Kobus mans's Blog (96)

Let’s get a few things out of the way. #1. I’m assuming you are camping, in a tent. #2. I’m assuming that packing space is a concern.

A sleeping bag is one of the most important pieces of personal gear you need to buy. If it gets too cold and you opt to spend the night in a hotel, it will cost much more than camping. Over the course of a long trip, that warm and cozy sleeping bag may save you a lot of money.…

If I could wish for just one piece of technology to be created it would be a teleporter. The one from Star Trek would do just fine. “Beam me up, Scotty”. I think everyone in the world would be a lot happier.



Let’s face it, there is nothing nice about flying. The longer the flight, the more painful it is. As a Seattle native, with a South African spouse, I’ve been on my fair share of long flights. Two back to back 10 hour flights is enough to wilt even the toughest…

To be honest, the word itinerary makes me shudder. They are terrible, constraining, time-consuming, usually impractical schedules with the goal of making our travels easier. Except time after time, they will fail. That two-week trip will either feel like a marathon or a disappointment.



How do you balance seeing enough, without trying to see too much? You don’t. That is the best part of travel. You never know what the world is going to throw at you. You don’t know if it…

There are many types of spares and safety equipment to consider packing, whether you are on a weekend getaway or a year long adventure. To help you decide which equipment you need, I have compiled the list below. It is by no means comprehensive, rather an overview of the vehicle spares and safety equipment we carry with us on our overlanding trips.

Basic Tools

A small set of basic tools can help out in…

One of the most difficult parts of being a digital nomad is the constant need for an internet connection, especially in places where wifi isn’t common.

Research Tips

An hour or two Googling at home, reading the first chapter in a few library guide books and calling up some old travel friends for tips can provide a wealth of general information. Knowing what you’re getting into will help make good decisions on the road. Online forums -- like Lonely Planet’s Thorn…

In the past decade cell phones have increasingly become a valuable tool for world adventures and professionals who travel for work. Phone booths are quietly fading away and in many countries lacking landline infrastructure, cell phone use has become the norm.



Unfortunately, choosing the best phone and service carrier is complicated. There are competing technologies and service plans, making it difficult to pick the best option. This article covers choosing the right type…

If you’ve read our Things you Think you Need to Pack but Don’t article, you probably wonder if we pack anything aside from underwear. Well, here are a few things that we can’t live without. We’ve all spent countless hours, trying to convince each other to get rid of this extra crap. And we’ve failed.

One common thread you’ll see in all travel advice arenas is to pack light. Matter of fact, the number one piece of advice I give to new travelers is: don’t take so much crap.



“When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money.  Then take half the clothes and twice the money.” ~Susan Heller

It took me almost a decade of traveling to truly understand the depth of this quote. I’d like to discuss some common items that travelers really think…

Your packing list has to support how you will travel. The gear you find useful on the road has to make your life easier, otherwise it’s just more stuff to weigh you down and complicate your daily routine. Understanding your personal preferences and how you will travel allows you to decide what is useful and what isn’t.

Consider your trip:

• Are you backpacking, ultra-light packing or road tripping with a vehicle?
• If you’re backpacking,…

There are a million ways to make a business plan and I can’t tell you which way is right. My opinion is: make a plan, any plan, and write it down. As Lea Woodward of Location Independent said so eloquently, “The important thing about writing a business plan is the process you go through to create it.” I agree wholeheartedly.

What Is a Business Plan?

To find success as a telecommuter you must go above and beyond your employer’s expectations. Prove that you can be more successful when working away from the office. Then use the trust you’ve gained to further your professional goals.



Be prepared to work extra hours in the beginning. Not having to commute or take a company lunch break means that you should have extra time on your hands. Use that time to deal with the new logistical challenges of telecommuting so that you can exceed…

The list below covers common technical, creative, office and other jobs. It is far from complete, and we encourage you to find online resources specific to your…

This list is for a six week trip through South East Asia from December 2008-Jan 2009. We started in Hanoi, Vietnam and traveled south to Ho Chi Minh City with a few stops, then crossed through to Phnom Pehn and Angkor, then south to Bangkok. From Bangkok we flew to Phuket and spent a week on the islands, and then flew south to Kuala Lumpur for a few days before heading home. 



We were not working on this trip. But could easily have added a laptop in place of a bunch of camera…

Although we’ve done more backpacking Europe than we can remember, this list comes from a two week family trip in May 2010 from Italy to Austria. We each worked about 10 hours a week during this trip.



Although this was a short trip, I probably wouldn’t add much for a longer trip, except maybe a  another laptop. Having to share gets old.

Things we did well

• Packed light. Seriously. Two day packs, one was all cameras and…

This packing list is for a six week car camping trip through Australia. We started in Sydney, rented a four door sedan, drove south to Melbourne, then to Adelaide, and eventually up to Darwin, with quite a few side trips a long the way. It was Australian winter (August-September 2010).



We both worked about 10-20 hours a week on this trip.

Things that didn’t work so well:

• We didn’t bring rain gear or research the potential of freezing rain in…