Summer stuff, travel stuff

Old-people stuff, etc.

For years, I could fly anywhere in the world for next to nothing, and I took full advantage. I did ridiculous things like fly to Bangkok for the weekend, spending almost as much time in the air as I did on the ground.

(Before I get to the point I’m actually trying to make, I do want to acknowledge that I have regrets around my Cavalier Flying Years now that I understand the impact on the climate. These days, I’m trying to avoid air travel for the rest of my life, no exaggeration. Thankfully, my husband is pretty environment-conscious and is thus not too disappointed that Hawaii is off the table.)

Anyway, my point is that I’m no stranger to travel. I’ve slept in all kinds of weird places on a shoestring budget. I’ve survived 42 hours of door-to-door travel in the same pair of pants, with 6 of those hours spent trying to sleep on the chairs at LAX while being tortured by nonstop Christmas music, because sometimes that’s what you have to do to get to New Zealand.

You can imagine my surprise, then, when I encountered the recent revelation that traveling now makes me feel as if I have been poisoned. If I attempted to sleep in a 3-star hotel, I would almost certainly be a quadriplegic by dawn.

I’m very rarely in pain otherwise, so my scientific conclusion on this is “I’m not young anymore, plus everything in my house is debilitatingly ergonomic to the point that my body is no longer compatible with the outside world, despite the amount of yoga I throw at the situation.”

I don’t want to stop traveling entirely, and sometimes it’s just necessary for work, so I made a few investments that drastically improved the experience. I’m also throwing some general summer stuff into this list, while we’re here, because why not?

STAX stacking travel bottles ($13)

It took me years to find travel bottles I didn’t hate. I can’t stand the typical chaotic Ziploc situation. These travel bottles do not leak and are super compact while still holding more than enough. I actually wish the small ones were even smaller! I use them for weeks after a trip just to get rid of the extra moisturizer etc.

The big one is perfect for my Daily Dry shampoo (the brush they sell just fits!). I have two sets, and use the other big one for a chunk of a solid Cetaphil bar.

They work great for everything but shampoo and conditioner, so for those I use my second-favorite travel bottle, the Toob bottle. (I just noticed those are also made by humangear. You’re killing it, humangear!)

Echo sun jacket by Outdoor Research (usually $70, currently on sale for $51!)

Sometimes you just want to take a quick stroll, or run an errand, without having to slather on sunblock. The Echo quarter zip jacket was my third attempt at sun protection via fabric, and the only one that lived up to its promise of being fairly wearable even in hot weather.

This jacket is tissue-thin and AIRY. You can feel the breeze through it. I can even hike in it on a warm day, though I wouldn’t do it on a truly hot day.

It’s great for travel, but I also just love the freedom it gives me to take a 15-minute walk around the block during my workday without dealing with sunscreen, since I already wear sunscreen on my face daily.

Note that there’s also a hoodie version, but the back-of-neck protection isn’t as good, and the head-hole is quite small, so pulling it on is really unpleasant, not to mention disastrous for your ponytail.

Roost V3 laptop stand ($90)

I can’t believe how much I love this thing. I can’t believe I’m telling you to pay $90 for this thing, but here we are.

I may be a lifelong computer goblin, but I’m a lifelong computer goblin who is at least determined to sit up straight most of the time, and avoid doing bad things to my neck or spine. My office chair looks like it belongs on a spaceship, and everything on my desk is where the Ergonomics People told me to put it.

But now I’m not used to looking down at a laptop screen, which leads to serious pain when I travel. So I bought this stand, and it is great:

I don’t just use this for travel, I use it anytime I’m on a standalone laptop instead of one with an eye-level monitor attached.

It has numbered notches so you can dial it in perfectly, it’s sturdy, and it’s the only travel stand I’ve found that fits easily in the bottom of my bag while still placing my laptop screen at true eye level, which is pretty dang tall (as you can see in the picture above). You do have to use a keyboard and trackpad with it, obviously, but I just use Apple ones, like the ones shown in the picture, and those fit easily alongside my laptop.

Scrubba wash bag ($55) + Kind detergent ($17 for a zillion washes)

In my quest to free up room in my suitcase for all of these orthopedic devices I now require just to stay out of traction, the most helpful change I made was to start washing my clothes on longer trips.

This wash bag packs completely flat, as does the detergent I use with it (I cut one sheet into smaller squares, since these are much smaller loads). I often bring it without actually planning to use it, as its reassuring presence keeps me from panic-packing 67 pairs of underwear. I can’t see it working well for an entire family, but maybe it’s still worth having for emergencies?

