Travelling
Lithium Batteries at 35,000 Feet: What Really Changed in the Past Year
Airlines have lived with lithium batteries for years. They power every phone, laptop and tablet on board. But when they fail, they overheat and burn in ways that are difficult to control in a confined cabin. Recent data and a string of high-profile incidents show this is no longer a theoretical risk.
The portable devices travellers carry onto planes every day have become an unexpected safety hazard in commercial aviation. Lithium-ion battery incidents have reached record levels, prompting airlines worldwide to implement unprecedented restrictions and forcing travellers to reconsider how they pack and use their electronic devices.
Stay prepared while you fly: a knife-free EDC kit for modern travel
Air travel introduces a unique constraint for anyone who relies on tools: you can’t bring a knife, and a traditional multitool is almost guaranteed to be confiscated. But that doesn’t mean you need to travel unprepared. By building a compact, knife-free everyday carry kit made of single-purpose tools, you can handle common issues at the gate, in the cabin, or on arrival — without raising concerns at security.
The advantage of this modular approach is simple. If a security officer questions one item, only that item is removed. With a multitool, one decision by an agent wipes out your entire capability.
List of travel items I like
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“745”]Image by Sean MacEntee used under Creative Commons License [/caption] I write about travel items because I love them. Instead of a review, I wanted to list some of my favorite travel items. These aren't just random items I found on the internet, these are things that I bought and use regularly. Remember I spent most of my career travelling (over 1M miles) so you know these are good. Best Carry-On bag : RedOxx Airboss Best packing cubes : Eagle Creek Packing Cubes Best Travel Toiletry Kit : Eagle Creek Pack-It Wallaby Best Noise Cancelling Headphones: Bose QC25 Best Noise Isolating earphones: Etymotic ER-4 MicroPro Best short Travel USB/Lightning cables: Nomad NomadKey Best Small Bluetooth travel speaker : Logitech UE Mini Best portable travel power strip with USB: Belking Best travel portable water bottle: Vapur Best waterproof point and shoot : Olympus TG-4 Best portable camera : Sony a6000
4 lifehacks for easier,cheaper and more enjoyable airline travel
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“2500”]Image by Lars Plougmann used under Creative Commons License [/caption] Travelling is a great way to travel to far flung locations making the world a much smaller place. It isn't always fun or convenient though. I've spent thousands of hours trapped inside a trans-atlantic or trans-pacific flight wishing for it to finally be over. There are some tips that will help make you flight just a little and more enjoyable. 1 - Fly early and sit on the wing I am not prone to motion sickness but I know plenty of colleagues who are.
Eagle Creek Travel Gear Pack-It Specter On Board Packing Cube Review
I started travelling the world almost 20 years ago and haven't stopped since. I have been to all 4 corners of the world and over the years have refined my travel "recipe". In this case, my recipe is how to pack the most while still being able to travel (in most cases) carry-on only using the one bag approach. The competition Before looking at the Eagle Creek Travel Gear Pack-It Specter On Board, I want to take a second to talk about cheaper products.
Travel Tip : The best foldable portable travel bottle
I wrote about the Vapur bottle in April (link) . Go read that article but for anyone that travel (even casually for vacations), goes hiking or camping, this the bottle for you. Easy to to use, easy to clean, super lightweight and packs away super small when empty. Did I mention you should do read my previous article linked above? LOL <img src="https://ekiledjian2.micro.blog/uploads/2025/7d1f6ff80e.jpg" alt="">
Track your luggage via bluetooth thanks to CalypsoTag
If you travel more than a couple of times a year, you should be a onebag traveller with no check in luggage. There are times when you need to check a bag in and this where the CalypsoTag comes in handy (link). The distinctive tag comes in 4 highly visible colors. <img src="https://ekiledjian2.micro.blog/uploads/2025/273aa0f294.jpg" alt=""> Add one to your luggage to quickly see it come down the conveyor belt. The Calypsotag has another trick up its sleeve: it comes bearing bluetooth 4.
Save money when renting a car
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“1219”]Image by aldenjewell under Creative Commons License [/caption] Renting a car while travelling often feels like getting a endoscopy done. It always feels like you get quoted one rate (in the ad) and end up paying 2 or 3 times as much. but why? Why does it cost so much and how can you save money on your next rental? The catch I used Avis.com and checked the price of a 7 day rental at LAX in July.
Collection of Travel tips to keep you safe and save you money
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“1324”]By Martin Abegglen under Creative commons License [/caption] Save Money while travelling KNOWROMAING CUTS MOBILE COSTS WHEN TRAVELLING XCOM GLOBAL NOW OFFERS AN UNLIMITED 40 COUNTRY EUROPEAN DATA SERVICE ROAM MOBILITY OFFERS COMPETITIVE US ROAMING FOR CANADIANS Keep your stuff safe LOKSAK KEEPS YOUR VALUABLES DRY EVEN WHEN DIVING WINESKIN IS THE IDEAL WAY TO BRING BACK WINE FROM YOUR TRIP General Travel Tips 6 TIPS FROM AN EXPERIENCED TRAVELLER HOW CLEAN IS AIRPLANE AIR AVOID DEHYDRATION WHEN FLYING TRAVEL TIPS WHEN TRAVELLING ALONE HOW TO TRAVEL LIGHT WITH ONLY A CARRY-ON BE SAFE WHEN STAYING IN A HOTEL (PART 1) Tips To Make Your Life Easier when Travelling
Weird Food - Smalahove
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“2272”]Image shared by Wikimedia Commons by PerPlex [/caption] Smalahove isn't something you will find on the Ikea menu because it is a Norwegian dish typically served for Christmas. Because nothing exemplifies joy, happiness and world peace like a sheep's head. Preparation is simple: get sheep's head burn all the skin and hair off remove brain salt boil or steam for 3 hours serve with mashed potatoes and rutabaga I would love to see Martha prepare this one day.
