A few weeks ago, TripIt hosted another travel chat on Twitter, this time asking participants about their best tips for travel tech and gear. Check out some of the key takeaways from our last #TripItChat.
Less is More
Almost everyone was unanimous when they gave their favorite packing tip – pack light! Jetsetters have known this for a long time, but for many of us it’s a challenge to not check a bag when leaving on a trip.
@ThePointsGuy put it best when he tweeted “You don’t need everything you think you do.” Indeed, it seems that the old maxim of packing half of what you need still holds true.
Other participants shared how they organize their bags, usually with plastic storage bags. Travel expert @earthXplorer is a big fan of keeping clothes and electronics tidy using plastic storage bags when he’s on the road.
Sharing is Caring
Thanks to improved technology, taking and sharing travel photos has never been easier.
@Greenbeanie13 uses his iPhone to take photos on the go and shares them with friends back home as soon as he finds a free Internet connection.
Other participants were more traditional though; @dspunkytraveler said he’ll choose a regular camera over a phone anytime. For sharing photos from a DSLR or point-and-shoot camera, many participants use sharing services like Flickr so your friends and family can see them right away.
Stay Safe on the Road
Most of us travel with lots of electronics so it’s more important than ever to stay smart and safe. Chat participant @SandiMcKenna echoed the thoughts of many when she tweeted “Bring very few valuables!”
Do you really need multiple cameras? Can you consolidate more? Also be sure to not draw attention to yourself. When touring around a new town, don’t use a traditional camera bag instead use something that’s more discrete.
Everyone Love Apps
Smartphone apps have undoubtedly changed the way we travel. In addition to TripIt, which helps organize travel plans, chat participants had a long list of favorite travel apps. Some of the most popular were:
- TripAdvisor for recommendations on where to stay and what to do
- Yelp and Zagat for finding the best restaurants
- Google Maps, Hopstop for transit and directions
- Foursquare and Around Me for local discovery
What piece of travel tech or gear can’t you leave home without?
Not sure what a Twitter chat is? As additional background, TripIt holds a monthly chat on Twitter on the hashtag #TripItChat. Every month there’s a new travel topic where we encourage participants to share advice with one another. To learn more, please see: http://landlopers.com/2013/05/01/tripitchat/
And don’t forget to join us for the next #TripItChat on July 18th at 10:00AM Pacific/1:00PM Eastern when we will be talking about summer road trips!
