Posts related to travel category

21 Things I LOVE About Travel

Vinay Patankar · 17 May, 2015 · Travel

I travel a lot. I've basically been a digital nomad for over 5 years, earning a living running (and failing at) start ups and various internet companies. I have visited hundreds of cities and met a lot of crazy people. Thus I know a thing or two about sleep hacks and travel gear. But even after all this time, I still love travelling. Travel is awesome. Here's why: 1. I don’t have to shave 2. Every day is an adventure 3. I have more time to read 4. I get to try new beer 5. I’m a friendlier person 6. I'm less fashion conscious (usually) 7. I’m forced into awkward situations outside my comfort zone 8. There’s no TV 9. I meet someone new everyday 10. Every day is the weekend 11. I have more time to write 12. I’m getting used to funky smells 13. I learn all day every day – kinda like school, only fun 14. I judge less 15. I no longer let ‘what I do for a job’ define me 16. I’ve become more comfortable on my own 17. Food! So much new food 18. I sleep less… It’s ok, I can sleep when I’m dead 19. I’m more relaxed 20. I have few material possessions to worry about 21. I smile more What do you love about travel? Related read in Travel: Travel and Me.

A Simple Tip for Socialising while Travelling Solo (or How to Have Mind Blowing Nights Out when you’re on your Own)

Vinay Patankar · 02 May, 2015 · People · Travel

Travelling alone is one of the best things I've ever done. It opened my eyes to both the external world and internally into my own personality and mind. One of the changes I had to quickly adapt to was that if I wanted any type of human interaction I had to go out and find it. Moving about constantly means you need to be able to make friends quickly or else you may find yourself eating dinner alone, which is no fun. While there are hundreds of ways you can go about meeting people while travelling, with hanging out in a hostel being one of the easiest, I want to share a simple strategy that I used all the time in every country with a 90% success rate (I just made up that number but it basically works all the time). It’s also a strategy you can use if you are staying in a nicer hotel or on a business trip so don’t worry if you don’t plan on going backpacking any time soon. ## The Bar Strategy Sounds like a pretty unique strategy right? Just read... If you're travelling on your own (even if you're in your own city really) and feel like meeting someone new and not spending the evening alone, here is what you do. Spend your day sightseeing or in your meetings. While you're going about during the day look out for bars that you feel are your kind of style. When I say a bar, I mean a place with a bar. Not a lounge, not a club and not a beer garden. You want somewhere that has an actual bar, around the bar tender area with stools you can go and sit on. Plus they should serve food. If you see a place during the day, pop in quickly and chat to the bar tender. > You: “Hey, I’m new in town and looking for somewhere to hang out tonight, what’s this place like? BT: Its good / Its bad. \If it seems like somewhere cool that you could hang out at, and it seems like it gets a little busy follow up with this.\ You: Awsome, sounds cool. I think I’ll head back here later. Thanks so much for helping me out. What’s your name? BT: No problems, I’m Julie. You: Julie, nice to meet you. I’m Vinay. Are you going to be working tonight? BT: Nah, I finish at three. You: Ahh, too bad. I wanted to see you again so I could give you a HUGE tip for helping me out. Do you know who is going to be working tonight? BT: Yeh its Dave I think. You: Dave hey, what does he look like? BT: (blah bla description) You: Ok cool. Thanks again Julie, it was nice talking to you. I may see you again tomorrow. What you have just done there is properly sussed out a venue. It’s only a 1 min conversation but if you jump into 5 different bars throughout your daily venturing, it can seriously help out the quality of your night. Plus, now you have something to talk about when you go back in later. It works just as well if the bartender is still going to be working that evening. Come back into the bar, ideally earlyish. 6 or 7. With the plan to eat dinner and get a few drinks (or not if you don’t drink). Sit down at the bar, in the middle of the bar. Next to other people and ideally near the section where people come and buy drinks. Strike up a conversation with Dave telling him how you met Julie earlier. Tell him you’re new into town or on holiday. Ask him what is happening in the area tonight. Talk LOUD (but not obnoxiously) so that others in the bar can hear your conversation and contribute. As soon as you get chatting with the people next to you, introduce yourself. Find out what they're up to (if they're staying for a few or about to leave is all you need to know). If they're staying for a while, offer to buy them a drink straight away. Don’t worry, you will get one back. Tip the bartender big the first time. You now have a whole bar full of friends. When people (read girls) come up to the bar to order their drinks, bring them into your conversation. Introduce the girls to the bartender and to your new friends. Can you see the snowballing effects here? Don't worry if the bar isn't the coolest place in the world. You can always move on later in the night. Also, don't worry if you don't get a chance to check it out during the day. If its fairly busy and has a bar, it still works fine. I can’t tell you how many crazy nights I have had that have started off in this exact manner. I've ended up being taken out by the bar tenders, the people next to me and the girls that walk up. To all sorts of crazy places, in different countries. You never know where you'll end up. As a closing rule, if you are travelling and out to experience. Try Do not to say no to anything. If some old dude invites you to his kids birthday: Yes. If two seedy guys invite you to a strip club: Yes. If two beautiful girls invite you back to their place... Life can be awesome if you let it. If this People topic resonated, continue with Working while Travelling: Distractions and the Zone.

