Travel Gear Mistakes Beginners Make & How To Avoid Them

[@PackHacker]

We partnered with the folks over at Backcountry where you can find all of the gear mentioned in this video. Use code BCPACK to get 15% off your first order (exclusions apply) 👉 packha.kr/ktef

[@gnomeway2]

what is the universal cable you showed at 5:41? I can't find the name for it anywhere on your site or a link for it.

[@palierto]

Hoodie fatigue. A layer with a hoodie alone can be a great thing for a windy walk or a chilly morning but when all (or a lot) of your layers has a hood, you start to have a lump of fabric that feels like you are hiking through town with a pillow between the pack and your head.

[@YouCanChangeYourWorldToday]

Lol 🤦‍♀️

[@danielwatson5595]

You may already do this, but layering the hoods inside one another rather than them lying one on top of another can help with that. And when you pull your hood on you now have a multiple layer hood that’s quite cozy.

[@colbysoderquist890]

@@danielwatson5595 I’d avoid layering with more than 2 hooded articles

[@ALMAPAGAN]

Um, lol, I just ordered a bunch of shirts with hoodies. Yikes.

[@blakew5672]

You touched on it, but it deserves its own point. Don’t settle for something you’re iffy about just because it’s on sale. That EXPENSIVE jacket you’ve waited for the sale on? Spend the extra $100, or whatever, on the color you really want versus settling for the one on clearance. You’re more likely to use it, and you’re less likely to regret the purchase, and you’ll look better in it.

[@PackHacker]

Good tip - thanks for sharing, BlakeW5! - Austin

[@GatorAidMedical]

This is a big issue within men’s shoes and boots. Don’t settle on poor fitting footwear just because it was on sale or off eBay. Buy once cry once. Return many times till it’s right.

[@meisjeViv]

This is why I try to buy anything that I wear (clothing, jacket, shoes, backpack) in a physical store - it might be cheaper online, but I want to get the right option straight away and I'm happy to pay for that. Most of my things stay with me for years, so I'd rather not have the fit or colour or material be mediocre if I can help it 🙃

[@Smootus]

Key point….unpack, clean, wash, repair everything as soon as you get back home….. and repairs on the go sometimes need a “ redo” ….

[@blackmoon818]

One of my favorite hacks came to me when I was on a language study trip in kyoto. It was during winter, and it had been a very dry winter, to the point that locals, when they heard us talking about the weather were bringing up that normally there was a lot more snow. Well, we were all feeling it when we went to sleep. or rather, woke up. this would be where the humidifiers would get pulled out. But we worked out, if you had a shower at night, and then, once done using your towel, you actually dampened it more, and squeezed out enough water to stop it from dripping, turned on the heater to a low temp, then hung it up where you sleep (as close to you as possible, but if you get it in line with the heater, it also helps a bit), it did the exact same job as a humidifier, for those who are not normally suseptable to dryer environments at least. Extra bonus - for the weather we were expierencing, the towel would be bone dry by morning, so if you were someone who had their shower first thing, you still had a dry towel. Poor traveler's humidfier, and chances are you already have it among your other gear when you travel. unless you need an actual humidfier for other reasons, or are someone who is normally very suseptable to dryer weather, this does perfectly well for the unexpectedly dry nights.

[@PackHacker]

Thanks for the tip, Liz! - Tom

[@rstainsbury]

“It can be a beach towel on the sand, a rag or a face cloth” *Yeah, but not in that order!*

[@DeputatKaktus]

Never, ever have anything loosely dangle on the outside of your pack. This might be OK if you are on a trail hike but deffo not at the airport or train station. Anything dangling around will not only annoy other people to no end - there is a real chance it will get lost or snag on something (or someone), resulting in some sort of damage. That said, the more mission critical your item is, the more you should go for quality. The motto is "Buy once, cry once". Also: Your gear should adapt to you, not the other way round. What may look like a neat idea on that shiny catalog page / website at 11 pm at night when you're cozy on your couch might turn out impractical, unusable or annoying out there in the real world. If needed, customize your gear. Nothing is set in stone.

[@PackHacker]

Investing in quality is definitely the way to go! Thanks for sharing! - Austin

[@vh6307]

Oh my goodness, my folks have used that same line "buy once, cry once" too for years! Especially buying specialty items!😁🙋🏾‍♀️

[@saifaldin_]

@@vh6307 I try to practice the ‘buy once, cry once’ method, but more often than not, I lean towards the ‘don’t buy, don’t cry’ approach instead. There’s actually a lot of things I can do without..

