OVERRATED travel gear & what I bring instead
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- čas přidán 31. 05. 2024
- I'm guilty of buying every single travel accessory that comes my way. And while some gadgets are great and I love traveling with them, there are others that I wish I had never bought and saved the money. In this video, I talk about 10 travel accessories that I think are overrated and what I pack instead - because I've found more useful alternatives for most of these gadgets.
⫷ Products I use ⫸
Includes Amazon Affiliate links - As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Heroclip: amzn.to/3v2iI2z
Alternative: amzn.to/49Xns8s
Rolling Square inCharge cable: amzn.to/3wOz1jU
Alternative: amzn.to/48BU5re
• My Favorite 3-in-1 Tra...
Waterbottle
• Review: Grayl Water Fi...
Neck pillow: amzn.to/48EX16p
Alternative: amzn.to/48N0PCG
Scrubba: amzn.to/3Iri8ym
Alternative: amzn.to/3wI0mV0
• How I do laundry while...
Matador Flatpak Toiletry bottle: amzn.to/3T257QR
Alternative: amzn.to/3T6WvZ1
Travel perfume bottles: amzn.to/3InA2SP
Alternative: amzn.to/49XS75r
⫷ Chapters ⫸
00:00 Overrated travel gear
00:25 Number 1
01:44 Number 2
03:40 Number 3
05:05 Number 4
06:48 Number 5
08:38 Number 6
10:12 Number 7
10:59 Number 8
11:51 Number 9
14:01 Number 10
➡️ Subtitles and Translations, Subtítulos y Traducciones Legendas e Traduções Untertitel und Übersetzungen by Fiverr (affiliate link) - www.fiverr.com/share/4Y0e1k
FYI: I‘m already working on my video about materials and how I pick my clothes. I will try to get it published in the beginning of May. 💪
Maybe you would want to subscribe to my channel so you don‘t miss it?! 🤔😂🤗
Yes! I would love to hear about fabrics and performance! It would not bore me at all :)
IMO cotton/polyester mixes and cotton work well. I live in the Deep South US, which is hot and humid, so these are easy care, breathe, and don’t wrinkle as much. But I’m interested to hear about materials for other climates as well. I can’t do much wool as I’m allergic 😬 so it’s a good thing I don’t live in cold climates.
Yes, please share a video about clothing materials! That would be so helpful. Thanks for your hard work on these videos!
Agreed!
Yes that would be great!!
Yes to clothes!
Ditto
Yes please to a video about the best travel clothing!
The reason you don't find the neck pillow comfortable is that you wear it backwards. You don't bring it around your head, you stick it right on, the opening is in the back and that's where the fastener is. Now you rest your chin on the pillow, and your head isn't pushed forward to where there's no support.
Finally! A video showing items that are a "waste". Soooo many other vloggers seem to just push unnecessary Amazon items because they want you to buy from their commission based store, whether the items are crap or not. Most of them are not even useful (like seriously, who needs a travel toiletry bag that has 4 folding compartments). I've stopped watching all those videos. Thank you for not reviewing a bunch of stuff just to help convince us we need to buy more stuff. I appreciate your videos sooo much. And I'm glad to see you both back to making videos. Thanks for another truthful video that has actual useful info.
I couldn’t agree more! I always get lots of Emails from brands trying to sponsor a video, and it’s always interesting to see who is suddenly presenting these products afterwards… 😅
It is so funny how different people travel, because I love my Hero Clips. I use them to hang my luggage on the back of doors, or clip multiple bags together when I need a hand free (like a shopping bag to my big bag). I also use them to carry multiple shopping bags with one hand from the grocery store. A carabineer and hooks would not be strong enough, or take up as little space with how I use them. I also just clip the Clip to the handle of bag, so it never is inside a pocket unless I need to check my luggage at an airport.
My hero clips are useful, but I am disappointed they are not as useful as I hoped. For example, the hook outside the carabeener portion is too shallow to hold my personal bag on the top of my bathroom door stall or the edge of the table or rolling bag. So I end up only using it as an expensive, well-made carabeener. I would love your advice on how to make it work better for me.
@@lindachristopher4 I gave some of the Heroclip Mini size away as gifts one year and then found that same issue, the weight capacity was enough, but the throat of the hook just would not go over a lot of tables, so it was of no use to hang a bag/purse where one could keep an eye on it.
OK, the neck pillow is supposed to have the opening at the back. I know! Who knew? But try it, it keeps your chin from falling to your chest and is much more comfortable. My friend, who is a flight attendant, explained this to me. I have one which has a snap closure and is memory foam so I can compact it.
