Trying to decide which portable power station is right for you? In today’s post we review the BLUETTI EB70S Portable Power Station.

If you’re in the market for an electric generator that can keep up with your on-the-go lifestyle or provide essential backup power when you need it most, the BLUETTI EB70S is definitely worth a look.

We’ve only been able to test the EB70S hands on for a few weeks so far, but we’re definitely impressed with the balance of power and portability.

With a compact design and 800W of power, the EB70S is the ideal companion for camping and van life, providing a dependable source of energy for lighting, cooking, and device charging.

See prices and more on the BLUETTI website now.

It also gives peace of mind during power outages and natural disasters, ensuring that you stay connected and prepared, even if the grid goes down. For RV enthusiasts, the EB70S makes powering your mobile home a breeze, while remote workers can benefit from its reliable backup power capabilities for their home offices.

Before we get into how the EB70S can help in different scenarios, let’s look at some of the technical specs that we think make the BLUETTI EB70S one of the best mid-range solar power stations available.

BLUETTI EB70S Review

To start, let’s look at the battery capacity, charging time, solar panel compatibility, and portability for the BLUETTI EB70S, to help you make an informed decision in your search for the perfect solar power station.

Battery Capacity and Power

The EB70S is a pure sine wave inverter, with 716Wh capacity and 800W rated wattage, with 1,400W of surge power.

So what does that mean? There is 716Wh of energy stored in the battery (total battery capacity in watt hours), and there is 800W of power output, which is how much energy the battery can push out at any time.

The bigger the battery capacity, the longer you can run your devices per charge and the higher the power output, the larger the device (or sum of devices) you can power at once.

The EB70s 716Wh will give you:

• 50 phone charges
• 9-10 laptop charges
• 8 drone charges
• 18 hours running a typical fan

It also offers pass through charging, meaning that you can charge the BLUETTI and charge up your laptop or phone at the same time that it’s charging.

What can you power with an 800 watt generator?

With the BLUETTI EB70S you can power up to 12 devices that take a total of 800 watts at one time.

There are 12 charging ports:

• Four 120V AC outlets
• Two USB-C ports (100W Max)
• Two USB-A ports (5V/3A)
• One 12V/10A car outlet
• Two 12V/10A (DC5521)
• One 15W wireless charging pad

How long does it take to charge a BLUETTI EB70S?

The BLUETTI EB70S can be fully recharged from an AC wall outlet in three to four hours. The package comes with an AC adapter brick charger and charging cable.

It can also be recharged in 7-8 hours from the included 12V car cable.

Using a 200W solar panel, it can recharge fully in 3 to 4 hours. With a BLUETTI 120W solar panel, it will recharge fully in 6.5hrs.

Solar Panel Compatibility

The maximum solar input for the BLUETTI EB70S is 200W, meaning that you can safely charge it with up to a maximum of 200W of solar panels (Open Circuit Voltage: 12-28V). It also has a dedicated MPPT charge controller to ensure it charges the stable LiFePO4 battery it uses both quickly and safely.

The battery is rated for over 2500 charges so the EB70s should last for years to come and is shelf stable at 80% charge for 3 to 6 months at a time which is handy when only used for emergencies.

Portability

One of my favorite things about the EB70S is how easy it is to pick up and move. It weighs 21.4 pounds (9.7 kg), and comes in a compact package (12.6 x 8.5 x 8.7 in, or 32 x 21.6 x 22.1 cm).

It’s lightweight enough to pick up and carry comfortably into our backyard, or to our local park for a picnic.

The handle folds neatly into the top, making storage a breeze, but it unfolds in a snap to make it easy to carry.

What’s included:

• the EB70S portable power station
• AC adapter brick and charging cable
• 12v car charging cable
• solar charging cable
• user manual
• warranty card

What’s the difference between the EB70 and the EB70S?

The EB70S delivers up to 800W AC power while EB70 offers 700W.

Learn more about the BLUETTI EB70S here.

More great articles:

• Skyroam Solis Review – How We Get Unlimited WiFi Anywhere We Travel
• An Honest Review of GlocalMe WiFi Hotspot
• The 10 Best Road Trips in British Columbia, Canada
• The Ultimate Vancouver to Banff Road Trip

10 Ways to Use a BLUETTI EB70S Generator

From off-grid living and camping excursions to staying prepared during natural disasters and power outages, the BLUETTI EB70S Power Station has you covered.

Tenting

As our kids get older, we’re enjoying tenting and hammock camping more and more. That said, it’s nice to have some conveniences while we’re out in the mountains.

A lightweight power station like the BLUETTI is easy to take on car camping trips, and helps us with everything from heating water to powering lights to recharging our devices.

Van Life

We were original van lifers, way back on our first big trip together in 2003.

We spent five months in Australia, driving our trusty Toyota HiAce van from Adelaide to Darwin, across the Australian Outback, and down the East Coast to Sydney. We charged our laptop and camera on the go, scrounging power at campsites and the occasional restaurant along the way. When we were in more remote places, like the Outback, it was a constant struggle to power our electronics.

These days, a solar generator lets you get reliable electricity even in the most remote locations.

With a BLUETTI EB70S power station on board, van dwellers like us can run everything from a mini fridge to a coffee pot, and everything in between. Imagine the luxury of enjoying a home-cooked meal and a steaming cup of coffee in the heart of the wilderness – it’s a game changer! Coupled with a couple solar chargers, you could stay off grid nearly indefinitely.

Natural Disasters and Power Outages

Every year, weather events are becoming more and more extreme.

Our home base is less than three hours from Lytton, BC, where Canada’s highest ever temperature of 49.6 °C (121.3 °F) was recorded in 2021 and most of the town was destroyed in the resulting wildfires. The same year, extensive flooding in British Columbia damaged major highways in the province.

2021 hammered home the fact that emergency preparation is important in a world where weather extremes can happen at any time.

A generator can give you emergency power for many things, including TVs, LED lights, a small heater, a freezer or just keeping your internet modem and router up, so you can continue working during a power outage. An electric power generator also has the luxury of working directly in your home, meaning you don’t need to run an electrical cable through your window or setting up costly breakers so your fuel fed generator can continue to safely provide you power.

Off site Working

Power stations can power tools and equipment for building projects in locations without access to traditional power sources. Whether they’re used to power traditional plugged in power tools or to recharge the battery hungry cordless tools most contractors use day to day, they’re indispensable for many unpowered sites. They’re even helpful for charging your laptop for late night meetings while on the jobsite.

RV Camping

There’s something magical about immersing ourselves in nature and unplugging from our digital lives however we often need to stay connected too, whether it’s for work, or just for fun. After a day filled with outdoor adventure, nothing compares to the simple pleasures of listening to our favorite tunes, or even catching up on a favorite TV show. This is where the BLUETTI lithium powered power station steps in, making sure we can stay connected while we’re away from the grid.

Thanks to the BLUETTI 800W solar generator, the lack of power sources in remote locations is no longer an issue. A solar generator lets us gather around a well-lit campsite or blend up a batch of refreshing smoothies, while powering up our essential devices, such as drones, cameras, and even cooking appliances.

Backyard Barbecues

Ah, backyard barbecues – those fun times when we gather with friends and family to share good food and even better company.

A power station can help the mood by powering enchanting string lights, plus running speakers and a smartphone to provide the perfect musical interlude. With its reliable electric-powered capabilities, a power station can effortlessly power and even run outdoor projectors for movie nights under the stars. Just fire up the grill, kick back, and enjoy.

Portable Arts and Crafts Station

Taking your arts and crafts projects on the go has never been easier.

With its sustainable and reliable energy source, an electric generator offers the freedom to set up a portable arts and crafts station virtually anywhere, from bustling craft sales to lively farmers markets. The EB70S can power an array of crafting tools, such as hot glue guns and Cricut makers, allowing you to create and showcase your masterpieces without being tethered to traditional power outlets, inside or out.

Picnicking

Want to elevate your picnic game?

A portable power generator can provide everything from music to lights to cooking on the go. Just add the picnic basket and blanket and you’re all set!

Off-grid living

Interested in life off the grid? For those living in remote or off-grid locations, electric generators can supply essential electricity for daily needs and household appliances. Once you add in some solar panels, the need to ever be plugged into the grid is no longer a concern.

Busking

Here’s a unique use for a solar generator: busking.

It’s a fun job you can do as you travel, and a way to share your musical talents with the world. With its eco-friendly power, the BLUETTI EB70S generator can run guitar amps, electronic keyboards, and even dazzling light displays to captivate your audience, all while keeping it green and sustainable.

What if there’s no sun?

While a solar generator is a useful solution for powering your devices, it does require a good amount of sunlight to charge efficiently. On cloudy or rainy days, a solar generator may not recharge as quickly, which could leave you conserving power until the sun comes back out. That said, the BLUETTI EB70s can also be charged via a traditional power plug or even via the 12v jack in your vehicle, making it not only a solar generator but also a portable power station.

While there’s a bit of an initial financial investment for a solar generator and solar panels, in the long run, it’s an eco-friendly and cost-effective way to stay powered up on the road and doesn’t require the continual costs of fuel like gas or propane to run. Unlike a gasoline generator, electrical power stations like the BLUETTI can also be safely run inside a home, camper or van with zero emissions or a hot muffler to worry about.

Is the BLUETTI EB70S worth it? Our Bottom line

The BLUETTI EB70S is a capable mid-range portable power station, with solid performance, and decent capacity. Using it is as easy as plugging in your device and using one of the 12 charging options. The LED readout is bright and useful, showing the power draw, how much power is left, and how long a full charge will take.

Pros

• Solid performance
• Lightweight and portable
• Wireless charging port
• Capable of pass through charging
• Excellent balance of portability and power

Cons

• No app
• Large external brick wall charger
• The fan on the brick wall charger isn’t silent when charging the BLUETTI

All in all, the BLUETTI EB70S is a capable mid-range portable power station, with solid performance, and decent capacity, that hits a nice balance between power and portability.

See prices and more on the BLUETTI website now.

Join us as we uncover how the innovative eSIM technology is transforming the way we stay connected, ensuring a seamless and cost-effective travel experience.

eSIMs are the answer to staying connected wherever you are. They’re cheap and also reliable, which is perfect when you’re on vacation. Having an eSIM for travel also means you don’t need to worry about roaming charges, swapping out physical SIM cards, and network compatibility.

An eSIM is usually great for someone who doesn’t mind having a short-term pay-as-you go plan. This makes having an eSIM solution a perfect option for travelers like us.