Weird Food - A-Ping (aka fried tarantulas)
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“800”]Image courtesy of Viajar24h.com [/caption] In North America, we looooooove frying animals and eating them... Would you be surprised to learn other countries love frying food too? In some Cambodian cities, you can buy a wonderfully crisp fried tarantula called a-ping. The spiders are often bred specifically for this and once they reach the right size (often the size of your palm, they are spiced (MSG, sugar, salt, garlic) and deep fried in hot oil. They cook it until the legs are stiff and until the contents of the abdomen aren't running anymore.
Weird Food - Thousand Year Old Egg from China
The Thousand Year Old Egg is also called the Century Egg and is a Chinese delicacy. It is an egg (duck, chicken or quail) that is "preserved" in a special mixture of clay, ash, salt, quicklime and rice hulls. I have heard that these can be stored for weeks or months. Like the Balut, this is incredibly difficult for westerners to stomach. Unlike Balut, I have tried this and it is a taste I did not like. Just thinking about it makes me gag.
Loksak keeps your valuables dry even when diving
As a world traveler, I am always on the lookout for tools and accessories that will make my life easier, safer or more enjoyable. Like most travelers, I now travel with a handful of gadgets (smartphones, tablets, external batteries, GPS, etc) and need to keep these devices working regardless of the situations I may encounter. What could I have possibly encountered you ask? Let me tell you my friend, tornadoes, earthquakes, sleet, snow, severe rain, tsunami, etc. Having spent the better part of my career travelling, I seem to have been in one too many "
Japan now has a pizzaburger
A picture is worth a thousand words so here is a picture <img src="https://ekiledjian2.micro.blog/uploads/2025/b51aab6a37.jpg" alt=""> A pizzeria in Kyoto Japan (Pizza Little Party) is selling the above MegaburgerPizza. This is a limited time trial run of a grilled meat patties shoved between two 11 inch personal pizzas. Depending on your taste, this is either 2.5 lb of lust or disgust. The MegaBurgerPizza contains Pizza Little Party's special meat sauce and cheese blend. The patties contain traditional bugers toppings like ketchup, onions, pickles and mustard.
A $750 cupcake can be yours
If you love sweets and have money burning a hole in your pocket then keep reading. This incredible cupcake is called Decadence D'Or and can be purchased now at Sweet Surrender inside the Palazzo. Obviously this was created for a particular clientele that is in search of unique experiences and is less price sensitive than the average Joe or Jane. The chocolate is Palmira Single Estate Chocolate. The whipped cream is created by mixing Charentes-Poitou AOC butter, Tahitian Gold vanilla caviar.
French Fry Vending Machine
When I think of vending machines, I expect them to sell stale disgusting cookies but you can now buy fresh french fries. This wonderful machine calls Chaussee de Gand-Steenweg op Gent (Brussls) home. You pay the €2.50, choose ketchup or mayo and then wait the 90 unbearable seconds. NICOLAS MAETERLINCK / Getty Images NICOLAS MAETERLINCK / Getty Images Source : Buzzfeed
Reusable e-ink luggage tag
Airlines are constantly looking for ways to cuts to increase profitability and an an often overlooked cost is the humble luggage label (the barcoded piece of paper that makes sure your bags are sent to the right place). "Once checked in, customers just need to hold their smartphone over the electronic tag, which automatically updates with a unique barcode containing their flight details and an easy-to-see view of their bag’s destination." This e-ink bagtag probably won't be used in the real world anytime soon (because of cost) but it is exciting to see airlines leveraging various technologies.
Amsterdam is home to the only one person restaurant
Humans are social creatures and we dread eating alone (unless you are on a business trip of course). A new restaurant in Amsterdam called Eenmaal was designed [from the ground up] for single person dining. “Eenmaal is a restaurant like any other restaurant, but one thing is totally different: you only find tables for one person here. Eenmaal is an exciting experiment for those who never go out dining alone, as well as an appealing opportunity for those who often eat alone at restaurant.
Chinese anti-pervert protection stockings
Can you think of something more unattractive than very hairy legs? Well an entrepreneurial Chinese group is selling "hairy leg stockings" for girls meant to keep perverts away (and countless other people). Keep this in mind when travelling to China. Maybe someone will import these to North America? source: article
McDonald’s offers 3/4 Pound giant portion of french fries
Even if you loathe fast food, you have to agree that McDonald's has amazing French fries and now Japanese customers can buy 3/4 pounds of the glorious golden delights. This gigantic serving weighs in at 350g and delivers a smooth 1152 calories. This is a limited time promo selling for [the equivalent of] $5. So if your in Japan, make sure you pickup a serving and post pictures on Facebook to make your friends jealous.