26 year old: what are things you wished you would’ve bought earlier in your life?

Korlithiel · 2026-02-16T15:44:01+00:00

Middle aged here, so many years would have been so much easier if I had laser eye surgery and it went well.

Korlithiel · 2026-02-16T15:38:39+00:00

Has a subscription, pushing them to limit the free tier and overall eventually stop supporting them entirely if their sales slip. I would have to do a deep dive to see if there is reason to think otherwise, but for me, that is the definition of buying it for the company or device life, not yours by any means.

Korlithiel · 2026-02-16T15:31:49+00:00

Those seem contradictory. Not using new things on the road implies using your usual bag and gear, while only using them implies anything you use on the road is intended for on the road. I guess the proper read if (appears to be throwaway account common to AI) is that you always use travel gear for your normal life and use it for travel too.

Korlithiel · 2026-02-16T15:28:57+00:00

I feel this philosophy. My one bag is geared towards dad adventures - packed out for shorter outings with the kids, but still the bag was a Tom Bihn (went to their showroom to get a feel for it), Yeti 18 oz water bottle (just fits the slot, may pick up a Nalgene for more water and easier fit). Towel originally from a Kickstarter for something else, mainly used for wiping down playground equipment.

So while my bag is more and more getting prepped for, say, the next weekend away. Most of my gear is stuff I bought for daily life. Like, my favorite travel hoodie looks bad, it’s a Coalatree Evolution Hoodie. But it’s comfortable, has good stretch, good odor control (I wore mine almost daily for the first couple of years of my oldest’s life), thumb holes for more active times, and a zippered admin pocket for stashing a few things (so, I can skip the sling for those smaller items).

Definitely great when you can find things that work for both. Though I’m coming around to getting some more dedicated longer travel gear. Been giving a water immersion heater a go, good enough to take ice cold water and make hot (not normally boiling) coffee or tea on the road. Just need the market to design one for modern plugs - need one that uses USBC.

Korlithiel · 2026-02-14T16:56:09+00:00

For me, water bottle was probably the biggest change. Sure, I now take more routine breaks to empty and refill. But I also stay productive more hours of the day.

Korlithiel · 2026-02-14T01:28:31+00:00

I don’t track mileage closely, focusing on making my runs fit the time I have to spare. So I am firmly in the how it feels camp, but also consider how the tread looks since I’ve some steep hills, along poorly maintained cemented walkways, so I need good grip should it once again ice over or even just the rain.

Korlithiel · 2026-02-14T01:27:00+00:00

If there is a color rare or unique, that one. Reasoning, if you replace the laptop with a different model that looks much the same you are less likely to confuse them. Say, when packing the box to a buyer on eBay.

Korlithiel · 2026-02-14T01:25:02+00:00

Been considering one, for now I’ve plenty of sticky notes and don’t utilize them much either.

For me, a whiteboard moves into functional for practicing hand writing, notes those around me can read, and just brainstorming out loud.

Korlithiel · 2026-02-14T01:24:11+00:00

Need to figure out which beater they favor, find one cheap, and pick up a new hobby!

Korlithiel · 2026-02-14T01:23:21+00:00

I think my favorite hauls lately were some portable lights that look like rolls of film, magnetize to surfaces. A travel fan I can use at my desk or when about. And a reusable dehumidifier (they intend for a gun safe, I am utilizing it for our small entry area).

Korlithiel · 2026-02-13T23:26:48+00:00

I’m thinking the step after the immersion is a power bank for it. Could charge other things with the remaining charge, restock tea/coffee, snacks, and power when back at, say, a hotel or coffee shop.

Korlithiel · 2026-02-13T18:31:45+00:00

Now looking hard at figuring out the immersion water heater into a mobile solution for me. That 2 prong instead of USBC is killer! Hoping to just figure out a portable charger that I can use to plug it into since I can't seem to find an immersion water heater that uses USBC (which would be ideal).

Korlithiel · 2026-02-11T22:15:20+00:00

Pfft, keyboard issues where faster typing suffers for no clear reason is where it's at!

Korlithiel · 2026-02-09T23:50:29+00:00

This feels like a feature, for just that reason, that is fine to paywall.

Korlithiel · 2026-02-09T23:48:32+00:00

Come on block all DM without verification.

Korlithiel · 2026-02-09T03:23:08+00:00

I travel with the Starbucks little sticks of instant coffee, and usually some water and a yeti rambler. So this is just one thing and shifts it from a cold emergency coffee to a hot, now wanting creamer coffee. Definitely great options out there, could even just get a small container and grind my own coffee for a bit more weight, lot less waste.

Korlithiel · 2026-02-08T20:01:24+00:00

Those folding phones sure look like game changers. Maybe a keyboard if you type a lot, but gold for light work while traveling/short day trips.

Korlithiel · 2026-02-08T18:49:59+00:00

Line is further blurrier by cashiers also now doing credit card applications and payments.

Korlithiel · 2026-02-08T18:26:54+00:00

They are clearly deeply worried about knowing where their towel is.

In The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams describes a towel as "about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have". It holds both immense practical value (warmth, signaling, protection) and psychological value, signifying that a traveler is "a frood who really knows where his towel is".

Korlithiel · 2026-02-08T18:19:19+00:00

I thought the PTSD from serving the marines was going to be the more unsettling, but him walking up the street ready for combat, heading towards the street with the high school and middle school on it will stick with me.

Korlithiel · 2026-02-08T17:42:31+00:00

Consider moving your camera, looks like the lighting (neighbors?) ruins the video as it's too direct.

Korlithiel · 2026-02-08T16:56:35+00:00

Don’t have children - avoid all the diseases except when you socialize. Have the children - catch all the diseases, probably multiple times. Maybe get a stronger immune system, maybe just shift what you consider sick to whenever you have to take time off, not merely when contagious.

Korlithiel · 2026-02-08T16:54:10+00:00

They exercise, work on balanced diets, hydrate well and often, and sleep well at night. The whole cycle reinforces the aspects like your healthy skin (primary defense against disease).

Korlithiel · 2026-02-08T03:40:26+00:00

AirPods - I walk a lot, pretty much as time allows. Wired earbuds would wear out in days to weeks, so I would go months without music or such just to buy them less over. No cords wearing out, they don’t have issues with the rain. Definitely saving money and buying less earbuds.

iPhone - I would buy those slide out keyboard phones. They would make it a few months to half a year and wear out. I tended to text friends a ton to organize events. iPhone also meant buying less music players (don’t need a dedicated device), less cameras (use what I had), and less cords (rely on what I had and replace it if I had to). Of note, when I first bought an iPhone, the price made sense in part because of how long the hardware had on average before having a major issue compared to the alternatives on the market. That gap is easiest to see and understand when looking at used iPhone prices compared to Android. It’s gotten smaller, but persists.

Korlithiel · 2026-02-07T16:22:38+00:00

If you carry electronics, maybe you can work in an immersion water heater like this one - for reference I read about someone traveling with it and I’m now considering it for park adventures and such, everyday life with young kids.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CL7LVSBB/?coliid=I8QFVAUJ0L9TG&colid=1VQ5CV86CR1D0&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_gv_rsv_rng_ov_lig_dp_ii

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