[@vh6307]

@@saifaldin_ 😊👍

[@RoadRage810]

Modularity is nice. I have a backpack I use for work that has my work essentials in it all organized in bags and pouches. I know what to add or remove for mission critical items for work. If I am traveling for work, I know which pre packed cubes I need to add in and grab my cube that has my travel necessities in it. It took me a while to figure out what I need and what I don't, but now it saves me hours for packing up to leave and if it is an emergency, I can be ready to go on short notice. I applied the same theory to my vacation/hiking/camping pack setups. The necessities stay in the bag ready to go and everything else is neatly organized in its own bag/container/cube or other appropriate storage item. It sounds like it adds weight but after perfecting it and realizing what is important and what isn't I have shaved several pounds off my pack.

[@darkjyh]

I did the same with the Peak Design Travel 30L to travel and the Peak Design everyday zip 20L for everyday. So practical once you figured out how and what to pack and transfer between.

[@BucketListTravellers]

Great point about measuring your body so your gear fits to your actual dimensions. This would make a big improvement to comfort, particularly as we move around reasonably frequently.

[@DGALV90]

Design/color should be considered as well, I bought an Oakley backpack with a camo design for a trip to the Caribbean and was told by their customs that they don't allow camouflage prints because of their military

[@PackHacker]

Oh that's good to know - thanks for sharing David! - Tom

[@violinzeta]

Same for many countries in Africa

[@sassytbc7923]

These types of videos are so helpful. I am Planning a trip to Scandinavia, and am only allowed 20 lbs carryon, including my bags. Weighing each item is a huge help.

[@PackHacker]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ilostwaldo]

Getting familiar with your gear is easily underrated. I'm still kicking myself over naiveté with my Patagonia Nano puff jacket. Somehow, I managed to be blissfully ignorant of it's ability to pack into its pocket until AFTER the 2 month backpacking trip it was purchased for. I was too focused on weight saving 🤦‍♀️

[@PackHacker]

We've all had those moments! Thanks for sharing! - Austin

[@PackHacker]

Thanks for the support, Miguel! - Austin

[@gary-pv8vz]

Re head circumference for hats, hats with a leather sweatband will eventually become smaller as the leather shrinks through use. It’s always better to go up a half or full size. To get a good fit fold up some tissue or paper towel and insert it between the hatband and the hat fabric. Do this at the *back* of the hat not the side. Now your hat fits and if the band shrinks just remove the folded paper. Simple and easy. Does not apply with cloth hat bands.

[@jamesbrincefield9879]

Another tip for jackets. A high-quality jacket lasts forever so higher-end brands like Arc’teryx and Patagonia sell lightly used jackets in addition to new ones and you can get some crazy good deals like that if you check it frequently. If I need it immediately obviously I’ll just buy it, but if there’s no rush I’ll look for gaps in my wardrobe and check every few weeks throughout the year to see if there are any deals that are too good to pass up on and it seems to work pretty well. I’ve probably saved over a thousand dollars by buying things on there that I would have ended up buying at full price once fall/winter came around anyway.

[@ThatCleanMT]

Huge peeve of mine which you touched on. Having tons of shit hanging off a persons bag with carabiners. It not only looks ridiculous, it’s unsightly, disorganized and gets in the way. I went on a group trip down the Cali Coast with friends and one sloppily packed his bag and had almost exactly the amount of shit you showed the guy in this video with. We flew home at the end of the trip and his bag slowed us down during tsa since they scrutinized the hell out of his bag and all the dangling things from it.

[@PackHacker]

You should send him this video to help educate! Thanks for the comment! - Austin

[@JustJessee]

Could we get a video that breaks down a lot of the common, but misunderstood, pack features like the "Pig Snout"? I've had so many backpacks over the years and there always seems to be some aspect of them that I stare at and have no idea what the through process was that went into its inclusion. I'm sure there's enough to fill a video to break down these things, their names, and intended uses.

[@PackHacker]

Cool idea! I've passed your comment along to the team. Thanks for sharing! - Austin

[@atjoshuaroy]

Love your content! I always get great ideas on how to travel more efficiently! It'll definitely help me in the future when i travel to different countries and make new content for my channel! thanks for the quality video as always!

[@PackHacker]

Thanks for the support, Josh! - Austin

[@mechkitten]

Buying narrow shoes was a game changer. Thank you Brooks for offering great shoes in narrow widths!