How to Sleep Anywhere Anytime - Travel Sleep Hacks

Vinay Patankar · 17 Apr, 2013 · Travel

I've been travelling for over 3 years and while I love it, I have found myself in dire need of sleep in many strange places. Couches in random peoples houses, rooms in raging college parties, bustling 18 bed dorms in hostels and of course planes, airports, bus stops, trains etc... With so many changing sleep environments it is essential to create a fool proof system to be able to sleep anywhere anytime, below is my system. The system might change a little depending the environment but this post will cover the essentials: ## Light blocking 1\. Eye Mask The eye mask is really the best tool for blocking light. Your face structure will depend on which mask works best for you. I have gone through a few. If you fly business they usually give you a pretty decent one, or you can pick them up at most airports. 2\. Hoodie Hoodies are an essential tool for traveling on planes, ideally zip up. Not only do they keep you warm and can be used to block light by putting the hood over your eyes (make sure hood is big enough to do this) but they are also great because you can hide your headphones without the flight attendants seeing that you are still listening to an electronic device (you will see why this is important below). P.S. I have not turned my electronic devices off on the last 40 flights I have taken... Don't worry, you won't bring down the plane. ## Noise Cancellation White Noise App This is a super hack. The White Noise App is available for both iOS and Android costs around $2 (there is a free lite version too) but is totally worth it. Even for 1 nights good sleep, $2 is a small price to pay, but for countless nights sleep, the value is infinite. Possibly the highest ROI app I have ever purchased. Get some quality noise cancellation headphones (sport headphones work well to if your roll around in your sleep a lot), close your eyes and listen to the world fade away. Use this in conjunction with a hoodie on flights, and sleep right through the safety announcements, takeoff and landing to get a sold extra 30-45 min sleep on a flight. ## Alarm Gentle Alarm I currently use this on my Nexus 7 tablet and really like it. It allows you to wake using any music on your device, I have it just play randomly from my playlist, it fades in music so you are not woken suddenly, it tracks your sleep patterns if you keep your tablet on your bed while you are sleeping and only wakes you when you are in a light sleep pattern within your given window and it makes you do math problems to turn it off! There you have it. With this combo you will be able to sleep through the next world war and wake up fresh for work on Monday. You can thank me later ;) If this Travel topic resonated, continue with The Luggage Conundrum (or How I Chose a Travel Bag).