Bon voyage!
Yes! Would love to hear more about clothing fabrics for travel!
I’ve been trying to research quality clothing that doesn’t hold smell, breathable, wicks sweat, easy to hand wash and dries quickly so that I can car camp around the US or travel for weeks with a small capsule.
I love merino, and I’m WILLING to pay the price (I agree that it costs more than it should), but I 100% agree that finding merino blend that is also durable, is quite difficult. They are out there, though!
I love how genuine and original you are. I’m tired of all the CZcamsrs all just rushing to the trends all all doing the same things.
The Hero clip is something I use daily. It’s fantastic to hang my bags to a table . Sometimes my other bag hangers slip or are too small. The small Hero clip works better.
I have used carabiners for decades then tried a hero clip about 4 years ago, After one year and travelling to 15 counties , I lost one and realized I had only used them (had 2) 2 times.
Yes, would love to see an in depth video on sourcing clothing and what works best!!
Those s-hooks will leave a dent or scratch the surface of whatever you're hanging stuff on. Heroclips are the best bag hooks if you have a bag over 5 pounds (I'm a teacher and carry a lot) because they don't damage the surface and can bear larger weight purses. I've gotten cheaper Daiso alternatives and they broke. The ones you show would either start slipping off the surface with bags at the weight I carry, or would leave marks on the surface top. Once you get use the motion of deploying the hook, and tucking it in, it's not a big deal. You can try the cheap hooks, but if you found like I did that they don't work, you'll need a Hero clip.
I'm sooooo glad you highlighted that unconventional use of the s-shaped hooks for hanging something underneath a table/desk. I bought a 10-pack of them recently for non-travel purposes, but now will definitely bring some with me on my next trip!
You hit everything I regretted purchasing for travel. Great video, thank you.
We are all guilty of buying travel items that turn out to be not reused . My thoughts. 1. Like you I decant my liquid products only into TSA size flat pouches that can be re- used and or cleaned easily. 2 . I love the Matador refillable toothpaste tubes because I am picky about my toothpaste. 3 . I need a neck / head pillow on the flight but found one that allows you to fill with clothes and is washable. Serves two purposes. 3. I hate cold feet but find that Merino Wool socks - only keep my feet warm enough in winter travel. Worth the price, wash well and last several years. Won’t spend the money on the Merino tops. 4. Water Bottle yes which I decant into but take a sponge cleaner on a handle with water bottle cleaning tabs ( break in half) just enough for trip and don’t count as liquids- to disinfect after each day use. They really clean the bottle inside well. Also fill up at airport water stations rather than pay ridiculous amounts on bottled water after getting thru TSA lines. There are flat ones that don’t leak but the rigid ones clean well. 4. For winter or fall travel a pair of silk leggings and top to layer under clothes is invaluable and wick moisture. The ones at LLBean in the USA are excellent . Hanro undergarments in Europe are similar in top quality and worth the cost. Wool in Silk. You can sleep in them or layer them under day clothes and they wash and dry quickly in room yet add no weight in luggage and last easily several years of use for me.Part of my layering strategy if needed. They are well worth the price . 5 . Agree there are less expensive clips that serve many purposes like adding a hook over a door, dry clothes on that are less expensive options and come in packs of 5-10 . Ive left Hero hooks behind by accident. I also carry 2 foldable travel hangers that serve as hangers and for drying hand washed clothes. Invaluable.
This is such an underrated topic. Thank you for talking about it and I completely agree with your take on these products. I admit to being caught up myself in all the hype (influencing?) over gadgets, bags, pouches, and other random stuff that's supposed to make travel easier and better. IMHO, it seems like things seem to be for/by ultralight types or a type of traveller who will be in remote villages or towns etc. where personal water filtration is necessary or needing to travel really light is a must. Once I accepted that, at my age, I am just a casual traveller who enjoys primarily city travelling and whatever toiletry or item I didn't bring I am likely to find where I am going.
One exception I make to this are chargers, cables, adapters, etc. It doesn't make sense to try to buy these (possibly at a higher cost) at the destination when I could have brought them with me -they don't take up much space anyways. Also, like you, I just went with little USB-A/micro-usb adapters like the ones you showed.
Yes, please share a video about clothes sourcing and materials. That would be very interesting.
Thank u sooooo much for caring about our precious innocent animals that deserve our love and protection.
I wish all animal products that cause animal pain and suffering would be banned.
Thank you
Some good points but there are some items I love. Merino from Wool& is my favorite. Love my Hero Clip and I always carry a refillable water bottle. Thank you!