While some eSims are tied to certain countries, many eSIMs let you connect to cellular networks around the world, meaning you can get cheap travel data and avoid roaming charges.

It has to be noted though that the aloSIM eSIM data in particular does not come with a cell number to make calls or texts and is reserved only for data.

See AloSIM prices now.

Is an eSIM better than a physical SIM card?

Back in the day, we used to recommend that travelers pick up a physical SIM card when they arrived at their destination airport. However, there are definitely disadvantages to this approach:

• It can sometimes be hard to identify a reputable local mobile provider.
• There’s often a lot of annoying paperwork, including showing your passport to register.
• You have the hassle of figuring out mobile data and cell plans when you’re jet-lagged, and sometimes having to make the deal in another language.
• Having to physically swap out your old SIM card for the new one, and store your home SIM card somewhere safe for when you head back home.

These days, we generally recommend travelers get an eSIM instead, as long as their phone supports it.

What’s an eSIM?

An eSIM is exactly what it sounds like: an electronic SIM card. The eSIM hardware is embedded in your phone (meaning it’s not removable, unlike a standard physical SIM card) and just needs to be programmed to work with different carriers and cell providers.

What’s cool about an eSIM is that you don’t need to visit a physical store. You can get an eSIM entirely online.

You can also buy an eSIM from your home country, before you leave on your trip.

An eSIM lets you change your wireless carrier, data, or service plan through software, without removing a physical chip, and inserting a new one. Most of the time, all you need to do is scan a simple QR code to switch your eSIM from one carrier to another.

An eSIM can also let you use two different data plans on the same device (like a home and work plan), or let you switch between different plans, depending on where you are in the world.

Is my device compatible with an eSIM?

Most newer devices are compatible with eSIMs. However, not all phones are compatible with an eSIM. When choosing an eSIM, first make sure that your phone is compatible using this link.

Important Note: Your phone must be carrier-unlocked to use an eSIM.

If you’re not sure if your phone is eSIM compatible, you may still be in luck!

iPads and some laptops support eSIMs. Apple iPads have an easy eSIM interface, where you can simply choose your plan and provider from a menu on the iPad. Some laptops from Dell, Asus, Acer, Lenovo, Samsung and Microsoft support eSIM, but Apple laptops don’t support eSIMs at this time.

Using an eSIM is pretty simple for most users. First, make sure your device is eSIM compatible, then buy the eSIM online. Finally, scan a QR code (or enter the settings manually) and turn on data roaming from your settings.

After that, you can call and message all your existing contacts on free chat providers like WhatsApp, just as if you’re in the same country. You can even keep your original SIM for phone calls if you wanted to continue using your existing provider.

AloSIM Review

In this aloSIM eSIM review, we test the aloSIM personally, and give you more information about aloSIM eSIM plans so that you can see if it’s a good choice for you.

Getting an aloSIM is a simple process.

How to buy an aloSIM eSIM

1. Choose your location from 130+ countries for your prepaid eSIM data package.
2. Select your eSIM plan, choosing how much data you want, and how long you want it.
3. Add your eSIM to your device.

My personal experience buying and activating my aloSIM eSIM

Getting started with aloSIM was easy.

You can buy an aloSIM on either:

• their website at this link, or
• through the aloSIM app. You can get the aloSIM app on Google Play here or the App Store here.

I chose to buy it in the AloSIM App so I could do this aloSim app review.

First, I installed the aloSIM app from the Google Play store (on my Samsung phone).

From there, I created an account.

I then activated the account through an email confirmation.

Next I browsed to their store, and chose my eSIM plan.

There are options for plans from over 130 countries worldwide.

Since I’m in Canada right now, I chose the Canada plan. You can choose different data amounts, but I grabbed just 1GB of data, since I don’t need much data right now.

I bought the eSIM, following the onscreen directions.

Then, I went to the My eSIMs page.

Next, I clicked on the eSIM plan (Canada in my case). Notice that it’s not activated yet.

Click Activate.

I could then install the eSIM one of two ways:

1. Manually, by entering the eSIM ID in your phone’s SIM card manager settings, or
2. Using a QR code.

Select the QR Code or Manual tab option.

I chose the install via QR code, since it’s faster, but it’s nice to see there’s a manual option, if you need it, for whatever reason.

I selected the Samsung instructions, which were detailed and clear.

I followed the instructions for Samsung, and took a screenshot of the QR code. If you don’t have a Samsung newer than a Samsung Galaxy 22, you’ll need to either print out your QR code, or get it to display on a different phone, laptop, or other device. If you can’t do this, you can always back up a step and install the eSIM manually.

Follow the instructions for setting up the eSIM. Essentially, you’ll go into your phone’s SIM card manager settings. This is what my SIM manager setting screen looks like:

Select Add eSIM.

Add the QR code. In my case, I chose the camera gallery icon, and chose the screenshot I’d taken. If that doesn’t work for you, just add the code manually.

A message pops up, asking, Add aloSIM eSIM.

Select Add.

I got a message asking me to restart my phone to connect to the new network.

Once the phone was restarted, I continued following the instructions, and browsed to Mobile Networks. Under Access Point names, I changed my eSIM’s name to aloSIM, and the APN to alosim, as per the instructions.

Next, in the Mobile Network settings, make sure the aloSIM setting is turned on, and select aloSIM as your preferred SIM card.

Turn on roaming for the aloSIM, and turn off roaming for your physical SIM to avoid roaming charges with your physical SIM.

And just like that, I was up and running with my new eSIM giving me data in Canada.

After that, I browsed to My eSIMs in the aloSIM app.

My plan was now activated!

You can see how much data you have remaining here. It will tell you your Network, and speed. In my case my speed was fast with an LTE 5G connection on the Bell Mobility or TELUS Communications networks.

You can also top up the eSIM data directly in the app here!

I found the purchase and install easy. I purchased and installed the eSIM in about ten minutes, following the instructions in the app.

Easy!

You can also go into your phone’s SIM manager settings to tweak your settings. To avoid using roaming data on your normal physical SIM, you can even just toggle your primary physical SIM off in the settings.

Will I have a phone number with aloSIM?

No, your aloSIM is a prepaid data package. It does not come with a cell number.

Even though a data-only eSIM doesn’t come with its own phone number, there are still ways to make/receive phone calls with a data-only eSIM, and send/receive texts with a data-only eSIM.

How to make phone calls with an eSIM

• use a calling/texting app like Hushed, WhatsAPP, Viber, Messenger, Skype or any of the dozens of apps with this feature
• use your primary physical SIM for phone calls, but use the eSIM for data (if you use this option, your carrier may charge you for calls and texts while roaming)

How to text with a data-only eSIM

• use an app like iMessage or WhatsApp (which only needs Wi-Fi or data to work)
• use a calling/texting app like Hushed or Skype
• text using your primary physical SIM, but use the eSIM for data (if you use this option, your carrier may charge you for calls and texts while roaming)

See AloSIM prices now.

aloSIM eSIM Review

Stay connected anywhere with eSIMs – affordable and reliable, perfect for your next trip. See AloSIM prices now.

M C Kosman

Cheap

Quick and easy to set up

Data-only eSIMs for over 130 countries

Easy to top up

Summary

With an eSIM, you’ll enjoy cheap global data and dodge roaming charges, but remember, it won’t provide a cell number for calls or texts – still a game-changer!

4.8

Read these helpful articles next:

• Our Fluentalk T1 Offline Voice Translator Review
• Skyroam Solis Review – How We Get Unlimited WiFi Anywhere We Travel
• How to Use a VPN to Get Cheaper Flights: An Easy Step-by-Step Guide
• Using A Cell Phone In Europe Made Easy and Affordable

Learning a new language can be difficult and time-consuming. After years of learning Spanish with Rosetta Stone and Lingoda, I still struggle to do much more than order in restaurants, and give basic directions to a taxi driver.

But what if it was possible to immerse yourself in local culture off the beaten path and chat with locals without having to master a new language?

A real time handheld language translator can do that, from translating directions, to starting a conversation, or even to asking for emergency assistance if you become ill. It’s even helpful for learning a new language or using as a pocket dictionary.

See the Fluentalk T1 translator on Amazon.

Even better, an offline language translator like the Fluentalk T1 can help you break the language barrier and explore with confidence, even when you’re not connected to Wi-Fi and out of cell range.

Our Hands-on Fluentalk T1 Review

Let’s take a closer look at this powerful translator in our Fluentalk T1 review and see how it can help you during your travels.

What does it do? As you speak into the device, it immediately translates your words into another language (both as voice and as text). You can also translate photos. It works with a Wi-Fi connection, an included data plan, or offline.

The Fluentalk T1 comes with:

• an included two year data plan that works almost anywhere in the world
• 95% Accuracy in 40 languages and 93 accents
• offline translation available for 13 languages
• image translation on a four inch color HD screen

The T1 can work offline or online via Wi-Fi or a (included) cellular eSIM card.

See the Fluentalk T1 translator on Amazon.

Quick look at the Fluentalk T1 Handheld Translator

The Fluentalk T1 Handheld Language Translator comes equipped with a host of features that make translating easy and fast. These features include:

• Realtime two-way translation. This feature allows for natural conversations between two people speaking different languages.
• Highly accurate speech recognition. Using advanced algorithms, the handheld translator is able to recognize speech accurately so that users get precise translations quickly.
• Easy one touch operation. With just one button press you can activate the translator so that it recognizes words or phrases in either language being spoken in real time.
• Portable design. The device is lightweight and compact making it easy to carry around while traveling or on vacation.
• Voice recognition accuracy as high as 95%. This means that users get accurate translations every time they use their device, allowing them to navigate their way through any country with ease.

Before I get into the details of the review, a little bit about if the Fluentalk T1 fits my top requirement for any language translation device: It needs to work well, and reliably, offline.

Offline Voice Translator – Fluentalk T1

An absolute must for me for portable translator is that it works well offline.

An offline translator is particularly useful if you don’t have a local SIM card, mobile hotspot, or a portable hotspot to stay connected. It’s also helpful when you’re somewhere remote that’s out of range of cell service.

The Fluentalk handheld language translator can translate 13 pairs of languages offline in either direction: English-Chinese, English-Japanese, English-Korean, English-French, English-Spanish, English-Russian, English-German, Chinese-English, Chinese-Japanese, Chinese-Korean, Chinese-French, Chinese-Spanish, Chinese-Russian and Chinese-Germany.

The T1 comes out of the box with four offline language sets already downloaded for portable translation. You’ll need to connect to Wi-Fi to download the other nine languages for use offline.