Travel and Me

Vinay Patankar · 21 May, 2011 · Travel

One of the best things about my life recently has been the amount of travel I have been able to do. I love travel and am so grateful for all the places I have been and experiences I've had. Travel is amazing for so many reasons. It boosts confidence like nothing else, constantly facing the unknown makes you more comfortable in every situation. It makes you more social with people of all walks of life. It expands your knowledge in so many areas including culture, geography, history and language just to name a few. It makes you more interesting and gives you a holistic perspective of the world just to name a few. This has been my travel for the last year and a half: - Sydney, Australia - Dec 2009 - Bangkok, Thailand - Jan 2010 - Vientiane, Laos - Jan 2010 - Bangkok, Thailand - Feb 2010 - Vancouver, Canada - Feb 2010 - Manhattan, USA - Mar 2010 - Vancouver, Canada - Mar 2010 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - April 2010 - London, UK - April 2010 - Leeds, UK - April 2010 - Edinburgh, UK - April 2010 - Whitby, UK April 2010 - Budapest, Hungary, April 2010 - Dublin, Ireland - May 2010 - Budapest, Hungary - May 2010 - Lake Balaton, Hungary - June 2010 - Budapest, Hungary, June 2010 - Berlin, Germany - July 2010 - Dublin, Ireland - July 2010 - Barcelona, Spain - August 2010 - Ibiza, Spain - August 2010 - Barcelona, Spain - August 2010 - Vancouver, Canada - September 2010 - Las Vegas, USA - October 2010 - Vancouver, Canada - October 2010 - Las Vegas, USA - Jan 2011 - Vancouver, Canada - Jan 2011 - Tempe, USA - Feb 2011 - Las Vegas, USA - Mar 2011 - Tempe, USA - Mar 2011 - Lake Havasu, USA - Mar 2011 - Tempe, USA - Mar 2011 - Pittsburgh, USA - Mar 2011 - Fort Lauderdale, USA - Mar 2011 - Miami, USA - Mar 2011 - Tempe, USA - Mar 2011 - Los Angeles, USA - April 2011 - Current Location - Australia, April 2011 UPDATE - 25-Nov-2012 - Tempe, USA - Jul 2011 - Cabarete, Dominican Republic - Sep 2011 - Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic - Jan 2012 - Punta Cana, Dominican Republic - Apr 2012 - Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic - Ju 2012 - Tempe, USA - Jul 2012 - San Francisco, USA - Jul 2012 - New York, USA - Aug 2012 - Bangkok, Thailand - Aug 2012 - Koh Samui, Thailand - Sep 2012 - Sydney, Australia - Oct, 2012 - San Francisco, USA - Oct 2012 - Tempe, USA - Nov 2012 - San Francisco, USA - Nov 2012 UPDATE - 4-April-2013 - Las Vegas, USA - Jan 2013 - Santa Cruz, USA - Feb 2013 - Los Angeles, USA - Feb 2013 - San Diego, USA - Feb 2013 - Tempe, USA - Feb 2013 - Pittsburgh, USA - Feb 2013 - Shanghai, China - Mar 2013 - Ningbo, China - Mar 2013 - Hong Kong, China - Mar 2013 - Macau, China - Mar 2013 - Los Angeles, USA - Mar 2013 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Mar 2013 Update - 28-April-2015 - Santiago, Chile - Mar 2014 - Uruguay - Apr 2014 - Chile - Apr - 2014 - New York - Sep 2014 - Boston - Sep 2014 - San Francisco - Feb 2015 If this Travel topic resonated, continue with 21 Things I LOVE About Travel.

Just say YES! And a Tattoo!

Vinay Patankar · 17 Feb, 2011 · People · Travel

For the last year or so I have been trying to live my life much like the Yes Man (you know that good book by that guy and the crappy movie with Jim Carrey). It’s amazing what can happen in your life if you just say yes. There are a whole bunch of quotes I could pull to this argument and I have talked about the importance of decision making in the past. Men (and women) should make decisions and that decision should be yes – most of the time anyway. And once you say yes, you need to DO IT, and DO IT GOOD! Take my last 2 years for example. I made the decision to quit my job and travel. I then made a decision to make money while I travel. I travelled all over the world (South East Asia, Europe and North America) while making money and having all sorts of crazy experiences which I loved. While I was in Canada, I made a decision to enter the Shoemoney Contest which I won controversially and lead me to Vegas. In Vegas I met Adolfo Salazar who I now work for. I met Shoemoney and DK who are great guys. I moved to Tempe, Arizona to work with Adolfo for a couple of months, I then plan to spend Summer in Costa Rica. This is life in Tempe: In March I am going to Vegas for Lead Con, Austin for SXSW, Lake Havasu for Spring Break and Miami for Ultra Music Festival. While I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t decide to say yes, I also wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have support and help of others. Such as my uncle in Vancouver, Adolfo and Jeremy Schoemaker. Humans are social creatures and we progress much faster when we work together (something many internet marketers don’t embrace). Relationships are everything. Relationships are created through commonalities and shared experiences and are maintained through loyalty and trust. And because I promised to get a Shoemoney tattoo if I won the contest AND the black jack hand here it is.... Now that’s Abstract Living... And thanks again Jeremy, my life has changed directions (once more) thanks to you. Related read in People: Networking Awesomely Review.

$2,000 Black Jack Hand - #ASW11

Vinay Patankar · 22 Jan, 2011 · Travel

Here is the video of the $2,000 Blackjack hand I did at Vegas. Here is the story in case you missed it: - Shoemoney's Crazy Affiliate Summit West Contest - My Entry - Finalists Announced - The Controversy - Winner Announced! - A day at ASW - ASW - Recap, Photos and Video ## Video of the $2k Blackjack Hand Awesome time, thanks Shoemoney! A strong follow-up in Travel is A Day at Affiliate Summit West 2011 #ASW11.

