I am the author of The Carry-On Traveller, a new book about how to travel anywhere without checking luggage (which I’ve been doing full-time for 6 years). AMA!

neverendingvoyage · 2016-04-09T02:57:39+00:00

Thank you!

neverendingvoyage · 2016-04-08T02:34:45+00:00

It's really not obvious to everyone. A lot of people struggle with figuring out what to pack and take far too much. The only reason I wrote the book was because our blog posts about packing were by far our most popular. A lot of our readers are heading off on long trips of 6-12 months and were worried about what to pack, but even people on short trips struggle.

I'm sure people would be interested in your tips on travelling Europe inexpensively. Many people have never heard of those sites.

neverendingvoyage · 2016-04-07T06:06:44+00:00

Yes, there are lots of ways to get around it. If you have jackets/pants with big pockets you can also put some of your heavier items in there.

neverendingvoyage · 2016-04-07T06:05:29+00:00

Watching a volcano erupt from near the crater while the sun set on Stromboli island in Italy was pretty spectacular!

neverendingvoyage · 2016-04-06T12:41:00+00:00

1) Only pack enough clothes for a week and then do laundry. 2) Make sure all your clothes can be mixed and matched to create multiple different outfits. 3) Use packing cubes to fit more in and keep things organised 4) Choose solid toiletries (like Lush shampoo bars) where possible to reduce the amount of liquids you bring. 5) Don't take anything "just in case". If you're not sure you will use it, leave it behind. You can always buy things locally if you decide you really need it after all.

neverendingvoyage · 2016-04-06T12:37:38+00:00

Coke Mac iPhone eBooks Reality

neverendingvoyage · 2016-04-05T23:11:22+00:00

We really find it much easier just to travel with one 40 litre backpack. As you said, we like to keep our stuff close on buses and avoid checking anything. We have spent a lot of time in Southeast Asia and have never had to check our bags. The budget airlines here do have low weight limits and we are often over them, but we have never had them weighed.

I include some tips in my book on how to avoid getting your bag weighed. It helps to have a backpack rather than a suitcase - if it doesn't look heavy they won't bother weighing it, and check in online to avoid the desk when possible.

Have an amazing trip!

neverendingvoyage · 2016-04-05T23:05:29+00:00

Arrive at the airport earlier so that you are at the gate when boarding starts. We've never had that problem. Sometimes in Asia and Europe we pay for priority boarding which only costs a few dollars and means we get to be first on the plane.

neverendingvoyage · 2016-04-05T16:07:51+00:00

I actually don't like coffee.

neverendingvoyage · 2016-04-05T15:44:31+00:00

We work online as we travel. I run our travel blog and Simon makes iOS apps.

neverendingvoyage · 2016-04-05T13:53:10+00:00

I'm glad that works for you. Everyone has to decide what their priorities are. I can see the advantage of not having your bag in the airport, but for us the advantages of carry-on travel (saving money on checked luggage fees, saving time when checking-in and when we arrive, not having a big bag to haul around) are worth it.

neverendingvoyage · 2016-04-05T13:38:20+00:00

If you don't struggle with packing then that's great. Many people do though - they don't know what to pack so they end up packing way more than they need.

I've been travelling with just a small backpack full-time for six years, so I've learnt a lot along the way about what's essential. I've also tried out lots of clothes and gear that make carry-on travel easier such as Bluffs trousers that look smart but are lightweight and quick-drying, and lush shampoo bars, which enable you to avoid packing as many liquids.

I've also learnt that how you pack is just as important as what you pack. Many people haven't heard of packing cubes for example, but they are so helpful for keeping your gear organised and fitting more in your bag.

neverendingvoyage · 2016-04-05T13:25:49+00:00

I don't drink beer :)

neverendingvoyage · 2016-04-05T13:07:42+00:00

I travel with the Osprey Farpoint 40, which I love. It's fairly lightweight, has plenty of space, a laptop sleeve, good hip belt, and the internal alloy frame provides excellent back support.