I'd love to see something about alternatives to merino. I do wear Merino socks and sweaters but not shirts.
Thank you for your insights, especially about the Hero Clip.
Alpaca
Don’t blow an inflatable neck pillow up all the way, only fill it ‘till it’s comfortable. Get one whose sides are longer, wear it at the front, (or the side) so you use the sides to sleep, also it prevents the head from falling forward. Some have some sort of connection that allows for hooking the pillow onto a backpack.
Thanks for that tip! Maybe ones with longer sides would work better. And I usually dont blow it up all the way. Regarding the connector - I would not want to have the pillow dangling from my bag for several weeks, so for me, it always needs to go inside the bag. :)
Thank you for your review & experiences with these products.
Thank you for the information. It's useful to hear someone talking a out the cons and not just the pros.
Great tips thanks Maggi. Good honest advice.
I pack my neck pillow with soft clothes. It allows me to take more and to have clothes if my check in luggage gets delayed or lost.
Simply the best travel stuff video ever. Thank you for sharing your valuable experience!
Great list! Thank you!
Thank you! Best travel video I've watched in ages.
Thank you so much! Appreciate your honesty.
The neck pillow is supposed to be worn the other way. Not behind you, the opening should be in the back.
Yeah everyone thinks neck pillows are uncomfortable until they use them the right way.
Thank you for this video, you have saved me some money. A few of those items are on my list. I love your camping pillow idea. I can't live without my memory foam pillow, so that's going with me. I found a compression bag that makes it 1/4 the size.
Great tips based on your experience! Luv the pillow suggestion!
Enjoyed your video. Well thought out.
You are 100% on point with this one I agree whole-heartedly with every point you made
Enjoyed your video, very informative. Completely agree about neck pillows and merino wool.
Great tips! ☺️ Thanks
THANK YOU VERY HELPFUL
Wonderful video. Great ideas and presentation.
I always enjoy your videos. I could listen to you review any category of items. ❤
INSTANTLY subscribed because the first two items I completely agree with and have had the same experience!!!
Thanks for your honest opinions!
Great video. Few things off my shopping list😁😂
Such a great video!!! The comment about the shoes in Brazil made me laugh out loud!!! Great job and I'd love to hear about your clothing choices/sourcing/etc.
Great list! I came to the same conclusions about the Hero Clip, Scrubba, and merino wool over time.
Replacing the clear phone protection bag makes sense and I will do that, too.
Great video! I too struggle with neck pillows. I’ll have to give a regular camping pillow a try. Thanks!
Once again, love your honesty and candor! Lots of gimmicky items and brands out there. Thank you for this refreshing video :)
Excellent tips from an experienced traveler...thank you for saving me money!
I thoroughly enjoyed this video! I've bought a few of these and thought about buying a few of these so thank you for saving me the hassle and money. I also appreciated you sharing what you like as an alternative. I would love a video about clothing materials too!
I love hero clips, and I carry them everyday. I use them to hang my purse in restaurants and bathroom stalls. In America, bathroom stalls often are horrible. They have been great when traveling to hook my bathroom bag or clothes in hotel rooms.
The Katadyn BeFree water bottle is great - it folds up, has a good filter, and you can pack an extra filter if you'll travel for more than a couple of months (each filter is good for 250-gallons/1000-liters). I like to get perfume samples when I go shopping and use those when I travel.
I love this helpful,honest review.❤
It's great to hear someone who travels more than I do thinking the way I do. I try hard not to be seduced by the bombardment of ads and you have convinced me to be more vigilant. I have a collection of useless stuff too. Love your videos.
So glad I am not the only one who has a collection like this 😂
Good content, very useful 😊
Thanks for a great video Maggie! I hate carrying around that neck pillow when flying. 😄
Agree with so many of these! However, I do love HeroClips. Always useful in public bathrooms when I have something to hang, like a bag.
Thank you for the insight
Good video! Vielen Dank!
1) Merino wool: I have various merino items from Decathlon, Massimo Dutti and Stoic for long time and am so happy! Alternative is mixed cotton with polyester or Tencel. Merino wool is just wool from the sheeps, not sure where the problem is, better fir the sheeps to have sometimes a hair (wool) cut than to be grilled on a bbq.
2) Perfume bottles: I have the small ones but in glass, all quite durable, zero leaking
3) Pillow: I bought the inflatable pillow from Decathlon and I put inside the cover my down vest, it is comfortable and save me space in my backpack when checking in flights.