Offline review of this translator device without internet

While it was offline, I tested the T1’s translation from French to English, and English to French, and it was reliably able to translate short sentences.

Since my French is pretty limited, I couldn’t confirm it’s accuracy at longer sentences however Charles is fluent and he said it seemed spot on.

I’m more fluent in Spanish, so I was able to push it a bit further, testing full sentences at a time. It translated accurately and quickly in Spanish, as long as I was careful to pronounce my Spanish words carefully.

In my tests translating between French and English, and Spanish and English, the offline mode worked well. Translation was just as fast in offline mode as in online mode, and it seemed as accurate in offline mode as it was using Wi-Fi or data.

In offline mode, the translator outputs both voice and text translation.

Overall, I was happy with how well this little language translator device works without wifi.

Our Hands-on Fluentalk T1 Review

My first impression of the T1 was that it is cute and compact. It’s small enough to be hung around the neck, and feels sturdy and reliable. It weighs only four ounces (155 g), so it’s easy to slip into any pocket, ensuring you have it on hand when you need it.

The four inch color touchscreen is easy to read and navigate. The translation buttons are easy to press, and feel like they’ll hold up with repeat use.

I found the T1 pretty easy and intuitive to use.

There are three buttons on the side. The top yellow button is the power button. I used the middle blue button for my native language button and the bottom red button (it actually looks more orange to me) I used as the other language button however they can can be easily swapped around to your preference.

On the opposite side, there’s also a volume up or down button. Besides for the responsive touchscreen, the controls are pretty straighforward.

It was easy to start up and to choose the languages for translation on the touch screen.

On first start up, it prompted me to activate the eSIM, which happened in a couple of clicks and took less than five minutes for it to fully activate.

I really loved that it came with an eSIM preinstalled, saving me the hassle of inserting and activating a physical SIM card when I received the device. There is a slot for an additional physical SIM card, in addition to the eSIM card if you’re in another country and want to pick up a sim card just for the device.

What does the T1 cost? Is it worth the price?

The T1 costs $299.99 USD.

It’s definitely toward the high end, cost-wise, compared to other personal translators.

However, in my tests, it offered offer good performance in terms of speed and accuracy, and also with the number of languages offered.

Some cheaper pocket translators work by connecting to your smartphone and using your phone’s data or Wi-Fi connection. However, the T1 has a built-in data connection, with an included two year plan, for translating without another device or Wi-Fi connection.

On top of that, it has a solid offline mode, which is crucial for many travelers.

Want to check it out right away? See the Fluentalk T1 on Amazon.

How does it compare to a translation app on a smartphone?

Honestly, I was pretty skeptical about getting a handheld translation device, when I already had a translation app or two on my phone, that mostly work pretty well.

But translation apps are a little glitchy.

For example, if you speak more than one language well, then you’ll know that translation apps like Google Translate make a lot of weird errors, which seem to get worse if you use slang, speak in an accent, or swear. Most also get noticeably worse if you dan’t have a Wifi or data connection.

While translator apps are easily available, having a dedicated device means you won’t have to thumb through apps to get an instant translation and the inclusion of 2 dedicated language buttons right on the device means it’s easier to get it going for both you and the person you’re trying to communicate with. Accuracy and speed are also top-notch.

I also really like not having to hand my smartphone to strangers when doing the translation. Having a stand-alone device makes me feel a lot more comfortable, in terms of protecting my data and personal information.

One area where the T1 is much better than most smartphone apps is that it differentiates between multiple accents in a language. For example, the Fluentalk translator lets you translate Spanish in accents from these countries: Spain, USA, Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Costa Rica, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Columbia, Dominic (I assume this is the Dominican Republic), Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru, Puerto Rico, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Salvatore.

That’s pretty impressive to me, as there can be huge differences in the accents in Spanish!

After several months in Mexico a few years ago, we flew directly to Spain. I was pretty cocky, thinking that my Mexican Spanish would translate well. Unfortunately, as soon as I got off the plane, I realized that I couldn’t understand half of what everyone was saying in Spanish. It took me a couple of weeks to get used to the difference in accents between Mexico and Spain!

Is the Fluentalk fast and accurate?

The T1 handheld voice translator translates in real-time, almost instantly between two or more different languages.

Translation accuracy

While we can’t test all 40 languages (we did try a multitude of them but couldn’t verify their output), we ran our main tests translating between English and Spanish (Mexico), or English and French. We both speak and read some Spanish, I understand some basic French and Charles is fluent in it.

I found no difference in speed translating in offline or online mode.

Text to speech speed

Fluentalk says the T1 immediately translates any speech within 0.2 seconds. In our tests, there wasn’t any perceptible lag between talking and having our speech translated to text.

Speech translation

Similarly, when translating from my voice to the T1’s translated voice output, it was also fast.

Fluentalk T1 translation modes

The T1 offers a few translation modes: One-Click Translation mode (default), Chat mode, Custom mode, Spectator mode and Photo translation mode. It also includes a speech transcriber for Voice memos.

One-Click Translation mode

The One-Click Translation mode is the default translation mode and works with the two colored buttons on the right. The blue button is language 1 and red button is language 2. I set up the blue button as English in our tests however they can be swapped around as needed.

To use One-Click Translation mode, I’d just press the middle (blue) button to speak. It would wait until I released the button to translate my voice into the other language. This was helpful to avoid confusion having the voice translation play over our own voice while we were talking.

I’d just press the bottom button (red) when I wanted the T1 to translate, in reverse, from the second language.

Not a fan of physical buttons? In One-Click mode, you can quickly rotate the device to use it without having to continually press the buttons on the side. To rotate the screen, just tap the small switch button on the bottom left of the translation screen for a side-by-side conversation. Tap the on-screen language button to start or pause the translation. It will continue auto-translating from that language until the other language is chosen or the current language is paused.

Chat mode

Chat mode allows you to have a real time conversation without having to hold any buttons. Just point the top of the device facing the person you want to talk to and the bottom towards yourself. Once you have your languages properly set up, just click the middle play button and it will then translate what each of you is saying.

You can access Chat mode directly through the touchscreen menu and can adjust the speaking interval for chat translation, if you want to translate longer or shorter sentences, in the options in the top right of the screen. You can also enable/disable voice if you just want the device to translate into text. It’s a cool feature because the screen is split in 2 with both people able to read it standing in front of each other.

You can also see your chat history by swiping up or down on the screen while in Chat mode.

Custom Translation/Ask for Directions mode

In a hurry? Use Custom Translation mode.

Just double click the power button to start a conversation using pre-written text (and voice) translated to your language of choice. It’s set up by default to say in English “Excuse me, can you help me? We can use this translator to communicate.”

However, you can change the content of this message, and change the default language, in the Custom Menu. You can also start Custom Translation mode through the touchscreen menu by clicking the Ask for Directions button.

Spectator (Listening) mode

In Spectator mode, the T1 stays on, and translates what others say around you into your native language just via text.

This could be a great option when watching TV or listening to a travel guide. It could also be great when listening to instructions given in another language since you can quickly scroll back to what was just said if you need to reference it later.

Photo translation

I had good luck with the photo translation as well. On the road, we would use this for road signs, maps, menus, and so on. As a vegetarian, I love using photo translation for ingredient labels and menus.

To do photo translation, just snap a photo of what you want to translate using the T1’s built in eight megapixel camera.

The four inch HD screen makes the translation easy to read.

Image translation works for 36 languages.

I found that the photo translation worked like a dream most of the time, but it would occasionally break down if it was translating an unusual font, and it didn’t work well for me for handwriting.

Photo translation is from text to text only. It doesn’t give a voice readout.

Voice memos

The Fluentalk T1 also includes a Voice Memo mode that automatically transcribes your voice to text and saves it on your device. It’s a cool method to leave yourself notes to follow up on later. You can also set the name of each transcribed voice text for easier identification later on.

I just wish there was an easy way to pull those texts off the device so I could use them in other places. Fluentalk is missing an opportunity here for uses outside of the translation world. Having a ready to go voice transcriber that works well could be handy in several different fields. Couple in the ability to change the side buttons for it’s use and you’ve opened up another use case for the device.

Common Questions about the Fluentalk T1

T1 Battery life

When we first got the T1, it was charged to about halfway. I used the device for about two hours, and it was then ready for a charge.

I charged it using the USB-C cable provided, and it was fully charged when I checked a couple of hours later.

It has a 1500 mAh battery, which offers 3.5 hours of continuous translation time, and 96 hours of standby time.

I played with it, off and on, for around three hours, and the battery level showed at about one quarter.

Will it translate jargon, slang, and swear words?

Instead of translating swear words, it translates them as asterisks (***), at least with the few we tried in English, like f*ck, b*tch, and any swear words we knew in Spanish.

It does translate common slang well in English to Spanish, for example, it translates “what’s up” as “how are you doing“. However, it didn’t translate new slang for us, like the word “cheugy“, which is new slang roughly meaning out of date or trying too hard.

It’s designed as a general translator, so the T1 won’t necessarily translate specialized jargon (or language specific to an occupation). That said, I did test it by asking it to translate some specific words in neuroscience (my university degree). It accurately translated common words like “neuroscience” and “dopamine“, but it didn’t understand less common words like “amygdala” (a region of the brain) and “gamma aminobutyric acid” (a neurotransmitter) from English to Spanish.

Is it loud enough?

I had no trouble hearing the translator at about 75% volume, in a normal home environment, with our (loud) dishwasher running the background and my kids talking in the other room.

I also tried the volume at 100%, and while it was tinny (which is what I’d expect with a speaker in such a small device) I could easily understand it even if I had music playing in the background or the TV on up close. You may struggle to hear the little speakers if you keep the device on a table a couple of feet away in a louder environment, like a busy restaurant. I think for most uses, in normal environments, it should be fine.

How’s the microphone?

There are two microphones on the top of the device, and one on the bottom.

When the device was held at arm’s length, I had no trouble with the mic picking up my speaking voice, and translating it properly. I have a soft speaking voice, and I found that it started to have a little trouble picking up my voice from about ten feet away, while in Spectator mode.

Does it use voice commands?

It does not have voice commands. You operate the device through the buttons, or the touchscreen.

Can you use it as a mobile hotspot?

You can only share data with other devices, using the WLAN hotspot, if you insert a separate nano SIM card of your own. It does not share the included eSIM data (I got errors when I tried).

However, I tested to see if it would act as hotspot for the Wi-Fi signal that I was connected to, and it worked perfectly when I connected my phone to the T1’s hotspot (named Android AP_6654, in the photo below).