I find it easiest to carry out the entire process in the tub/shower, and it only takes about 10 minutes. Throw your clothes and a detergent square in the bag, fill it to the line with hot water, fold it over as shown right on the bag, set it in the tub, and agitate the hell out of it with your foot for a minute or so.

Arrange your clothes flat on the floor on top of a towel, layer another towel on top, roll up, and press. Your clothes will be dry enough to hang up in the (open) closet to dry the rest of the way overnight.

It’s not a perfect system, since the clothes will be a little stiff until you wear them, and since you’ll need to grab a lint roller from a nearby Walgreens if you like black T-shirts. But even if you’re just washing your jeans, socks, and underwear, it saves a ton of room in your suitcase.

Marmot inflatable camp pillow ($24) or Pillowcube Sidekick pillow ($50)

Side sleepers, rejoice! Hotel pillows suck even at the fanciest hotels, but I have solutions for you.

You’re likely looking for the Marmot camp pillow, which is tiny, packs flat, inflates in a neat way that keeps it from losing any air in the process, and rolls up into any shape your neck desires. I like to put it directly under my hotel pillow, but you could also use it alone with a pillowcase over it. I know it looks odd, but it really works — it’s not perfect, but it will stave off the worst parts of sleeping in not-your-bed.

If you’re a hardcore side sleeper who is taking a car trip, or are just dedicated enough to good sleep that you’re willing to smush a small foam pillow into your luggage, upgrade to the Pillowcube Sidekick. Again, it’s not perfect, but it’s far better than nothing. The Sidekick is super squishy, so with some experimentation you can adjust its height a bit, depending on where you’re putting your head.

Tank with built-in bra ($18)

Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a tank top that has a real built-in bra (not one of those useless flaps of fabric they call a “shelf bra”), adjustable straps, and a neckline high enough to avoid wardrobe malfunctions no matter what I’m doing?

It’s hard, okay? When I finally found this one, I bought like 57 of them in black and I have not regretted it. I’m wearing one right now!

I don’t wear these as part of my regular outfits (though you totally could, I just prefer clothes that have a little more room for any delicious burritos I unexpectedly encounter). But they’re so versatile for everything else. You can do yoga in them and they won’t ride up (they never ride up), you can have wet hair in them without your clothing getting too soggy, you can sleep in them and they’re pretty comfortable, albeit not as comfortable as a big soft T-shirt. You can take the dog out before you’ve actually gotten dressed. Et cetera, et cetera.

I like them for travel because I can lounge in my hotel room in them without feeling too naked to answer the door or run to the front desk.

I personally wouldn’t recommend the lighter colors, since I think the bra cups would show and reviewers have said as much.

Taos Footwear

The pandemic fashion crisis hit me hard, and a few weeks ago I realized it was time to start wearing actual clothes again, as a refreshing alternative to the the wool& sweatpants and Nike Frees I’ve been spending 99% of my life in.

The biggest challenge has been the shoes, especially since I do want to wear them on a few upcoming trips. The above Nike Frees are the most comfortable shoes on the face of this earth, not to mention convenient (you just pull them on!), so if I buy cute shoes that feel like torture devices in comparison, I know they’re just going to sit in my suitcase the entire trip, then rot in my closet for 3 years before heading to Goodwill.

I should note that when I say cute, I mean “what a forty-something woman with a side part would think is cute.” If you are looking for on-trend anything, I cannot help you. I think the answer is “chunky platform Crocs” or something? Good luck out there.

Anyway, I tried a bunch of stuff, and it wasn’t even close. Taos Footwear, which I had never heard of until Reddit helped me out, won by a landslide. They have minimal sneakers, Vans-style slip-ons, ankle boots, wedges, you name it, and every pair I’ve gotten (three so far) is comfortable and supportive.

Quality shoes aren’t cheap, and these are quality shoes. The sandals were $140, I think, which is “ouch” territory for sure. But I could not wear the cheap version of either of the styles below without winding up in the hospital, so there isn’t really an alternative here.

Multi charging cable ($15)

Last but far from least, this charging cable is the only one I need on a trip aside from my laptop power cable, which feels miraculous. I use a tiny adapter to plug it into my laptop, and it’ll charge my Airpods, phone, iPad, etc. (Just leave the tiny adapter on the cord all the time or you’ll lose it immediately, trust me.)

Okay, that’s everything I can think of. If you’ve got any Miracle Clothes or travel hacks to share, please leave them in the comments!