[@PackHacker]

Thanks for the comment, Adriana 😃 -Eric

[@_The_Mig_]

Great video like always, I'm going to put into practice all your tips.

[@---ul7fu]

well done! perfect channel. I was wondering what is your cool watch. Could you provide the company and model of that. thanks

[@christianc2767]

What kind of ⌚ you got there?

[@lykathy2]

What brand and where can I get the multi charging cable like yours?

[@PackHacker]

Hi Kathy! That's the Chafon Multi 6 in 1 USB Charging Cable. I'll drop a link below. Thanks for the comment! - Austin packhacker.com/travel-gear/chafon/multi-6-in-1-usb-charging-cable/

[@frogturtle]

best lesson I’ve learned is just spend time on Reddit lol. Any item you can think to carry has been talked about by numerous people, and you can use their experiences like reviews to decide for yourself But it can be a double-edged sword as sometimes a piece of gear everyone says to buy may be a bad purchase for your specific needs

[@PackHacker]

We agree! It’s a great place to learn new things, but it isn’t the law of the land. -Eric

[@roxyragamuffin]

Can we just mention how rad your sponsor Backcountry is? They are so rad to order from, ship quickly, and that Pack Hacker discount is so generous and goes a long way with them. I just wanted to give them a shoutout.

[@PackHacker]

We think they’re pretty great, too 😃 -Eric

[@sassytbc7923]

Do y’all have any videos on these multi cords…

[@winstonmcse]

Always love the tips and being part of this community

[@PackHacker]

We love having you as part of the community, Winston! Thanks for the support! - Austin

[@Julie68Rush]

Reviews can be useful but it’s so hard these days to find GENUINE reviews rather than sponsored ads or worse, reviews by people who clearly only love a product because they were given it for free to use. Unbiased reviews are few and far between these days

[@PackHacker]

We hope you consider us as one of the few genuine and unbiased resources. That is something we strive for in every piece of content we do! - Austin

[@anter881]

As always quality quality quality. You guys know what you talk about!

[@ygdogg32]

Great content as always. Whats the name of the Universal cable u show at 5:41?

[@PackHacker]

Hi Giannakis! That's the Chafon Multi 6 in 1 USB Charging Cable. I'll drop a link below. Thanks for the support! - Austin packhacker.com/travel-gear/chafon/multi-6-in-1-usb-charging-cable/

[@kingsclownvideos]

Very helpful. Thank you.

[@PackHacker]

You're welcome!

[@nadrile]

It’s a small thing, but in Fjällräven, the ä is spelled pretty much exactly like ‘a’ in bad, bat, man or “bad Batman”! Packing mistakes: - just in case extra clothing, also not taking some extra clothing in case. It’s a mixed batch depending on activity. Also for some situations a fleece blanket is much versatile, better, smaller and warmer option than a warm hoodie. - elastic paracord might be better option than carabiners for hanging stuff on backpacks. - not having proper clothes if the weather gets wet, windy and cold in warm climates. - too short charging cable - Packing too full, not having a small pouch for tech that can be used as a sling or hip pouch.

[@Lol23415]

I recognize that watch and have been trying to find the brand for months. What’s the brand name?

[@GatorAidMedical]

Looking good Tom!

[@qwe-ji9iv]

Thanks my friend you’re one of the best instructors I ever follow. ♥ ♥ 12:30

[@PackHacker]

You are very welcome!

[@sailorbrite]

I feel personally attacked by the carabiners hanging off the bags. 😅 Nah, not really. Mine has only been that way since the start of the pandemic, because I feel like I need quick access to hand sanitizer, hand lotion (because I can’t stand having dry hands after I wash/use sanitizer), and an extra mask, so I have a little Tom Bihn ghost whale pack hanging off mine.

[@PackHacker]

There's always exceptions to the rule. Having hand sanitizer easy to reach is a good example of that. Thanks for sharing! - Austin

[@BenjaminCutting]

Super helpful as always!

[@PackHacker]

Glad you think so! Thanks for the support! - Austin

[@33Jenesis]

All valid points Quality and weight are my top concern when one bag packing. Amazing when there is space and weight limit, how many things I thought were necessary aren’t. My way to finess packing is to write everything I brought, down to packs of tea, on a Word doc saved under destination, trip length, and type of trip. When I am back I’d strike items unnecessary and unused. Next time if I would pack for a trip similar in style and length I can modify the same list and not bring those striked items.

[@pebble888]

using a heavily laden 40l duffle bag and realising quite quickly that it wasn’t as comfortable to carry as a backpack.