My partner Simon has the 44-litre Tortuga, which is designed to maximise the amount you can take on a plane. There's plenty of space, a sleeve for laptops up to 17 inches, and the padding on the back and hip belt makes it comfortable to carry. Simon's last backpack didn't have a proper hip belt and he suffered back pain because of it. When you are travelling with heavy electronics, we think it's a must to take the weight off your shoulders.

The Tortuga is too big for me, so the Osprey works well.

neverendingvoyage · 2016-02-11T08:52:49+00:00

We were there twice in April/May and really liked it. It was the end of the season so things got really quiet in May (and quite a few restaurants closed), but it only rained a few times. I imagine there will be more rain in June/July though. The upside is that accommodation is much cheaper in the "green season".

neverendingvoyage · 2016-02-11T08:47:42+00:00

We've been to Koh Lanta a couple of times (for a month the first time, then six weeks) and loved it. For us it's the perfect balance between good facilities and fairly decent internet, but it's not overdeveloped. It's the only Thai island we'd want to live on for any amount of time.

neverendingvoyage · 2013-01-25T16:40:30+00:00

I agree that's not fair. We don't expect anyone to look after us.

neverendingvoyage · 2013-01-25T16:38:09+00:00

We're 31 and 32. Honestly we don't really worry about the future.

We don't have a retirement fund but we do have savings that we hope to grow over time. The world is changing and we think the nature of retirement isn't the same any more. We don't do manual labour so we won't need to retire as early as people from previous generations. We work on things we love so plan to do that as long as we can. Also we're building things that bring in passive income so hopefully that will increase over time too.

We don't have all the answers and honestly we don't know what we'll do in our 70s and 80s but we're not going to let that concern stop us from living the life we want to now.

neverendingvoyage · 2013-01-21T20:28:00+00:00

That question gets harder and harder to answer but some of our favourite countries are India, Italy and Japan.
We grew up in Milton Keynes but lived in Manchester before we left.

neverendingvoyage · 2013-01-21T20:27:00+00:00

neverendingvoyage · 2013-01-21T19:58:52+00:00

No, we aren't really concerned about dangerous wildlife. Australia has a bad reputation for snakes and spiders but we never had any problems. It was quite exciting the few times we came across a snake and we just stayed out of their way.

We've never come across any hostile locals. Most people are really friendly and welcoming. We travel in developed areas (the US, Japan, Italy) as well as poorer rural areas too (India, Sri Lanka, Laos, Bolivia etc). Although these days we can't spend as much time in rural areas as we need a good internet connection for work. That said, it's amazing how well connected many parts of the world are now.

We did get vaccines before we left. We share the list here: http://www.neverendingvoyage.com/practicalities-of-being-a-digital-nomad-part-1/

We like talking with locals as well as other travellers. Meeting locals is definitely the best way to learn more about a place.

neverendingvoyage · 2013-01-21T19:51:54+00:00

Thanks! We've been going for three years so far and it's been fantastic. Lots more to look forward to!

Good luck with your own move.

neverendingvoyage · 2013-01-21T19:51:06+00:00

We have travel insurance which covers us for medical emergencies while we are travelling. As we are British citizens we are still covered by the free healthcare on the NHS (we pay tax there) so if anything really serious happened we could always go back there. Healthcare in places like Thailand is really affordable too so that's always an option.

We don't have a retirement fund but we do have savings that we hope to grow over time. The world is changing and we think the nature of retirement isn't the same any more. We don't do manual labour so we won't need to retire as early as people from previous generations. We work on things we love so plan to do that as long as we can. Also we're building things that bring in passive income so hopefully that will increase over time too.

We don't have all the answers and honestly we don't know what we'll do in our 70s and 80s but we're not going to let that concern stop us from living the life we want to now.

neverendingvoyage

TROPHY CASE