Ask Us Anything: How Many Bags Do We Carry — and What's In Them? What's a Mild, Non-Crowded Summer Destination?

Plus, what did we think of our "comprehensive" medical exams in Thailand? And what's on our *uck-It List?

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This is a regular column where we answer your travel-related questions. If you ask nicely, we might even answer your non-travel-related ones too!

Have a question for a future column? Ask it here.

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How many bags do you carry? Suitcases or backpacks? Do you bring any kitchen utensils with you? What do you do if the pillows in a place are bad? Do you bring towels? — Chris

This column has been pretty interesting for Michael and me because it has reminded us that what’s ordinary to us is fascinating to other people. Then we remember that before we came to be nomads, we had all these same questions, too!

We had suitcases for the first two years of our nomading, but we’ve since switched to backpacks, which we think make more sense, especially if you’re doing any train travel. We now both carry two backpacks each: 42-L Cotopaxi backpacks — which are incredibly sturdy and which we highly recommend — and smaller daypacks that we use for essentials and as a carry-on on planes.

Proudly wearing our Cotopaxi backpacks!

We do always bring a few kitchen utensils with us since Airbnbs so often lack certain things: an ice cube tray, coffee filters, a pack of steel wool pot scrubbers, a decent spatula, and a carrot peeler (which we almost always forget and leave behind when we go!).

We also carry reusable grocery bags; a collapsible laundry bin; padlocks for gym lockers and the like; a bike lock and chain (for bikes but also for chaining luggage to racks on trains); a Tide spot-remover pen; swim goggles; disinfectant wipes; a pretty well-equipped first-aid kit; a folder with financial documents and our checkbooks; and a small bag of various electronics, including adaptors, an extra smartphone, a portable smoke detector, and an HDMI cable so we can play TV from our laptops on any television.

As for towels and pillows, these are exactly the kind of things (along with dull knives) that we replace if we arrive at our lodging and find that they’re subpar. Then, when we go, we leave these things behind for the next guest.

— Brent

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I've been living on the road for two years, piecing together healthcare as needed. But in Thailand, you wrote how you went for an exhaustive annual physical. What do you think such a physical should include? And what are the best countries for getting them? — Monica

Last year, Michael and I did get “comprehensive” physical exams in Thailand, a country with great, affordable health care and a wide range of hospitals that cater directly to Westerners. Turkey is another good option for this.

We got the most basic package (for less than $130 USD each), but it was still far and away the best and most thorough medical exam either of us has ever received.

We especially loved the fact that once we got our results, we could immediately see a specialist for any further examination or treatment we needed — that same day with no appointment necessary!

We plan to do these examinations bi-annually. But this question actually has two answers.