If you go to colder countries, putting the down jacket into the cover is a great idea! Love that. And regarding the sheeps, if during the mulesing they would just cut the wool, it would be no problem…
So nice to hear you offer alternatives to merino wool as I’m allergic to wool. Always enjoy your videos…thanks for the great content!
Excellent video! I hadn't considered the dry-bag washing solution before but I'll try that. I'm sorry you had a bad experience with your Tropicfeel shoes. I wonder if it was a bad production. I've had mine for four or five years now and I love them. They also don't smell weird. I use them for lighter hikes, everyday wear and sometimes kayaking. In cold weather I combine them with Sealskin socks. i also like the Vivaia ballet flats. Greetings from Hamburg.
Extremely useful video 😄
Great video! I like to use my Hero Clip when I'm in a bathroom that doesn't have a clip to hang my backpack or purse, but the hanging hooks seem like they would also do the job.
I learned recently that you should put the neck pillow in front. Game changer.
Ty is love the S hook idea for my pants belt loop idea
The neck pillow is supposed to be worn with the opening towards the back. That way you catch your head when it falls forward. The inflatable version is invaluable for me. Grüsse aus Nashville!
I need to try another one now 😅
Great great video! We love to watch edc/tech/travel gadgets videos - and end up wanting to buy them all! I still use the hero clip (actually it’s a Chinese version of it, and cheaper) but the neck pillows and the mini in charge cable were in fact a waste of money for me. The mini perfume spray bottle I got still working great and so far, no spills. 😊
Great video, not following the usual trends and giving a real opinion. Also thank you so much for letting people know about the merino wool cruelty. I wouldn't have known this!
You talk a lot of sense, Maggi, and very persuasively and eloquently. I think you just saved me a lot of money and weight in my luggage. Thank you!
This was helpful! Several of the things you mention have been on my "wish list," and I do have a small hero clip lol. I've used it a bit, mostly to hang up my toiletry bag when there's no hook. I would really enjoy a clothing video. Thank you!
Thank you for this very honest video. I just wanted to mention that I have just found an inflatable travel pillow that when you blow it up, it has a flatish area where your head goes, so your head does not get pushed forward and sides support your head really well (I bought it yesterday and tried it out in my sitting room). I was really impressed.
New subscriber here. I knew I had found the right channel and a kindred soul when I saw I had tried the first three items you mentioned (the Heroclip, the 6 in 1 charging cable, and the neck pillow) and later the Marino wool. As you mentioned, the Heroclip is overpriced and awkward. The 6 in 1 is unreliable and the micro USB/Lightning plug is a nightmare. I first used some non-inflatable pillows trying to find the best one. Then I tried a few inflatable pillows that were compact when deflated but just as uncomfortable. I also ended up with a camping pillow like you did. I can’t wear Merino wool touching my skin because I am allergic to wool. I do have one light duty merino wool zippered sweater that has worked fine for 15 years but the new ones are so expensive. I am looking forward to viewing all your videos.
I am glad to have you here! Always good to know there are others like me out there. 🤗
For the cocoon neck pillow, you can try to pump less air in it and see if it's better.
Totally agree with the Merino wool products, and a lot of your other products.
🙂Great video!! I always have bad luck with airport bathroom stalls not having bag hooks. I wish I could get away with not bringing my Hero Clip. But it has saved my bag from a few nasty floor situations.
Maybe I will have to pick up some of those standard hooks!
yess please make a video about fabrics!!
Thank you!
Great video. Thanks for sharing. I would add selfie sticks to the list. And also grab a cheap old phone as a back up when wandering through sneaky places… see you in the next video 😀
Maggi I loved this!! I’ve seen many creators hawking these items and thought maybe they’re actually useful so I appreciate your genuine feedback. I’ve looked at neck pillows but just couldn’t justify the hassle and cost. I’m going to investigate the Sea to Summit inflatable pillow for a red eye to the UK in June 😊
I agree with the water bottle. I also like to try local beverages, like sodas, beer, wine, and even water! after that, you can just keep a water bottle and reuse it a couple of days like you said
Great video! I would also like recommendations on waterproof shoes. Thanks!
I would love that too… did not find great waterproof shoes either! 😅
Excellent video
Totally agree with you about travel water bottles and travel pillows, too much bother.
Omg a great and honest vlog!! Thank you. Tencel is great. So is bamboo and silk as natural fibres. Or eucalyptus fibres like they use in Allbirds shoes. Lots of options beyond magic merino. Love it for socks but not much else. And I haved owned and used it for eons from big and small brands across most conditions. 😬
Great video! I’d love to see you do a video on clothing materials!