[@stargypsysoul604]

I buy and bring Gear Aids Tenacious tape. I can fix and waterproof most anything with it lol

[@yutaadi]

Hey, Tom. Have u used peak design backpack up to the point where the shoulder pivot starts squeaking? What do u do with that?

[@w4rky]

7:43 can someone tell me what backpack that is

[@PackHacker]

Hey Hellwoofer! That's the Eagle Creek Wayfinder Backpack 40L. I'll drop a link below. Thanks for the comment! - Austin packhacker.com/travel-gear/eagle-creek/wayfinder-backpack-40l/

[@gregh4284]

I've had YKK zippers that were garbage. (Nylon).

[@richardmoore6078]

Ohhhhhh BACK-country. I always thought you were saying BAT-country. Like a Hunter S. Thompson or Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas reference.

[@kolterwaynehiner8133]

My problem is I pack way more than I need [Just in case lol] but your channel has help me a lot thanks

[@PackHacker]

That's our goal Kolter - thanks for the comment! - Austin

[@jrrichards9392]

I have be testing and watching this video for 2 weeks.

[@PackHacker]

Hope your finding it helpful! Thanks for the comment! - Austin

[@rayturner7877]

Hi there! What GoRuck GR2 was the guy wearing at 7:09 (with all the gear hanging off with carabiners)? Was that the 34L? Also, what’s his approx height?

[@PackHacker]

Hey Ray! That's the 40L version. Aidan is about 5' 11". Thanks for the comment! - Austin

[@dustygrrl]

Hotel safe?

[@desperadodeluxe2292]

Clip on gear like the tripod that's strapped down.

[@j.i.370]

We want Portuguese 🇵🇹subtitles, please

[@Soonerfrk11]

Hmmm… I get this video a few hours after spending $250 on a new backpack….

[@missti9012]

I think I have G.A.S

[@DSKim-ej5uf]

Thank you for making such a happy time. I was amazed at the excellence of your skills. I would like to tell you that it is a very strange and attractive quality where you can clearly feel the colors of your videos. I would like to give you my sincere praise and support with all my heart and sincerity. Your video is truly a gift from God. Another day begins, and another blue morning begins here on the beach. I still don't know what I am living with in my memories that repeat day by day. The blue morning of the autumn beach, where the blue waves dance sadly and the water birds fly by, pass by like that... Memories of the past when I was walking on the white sand are washed away by the waves... Just as the KZbin algorithm introduced. As I looked down, the first picture suddenly caught my eye, and when I looked up again, it was your video. Thanks to watching your video, it revolves around me with beautiful and good energy. Your video that I want to see over and over again... This is your video that brought happiness to my lonely heart. Memories of those shining like dew on a leaf of grass shimmer. Memories of the past when I was flying like a butterfly in the clouds of the sky that followed the rainbow come to mind. I came across a video of you that I accidentally met while trying to play the guitar and harmonica. Thank you for reminding me of the white dream that bloomed along my heart. I think I'm obsessed with the algorithm. The quality is good and the best. Thank you for the universe-like algorithm that made it possible to watch good videos. I have no doubt that you will be fine.

[@reubenklang3968]

Never leave your passport in the hotel safe wtf type of advice is that!?!?!

[@meisjeViv]

Passport is one of the things you should have on you always (depending on where you live or where you are on holiday, also when, say, going to the supermarket - at least where I am you are obliged to always have an official ID on you)

[@crackinlackin9105]

Well don’t

[@Cdnl4927]

I'm too afraid to leave such valuables in room. Can keep it in a hidden waist pack. It's not uncomfortable if you get a soft material. I have a nice soft one from Rick Steeves collection.

[@sassytbc7923]

T

[@patrickhasachannel]

oof...seeing the gear swinging from webbing just flashes me back to how inconsiderate my gear used to be

[@robertwilliamson6121]

Re: “Quality”. All the gear on the market is “quality” gear. But some is poor or low quality. And some is high quality. Bad quality and good quality. Quality is simply a range of measurement or how well a product is made. Essential Meaning of quality 1 : how good or bad something is Pollution affects air/water quality. The restaurant serves food of high quality. [=the food at the restaurant is very good] The dress material is of poor quality. [=the dress material is not good] 2 : a characteristic or feature that someone or something has : something that can be noticed as a part of a person or thing Honesty is a desirable quality. Stubbornness is one of his bad qualities. See More Examples 3 : a high level of value or excellence wine of quality [=very good wine] They offer quality at a reasonable price.