Over the last year, I traveled to seven different countries and tried to be as minimal as possible. I learned some very interesting ways to be efficient while traveling abroad, which I will share below in no particular order.
1. Have Jet Lag? Use Melatonin
The first topic that comes up with international travelers is the lack of sleep. To deal with jet lag, I use METATONIN.
Melatonin is a hormone that regulates your sleep-wake cycle. As a medication, it is used for to put you to sleep and has zero side-effects. It is all natural and your body produces it in order to regulate your sleep cycle.
I wish I had known about this earlier; melatonin is miraculous. I took it right when I got on a flight to Tokyo and slept the entire flight. When I landed, I was completely refreshed and experienced zero jet lag the following three days. I personally use the following brand, which you can find on Amazon:
— Carlyle Melatonin 12 mg Fast Dissolve 180 Tablets —
2. Bring Fewer Clothes and Do More Laundry
I have not checked luggage since college, reducing everything to one carry-on and a back pack. There are a few reasons to do this:
(1) It gets me through security much quicker
(2) Less stress knowing that I will not have lost or stolen luggage
(3) Allows you to leave the airport quicker
To make this easy, get a good back pack. Spend some money on this and do not be cheap about it. These can last more than five years and can make a huge difference traveling abroad.
I personally recommend the following brand: Tigernu Business Travel Backpack.
What I pack in my bag is the following:
- Underwear: 5 pairs
- Socks: 3 pairs
- Shirts: 3 pairs
- Undershirts: 2 pairs
- Pants: 3 pairs
- Shoes: 1 pair
- Toiletry bag
- Dr. Bronner’s soap
- Laptop and charger
- Drying line
3. Polyester Undershirts
I personally choose shirts that are polyester, polyester-cotton, spandex, or nylon. They dry a lot quicker than cotton and you can exercise in them. I personally prefer the following brands, which can be found on Amazon:
Women: Women’s Polyster Shirt Amazon Essentials
4. Polyester Underwear
Good underwear and socks will make your trip exponentially better. Stick to the following rule: Cotton Is Your Enemy. You want material that is polyester, nylon, spandex, or anything synthetic. I am a huge fan of this underwear:
— Champions Men’s Elite Briefs —
The men’s briefs and women’s undies are amazingly comfortable and super easy to clean. As a male, I bring two kinds of underwear: regular briefs and performance briefs. Performance underwear is perfect for walking, which I love to do in large cities like Warsaw and Bangkok.
They also dry fast. You can wash these things in the sink, roll them in a towel, and sit on them for 5 minutes and they will be dry enough to put on. This is why you do not want cotton!
5. Polyester Socks
The same thing goes for socks. Avoid cotton, and get some performance ones. Your feet will thank you. I personally recommend the below:
Men: Gildan’s Men’s Polyester Socks
Women: Amazon Essential’s Women’s Polyester Socks
6. Alternative Pants
Blue jeans are the worst because they take forever to dry, do not insulate well, dress you down, and take up a ton of space and weigh a lot. I personally recommend stretchy cotton pants as a substitute. They are comfortable, dry relatively quickly, and wrinkle less than full cotton, and can be compressed in your carry-on.
Here are some choices for warm environments: men and women.
In cold environments, I recommend these instead: men and women.