How well does the mobile data work?

I tested the T1 using only the mobile data eSIM.

When I ran a speedtest, it downloaded at 17.4 Mbps and uploaded at 11.5 Mbps, which is quite fast. More than fast enough to stream video, in fact.

Given that the eSIM data was so fast, it’s no surprise that I found the T1 translation to be just as fast using mobile data as it was using Wi-Fi.

Is it easy to use and intuitive?

Overall, the T1 is easy to use and intuitive.

To get up and running, all you need to do is turn the device on, choose your languages, and press the side buttons. It’s easy to switch languages, the eSIM started up like an absolute dream, and it’s even simple enough to switch between Chat and Spectator mode.

One feature that wasn’t the most intuitive (to me at least), was how to navigate back through the screens. I had a little trouble navigating back and forth between screens, until I broke down and looked at the manual, which told me that I could use swiping gestures from the sides to navigate back and forth.

For example, to see the previous screen, you just swipe right on the edge of the left hand side of the screen with one finger to return to the previous screen. This works well, but it would have been helpful to have a back arrow on all screens, in addition to having the swiping option. It’s a small thing, and you may just pick it up intuitively, but I didn’t.

Can I connect T1 with my Bluetooth device?

Fluentalk doesn’t recommend connecting via Bluetooth.

While there is a menu option to connect via Bluetooth, it’s not recommended, except in the rare case where you’re connecting directly to the Timekettle TWS earbuds, and listening to the translation through the earbud, with the user talks to the T1 in one-talk mode.

What happens when the two years of data expires?

After the two year free cellular data plan expires on the eSIM, you aren’t stuck with paying for the Fluentalk cellular data. After the data service expires, you can either insert your own SIM card, or use Wi-Fi.

If you want, Fluentalk is currently working on an option to purchase more data directly through them, but details aren’t available yet.

What other features does the Fluentalk T1 have?

There are several extras on the T1 including a flashlight, a configurable world clock, an exchange rate conversion, and an SOS feature.

The little flashlight is fine for a little extra illumination to find your keys in the dark, but I found it to be less powerful than my Samsung S22+ smartphone’s flashlight. It has 2 locations you can set for a world clock and an automatically updated exchange rate conversion for a large variety of world currencies. I just wish it also included a calculator here rather than just the days current rates.

The SOS feature is handy as it lists the countries emergency contact numbers including police, emergency and fire. In North America (US, Canada and Mexico), all 3 are 911 however, in some countries, they have different numbers for different emergencies so that’s a nice feature.

Handheld translator vs translator earbuds: Which is better?

Language translation earbuds are an alternative to a handheld translation device however, for many earbuds, this means giving one of the earbuds to the person you’re speaking to. If, like me, you’re a bit squeamish about someone else having your earbud in their ear, then a handheld device like the Fluentalk T1 may be a better choice.

Who makes the Fluentalk T1?

Fluentalk is a sub-brand of Timekettle Technology Co., Ltd. (founded in 2016). Fluentalk mainly specializes in the research and development of handheld translators.

Timekettle also makes translation earbuds, like the:

• WT2 Edge
• M3
• M2
• WT2 Plus

Want to order the Fluentalk T1?

See the Fluentalk T1 on Amazon.

Articles you might like:

• The Ultimate Travel Essentials List
• Skyroam Solis Review – How We Get Unlimited WiFi Anywhere We Travel
• An Honest Review of GlocalMe WiFi Hotspot

The funny part is that whether you’re a long-term traveler, or just enjoy the occasional weekend getaway, it’s likely that your bags contain many of the same items.

Clothes, gear, a smartphone with maps and apps, passports, luggage and money are all pretty universal gear when you leave your home and choose to explore this great big world.

We’ve left for year-long trips, as well as overnighters, and everything in between, so it’s almost comical that our list of things to pack for a trip doesn’t vary all that much. Sure, if we’re going someplace hot vs someplace cold our gear will vary.

Depending on our timeframe, the amount we bring grows or shrinks, but the true must-have travel items that we bring stay pretty much the same regardless of when or where we go.

Your needs and ours might not always coincide, but that’s alright. Hopefully, this post gives you a few ideas for next adventure!

If you think we forgot an essential item, please feel free to remind us down below.

Essential Apps for Travel

While my phone is littered with travel apps, there are only a few I routinely use. The five main ones I think every traveler should have.

Google Maps – Offline mode

Yes, good old Google Maps is the ultimate essential travel app for me. No matter where I go, I preload an offline map of my destination. I even have offline maps preloaded when I’m in my home city.

Why? Because you’re never guaranteed when your phone might be disconnected from data and the internet.

Whether you’re paying for an overpriced data connection from your home provider abroad, using a local sim in whatever country you’re visiting, or even using one of the many Wi-Fi data hotspots, the only thing you can somewhat trust is an offline map.

Prefer paper maps? That’s totally fine, but a paper map won’t find a well-rated Italian restaurant, or tell you how to get from point A to point B as easily. If you prefer an alternative to Google Maps, go with what makes you comfortable, but an offline map app is a must have app for travel.

VPN

Never used a VPN? Up until a few years ago, neither had we, but as the world changes, so must we all.

Why should you use one? Well, if you imagine that your connection to the internet is a pipe with 255 holes, then a VPN for travel is a private tube within that pipe that ensures that whatever you send, do or view stays between you and your end points.

These days, we’re using Private Internet Access VPN, which is fully open source, and has a no logs policy.

Without a VPN, the moment you connect to public Wi-Fi or cellular data, anyone from malicious users, to governments, to data and Wi-Fi providers, can track your movements and even capture some of your data. While you may not care who sees your hilarious picture of Uncle Frank with a parrot on his head, you definitely don’t want someone seeing your bank passwords, getting access to your email, taking control of your social media accounts. It’s a sad reality, but it’s a reality nonetheless.

Using something like NordVPN, the fastest VPN on our wish list, definitely isn’t a bad idea. It really does secure your online sessions, and can even give you access to geo-localized streaming sites even if you’re not in the proper country anymore.

Google Translate

While you think the Google Translate app only helps you if you’re in a foreign country, I think I use Google Translate almost as much at home. With on the fly translations from nearly any language, you can use the camera mode to translate menus, signs, flyers, instructions and more in real time. It’s like magic, I swear!

It will even let you translate spoken conversations, as they’re being spoken. It definitely helps break down language barriers, and it’s a helpful tool to learn greetings in another language, something that can net you better deals and even make you seem friendlier to locals.

XE Money Conversion

While there are plenty of currency converters out there, XE has been my go-to currency app for years. Nice and simple, it lets me know how badly I’m being overcharged for everything from taxis to street vendors. It has also helped me realize that there are often better deals to be had by either buying in the local currency or with US dollars.

Notable Essential Additional Apps

The apps above are really only a few of the essential travel apps I consider mandatory for travel these days. Most sites from TripAdvisor to Airbnb work fine via a web browser, but unless your device’s storage is full, grab as many as you want. Some popular essential travel apps I often recommend to friends include TripAdvisor, Expedia, Booking.com, Uber, Lyft, GasBuddy and Airbnb.

Of course, you’ll likely want some social apps, but I don’t consider them essential for travel. You can even make the argument that posting on socials takes away from your time truly immersing yourself in a destination. Some social apps have decent video calling, however, so take into account how you plan to communicate with family and friends back home before you go.

Essential Baggage for Travel

Your baggage can vary depending if you’re hiking the Himalayas or planning to cruise the Mediterranean. Since this is a travel list, and not specifically a hiking or cruising list, we’ll forgo the technical hiking gear, and stick to the basics.

Over the years we’ve traveled with backpacks, oversized luggage, carry-ons, duffel bags and everything in between. What have we discovered? Carry-ons are now our go to baggage choice, and what we consider to be the best all around travel backpacks.

Whether heading out for a weekend drive down the coast, or jumping on a plane and flying halfway around the world for a few months, carry-ons are where it’s at, at least for us.

When the kids were small it was a little tougher managing several smaller bags, so we traveled with just a couple of large suitcases. Now, the kids are older, and we all bring our own, individual, carry on.

It’s so much easier keeping track of our own things. Packing tips for a long-haul light with children are an entirely different beast than packing for adults

Most carry-ons include plenty of space for our travel essentials and best of all, traveling with a carry-on can help save costs on cheaper airlines that don’t include free checked luggage.

Whether you choose a hard shell suitcase for its security and waterproof abilities, or a cloth shell for all the handy pockets, is up to you. My family prefers the hard shell, while I still love my old softshell. However, after getting my clothes damp on several occasions due to sudden downpours, I do see the value of a hard shell these days.

Essential Personal Item for Travel

What? How are you supposed to put everything on this list into one measly carry-on? It’s impossible you say? Yeah, unless you’re a hardcore, wash your undies in the sink every night type of person, or plan on wearing the same bathing suit by the pool every day, most people need a bit more room to carry their belongings.

That’s where a small backpack comes in for your must-have international travel items. Most airlines around the world call this item your personal item, and while it might have been intended for purses, snacks and small camera cases, the airline does not specify what personal items must be used for, just that they must fit within a certain size.

Well, guess what? Those dimensions for personal items on most airlines are almost universally the same, and just smaller than a typical carry-on suitcase.

The bonus here is that you can put a ton of stuff into your personal item. This is usually where we store our electronics like our camera, laptops and chargers, however you can fill it as you please. Just make sure that the backpack you use for your personal item is comfortable enough to carry and can be squished down to allowable size and isn’t overpacked.

While your neighbor on the plane might not love your dual baggage, having everything you own within a few feet of you is an awesome security feature. It also lets you beat the rush through customs as others have to wait for their checked luggage to show up.

Essential Documents for Travel

One of the essential documents we never leave home without is our passport.

While you likely don’t need your passport if you’re only planning on staying in your home country, or driving a few hours from home, we’ve determined that having our passports with us whenever we’re gone is just smart planning. That mentality has actually saved us a few times when a trip opportunity to another country has opened up while we were already on the road heading somewhere else.

While the majority of you likely don’t have to worry about that, we also only live a few hours from the border with the USA. It has actually happened a few times that we decided to drive a bit farther than originally anticipated and headed down south to the USA, meaning we needed our summer road trip packing list yet again. Without our passports that wouldn’t have been an option.

Regardless, we have a saying in our family: “all you need to travel is a passport and money and, if you need it and don’t have it then either borrow, rent or buy it’.

Essential Currency for Travel

As the old riddle goes, what does a poor person need, a rich person has, and everyone wants more of? Money, of course.

