapest.

• 

  JediJan on 30/03/2014 - 13:34

  No Nintendo gear in your "must haves." Ok perhaps you are not taking any children with you. I purchased a Caribou shoulder bag from Qantas frequent flyer shop for my son which carries all his essentials nicely. Lots of zippered pockets etc and man friendly too; adjustable so can be worn across the body (safer). Usually the tickets, wallet, keys, iPad, mobile phone, headsets, his 3Ds, games, wifi modem, multiple cables and several chargers and replacement batteries for everything and still plenty more room left for some tissues and snacks. Yes, a bottle holder on side too. Don't bother with cameras as the smartphones are quite satisfactory for our requirements. Qantas frequent flyer shop usually gets a bagging from customers but we have been quite happy with this sturdy little carry on bag. Don't mind giving a good rap on products that are worthwhile, especially if someone is looking to "spend" some of their frequent flyer points.

  Ps. All our mobiles are Vodafone roaming and are international acceptable with countries (like UK) that have Vodafone - 3 reciprocal agreements. We did not have any extra call costs when my mother last travelled overseas; apparently all were covered in our free Vodafone to Vodafone minutes. Hopefully this has not changed for when she travels again in a few months time.

  • 

    JediJan on 01/04/2014 - 10:51

    +1

    Ps. That Caribee (apologies for previous misspelling) is 6,000 Qantas frequent flyer points (reduced from 8,000 points. Offer ends 30th April, 2014.

    If anyone is interested this is it:

    https://store.qantas.com/Catalogue.a2?Page=ViewProduct&Produ…

• 

  Tnetennba on 03/04/2014 - 02:15

  Those inflatable neck pillows, eye mask and earphones are a lifesaver for long-haul flights. It makes sleeping so much easier and they are very light to take in your bag. Would recommend, even if you have to pay a few bucks more than what you did.

  Last time I went overseas it was to Japan for 6-7 weeks. Only took a 10" tablet, and it was pretty good. Got a bit annoying sometimes when I wanted to multi-task. I would take an 11" ultrabook/netbook next time if I could, however I only have a 13.3" ultrabook @ 1.3kg. Not too bad, but not wanting to lug that everywhere.

  If I travelled a lot, I would most likely buy a surface pro 2 for the right price.

  • 

    Astro551 on 09/04/2014 - 01:23

    Ah yes those pillows, my mum can't stop raving about them, might actually try them out one day. Yeh 1.3kg isn't too bad, although were you taking your tablet on the go - or just using it where you were staying? If that's the case then a lappy would probably be ideal. But if you're on the go would've just used the phone.

    • 

      Tnetennba on 13/04/2014 - 01:55

      I would leave it in the hotel as every hotel has had a safe. My next trip I will probably just take a pack and smaller backpack, so I will just take my tablet as I hardly use it and it's less to worry about if it were to be damaged.

      Actually a funny story - I was in Auckland on Queen Street near the top (quite steep), and dropped my Samsung galaxy note 10.1 - ouch! It slid down the street for a few metres and I was sure it'd be smashed to pieces - NOPE! Just a few minor scratch marks from the skidding but otherwise 100% fine. So lucky :P Maybe it's just meant to be my travel companion after all :)

      Can't imagine dropping my $1300 ultrabook though, I would cry immediately.

• 

  PLANT on 12/04/2014 - 19:48

  I note that charger has gone up to $45 from Kogan!
  I have QC15's but the QC20's I just got are smaller and just as good(hear everyones conversations)
  I pack a few more ziplock bags
  Sugarless lollies for the flights ups and down.
  Just booked two flights with united and really peeved that the website made me pay in AU instead of the US prices using credit card…rang them and told could not pay US prices with AU CC….since found out could have and complaints gone in….$20+ conversion tax they charge!
  I think books good for flat batteries.
  What did you actually carry this all in?
  AT&T I used across the states….not necessary better coverage than T-mobile!
  How did you get 3 priority passes…as I have the Sig card and only sent one…did you say expiry coming up..watch you don't get billed twice if use more than twice as same account? You do realise it can only be used for owner and Wife\girl will get billed on you CC if try to get her in same time! Let us know what LAX lounge is like…when you back?
  Used the Regis card yet…all current ozbargain to get card not working for me :(
  Foldup umbrella is handy in backpack.
  Peak cap.
  How much did you pay for GOPRO and do you have extension handle?
  What is that extracare card?

• 

  honeydew on 14/04/2014 - 21:59

  I just thought of something, really off topic but maybe neil is still in the states or an idea for someone visiting soon. If your hotel offers free wifi or ethernet, instead of using mobile minutes create a google voice account (if it's still free) with your US number. Of course this requires a web browser to create the account, speaker and mic. The browser may also need a plug in.

  • 

    neil on 14/04/2014 - 23:51

    I tried signing up before I left but I think I needed a US number to use voice, one that I was able to receive text messages on. Unfortunately, the Globalsim doesn't receive texts.

• 

  jy808 on 15/04/2014 - 08:56

  Has anyone ever tried taking their GoPro pole/GoPole/retractable camera stick on board as carry on? Just wondering if this would raise any security concerns which includes them confiscating the stick/pole.

• 

  dts2956m on 15/04/2014 - 15:43

  I usually take a couple of Memory Sticks loaded up with shows and movies. (I usually forget one as I check out of the hotel)
  I have found that modern hotel TVs now have USB ports.
  Oh and i wouldn't go anywhere without my Kindle Paperwhite