Affiliate Summit West #ASW11 - Recap, Video and Photos

Vinay Patankar · 20 Jan, 2011 · Business · Travel

Its been more than a week since I have gotten back from Affiliate Summit West 2011 (#ASW11) and wheels are turning. I am thinking it may have been the most productive few days of my life, even though all I did was get wasted all night and wake up at 5pm each day. Here is a video of my time in Vegas. (click here if you cant see the video) You may notice there is very little of the 'actual conference'. That's because I didn't really go to much of the 'actual conference'.... Hell I didn't even use my free breakfast's, lunches and I think I used about 2/10 of my drink vouchers... Some people may say that I wasted the time there because I didn't go to any of the sessions and didn't learn anything (which I know is what many of the others who entered Shoemoney's Contest wanted to do. But I beg to differ. I learned HEAPS. But what I learned, will never be told at a session or keynote. Its the real shit. I also made some deep relationships. I went to Affiliate Summit knowing nobody. Like literally nobody. But I have gotten very used to rocking up to places knowing nobody and quickly making friends. It is kinda necessary when you are a solo traveller. I left ASW with a bunch of new contacts. But not just business cards. Real projects that are in the works. On top of that I made new friends. It is really hard to really befriend someone when you meet them during the day at a networking event. Sure you may have things in common, sure you may have an interesting conversation, maybe even go for lunch or something. But it is still surface level. To build a relationship and you need to have shared experiences. There is almost no way around it. So how do you do this? Well... going out partying until 8am is a good start. Doing stupid shit helps too: My goal at ASW11 was to make some solid connections. I didn't want to come back with a bunch of business cards and no follow up plans and I didn't want to come back having not met anyone but listed to a bunch of speeches which I could learn in a few hours of research on my own (no disrespect to any of the speakers). But hey, that was just my strategy going in knowing nobody. Next time it will probably be a little different as I will arrange to meet people in advance now that I know a few people. What is your general conference strategy? \[gallery orderby="rand"\] A strong follow-up in Business is A Day at Affiliate Summit West 2011 #ASW11.

A Day at Affiliate Summit West 2011 #ASW11

Vinay Patankar · 12 Jan, 2011 · Travel

4:50pm – Woke up at the Wynn overlooking Las Vegas Blv. 4:55pm – Got out of bed to check my phone that kept beeping. Had message to go to lunch – 4.5 hours ago... Organise to meet a friend downstairs for food and to watch the BCS game. 5:45pm – Get downstairs and get in line for food. 5:50pm – Realise Shoemoney is launching his new product in 10 minutes, so run off to the announcement room for the only event/speech I will see all ASW. 6-7pm – Watch product launch of Link Control and get a free lifetime pass. C ya later Hypertracker. 7:30pm – Roll with Shoemoney to play my $2k blackjack hand. I get dealt a 13 against a 10, land an 8 on the hit for 21. Dealer is 18. Winner winner chicken dinner! 8:00pm – Eat dinner/breakfast with Shoemoney and crew at Switch. 10:00pm – Head over to the Affiliate Ball at Rio with a VIP ticket. Watch 3-6 Mafia rock the house. 1:00am – Head over to the Veniusian for a drink 1:30am - Head over to XS at the Wynn 3:00am – Have a 'drink' with a nice young lady in my hotel room 7:00am – Sleep time It's a tough life... Photos and video to come For another Travel angle, read Affiliate Summit West #ASW11 - Recap, Video and Photos.

The Ultimate Contest - Shoemoney, Affiliate Summit and the Playboy Mansion!