While hard currency is going the way of the dodo these days in many countries, cash is still king in many places of the world. While we don’t generally carry much cash with us when we’re home in Canada, we do make sure to have a few hundred on us when we travel. From taxis to ice cream vendors, having a bit of cash makes things easier.

We’ve also taken the habit of carrying US currency, as well as the local currency. Even though the Euro has gotten more popular, US currency is still accepted in nearly every other country around the world.

On top of some hard currency, we also carry a bank card and a credit card when we travel. Truth be told, if I had to choose only two things to bring besides the clothes on my back, it would be a passport and a credit card. The rest I can figure out when I get there.

Essential Undergarments for Travel

Whoa, from money to underwear, how did we get here so fast? Easy, when bringing the essentials you need to start at the bottom and work your way up.

That means at least a couple pairs of socks and enough underwear for another five days, not including what you’re wearing the day you leave.

Why five days? Because that’s around the amount of time most people travel. Now, you can bring less and require more frequent washing, but the size-to-space ratio is small enough that skimping out here doesn’t yield you a ton of extra room.

Six days is also a decent amount of time you can wear your other clothes without having to wash anything, so if you are going for longer, day six or day seven makes a great laundry day.

Essential Pants for Travel

Here’s where things can get tricky. Everyone needs underwear, but who’s wearing pants? Aren’t you all just wearing shorts or a dress and a bathing suit and hanging by a pool or ocean? Wait, no? Okay, here is when you need to pack for your destination.

A good rule of thumb is a few pairs of daily wear pants, some shorts (if the weather is warm and you enjoy wearing shorts) and something nice. Going with something black or tan is best since it can work with almost anything, but I won’t give you fashion advice. You know what you like so run with it, whether it’s a flowing linen dress, military surplus for travel, or both.

If you’re a fan of dresses or skirts, then feel free to toss in something extra.

Essential Shirts for Travel

Like pants, shirts should be chosen specifically for your destination. If you like to rock Hawaiian shirts, then go for it. If t-shirts are more your speed, pack five days worth, but make sure to pack at least one nicer shirt just in case you go someplace a little higher up the food chain.

Blouses, sweaters, tank tops, etc. just make my head swim, so I’ll let you choose what you like best. Just remember that you have a smaller wardrobe when you travel, so try to pick clothes that can be swapped around to give you more outfits.

Essential Bathing Suit for Travel

Don’t like water? What’s wrong with you? Just kidding. If water isn’t your thing, then skip to the next on the list, but hear me out for a second.

If you’re close to an ocean, a lake, a river or a sea, chances are that water is closer than you think. Many hotels offer pools and hot tubs, hot springs can be found in locations around the world, and you never know when a chance to get wet and wild will pass you by.

Actually heading to the beach for a vacation? Pack at least two bathing suits so you can swap out the wet one for a dry one when you’re back in your room. It makes life so much more comfortable, and it’s a great way to stay cool in the heat outdoors.

Essential Outerwear for Travel

Heading somewhere cold?

Pack all the cold weather clothes you’ll need. As Canadians, we can say with some authority that warm clothes in a cold location are about as essential as you get. I’d happily trade my credit card for another layer of warmth when it’s icy cold outside.

Tip! If you’re short on luggage room, wear your jacket on the plane to save on luggage space. A good coat is an essential item to stay warm when it’s cold outside.

In truth, battling cold is all about layers. This also applies if you’re going someplace warm with cooler nights. Instead of that one huge jacket, look at layering. A few long-sleeved shirts can do double duty over that t-shirt collection you decided to bring. Just make sure they’re a little loose fitting to allow a layer of warm air next to your skin, or you won’t get many benefits.

Essential Electronic Gear for Travel

This is where the fun begins.

For years we’ve had a dedicated backpack for our electronics gear. It’s always been one of our allowed personal items. Short of our wallets, cellphones and passports, it’s our most guarded item. It rarely leaves our side, and won’t even be put in the trunk if we grab a taxi or Uber.

Our electronics bag includes our camera and a few lenses, at least one laptop, eBook readers, tablets, chargers and cables plus usually a few USB batteries for on the go recharging. I recommend having at least one brick charger with you at all times.

While your electronics gear might differ from ours, and you might want to keep things light, I strongly urge you to take a minimum of a small backup charger and cable for your phone since they fail way too often. They always seem to fail at the worst moments, and if you’re like so many people, your phone is also your camera, your map, your reservation holder, your ticket holder and your lifeline to both your digital existence and your life back home.

Essential Toiletries for Travel

Besides electronics, there is non-electronic gear you might consider essential. Toothbrush, toothpaste, brush or comb, deodorant, contacts if you wear them, tweezers, Tylenol or other medications, etc.

This list is pretty vague, because so many different people have their own washing up rituals. The best I can tell you is to simplify. If you’re traveling with a partner maybe only bring a single brush or single tube of toothpaste.

While you don’t need to share everything, liquids are heavy and you’re only allowed so much on an airplane. Putting it all in one of the best travel toiletry bags is a nice way to secure it. If space is tight, a quart size Ziploc bag works in a pinch, and it does make pulling it out for airport security much easier. Remember that 100 ml or 3.4 oz per item is the maximum liquid size in carry-on luggage these days.

Essential Snacks for Travel

Thought we were done, didn’t you? Well everyone knows that a successful trip always begins with food. Well, I don’t know about that, but I can confidently say that good food has made a trip go from good to great, while bad food has turned a trip from good to bad.

While snacks won’t guarantee you a good time, they can keep you from making mistakes like eating at that one dirty diner because you’re starving, rather than having a snack and waiting until you have better options.

What you bring is up to you, but I’ll never regret carrying crackers and an extra bottle of water. It works great for our kids for years and works equally well for us.

I hope you found this list helpful. Tell us anything essential you think we missed down below. Safe travels!

Here are our best travel tips for getting fast, reliable data in Europe as you travel.

Using A Cell Phone In Europe: How to Save Time, Money and Hassle

Having fast, reliable cellular data on your mobile phone is a must when traveling Europe.

Are you wondering “Can I buy a phone in the US and use it in Europe?” The short answer is yes, you can use your own phone and phone plan, but it might be incredibly expensive.

Can I use my American or Canadian cell phone in Europe?

Almost all modern mobile devices are compatible with European cellular networks, so you should be able to use your phone in European countries without interruption. So yes, you can buy a phone in the US and use it in Europe.

In a hurry? Try one of these quick solutions to start saving money.

• Solo traveler? Get an affordable Keepgo eSIM for pay-as-you-go wireless internet
• In a group? Pick up a Skyroam Solis WiFi Hotspot! Use with up to 10 devices!

However, you may get dinged pretty hard with unwelcome, and expensive, roaming fees from your home cell phone plan.*

If you just want to use your American smartphone and buy a local SIM card, you’ll also need to make sure your phone is unlocked however more on that later.

*Some budget cell phone plans don’t allow European roaming, like our cell plan in Canada with Public Mobile (though they do offer USA-based roaming add-ons).

Can I use my Verizon cell phone in Europe?

Smartphones on the Verizon network in the USA should work perfectly well in Europe, using Verizon’s international roaming plans.

The problem is that Verizon’s roaming tends to be pretty darn expensive. You can get the Verizon TravelPass plan, which works in over 185 counties. The TravelPass plan currently costs $10 per line per day, which is great for really short trips, but adds up pretty quickly if you’re gone for a week or longer. On this international plan, you’ll get unlimited calls, unlimited texts, and whatever data allowance you had on your domestic plan.

There’s also an International Monthly Plan for longer trips that lets you add a bundle of minutes, texts and data. The International Monthly Plan costs $100 /line per month, which is definitely cheaper than the TravelPass for longer trips. You’ll get 250 minutes, 1000 sent SMS, unlimited received SMS, and 5 GB data total. Sure, 5 GB of data sounds like a lot for day to day things however Netflix says you’ll use 1 GB of data (per device) for every hour you stream a Standard Definition show.

Will my cell phone work in Europe on AT&T?

Your AT&T phone should work perfectly well in Europe, using an AT&T roaming plan. However, AT&T doesn’t offer a lot of roaming options, and the AT&T International Day Pass is a little expensive for my taste. You’ll pay $10/day for the AT&T International Day Pass, which gives you unlimited data, talk and text in over 210 destinations.

How to unlock a smartphone

If you want to avoid expensive roaming fees, you can remove your American or Canadian phone’s SIM card and replace it with a European carrier’s SIM card. For most travelers, this may be the best way to use your phone in Europe.

Back to basics: What’s a SIM card?

A SIM card is basically a thumbnail sized card or chip in a slot in your phone. Your SIM card is what stores your phone number and cellular data plan. If you remove your phone’s SIM card, you’ll no longer be able to make phone calls, or use your cellular data plan, but you can still use your phone on Wi-Fi (you just won’t have a cell number or data). You can remove your SIM, and replace it with a European SIM, which will give you a European cell number and data plan (assuming data is included).

International travel eSIM for Europe

Before we get into the basics of SIM cards, let’s talk about one of the best ways to save money with a local SIM in Europe: eSIMs.

An eSIM is exactly what it sounds like: an electronic SIM card. However, an eSIM is embedded in your phone (meaning it’s not removable), and it can be reprogrammed easily.

An eSIM lets you change your wireless carrier, data, or service plan through software, without removing a physical chip, and inserting a new one. Most times, all you need to do is scan a simple QR code to switch your eSIM from one carrier to another. An eSIM can also let you use two different cell lines on the same device (like a home and work line), or let you switch between different plans depending on where you are in the world.

Several companies offer eSIMs for travelers, such as Holafly.

However, not all phones are compatible with an eSIM unfortunately, though it is arguably the best way to use cell phone in Europe. All three major US carriers support eSIM on recent iPhone and Google Pixel models, but not on Samsung models sold in the USA or Canada. So, when choosing an International eSIM for travel, first make sure that your phone is compatible.

Here’s what’s cool though: iPads and some laptops support eSIMs. Apples iPads have an easy eSIM interface, where you can simply choose your plan and provider from a menu on the iPad. Some laptops from Dell, Asus, Acer, Lenovo, Samsung and Microsoft laptops support eSIM, but Apple laptops don’t support eSIM at this time.

Important: your phone must also be carrier-unlocked to use an eSIM.

Using an eSIM in Europe is pretty simple for most users. First, make sure your device is eSIM compatible, then buy the eSIM online, and finally scan a QR code and turn on data roaming from your settings. When signing up for a eSIM service, you’ll also need an email address to get your QR code.

