Brent and Michael's Secret Travel Hacks, Part 35!
Never forget your valuables, identify your cords, easily unsubscribe from all email lists, ditch the hop-on hop-off, transform your life (twice), get *real* discounts, and make good, cheap smoothies.
Even more of our craaaaazy travel hacks!
For other travel hack columns, go to Part Twenty-Four and Part Twenty-Five and Part Twenty-Six and Part Twenty-Seven and Part Twenty-Eight and Part Twenty-Nine and Part Thirty and Part Thirty-One and Part Thirty-Two and Part Thirty-Three and Part Thirty-Four.
Here are our latest hacks:
Hide your valuables?
It’s the age-old travel question: if your room doesn’t have a safe, is it better to hide your money and valuables somewhere in the room, or somewhere in your bag? Yes, people are more likely to find something hidden in your bag, but on the other hand, you’re more likely to forget your valuables if you hide them in the room — especially on a long-term stay.
And forgetting your passport can be a total disaster.
As for me, I hide my valuables in a secret compartment in my large bag (which I think thieves are less likely to steal outright). Yes, they’re less secure, but I also know I’ll never be in a rush and accidentally leave them behind.
Make your pancakes fluffy
If your pancakes and waffles aren’t fluffy, you’re probably making a basic mistake: not letting your batter “rest” before cooking — at least ten minutes but ideally up to 30 minutes. This allows time for the flour, milk, and baking soda to interact, creating those little air bubbles that make everything fluffy.
In fact, that old adage about how the first pancake is terrible and you have to throw it away? That’s not (just) because the skillet isn’t hot enough — it’s because your batter hasn’t rested.
Easily identify your different cords
As a digital nomad, I travel with all my cords in one big pouch — cables to charge or power all my electronics. And for a long time, they were one big, indecipherable jumble.
But lately, I’ve started buying colored cords to easily tell them apart! Another option is to give them all plastic labels.
