There’s a good chance if you’ve been traveling for any length of time that you’re better at it now than you were in the past. Each trip represents an opportunity to refine your packing habits, shave off a few minutes at the airport, and find the best airfare deals. What you want to do is identify some common blind spots in your travel strategy that can set you back as you move forward.

These are 10 common travel mistakes you shouldn’t make.

1. Booking Too Far In Advance

Purchasing plane tickets at the very last minute carries some risks (not finding a ticket) and rewards (getting a great deal). The opposite is also true however, booking too far in advance can lock you into unnecessarily high airfare.

2. Never Using AirBnb or Hotels

In some cases one or the other can be better. Limiting yourself to only hotels or vacation rentals can have you missing amenities, deals, and a more local experience. Search both and find out which might be best for you on every trip.

3. Airport To Accommodation

Even people who don’t like to plan should have a good idea on how to get from your arrival point to the place you’re staying before you get there. You’re most vulnerable to scams, overpaying, and losing time with all your luggage while you wait around trying to figure out how to call a cab. foXnoMad Podcast guest Laurie Woolever‘s book World Travel: An Irreverent Guide has details for many major cities worldwide.

World Travel: An Irreverent Guide

Buy on Amazon

4. Over-Packing

Put all the stuff and clothes you’ll need for a week. Anything more means you’ve packed too much stuff you won’t need or can’t just get at your destination.

5. Not Using Mileage Programs

One flight is enough to warrant using a mileage program. Here’s how to make the most of them and since most program miles never expire, they can add up, even if you fly infrequently.

For the remaining 5 travel mistakes (some of my personal favorites on the list) check out the video here.

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The Ridge Check In is a rugged piece of luggage made of highly durable materials very similar to their Carry On. In many ways it’s like Ridge took their popular Carry On and zapped it with an enlargement ray. The result is a hard shell 4 wheel roller that is strong and spacious but suffers from growing pains.

You can watch the full video review above and read on for more.

Hard Body

The Ridge Check In comes in 5 different colors from bright basecamp orange to the sleek alpine blue. No matter which color you decide on all of the Check In versions have a matte poly-carbonate shell. In theory the matte finish, instead of a flat or glossy one, should help with scratches and scuffing, something hard shell luggage is especially prone too. Even with the two rubber bumpers running vertically down the front of the Check In it won’t take more than a flight or two for the first signs of wear. (To help combat this Ridge have included a cleaning eraser that does a decent job of wiping off scuffs but you’ll have to be diligent about using it after each trip.)

The poly-carbonate shell is thick to help add to the durability of the case and other Ridge luggage I’ve tested has held up well to frequent travel wear and tear. Like the Carry On the Check In also has aluminum corner protectors to prevent the corners getting turned inward from being tossed around. Those too scratch fairly quickly but again, no luggage looks like new for long.

Water Shell

The Check In has YKK zippers and an IPX3 rating meaning it can resist a strong downpour of rain and keep the contents dry. Most luggage doesn’t have (or the manufacturers don’t bother) to get an IPX rating for their bags so Ridge have gone above and beyond here. They’ve also made the most of the interior space – the Check In is 70 liters and compared to other premium bags of similar dimensions – Ridge have been able to squeeze out just a few more liters in the same space.

What’s Missing

The weight is also on the lighter side for hard shell luggage of this size (67.3 x 47 x 26.7 centimeters or 26.5 x 18.5 x 10.5 inches). The Check In has a few kilos on soft sided luggage but at 4.6 kilograms or 10.2 pounds, isn’t has heavy as the hard shell competition average. The interior is lined with light but durable 210 denier polyester (labeled with plenty of Ridge logos) with a clam shell design. One side has compression straps while the other has a mesh zippered window to keep contents in their place. I’d prefer compression straps on both sides to better keep contents in their place during baggage handling but being hard shell helps compensate just a bit.

The lack of a handle or hard plastic bar on the bottom of the Check In is also a major lacking. On the smaller Carry On a handle not being there isn’t as big of an issue because presumably the bag will be lighter simply by being a smaller bag. For the much larger Check In though, picking up 20 kilos (or 30 plus pounds) of weight with nothing but the rubber zipper lining to grip isn’t very comfortable at all. I’m afraid it will wear on the bag over time and eventually give out. Not to mention drops or mishandles trying to pack the Check In on trains, car trunks, or other higher surfaces.