After that, you can call and message all your existing contacts on a bunch of free chat providers like WhatsApp or Skype, as if you’re in the same country. You can even keep your original SIM for phone calls if you wanted to continue using your existing provider.

Buying a Physical SIM card for Europe

If your phone does not support eSIM technology, you still can buy a physical SIM card for your travels. You may need to swap out your existing SIM card, but if you’re lucky, your phone will have two SIM card slots.

If you get a foreign SIM , make sure:

• your phone has a SIM card slot, and that the European SIM you buy fits your phone.
• your phone is unlocked. If your phone is locked, you will have to choose from European cell phones rather than use your own.

So, how do you choose the best SIM card for Europe with data?

There’s a little more to choosing a good European SIM card than simply picking the cheapest option.

First, determine which size of SIM card your phone takes.

There are regular, micro, or nano sized SIM cards. Most European SIM card companies carry all three sizes, so that shouldn’t be a problem. A European SIM card for an iPhone will likely be nano or micro.

Next, buy extra texting, talk or data plans that you need.

It is possible to buy a bare bones SIM card without any data. If this happens, you may have a cell phone with a number, but no added minutes, no texting, and no internet data plan. Be sure you get the data and/or text and talk plan that fits your needs. The good news is that cell service in Europe is generally great, and high speed data plans for travelers are usually affordable.

Finally, insert your SIM card in your phone.

The location of the SIM card slot is different for different phones. However, it’s generally a small and fiddly process that requires good lighting, and a table so you don’t drop the SIM on the floor. SIM cards are tiny, and easily lost and damaged. You’ll likely need a paper clip, pin, or special tool to open the SIM card slot however all phones come with one and if you can’t find yours just grab a paperclip or you can buy them online fairly cheaply.

Looking for other options for how to use your cell phone in Europe?

If you don’t want to pay for roaming fees from your home carrier, and don’t want to fuss with getting a European SIM card, another option is to only use wifi on your phone.

While it can be tricky to get high speed Wi-Fi when traveling, it’s definitely possible. You can use apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Google Chat to get the most out of your mobile phone when traveling, rather than relying on a data connection.

To travel Europe using Wi-Fi only, just use Wi-Fi at hotels, airports, restaurants and even malls or you can bring along a Wi-Fi hotspot, like the Solis or Glocalme. A lot of apps these days from Netflix to YouTube to Spotify to Google Maps also allow offline saving so you while you can’t connect with family and friends while on the go like with an eSIM or regular SIM card, you can at least enjoy your media on the go.

Some European companies even rent cell phones in Europe, however since most modern North American phones will work fine with European carriers, it may just be easier to take your phone overseas and use an eSim.

Looking for some more travel tech tips? Read these articles:

• How not to fry your electronics overseas
• Ways to share your mobile data connection
• The best iPad drawing apps for kids

Even though our winters can be cool here (that’s one of the reasons we love to travel so much in winter), when we’re home in Canada we still love to get out and about in the snow, whether it’s stargazing in Jasper, Alberta or traveling in the winter. Being outdoors in the cold means that we need to do whatever we can to minimize getting chilled and uncomfortable, including wearing the right winter gear.

As Canadians, Charles and I know all about cold winter weather. Growing up, Charles lived near Winnipeg, Manitoba. Winnipeg is known to be the coldest major city in Canada with recorded lows pushing close to -40. That’s so cold it’s the same in Celsius or Fahrenheit!

Just how cold can it get Winnipeg? Well, while the thermometer might rarely show lower than -30, with windchill it can easily hit well into the -40’s. Check out this video of The New Travel on YouTube throwing boiling water in the air with a -41 windchill.

I grew up near Calgary, Alberta, right on the edge of both the Rocky Mountains and the Canadian prairies, so it’s safe to say that we’re both well acquainted with blowing snow and freezing temperatures.

Today we live in the interior of British Columbia, which has one of Canada’s warmest winter climates, but we can still get down to around -20 or -25 °C for a few days here and there every winter and we often head home for the Christmas holidays so we get to deal with their cooler temperatures as well.

Now just imagine the kind of clothing and gear you’ll need to stay warm in Canada’s winters, from the freezing temperatures you’ll see in the prairies and the far North, to the milder winter temperatures of Vancouver and the rest of British Columbia.

How to Stay Warm When It’s Cold Outside: Products we love

Here are some of our favorite products to help stay warm in the cold.

Heated Jackets

We just discovered heated jackets this year. Where have they been all our lives?

A heated jacket uses the electricity from a power bank tucked away in a pocket that runs along strips of carbon fibers that are spaced across the jacket, warming up the fibers. The strips of fibers are flexible enough to allow normal movement.

In the past month, we’ve been trying out a heated jacket from Venustas. Overall, we’re really happy with how warm it keeps us at around 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit), but we’ll have to wait for later in the winter to test our heated jacket in the colder months of January and February.

We tried out the Men’s Heated Jacket 5V with Detachable Hood, in black in the men’s medium size. It has a nice fitted design and is comfortable to wear. It has 3 levels of heat you engage with a cool looking colored LED button on the jacket to easily change temperatures while on the go.

Single Use, Air Activated Hand Warmers

Disposable handwarmers are fantastic for popping inside your gloves or a pocket if you’re not moving around a lot. We keep a few of these in our car for emergencies, and keep some with our winter gear at all times.

These handwarmers were wonderful for keeping our fingers and toes toasty when sitting in a barely heated ice rink, while our kids were taking skating lessons.

Our top pick: Hot Hands Hand Warmers

Rechargeable Hand Warmers

If you blinked in the last few years you probably missed that rechargeable hand warmers have become a huge hit in northern climates.

Essentially, a rechargeable handwarmer is a battery bank that radiates heat into your hand or in a pocket. They can last up to 15 hours under ideal conditions, and it’s a relatively affordable alternative that seems more environmentally friendly than disposable hand warmers.

Beskar rechargeable hand warmer

If you like the idea of battery operated rechargeable hand warmers or a heated jacket, well then you’re in luck, because you can get battery operated heated touques (or beanies, for you in the USA and other non-Canadians), socks, mitts and probably even heated underwear at this point.

Base Layers and Long Underwear

Long gone are the days when base layers meant only heavy thick long underwear famously known for the flap in the bottom.

Today’s base layers can be made of some pretty technical materials, or even quality, natural fibers like merino wool.

Wool is always a great choice as a warm base layer, since it dries easily and wicks moisture from the body. Since wool is anti-microbial and also resists smells, so you can even wear it multiple days.

Unbound merino wool bottoms.

When choosing a good base layer fabric outside of wool, it’s important to make sure that it includes the following:

Breathability: The fabric should allow perspiration to escape, keeping you cool and comfortable and not damp or wet.

Lightweight – Easier to pack and carry and also helps keep you mobile whether walking, working or playing.

High wicking – The fabric needs to wicks moisture away from the skin, ideally keeping you dry and comfortable over the course of the day.

Quick drying – The faster the fabric dries, the quicker you can wear it again and the easier it is to wash while on the go.

Isothermic – Having densely packed fibres can help to retain heat & warmth without adding a lot of extra bulk.

Touques, Ear Muffs and Scarves

While the old wives tale that said we lose 80% of our heat through our head has been thoroughly debunked, it is true that once we’re all covered up our head becomes our greatest weakness. The best way to remedy head heat loss in winter is to pick up a touque or a beanie, preferably something made out of wool or a warm, breathable fabric.

C.C Thick Cable Knit Faux fur fleece lined winter hat

If you want to be really warm, grab a trapper hat. Every rural Canadian I’ve ever met has owned at least one trapper hat.

mysuntown Trapper Hat

If you hate getting your hair messy but have cold sensitive ears, then a solid pair of ear muffs are a great investment. Unisex, lightweight and easy to pack, they’re prefect to take on the go or leave in your car.

Metog Unisex Foldable Ear Warmers

While scarves aren’t as popular today as they once were, nothing beats the versatility of a warm scarf. From impromptu head covering to face shield to neck and sun protection the humble scarf can do it all and look good doing it. For winter, go with a heavier material and you won’t have any complaints.

Winter boots

We’ve been long time fans of SOREL boots for extremely cold weather (-15 Celsius and under). Charles got a pair of SOREL’s older style winter boots over 20 years ago. They’ve held up perfectly, and he wears them whenever it’s very cold outside or he needs grip on icy walkways.

However, the only issue with the SOREL boots that he has is that they’re quite heavy so they’re not great for everyday wear. These SOREL Men’s Glacier XT are very similar to those boots Charles bought 20 years ago, and still uses.

SOREL has some great new styles that are much more lightweight. I’ve been eyeing up these women’s SOREL Tofino II boots for a while; they get great reviews.

Our daughter really loves her Kamik Momentum winter boots.

She’s been wearing them for a couple of years now, because they’re a nice mix of warm and comfortable. She’s found that they’re perfect for our climate here in the interior of BC.

She’s still growing, so she had a pair of white Kamik Momentums for a couple of years, and switched to a dark grey this year when she grew out of them. They have a plenty of other colors, including burgundy, blue, and red.

Wool blanket

We keep a wool blanket in our car at all times. In the summer, it’s fantastic for impromptu picnics and sitting on the grass, and cool nights camping and sitting around the fire. In the winter, the wool blanket gives us an extra layer of warmth over our laps in hockey rinks and the kids will often pull it out on cool days in the backseat of our car, and it’s a fantastic to have in case of emergency as well.

We’ve had our wool blanket so long that we’ve entirely forgotten where we picked it up. That said, you can pick up a perfectly good wool blanket for under $40. Wool’s fantastic because it resists smells, and helps wick moisture from the body.

Our pick: The Arcturus Military Wool Blanket

Arcturus Military Wool Blanket is a nice size at 64″ x 88″, and weighs only 4.5 pounds. It comes in olive green, navy, charcoal grey, and a lighter military grey.

Like this article? Check out how to stay cool when it’s warm outside for some fun summer tips.

If you’re having trouble getting affordable, reliable internet on the road, we feel your pain. In almost 20 years of traveling together, we’ve suffered through weak wi-fi signals at hotels, cafes, and in more restaurants than we can count. Sure, sometimes we luck out and get reliable internet, but that’s not always the case.

At this point, we’ve used almost every kind of internet connection available when we travel, whether overseas or domestically.

The Best Options for Wi-Fi When Traveling

In this post, we’ll guide you through your options for getting reliable, fast wi-fi when traveling, and the pros and cons of each type.

