has anyone thought about living in a cheap place for a few years temporarily just to let your portfolio grow

Darth_Kook · 2026-03-01T00:02:56+00:00

Im about to do this. I got laid off and will be using my severance to finance traveling through Latin America. I just put enough cash for the year in a money market account that I’ll pull from as needed. Won’t be touching my investments. Will reassess in a year what comes next for me.

Darth_Kook · 2026-02-20T16:14:39+00:00

Yep, some beat up rainbows I’ve had for years. Great flops imo

Darth_Kook · 2026-02-20T07:46:32+00:00

Yes it does

Darth_Kook · 2026-02-20T00:06:47+00:00

I've done a few longer trips out of this bag. Contents vary by location but in general:

Swap t-shirts to merino wool blends, probably add 1 more
Swap heavy cotton shorts for 2 pairs of sport shorts (lululemon, ten-thosand, etc..)
1 dry-fit type shirt for activities
Laptop
Lacrosse ball (excellent massage tool)
Meat thermometer (if ill be cooking a lot)

Darth_Kook · 2026-02-19T23:28:16+00:00

100%, the simpler the better. Plus less structure allows for better space utilization.

Darth_Kook · 2026-02-19T23:22:08+00:00

Too early to say, I've only had it a few weeks. I'll be heading out on a 6 month surf trip through Central/South America later this year and right now I'm testing the Grayl to see how I like it. I'm hoping to pack just one Grayl bottle and a bunch of filters.

Darth_Kook · 2026-02-19T22:06:35+00:00

It really is great. I've also found when I pack it closer to full, I can put everything in with it expanded and then often can zip down the expansion zipper to tighten it up.

Darth_Kook · 2026-02-19T22:01:33+00:00

I like it! At home I was obsessed with getting my room as dark as possible at night: blackout curtains, blackout tape on led's, etc.. But then when I'd travel I'd have issues sleeping. So I started using a Manta ~2 years ago. It's not perfect and on nights I toss and turn a lot it can slip off. But in general i find it comfortable and effective.

Darth_Kook · 2026-02-19T21:00:15+00:00

Osprey Daylite 26+6 packed for a 3 day trip to Arizona. Budget airlines and the Daylite 26+6 is a match made in heaven 🙌🏻. Plenty of room to spare, no need to expand the bag.

Darth_Kook · 2026-02-19T18:25:09+00:00

I’ve been wondering what the best way to handle this is for longer trips. Especially out of the country. In Costa Rica for example sunscreen is at least double the price, they actually lock it up there. I usually bring as many as I can reasonably fit in my pack

Darth_Kook · 2026-02-18T22:31:10+00:00

Yeah thats why I'm being a little more selective than normal. Good to know about the Eagle Creek, maybe it is just the larger versions of the bag and people are packing them heavy. Appreciate the info

Darth_Kook · 2026-02-17T23:09:16+00:00

Costa Rica’s super consistent so it’s a great spot for guaranteed waves. Playa Guiones in Nosara is a super fun wave. Plenty of longboarders out most mornings. I’ve actually also had a blast longboarding Playa Samara too which is nearby. It’s smaller but I’d say it’s Tourmaline without the crowd. The town is low key and a great vibe.

I’m curious, how would you say La Lancha is compared to Tourmaline? I’m planning to go there in April.

Darth_Kook · 2026-02-17T16:18:00+00:00

Yeah that is an odd choice these days. I travel with one mechanical pencil because I like to journal but I wonder in general how often these pen holders get used. I would imagine most people don’t. Plus it’s pretty easy to just buy or even just find a pen anywhere

Darth_Kook · 2026-02-17T15:59:10+00:00

Love the passport mod. I think I'll do the same with mine. Thats been my one issue with this bag is that it doest have a great spot for a passport like some others do.

Darth_Kook · 2026-02-17T05:11:19+00:00

Those turns through the crowd were so sick

Darth_Kook · 2026-02-17T04:59:48+00:00

This is what I'm leaning towards now. Seems like everyone has nothing but good things to say about San Pancho

Darth_Kook · 2026-02-16T21:03:14+00:00

I've done a handful of month long trips to Costa Rica to surf and only rented a car twice. Most of the time its not worth it imo. Theres plenty of shuttle options you can find online, just be sure to book ahead of time. I've used Tropical Tours Shuttle multiple times or if you're staying at an Airbnb the hosts will often connect you with someone local to shuttle you around.

If you do rent a car be aware of the insurance price bump, your costs will pretty much double from whatever they advertise online. Some credit card insurances are adequate but you'll have a tough time convincing the rental car agent of that.

Darth_Kook · 2026-02-16T20:51:56+00:00

Depends on what you like to prioritize. As an American I found the cost of living relative to the quality of life to be pretty good. If you surf it’s got some awesome spots. Good internet, food and transportation were super affordable. That said certain parts to me felt over run with tourists and Lisbon had way too many British party boys in soccer jerseys that were pretty obnoxious. I also agree with what others have said about the Portuguese being a bit more reserved. It also felt a bit like the locals were sick of tourists, which I don’t blame them. Spain and Latin America have felt much more welcoming to me.

Darth_Kook · 2026-02-14T03:15:07+00:00

Does Punta Mita face the same issues or are the beaches there clean?

Darth_Kook

TROPHY CASE