The Check In has the durability and lifetime warranty to set your mind at ease but keep in mind this is a $450 piece of luggage. There is a lot of competition at this size though with Away, Monos, and Samsonite all making luggage that’s nearly as durable but runs $100 or more cheaper. If you’re the kind of person that changes your checked luggage frequently, then you might want to look at some of the less expensive but still premium alternatives. But if you don’t mind the higher premium price for the minimalist look and rugged build, the Ridge Check In is a bag that should last you a long time.

The post The Ridge Check In Luggage Suffers From Scale appeared first on foXnoMad.

We know that using this zipper trick can help to deter stealthy thieves from getting to your valuables but when it comes to more brazen criminals what your bag is made of can make a big difference. Slash attacks are when a crook cuts through your backpack to get at its contents, either when it’s on your back or when it might be under your seat on a bus or train.

To see whether or not nylon’s strength is worth its weight in protection versus lighter polyester and then even cheaper fabric blends, I put them to the test. Using several sharp kitchen knives I cut to the bottom of the question and found that material matters but not the way you might think. You can see the results in the video above to see whether your backpack holds up or what you might want to look for in your next luggage.

The post Does Backpack Material Make A Difference Against Thieves? appeared first on foXnoMad.

Finding a travel bag that’s just the right size – not too big but not anxiety-inducing small isn’t easy but Patagonia’s Black Hole Wheeled Duffel comes close but doesn’t work where you might need it most.

You can watch the full review in the video above or read on.

Less Shiny But Still Glossed

The Black Hole is a long standing line by Patagonia and the wheeled version of this duffel is 70 liters and comes in several color options, black, buckhorn green, and touring red. Patagonia says this redesign of the Black Hole is less shiny then the previous versions but make no mistake, the recycled polyester rip-stop used here is noticeably glossy.

The hard plastic back is covered with the same polyester but has a matte finish and contrasts nicely with the shinier elements. The Black Hole 70 liter version measures 70 centimeters by 35.5 by 30 centimeters and the use of polyester here makes it about 25 grams to a kilogram on average lighter than similarly sized luggage in this price range that uses nylon. The reduction in weight also comes with better weatherproofing since it uses TPU-film laminate.

Keep On Rolling

The wheel bolts are placed on the outside and exposed which has lead to other users reporting damaged, dented, and misaligned wheels, especially when the Black Hole gets chucked about by baggage handlers. I haven’t had any problems and it might not be a problem for you depending on how you use this bag.

There’s also a lack of handles on the Black Hole. Being a duffel, you have a large snap-able grip on the front that goes over the main opening of the bag but there are no other handles on the sides, making it difficult to get a hold of at certain angles. There’s a plastic handle on the bottom of the Black Hole but a flimsy fabric grip on the top, making for an uneven hold. In situations where you’re just throwing the Black Hole into a car trunk or back of a truck, it’s not an issue. For train overheads or airport luggage carousels though you’re going to miss those handles which are common on most other bags.

Spacious Gravity

Patagonia have really maximized the interior space giving you a large 70 liters to work with. There is one big bucket with no interior dividers and there’s usable space right into the corners. Internal compression straps give you a little more room if you pack softer items like clothing that can be tightened down.

The interior space is good for gear or longer trips and it’s one of the roomier 70 liter bags I’ve come across (though from the outside it doesn’t look that big). To me, the Black Hole is a good back for hauling gear for fishing, skiing, or hiking, that’s going to go right into a car. It’s also good for family road trips but doesn’t have the best feature set for airports. Trust me, you’ll be looking for those side handles in a lot of situations so while the size of the Patagonia Black Hole 70 liter is spacious without feeling excessive, carrying all of that weight, at least on planes, will have to wait.

The post Patagonia’s Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Is Grounded appeared first on foXnoMad.

We could all use a little more space from our suitcases and aside from packing less or getting a bigger bag how you fold your clothes can make a big difference. It turns out that rolling your shirts and pants can significantly save space, reduce wrinkles, but not if you’re short on time.

Watch The Technique

You can see in the video above on how to roll shirts (sleeves in, collars forward) and pants (split down the middle and rolled straight) results in space savings of around 44%. That is a lot of added space compared to folding and just a little more than having no method at all. It turns out the throw everything in your bag and smash it down so the zippers close is a valid method only 11% less efficient.

In between though on the scale of time, is folding. Rolling is the slowest method, free for all the fastest, and folding lands in the middle. You can see there are advantages and disadvantages to each packing method so if you’re short on time, fold or throw, but keep in mind that luggage won’t be as efficient. Rolling takes more time not just at packing but also repacking, which can add up if you’re taking a multi-city trip.

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