Whether you’re looking for temporary internet for a vacation home, internet for a laptop or phone while you travel, or even internet while traveling in an RV on a road trip, here are some of your best options.

Beg, Borrow, or Steal Free Wi-Fi

When we first started traveling together, we spent a lot of time and hassle trying to find free internet for travelers. Over the years, I swear we’ve used the free wi-fi at every hotel chain and fast food chain around.

Sometimes the wi-fi is fast and reliable, but most of the time it’s spotty and unreliable. We’ve had more than our share of times where the internet was completely down, or where we couldn’t get the wi-fi signal in our room.

Pros: It’s free. Most hotel, restaurant, and public place wi-fi is free (though there are exceptions). It’s also easy to access.

Cons: Security is a major issue here, as it’s relatively easy to intercept your data. A password manager and a VPN can help with security, but you’re always taking your chances with free wi-fi. If you use a VPN, be sure to pick one that has a no logs policy, like the reputable Private Internet Access (PIA) VPN.

Use Roaming from Your Mobile Provider

Likely the easiest way to get wi-fi on the road is to simply use roaming data from your existing cell phone provider.

The danger of this is that you’ll get slammed with outrageously expensive roaming fees when you get home. To avoid the price shock, contact your cell provider and see if they offer a more affordable roaming plan.

Pro: Easy, instant and generally reliable and secure.

Con: May be prohibitively expensive. To share your cell’s data with a computer or other mobile, you’ll need share your connection via wi-fi, USB, or Bluetooth. This is called tethering, and can result in slowing down the data connection, and may drain your phone’s battery quickly.

Get a Mobile Hotspot

In the last five years, we’ve become huge fans of mobile hotspots for internet access.

A mobile hotspot is a small device (usually the size of a deck of cards) that gets you internet access wherever you go, whether that’s on a road trip near home, or in a country half way around the world.

You’ll pay a fee to rent the portable wi-fi hotspot for travel (or you can buy it outright), and then pay for a data plan. Depending on where you are in the world, data plans can run from $8 a day internationally, or $49 for unlimited internet in the USA for up to a week.

Most hotspots let you connect up to 10 devices, so they’re great for groups or families, but they don’t offer SMS texts or voice phone calls (though you can always use an app like Fongo or Google Voice to call).

See our:

• GlocalMe portable Wi-Fi hotspot review
• Skyroam Solis portable Wi-Fi review
• Keepgo MiFi device review.

Pros: Convenient, easy to use, reliable connection in most countries and fast speeds, some with unlimited data. Great for groups.

Cons: More expensive than free hotel Wi-Fi.

Buy a SIM Card at Your Destination

Buying a local SIM card at your destination can be a great way to save money, and save you from expensive roaming charges or scrounging free wi-fi.

Companies like Orange Travel can offer great savings, when compared to roaming or paying for a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Right now they have an Orange Holiday Europe 20GB deal on, which includes includes unlimited calls and texts in Europe.

Check out the Orange Holiday Europe 20 GB promotion here.

However, depending on your destination country, tracking down a local SIM card can be tricky. Occasionally, you can find a kiosk selling SIMs in the airport, but we’ve often had to schlep around a new city to find a cell provider. You can usually get a local SIM at convenience stores, news stands, and vending machines.

The biggest negative with a SIM card is that if you’re traveling to multiple countries, a local SIM may not work in all of the countries you visit. It’s also harder to share your connection with other members of your family or group.

Some countries may also require that you’re a citizen, or need a local address, to get a local SIM card, so a local SIM isn’t an option everywhere.

You’ll also have to physically remove your mobile phone’s old SIM card, store it somewhere, and insert the new SIM card, which isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

Pros: Generally affordable, and speeds are usually good.

Cons: Finding a local SIM can be inconvenient, and it may not work in more than one country. You’ll also need an unlocked phone for this to work. To share your connection, you’ll need to create an internet tethering connection or a hotspot on your phone to share the internet connection to a laptop, tablet, or other phones.

Buy a Roaming SIM Card at Home

You can buy a local SIM card when you get to your destination, but that can be inconvenient, especially if you’re short on time.

Some companies simplify travel internet by letting you buy a SIM card at home for use as you travel. The SIM comes with a data plan, and also usually lets you make phone calls and get SMS messages while abroad. To use it, you’ll just need to remove your old SIM card, and insert the travel SIM once you arrive in your destination country.

Pros: Affordable (generally under $50).

Cons: Same as the previous one. To use internet on computers or other phones, you’ll need to create a mobile hotspot connection (called tethering). You’ll also need an unlocked phone.

Internet Cafe

We’re really showing our age here, but when we first started traveling together back in 2001, we relied almost exclusively on Internet cafes (also called cyber cafés) for how to get internet away from home.

Their rows of boxy monitors and beat up desktop computers used to mean an instant connection to the internet, for the cost of a small hourly fee. In 2001, internet cafes were used by almost all travelers as a place to get together, and get good internet. Today, cell phones and free wi-fi have all but obliterated the good old internet café.

While you’d be hard pressed to find an internet café in most tourist spots today, they do exist in much less developed areas. If you’re looking for one as you travel, also look out for gaming centers or gaming cafes since many have gone that route, however their gaming computers can still be used to browse the web, print things off and chat with loved ones back home.

BTW, the last time we used a dedicated internet café was in the Philippines back in 2008, and we used it to access a printer, not for the internet connection, though we have jumped into a few gaming centers over the years to cool down with their aircon and let the kids game for a while.

Pros: No computer or mobile phone needed, affordably hourly cost, generally high connection speeds.

Cons: Security issues with using a shared computer, often noisy environment and overall lack of privacy.

What’s your preferred method of internet access when you travel? Let us know in the comments.

In our almost 20 years of travel together, It’s safe to say that we’ve used and reviewed a lot of backpacks over that time. We’ve tried nearly every kind from the cheapest backpacks to expensive backpacks. We’ve used top loading packs, suitcase style backpacks, overnight backpacks, urban backpacks, and even some of the best travel backpacks and the best business travel backpacks out there.

But no matter how expensive the backpack, or how well designed, they all have one flaw: you need to take the backpack off your back, and set it down, to access what’s inside.

This can be a huge hassle.

If you’re stuck outside in the rain, setting your backpack down to access the inside means placing it on the soaking wet and muddy ground. Half the time, backpacks aren’t balanced well, and the pack topples over on the ground, soaking the entire thing.

Even when the weather’s sunny, it’s a hassle to access the contents of a backpack when you’re wearing it. If the backpack’s small enough, and you’re especially flexible, you may be able to slide the pack around your hips so you’re wearing it on the front of your torso, and access the inside that way. This is pretty tricky to do, but especially difficult if you’re a person with more curves.

Accessing the contents of my pack is especially annoying when I’m outside taking photos. Having to stop, put my pack down, and dig around to find my photography gear has ruined quite a few fantastic shots. Wildlife tends to not pose patiently while I set my pack down to find the perfect lens.

So why hasn’t a backpack company come up with a way to access your pack’s content easily while you’re wearing it?

Well, one company has.

Paxis backpack review

The Paxis Twin Lakes backpack has a pod that swivels around from the back to the front of your body. The whole thing takes seconds, and it means that you can access the gear in the pod without having to take the entire pack off.

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A post shared by Micki and Charles (@thebarefootnomad)

The Paxis swing arm backpack was designed and engineered in the USA by outdoor enthusiasts Paul and Cathy Vierthaler.

We reached out, and Paxis agreed to let us test out a Paxis Twin Lakes backpack for our readers.

Technical details

• Capacity: 30 liters
• Exterior Dimensions: 21” high, 14” wide, 9” deep
• Shuttle Pod Capacity: 5 lbs.
• Shuttle Pod Interior Dimensions: 11”W x 4.5” H x 5” D
• ARC Swing technology swings lower part of backpack to the front
• Free standing design
• Waterproof base
• Interior tablet/laptop pocket
• Lifetime limited warranty

How does the swing arm work?

There are two parts to the Paxis backpack with swing arm: the upper part, which acts like a standard small day bag, and the lower pod, which swings around so you can access the pod contents without removing the pack. The top part of the pack does not swing around – only the bottom pod swings around to the front.

To operate: Keeping the straps on, and sternum strap closed, pull the release handle with one hand. The lower part of the pack (the pod), swings from your back to the front, letting you access the pod gear (snacks, camera, fishing gear, and so on), without taking the backpack off.

I wasn’t sure what to expect of the swing arm. Would it be hard to operate? Would it feel flimsy and cheap?

The swing arm worked exactly as Paxis said it would – with one quick pull of the release, the bottom pod swung smoothly from the back to the front. Perfect for grabbing snacks from the bottom on a day hike!

The motion felt smooth and effortless, and it just required as gentle push to swing the pod to the back of the pack and a small tap to click it back into place.

Paxis Twin Lakes Materials and Design

The Paxis Twin Lakes swing around backpack is made out of nylon fabrics, with hi-tech polyethylene foam.

The frame itself is made of aluminum for strength, and to make it lightweight.

The Twin Lakes pack comes in four colors: mineral (aqua), quarry (a greyish brown), madrona (orange) and long range grass camo (a green camo color).

The Paxis logo is big, and up front on the pack, but because it’s white, it’s not terribly obnoxious on the grey, orange, or teal blue version of the pack. The logo’s in a fluorescent orange on the camo version, though.

Zippers on the Paxis Twin Lakes easy access backpack feel sturdy and move smoothly.

The shoulder straps are well padded, with a sternum strap for stability. The waist / hip straps are padded as well, with a quick release buckle.

The back of the pack is comfort fit padded and vented, and cool when worn.

Paxis backpack interior pockets and exterior straps

There are plenty of interior pockets. The most important to us, of course is the tablet/laptop pocket on the interior of the top pack. There are two other interior zippered pockets, perfect for storing electronics gear, like chargers and cables.

The main pouch of the upper pack is softly lined, with plenty of room for a day’s worth of clothes and toiletries.

On the top exterior of the top part of the pack, there’s a small key or sunglass pocket.

The bottom Shuttle Pod part of the pack is a single compartment, lined with a soft fabric. It doesn’t come with any dividers (though you can buy them separately as accessories).

There’s also a small exterior accessory pocket on the outside of the bottom pod.

There are exterior straps on either side of the upper pocket for holding tripods, ski poles, hiking poles, fishing poles, or other gear.

There are also exterior compression straps, with quick release buckles, on either side of the top part of the pack.

