Tell us a bit about yourself
Like most stories about “digital nomads”, last year, I became a little burned out with my 9 to 5. Turns out I wasn’t burned out from working, more burned out from a monotonous schedule that was hard to escape: wake up, go to work, go for a run, have drinks with friends, go to sleep, do it all again the next day, etc. Living in a new country every couple weeks has satisfied many curiosities while still allowing me to hammer away at the coffee shop on new ideas. I’m a former creative director, designer, and front-end engineer now building packhacker.com.
What’s your favorite destination?
As a designer and minimalist, I’ve really enjoyed everything Tokyo has to offer. The people are polite, the food is fantastic (I ate ramen about 25 times in my 45 day stay there), and the use of physical space is considered down to the smallest detail.
What are your “Trusty Three” travel items?
- GE Grounded 3-Outlet Tap: This little thing is helpful, even if you’re not traveling. No extra outlets at the coffee shop? No problem. Just bust out this tiny 1 to 3 outlet converter & get a little social with your neighbor. If they’re nice (92% of people working in coffee shops are) they’ll let you plug this in to the outlet they’re using. As a bonus, it frees up space for a third person to plug in, too—pay-it-forward good karma in action.
- Patagonia Nano Puff Coat: An ultralight jacket that can compress super small and double as a travel pillow? Yes. Please. This thing keeps you deceptively warm despite the light weight, and when layered with other pieces of clothing, it can keep you warm no matter the climate. I’ve been fine in the middle of a Minnesota winter wearing this with a long sleeved shirt and sweatshirt underneath (video review of the Patagonia Nano Puff here).
- Household Essentials Cedar Clothes Protector: Some folks use laundry sheets to keep their bag fresh, but that’s a little too fragrant for me. These cedar chips have a nice, natural smell and pull triple duty of keeping clothing fresh, keeping insects away from expensive merino wool clothing, and providing the comforting smell of “home” (since my home is basically a backpack).
What’s your favorite travel hack?
Since I perpetually travel and work out of coffee shops, I’m a big fan of booking a late flight but heading to the airport early to hang at one of the lounges (courtesy of the Amex Platinum card). Comped breakfast, lunch, & dinner, unlimited (alright tasting) coffee, and a decent atmosphere to hang in.
Are there any pieces of gear or travel technology you wish existed that don’t?
Items for an ergonomic workspace on the road—hunching over a laptop is starting to take a toll. I’ve been toying with grabbing a Roost Stand, but then would need to get a keyboard to carry around as well. Wish there was a more minimal solution. If anyone has one—please share.
What do you miss most when you travel?
Access to consistent meals. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll basically eat anything and love exploring new cuisines, but sometimes, I just want some health fuel, like a huge kale salad. Would pay a pretty penny to have a meal waiting in my airbnb/hotel room for me instead of feeling the need to grab the first available thing, even if it’s unhealthy. A hack around this has been carrying low weight, high calorie, non-perishable foods around in my pack. Almonds, peanuts, and other nuts do the trick and are basically available everywhere.
What’s the weirdest thing you carry with you while traveling?
When initially packing my bag, I realized everything has a specific function. I carry around a whale figurine because 1). Whale is a nickname I picked up at one of my early advertising gigs 2). It’s nice to have something that’s exclusively decorative.
What’s your favorite piece of weird travel gear?
Probably the Ostrich Pillow. I mean, this thing looks interesting and all, but I imagine a scenario of putting this thing on for 15 minutes and waking up to all my sh*t being stolen.
You can find Tom on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Head to packhacker.com for more gear reviews, guides, and travel hacks (we’re not fully launched yet, but will be soon).
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