Vinay Patankar · 28 Dec, 2010 · Travel

# Wow Oh WOW! Could this possibly be the best possible prize, contest thingy ever to be created? Two points, that instantly highlight the craziness of this contest: 1. An opportunity to roll with Shoemoney at Affiliate Summit West 2. A ticket to the Epic Playboy Mansion Party I can't decide which one is better. I know that spending a weekend with Shoemoney will completely change my life forever. And that's not just some "oh yay lets go and get feelings and be all emotional and see the light" warm and fuzzy life changing crap. I'm talking direct, immediate repercussions that will hockey stick my income, network, reputation and lifestyle immediately. Buuuut, the Playboy Mansion.... This is something that has been on my "top 10 things I want to do before I die" forever like... You could have all the money in the world and not be guaranteed entry to the mansion. Well.. if you had all the money in the world you could probably get in, but you know what I mean... The good thing is if I win this contest, I won't have to choose! Because Shoemoney, the mad man that he is, is giving away the opportunity to win both of these fantabulous prizes in one hit! Oh he's also chucking in some other cool bonuses like a free trip to Vegas and a $2,000 blackjack hand to sweeten the pot! This post is my entry to said contest which you can read all about here. ### Why I Deserve to Take this Puppy Home First a bit about me. My name is Vinay, how you doing? A year ago I took it upon myself to redesign my life. I was 24, working in a good job in Sydney as an IT Recruiter. Life was good, I was earning 6 figures, had lots of toys, but it wasn't Shoemoney good. And I wasn't free. I wanted excitement, adventure, riches, travel, VEGAS!! So I set off, off to see the world. For the last year I travelled through South East Asia, Europe and North America. But before leaving I took it upon myself to get set up with some income to help me along the way and truly achieve my goals. Having an already fairly strong background in IT and business the internet seemed the way to go. My first endeavour was an e-commerce store which is still running strong and has been my main earner over 2010. While travelling I worked on this business and quickly learned the ways of the internet world. Heineken Festival, Lake Balaton, Hungary After 9 months of excessive partying like New Years in BKK, the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, 4 day festivals in Hungary, the biggest nightclub in the world in Ibiza, underground raves in Amsterdam, experiences in Berlin that I will not write about publicly and much other craziness it was time to get serious again. Deadmau5, Ibiza, Spain So a couple of months ago I relocated to Vancouver where I am now. I have stuck my head down doing 100 hour weeks and have got lots done. I released my first free product. My first collaborative ebook and my first paid product is currently in WSO testing. I have built niche sites like this and this. I have a full time VA and have assembled a team to produce my first app kicking off early in 2011, no links here, this one is hush, hush. I feel I am right before tipping point and am just looking for something to push me over the edge. Rolling with Shoemoney would without a doubt be the rocket fuel that pushes me to the next level. I wanted to move to Vancouver so I could have access to opportunities just like this. I made it to Blogworld for my first Vegas experience a few months ago which was mental but nothing compared to what I expect ASW to be! I also wanted to be in the same time zone and be closer to people who were more experienced and accomplished than me in the online world. They say you are the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time with so I want to make sure I spend my time with people I respect and who are better, faster and stronger than me. So far so good as I met my partner for my software project here already! ### Ok so why do you DESERVE to win? Well I don't know if I deserve to win or not, only our esteemed judges and super sexy voters will determine that. But what I do know is that I WILL maximize this opportunity to its fullest. Some people will tell you they party hard, but few people know what partying hard really is. Some people may tell you that they know how to be professional, but few people have pitched to Fortune 10 Investment Banks. Some people may tell you they are serious about making it online, but few people have put in the work to learn everything they possibly can AND act on it. Some people are applying for a free trip to Vegas, but few people understand the REAL value you are offering in this competition. CLICK HERE Hell, I will fly myself to Vegas for the opportunity to hang for a weekend. I don't care about the expenses or the blackjack hand (although I REALLY want that ticket to the Playboy party!) I know the value will be far beyond the immediate material benefits of the prize. In terms of what I can offer in return... What do you give the man who has everything? Well, I know I can offer fun company. I can tell you that I'm an easy going guy with a steadfast positive attitude. I have oodles of interesting stories, know how to have a good time and get along with people from all walks of life. I'm also a single man with lots of experience chasing girls all around the world if that's your kind of thing. I can be known to give good advice but I can also be known to tell it how it is which some people don't appreciate. In return, I prefer to be told how it is and I know Shoemoney is that kinda guy. You won't need to tread lightly with me. In terms of promotion: I will blog the whole experience and promote Shoemoney as the next Hugh Hefner to every good looking girl I come across for the rest of my life. I will do any type of interview or promotional campaigns you want. I will send everyone who helps me win this a personalised card filled with blue glitter and for the grand finale: If I win the blackjack bet, I will use the winnings to get the shoe money logo tattooed onto my back!!! Yes you heard me right. John Chow can even record it and post it on his blog! By the way, I don't have ANY tattoos so this is a pretty big deal. That's how bad I want this. I've thought about it many times and have always said, if I ever get a tattoo it needs to have a good story behind it. If I'm lucky, I might have just found my story. So please Shoemoney and his oh so very good looking staff, pick me!! My Future Possible Tattoo For another Travel angle, read Affiliate Summit West #ASW11 - Recap, Video and Photos. What happened next: - I'm a Finalist, Vote Now - Winning the Shoemoney Crazy Affiliate Contest, Part 1 - The $2,000 Blackjack Hand at ASW11 - Just Say Yes, and a Tattoo

The Luggage Conundrum (or How I Chose a Travel Bag)