Fit and comfort on the Paxis backpack

We tested the Paxis Twin Lakes fit and comfort for myself (female, 5’4″), Charles (male, 5’11”) and our 12 year old daughter (female, 5’0″).

The pack fit snugly on my back, and was easy to adjust using the waist and shoulder straps, with a pull on each.

Charles needed to let out the waist and shoulder straps a bit for comfort, and the backpack rode up a little higher on his hips. That said, he said it was plenty comfortable for a day hike, and well padded.

Switching the pack from Charles’ frame to our 12 year old daughter’s frame took a little more adjusting of the waist and shoulder straps.

After a minute or two, she had the pack snugly on her back, and said she was quite comfortable, even with a loose fit in the shoulders. There was plenty of room to tighten the shoulder straps, but she preferred them a bit loose.

Returns and refunds

Paxis allows returns for a full refund, if gear is received in “new condition with all tags intact“. The purchaser is responsible for return shipping.

Accessories

Paxis has two accessories you can buy: a foam packing system for the bottom pod to help protect valuable gear like cameras and binoculars, and a rain cover.

Paxis pod dividers – Pod Armor Gear Protection

The two (somewhat confusedly named?) Pod Armor inserts let you divide the lower Shuttle Pod section of the backpack.

The two inserts can help to protect camera and photography gear or other electronics, or help you organize fishing gear.

The inserts are hade of high density aviation foam covered in soft velour fabric.

Paxis Rain Cover – RainShield Gear Protection

The Paxis Twin Lakes backpack does not come with a rain cover.

The RainShield rain cover accessory, with an elastic binding, slips over any 30-liter or smaller pack.

Use timeline

Initial use: Backpack is in excellent condition.

• swing arm works smoothly and effortlessly
• upper fabric repels water beads nicely
• cool and comfortable back panel

Two weeks of use: Pack is in excellent condition.

• swing arm working smoothly, no binding or wear visible
• shoulder and waist straps are padded and comfortable for day hiking

We’ll continue updating this timeline as we use the pack over time.

Cost: The Paxis Twin Lakes backpack runs around $199 USD.

Over the years, we’ve found that military gear has it’s place in the travel world and can often be purchased for much less than similar, but much more expensive, travel specific gear.

Military surplus gear has advantages in the travel world

For one, military and army surplus tends to be well made, and can withstand heavy use. It’s also usually made to be portable and practical.

A huge bonus to military gear is that you can often find it for much cheaper than it’s travel themed brethren and let’s face it, military and tactical gear definitely has a cool factor.

Those are all great perks for travelers and what travel aficionado doesn’t want travel gear and clothes that are well made, durable and cost effective.

In fact, army surplus gear that’s built to withstand wear, tear, and exposure to the elements is a great choice for adventurous travelers.

Army surplus gear can be especially useful for camping and outdoor gear use, whether you’re exploring the Amazon, taking a RV road trip, or just on a short hike. From water bottles to camp lights to dry bags and hiking boots, military or army surplus gear likely has something you could use in your travels.

Combat pants and cargo pants for travelers

Cargo and combat pants are designed to be tough, durable, and made for mobility.

Even better, they’re loaded with pockets of all shapes and sizes, and some are even reinforced in the knee or seat.

Not only can they make carrying things easier, they’ll also likely outlast anything else in your closet.

Army surplus backpacks and other bags

We talk a lot about backpacks here, and we’ve reviewed some of the best for business travel, carry-on, and even family travel.

However, we haven’t talked about army surplus backpacks a lot. They do have some advantages, including price. Many backpacks made specifically for travelers are expensive, and army surplus backpacks can be a great way to save money.

Plus, military gear has a lot more than backpacks. You can find waist packs, hydration bladders, shoulder bags, day bags, dry bags or even suitcases.

Military gear and base layers

Tactical and military sources are a good place to find base layers to keep you warm and dry. You can even find them in well known brands like Pentagon, Tervel, and Helikon.

Since dependability is the cornerstone behind most military gear, finding the perfect base layer is easy when you’re searching for just that right item for your travels.

What to look for in great tactical or army gear for travelers

There’s a lot to consider when looking for great tactical gear.

Durability is one of the most important factors to look at when buying travel gear (or even everyday clothes). Make sure that the fabric is suitable for the climate. Fabric weight and breathability are especially important.

Cotton is one of my favorite fabrics, but unfortunately it isn’t great for hot and humid climates, as it dries relatively slowly and holds moisture. Lightweight, quick drying fabrics are best for hot or humid climates.

If you’ll be traveling outdoors, weather resistance is important. Choose waterproof or water resistant fabrics for wet climates. For cold climates, heat retention is important.

Options to consider when buying Army Surplus

Worried about looking like an army sergeant all the time in head to toe camouflage? Luckily, not all army and military gear is camouflage patterned. Neutral tones like olive, black and tan are also pretty common and are staple colors when looking for typical travel clothes.

One of the biggest advantages of military gear for travelers is the amount of storage built in. Military gear tends to have plenty of pockets and storage space. Even so, think about how much gear you carry, and make an assessment of the number of pockets you’ll need when choosing pants and shirts. Hidden pockets are also incredibly useful for travelers.

Carrying weight is another thing to consider. Decide how much gear you’ll typically need to carry, and based on that, make an assessment of roughly how many pockets and other storage compartments you’ll need.

While military surplus is often affordable, it’s always important to weigh cost vs use and enjoyment. If a piece of gear is a little more expensive, but is more durable, and with more features, it may well be worth the extra money.

Why is military surplus so affordable?

Military units across the world buy a lot of equipment. When they buy in such large quantities, they often pay a discounted price.

Often, the military overbuys, just in case, or even purchases items that are no longer needed due to changes in world events. When this happens, the surplus is sold, generally at a significant discount, to the civilian marketplace. Entrepreneurs then purchase the gear and resell it at a big discount over the original price.

What this means to you is that you can get dependable travel gear, often for a fraction of the cost as the often overpriced travel items currently out there, leaving more money for your travels or the option to buy gear you always wanted but couldn’t normally afford.

Posts you might like:

• Unique travel gifts for the traveler in your life
• the best travel backpack
• Skyroam Solis travel WiFi review

Have you tried army surplus travel gear? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below.

Using a VPN for travel can protect your information over public Wi-Fi networks, and help you access your favorite websites and streaming services from back home.

A VPN also helps you access favorite websites in countries where they’re blocked.

What is a VPN?

A VPN is a Virtual Private Network (thus the VPN acronym). A VPN lets you create a secure connection to another network over the internet.

A VPN encrypts the internet traffic from your computer to the exit point of the VPN network.

You can use a VPN on your laptop, desktop computer, smartphone (including iPhones, Androids and more) and tablets.

Do You Need a VPN for Travel? 

I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve used the WiFi at a cafe, airport, or hotel.

The problem with this is that surfing the web on an unsecured Wi-Fi network can expose your private information while you’re shopping online, sending emails, paying bills, or just browsing.

Without a VPN, any information that you send or receive while you’re online can be vulnerable to eavesdropping by anyone on the same Wi-Fi network. A good VPN prevents someone on the same wireless network as you from reading your traffic.

What does a VPN let you do?

A VPN can help you access streaming services when you’re out of country, hide your internet browsing history, access blocked websites, and even protect against identity theft.

Stream county-specific websites

You can access US Netflix and other streaming services in other countries using a VPN. Normally, if you’re a US Netflix customer, and you access Netflix in Mexico, for example, you’ll get the Mexico Netflix shows only. This may be a problem, since Netflix offers different shows in different regions.

When you’re using the internet while traveling, a VPN masks your geographical location and makings it seem like you’re somewhere else, tricking websites into allowing you access. A good VPN let you specify the country that you’re pretending to access from, whether that’s Canada, the USA, or somewhere else.

Access blocked websites

A VPN can be useful in countries where specific websites are blocked. Want to access Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, nytimes.com, or WhatsApp in China? You’re out of luck unless you use a VPN.

That said, China is getting more and more aggressive about blocking VPNs within China. While several VPNs work in China, NordVPN is likely the most robust, and most well known.

See NordVPN’s prices here.

Hide your browsing activity

A VPN can hide your browsing activity on public Wi-Fi. This can prevent prying eyes from seeing your information.

Prevent identity theft

A VPN can even protect you against identity theft.

You can become a victim of identity theft when your personal information is stolen, and the thieves use your identity. Identity thieves can open new bank accounts, rent or buy property, or even file tax returns in your name. They can destroy your credit rating, and even create legal hassles.

A VPN helps keep your identity secure by protecting your data, and keeping the data you send and receive shopping, banking and browsing out of the reach of cyberthieves.

What to look for in a good VPN

Not all VPNs are created equal. Some are better at protecting our privacy, faster, and more reputable.

Choose a logless VPN

A major advantage of a VPN for international travel is protecting your privacy, but some VPN services keep logs of your browsing activity. They can then release that information to a third party like hackers or law enforcement.

Logs can contain information like your original IP, the new IPs assigned to you by the VPN, your browsing history and the websites you visited, connection logs, how long you were connected, your connection time, and more.

Look for a VPN that is logless, and that has been confirmed not to keep logs by an independent audit. One company that’s a logless provider that doesn’t store VPN data is NordVPN, but there are others as well. See NordVPN’s logging policies and more here.

Get a Fast VPN

Since using a VPN means routing your internet activity through another server, it will slow down your browsing. Choose a VPN that’s as fast as possible. In general, the more servers a VPN offers, the faster it will be.

A VPN with servers in many countries offers you more flexibility and can even boost your connection speed. Your connection speed will usually be better if it’s connected to a server close to you.

Find a VPN that lets you access with multiple devices

Want to use your VPN on a smartphone, tablet, and laptop? Maybe you’re looking for a VPN for your family. If either is the case, be sure to pick a VPN that will let you use it on as many devices as you need, and make sure that it has support of all the devices you want to use.

Check VPN data limits

Some cheaper VPNs set limits on the amount of data you can use. Others will let you use full, unmetered bandwith with no limits on data. A good personal VPN for travel will have no data limits.

Make sure the VPN has a server in the country you want

If you’re a Canadian looking to stream Canadian Netflix in Europe, make sure that your VPN services offers a VPN server based in Canada.

If you’re looking to use a VPN in China to access blocked websites, make sure your VPN offers a server in a country where the websites aren’t blocked. The USA is usually a good choice. in this case.

Balance cost, security and convenience

While there are free VPNs out there, use them with caution. Your free VPN may offer up frequent ads, or disclose your personal information. Many free VPNs also don’t offer any kind of support, and can’t be used on multiple devices.