I had very good experiences with the Tropicfeel shoes on several vacations in Thailand, but only with the Sunset model. I also had another model, I think the Monsoon, which I wasn't really happy with.
Thanks for sharing!
I just recently learned that simple, dryer proof cotton shirts (mine are from C&A) and a merino wool pullover (I got mine from uniqlo) are my best combination for traveling. No need to wash the pullover and the cotton tees can be worn either for a few not to sweaty days, rinsed in the sink or put into coin laundry without worries as they won't shrink in the dryer. Combined with a simple fleece jacket I felt like it was the perfect combination for a city & nature adventure. However, the Pullover starts to look loved, especially the areas where backpackstraps sit. Uniqlo is quite cheap tho and no mulesing at least.
Excellent video Maggi, I totally agree, except for the hero clips I kinda like those. But everything else is spot on specially the wool
Hi Maggie, thanks for your honesty (as usual - especially regarding the tropicfeel shoes). I really liked that you didn't just cover the products you don't use but also suggested alternatives.
However, I bought a (more) expensive metal perfume miniature bottle on Amazon bcos the cheap plastic 1s I bought all leaked and the metal 1 didn't 🤷♀️
I too have found merino clothing often wears out rapidly but I'm looking more at hemp, bamboo, silk and alpaca as alternatives; although I am open to tencel as well, for certain items.
Regarding that multi-charging tool, I bought a little sd card reader called a "budi" to extend the storage of my s23 ultra but found it to have so many uses including having multiple usb charging options that work well. And for $15AUD it was definitely a value buy
Yes, please! I would love a video on clothing materials.
Thank you for sharing your review of the various items you mentioned in the video, they were very informative. A lot of the items mentioned is being offered by specialty shop where I live (Malaysia) and they're definitely not cheap. I can afford them but they're definitely an investment and not something I can buy nilly-willy. So hearing a real life reviews on these items are greatly appreciated.
Sadly, I have to agree regarding the Hero Clip. Great in theory. Never used them.
Great video. Thanks.
Seems like a cheapo clothespin or two would work about as well 😂
This is great 👍🏻
I never take my hero clip off of my day bag/shower bag. I hang it in shower rooms, at truck stops, all of the time
Have to say I love my Hero clip - I carry a back pack everyday and it's just so handy to clip to tables or add something extra to the bag - that and my knipex pliers are the best things I've bought. I get pains in my hands and the pliers make it so easy to open bottles and tiny things. great videos!
I travel in my Van conversion with no shower. My Hero carabiner is permanently attached to my shower sac. Works brilliantly as you can hang the bag anywhere. Love it for that & only that. Otherwise I use the typical carabiner.
I had one of the wash bags - left it behind at a room & never replaced it - nuf said...
I have used Goo Tube refillable containers for years without a blowout - even with elevation changes on the road
I use Merino socks exclusively (I just started testing out Buffalo socks), some underwear, a few beanies & a few pair of merino shorts & insulating long bottoms. I can't use merino on my skin on my top - so that is out...
When I travel lighter i will carry a light water bladder instead of a water bottle
Hi Maggi, I just wanted to drop a line to say hello! Thank you for your videos - this video came across my feed yesterday and I've been watching all your older videos. So many great tips for traveling, packing and budgeting etc. I also use YNAB and it's been such a great tool. Looking forward to more of your videos!
Glad to have you here! 🤗
Love your video and you just saved me from buying a hero-clip! But a quick tip, the other way! If it's for the flight, train and so on, turn the neck pillow around, and place it around the front instead 😊 Won't push you away from the seat, and will support your head in whatever direction you head falls 😊
Vielen Dank, Maggi, für ein weiteres sehr nützliches Video. Ich habe in der Vergangenheit zu viele Gimmick-Käufe getätigt. Influencer bewerben viele Produkte nur, um Verkäufe zu generieren. Dies sollte den Menschen wirklich helfen, zweimal darüber nachzudenken, was sie kaufen.
I find it funny what people travel with. I like the hero clips and the incharge cables and use them. The cables are getting better in quality and I have two of the 6.5ft 100w ones. I agree on the rest especially the flatpak toiletry bottles. They leak and it is not easy to refill them. I bought quite a few Matador products and not a fan of any. I wanted to like them and there are many more companies like that, that I dont buy from anymore. I bring a water bottle with me just because I just do and dont usually go anywhere with bad water.
What a great channel you have.
We really like your content ❤
Thank you so much! Happy to have you here! 🤗
Love your honesty
Yes please, a clothing post!
Yes a good review of clothes is needed because nowadays everything is either too expensive or too cheap travel friendly clothes is a must