Vinay Patankar · 15 Jul, 2010 · Travel

For a traveler, a bag is like the hermit crab's shell. It’s the last line of defense for your most valuable assets (besides body parts). Many people will give you advice when choosing a travel bag. People, who know lots, people who know little. The salesman, the taxi driver, colleagues at work and your mother. People who have travelled the world, people who have travelled the mall and people who think a backpack is what their kids use to carry their lunch to school. And now me! I’m not an expert on bags by any means, but I had to quickly upgrade my skillz as my bag was going to be my new home for the next 12 months and I didn’t want to regret my purchase. Below is the breakdown of how I made my decision. Your bag choice is dependent on 3 key factors. 1. Where you’re going 2. What you’re doing 3. Your body type In my situation, I am going on a diverse trip that will include cities and mountains, formal and informal. This means that I wanted a bag that would cover a variety circumstances. I am also 182cm (6 foot), meaning I can handle most types and sizes of bag. This is different to someone going on hiking or on a business trip. Below is what I looked for in a pack: 1. Easy to pack and access stuff 2. Easy to maneuver – on average, across all terrain 3. Durable 4. Lockable 5. Designed to suit both formal and non-formal occasions ## The Options: ### Trekking Backpack These are your standard, top loading, mountain climbing backpacks. They give you the most back support, the best waste strap and weight distribution of all backpacks, which is obviously helpful if you are climbing a mountain. They are also very durable. Unfortunately most of them are top loaders, which I found from my last trip was incredibly annoying. If you wanted to access something in the middle of the bag, you need to pull everything out. I can imagine this would be more annoying on the side of a frozen mountain, but maybe less annoying than a sore back... they are also not lockable, mostly come in bright colours and generally look pretty sporty. ### Travel Backpack Travel packs are fast becoming the preferred choice for post-adolescent vagabonders. Basically they are trekking packs but with a different ‘access structure?’. Instead of top loading the bag, they have zips that go around the bag opening 1/3 – 2/3rds of the bag. This makes it much easier to access things inside, it also makes them lockable. The downside to the change in shape of the pack is less support and weight distribution. But unless you are going on 10+ day treks, you won’t be able to tell the difference. Travel packs also come in tamer designs, sections to pack away the back straps and generally look more presentable. ### Wheeled Backpack The tool of the flashpacker. Wheeled backpacks are relatively new, especially the models that work well. A decent wheeled backpack will come with wheels and a handle that pops out to move across flat surfaces plus shoulder and waste straps. They will open almost as well as a suitcase 60-80% giving excellent access. They come in formal designs that allow you to pack up the straps and wheel it around to look important like. On the negative side, they are the worst backpack you can get. But again, you probably won’t notice this unless you are going on long treks or you over-pack. They have a frame like a suitcase to keep the shape and they are built for optimal weight distribution while wheeling, not trekking. ### Duffle Bag/Wheeled Duffle Bag Ahh the duffle bag, usually sported by athletes (I think they get them for free?), mobsters (AKs and cash of course) and private school kids in Sydney’s North Shore (no idea why – and they’re all from a store called Country Road). Duffle bags open well - about 2/3’s of the bag - making packing and accessing your stuff a breeze. They have a single shoulder strap and some have wheels making them good for inner and inter-city gallivanting. However, a single shoulder strap can become very uncomfortable and is ergonomic suicide for your back if you’re carrying over 10kgs and walk for more than 30 min. They either look sporty or dodgy and no frame means that smart clothes can lose their shape. ### Suitcase I am not going to explain what a suitcase is. If you don’t know what one is, you’re an idiot and should stop reading my blog. Suitcases are good because they open up 100% of the way and have a strong frame. This means packing, unpacking, and accessing your stuff is great and they also keep delicate clothes and other items intact. They will come with wheels, making them good for city movement but try and get on a crowded bus or walk down a pebble airstrip with one and you suddenly find yourself in a world of pain. ## My Verdict: The wheeled backpack. As mentioned above, I was looking for 5 criteria in my selection. The only pack that matched all of these was the Wheeled Backpack. I am not going to be hiking for the next 12 months, I will mostly be in cities and towns. I may have to walk for long distances, but most of the time I will be on a road where I can wheel. It was a close decision between the travel backpack and the wheeled - the argument was “wheeled backpacks are gay and you will look like a geek not like a cool hipster backpacker” - but in the end, I chose functionality over fashion. Function over fashion is key when moving towards a minimalistic lifestyle. Plus I can always open it into a backpack before I walk into hostels so I look cool. ### The Pack: The best rated wheeled pack I found was the Victorinox Trek Pack plus. This thing has more patients than you can throw a stick at. Plus Victorinox is known for its quality luggage, lifetime guarantee and perfect wheels. Unfortunately, they don’t sell these in Australia anymore… I don’t know why something about being discontinued or upgraded something… and ordering stuff from the US to Australia is a freekin nightmare. So I went with the Caribee Fast Track 75 pack. The Fast Track is a good option. For starters, its 1/3 the price of the Victorinox. It has a good access structure, with a main section and bottom section for breaking up your stuff. Both of these open well giving about 80% access. Both sections are also lockable. It has strong, big, treaded wheels that can go over rough terrain, has wheel covers to protect my precious clothes from the dirt plus is built with a durable, waterproof material (although water can still get in from the zips). The waste strap is good, holding most of the weight of the bag when using as a backpack and it looks fairly professional (black colour) when all the straps are packed. All in all, I’m quite happy with my purchase. I have not tested it in harsh climates or over razor blades but if it performs particularly well or poorly in a given situation, I will update this post. UPDATE: After using this bag for 6 months, I am extremely happy with my purchase. There has been literally no damage to the pack anywhere. The wheels are seriously a god send when you’re tired and not having to constantly take your bag on and off while moving around trains and busses is great. I ditched the day bag that it came with for a bigger computer backpack. So not having to carry a bag on both my front and back also makes everything much easier. In 6 months, I have used it as a backpack less than 10 times. This has only been for long walks on rough ground everywhere else I wheel it around. The compressor straps are great, making packing neater and easier. And the internal pockets and compartments are wonderful for keeping things organised. So yes, very the happy. What kind of bag do you use? If this Travel topic resonated, continue with How to Sleep Anywhere Anytime - Travel Sleep Hacks.

Backpacking in New York: Cheaper than you Think

Vinay Patankar · 19 Apr, 2010 · Travel

New York is an amazing city. Its somewhere I’ve always wanted to go and last month got to visit for the first time. My interest in business and finance kept it high on my list plus the fact it is the most used movie and TV backdrop - I’ve seen so many movies set in NYC its like I already knew the place. There is LOTS to do in New York. Like seriously heaps. So much that I would guess 99% of New Yorkers have only done half, if that. Not only is there lots, but there is a great range, something to fit all ages, budgets and tastes. Seeing how I visited New York as part of a larger trip, I didn't get the rich and glamorous experience I dreamt of. I was on a budget and the expected expensive price tag of the city was somewhat of a concern. But to my surprise, it wasn’t as pricey as expected. Below is a breakdown of my expenses while in NYC. (All prices in USD) ### Transport I flew into New Ark airport, which is a total dump airport in New Jersey. This airport scared me… New Ark is a hassle to get out of, but the transport is still cheap. Catch a bus for $2 then a two trains into Manhattan on the PATH train network (the subway that connects Manhattan and Jersey City) which costs $1.75. If you’re planning to spend some time in New York, stick $10 on a Metro Card which will give you access to the NYC Subways. You get a $1.50 bonus deposit and wont have to worry about buying a ticket for the next few days. The NYC subways are the shit (in a good way). Best transport network for a backpacker ever. They cost $2.25 a trip, there are stations every two blocks, they run all across Manhattan and the other 4 burrows 24 hours a day! Its very comforting to know you can run around the city at ridiculous times in the morning and not have to worry about how you’re going to get home. (super cheap tip: once inside the gates of the subway station, there is no way of telling if you have paid or not. Late at night some of the side doors to the stations are open and you can walk straight in. I found this by accident as I ran for a train and someone was walking out of the door) ### Accommodation Land is the hot commodity in New York. When people say this city is expensive, they are talking about the land (and thus accommodation). There isn't an inch of unused space. Hostels as usual will be your best bet. I stayed in a Hostel on the Upper West Side next to Central Park on Manhattan Island for $25 a night. About a 20 min walk or 5 min Subway ride to the bottom of Central Park where ‘downtown’ starts. This included a bed in a 10 bed dorm, shared bathrooms, free towels and a free continental breakfast (which I didn’t wake up in time for once..). With this as your minimum, you can go up to thousands of dollars a night. But for example a small double room with ensuite and TV in Greenwich area can be found for about $100 per night. ### Food Food can be found everywhere for fairly cheap. There are your standard fast food options, pizza by the slice, pita (doner kebab) and hot dog stands and 24 hour sandwich-convenience-beer stores on every corner. Expect to pay $4 for a slice of pizza or hot dog, $5 for a pita wrap, $8 for a fast food meal and $3-6 for a sandwich. For a healthier option, check out a wholefoods store. Wholefoods is a grocery store that focuses on healthy eating. But they also have a buffet and large eating area (in most stores). There is a salad, cold, hot, soup and desert bar. With over 100 options of different, pre-prepared healthy foods to choose from. You can mix and match what ever you want and they charge you $7.99 per pound. I found one of these stores half way through my stay and returned every day. ### Drinks Alcohol in New York (and America in general) is surprisingly cheap. If you buy from any type of corner store or supermarket, expect to pay less than $1 for a local beer. You can go even cheaper if you hit the malt liquor ‘40s’. That’s the same price as like, Thailand… Drinking in bars can be more expensive. Head down to some of the trendy areas like Soho or Greenwich and expect to pay $5-8 for a pint. More if you’re clubbing in the Meatpacking District. But there are still some good deals to be found. If you’re on a tight budget, consider searching for the student bars. I was staying near Columbia university and found bars that had house beers for $3 a pint, $2 during happy hour. I hear there are similar steals near NYU. On a side note, beware of going out in New York. It seriously is the city that never sleeps. You will find busy places every night of the week and can find yourself in a pattern of sleeping at 5am. ### Sights There are lots of free sights in New York. $2.25 on the subway will get you to most of them. Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, Staten Island Ferry, Liberty State Park (a few dollars to get the ferry over to the statue), Coney Island board walk, Times Square, Grand Central Station, Wall St and the New York Stock Exchange. A trip up the Empire State Building to both floors and an audio guide (well worth it) will set you back about $45 and a Broadway show will cost $60-100 depending on the day and show. The next items on your agenda should be to pick a few of the 200+ museums. New York has the most museums of any city in the world and some of the greatest collections of…. everything. A must is the museum of Natural History. The last hour is free (4:15-5:15pm I think). I went in with the plan to run through it quickly in the hour and see at least half. Upon entering I asked the lady at the front what the recommended time is to see the museum, her response: “3 days”… The place is MASSIVE. So it might be worth paying to spend a day there if you have the time. Make sure check out the dinosaurs. Biggest collection of dinosaur bones in the world. I can’t go through all the sights in New York. There is shopping, sporting, arts, food, history and much much more. It really depends on your taste, time and dimes. A small budget is no excuse for missing the grand New York City. You may not get the ‘celebrity’ experience but there is still plenty to do and lots to see. A must if you’re in that part of the world. If you found this article helpful, please share using one of the buttons below. Thanks! Related read in Travel: How to Sleep Anywhere Anytime - Travel Sleep Hacks.

Vancouver Winter Olympics – Lines, Houses and Hockey

Vinay Patankar · 02 Mar, 2010 · Travel

Vancouver is an interesting city. In general there is nothing spectacular about it but there is nothing you can really put as a negative either. It’s kind of ‘neutral’ – which why I find it interesting. There are few cities I have been to that I would class as ‘neutral’. There is lots of natural beauty, a positive but the weather is average, a negative. Groceries are cheap, a positive, beer is expensive, a negative. During the 2010 Winter Olympics however, there is a unique buzz. In terms of organisation and controlling logistics, I would say Canada did an average job. There is minimal information available on transport, pricing, events both sporting and cultural. Maybe there is information, just not much on the first page of Google, which is usually as far as I look. Either their information sucks or their SEO specialists suck, either way, not too impressed. Busses have arrived at events up to 90 minutes late, people have had their tickets refunded due to badly designed venues and there was no backup plan in case Mother Nature didn’t deliver the required snow for the various events (which she didn’t). But to be fair, organising the Winter Olympics is probably more difficult than the summer. Everything needs to be frozen! I understand the difficulties associated with the various sporting events, but one true complaint I have is about the lines for everything else. You seriously have to line up for everything! The houses, the bottle shops, the shows, for pizza, for the train, there is a line for everything... I don’t have a genius solution for this problem, just venting. But there are definitely positives too. The tens of thousands of people that have flocked here for the Olympics have seriously given this place a buzz, especially in the nights. The downtown streets are alive (pending weather) with people. Red and white are the colours of the moment, with people sporting flags as capes, red maple leaves as hats and usually some form of red face paint. The second positive fallout from the Olympics are the houses. For those that don’t know, there are a number of countries who set up what are called ‘houses’ to promote their countries, host their natives and get people drunk. There is the Russian House trying to convince people to attend the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia, houses from the major Canadian states and other random houses such as the Irish, German and Holland Heineken which I think are there just to get people really really drunk. The houses are either temporary structures built over open spaces such as car parks or non-alcoholic venues converted like Science World. They have interactive events during the day, lots of cool Winter Olympic virtual stuff resembling the such as virtual ice hockey, speed skating and snowboarding. Historic facts and shows on the Winter Olympics. Cultural displays from the relative countries and various things for kids to do. Then at 8pm they kick out all the kids, bring on music of some sort and turn into massive parties in excess of 3000 people! One of the main notables of Canada is their love of ice hockey. I’m pretty sure this is a well known fact but Canadians seriously love hockey. Most people would sacrifice a limb of some sort to see their country win gold (which they did and went nuts over!). I’ve seen hockey games on the main downtown street at midnight. Hockey games played by 5 year olds. Hockey sticks replacing walking sticks. Hockey in parks, back yards, on streets, in cars, frigin hockey everywhere! It’s so infectious, that every expat I have met has been converted. It’s like a living breathing entity that consumes you. Pretty weird. I imagine it’s like soccer/futball/football in South America or the UK. I’ve had a great time here, it’s fun partying with people from all over the world and the buzz of any city hosting the Olympics is going to be great. But I think to get a true feeling of what the city is like I will need to spend some non-Olympic time here. For another Travel angle, read The Luggage Conundrum (or How I Chose a Travel Bag).