Kevin O'BryanKevin O'Bryan

Be Inspired, Be Informed, Be Glorious!

5 Tips to make your next trip overseas smoother!

Guys, I know that you love those Crocs. In fact, I’ve heard that they are quite comfortable. But the next time you consider wearing them on that flight to Miami or New York, please ask yourself this question: “If this plane crashes, do I want my body to be found floating in the ocean, wearing crocs?”

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That’s a stark way to begin but now that I have your attention, let’s consider the lengths we go to be comfortable when we travel and how we could possibly make the experience more seamless.

I recently had to travel up north, via way too many connecting flights and the experience reinforced some vital elements of travel that many of us pay little attention to. Those contingencies that can make or break our experience, so I’m going to share 5 tips/tricks that you can use to make your next jaunt epic and comfy, sans Crocs!

Blazers

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Photo by Olu Eletu on Unsplash

This one’s more for the gents but ladies you can apply this tip as needed with your own outfits.

For the most part, travel apparel has veered largely into athleisure wear, with an understandable emphasis on comfort. However a black or navy blazer can class up just about any outfit (almost). And why limit it to black or navy just about any colour you like works just as well.  Just ensure it’s well fitting and compliments your overall look.

From a more practical perspective, I love adding blazers to my travel wardrobe because the added inside pockets are the perfect place to keep those items I need a little closer to my body, specifically my passport, tickets or any other miscellaneous paperwork.

First Aid Kit

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Picking up an injury, even a minor one, is usually the farthest thing from our minds when we are travelling. But picture this, you are making your way from New York to London overnight, followed by a coach journey into central England and somewhere in the midst of it all, a hang nail decides to make itself relevant in your life. Extremely painful and torturous to even contemplate removing, what do you do? Put a band aid on it!

Now if only you had a first aid kit handy with band aids and other items, you would be all set. I found myself in this exact predicament and was fortunate to have discovered this neat First Aid to Go kit by Johnson and Johnson at an airport convenience store.

You could make your own, but these commercial versions are so neat and inconspicuous, it’s little hassle to add a few sachets of panadol or paracetamol and some gas tablets, just in case.

 

Hand sanitizer

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It’s always nice to see those pretty little Bath and Body Works hand sanitizer holders hanging from purses and other bags. But question, how often do you really use it?

Airplanes are a germ playground, even when you’re not seeing the remnants of the snack the previous occupant of your seat was munching on. That’s why having a hand sanitizer for more than just decoration is essential.

Head into any airport bathroom and observe the number of users who walk out of the stall and head straight for the door, and you will realise that hygiene means different things, to different people. Get the hand sanitizer you like and use it!

Vitamin C

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I’ve seen advice online about upping your Vitamin C intake just before, during and after a trip, to give your immune system a boost. I actually take 1000mg of Vitamin C everyday and this has helped me tremendously. So it was a no-brainer to continue this dosage while I’m travelling.

There’s nothing more annoying than picking up a cold or flu virus during, or immediately after a trip.  And while Vitamin C is not a guarantee that you won’t get a cold, the extra assistance in fighting an infection goes a far way.

Packing Cubes

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Buzzfeed put me on to these packing cubes earlier this year and I finally got to use them recently. They were a life saver!

The pack of five has 2 large, 2 medium and 1 small cube that can be used as needed to organise all your personal effects. I used three in my largest checked luggage for different types of clothes (pants, shirts, etc).

Each cube is deep enough to hold a lot of clothing and you can even plan out daily clothing combinations and pack them inside each cube (if that’s your thing, of course).

Finally, not only did the cubes free up space inside my bags for other items, but it meant that repacking, once I was ready to leave was easy as I didn’t have to completely empty the bag in the first place.

There you have it guys, my two cents on making your next trip a bit more comfy, and not a Croc in sight!

Be inspired, Be informed, Be Glorious!

Kevin


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 Disclaimer: The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have about supplementation. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on a website.



12 Comments

Eat Roun' Di Cut
August 31, 2017 at 6:40 pm26

No matter what you do! Don’t wear crocs on a flight! Lol! Very insightful Kevin!

KevinObryan
August 31, 2017 at 6:52 pm26

Thank you!!! No to Crocs on flights!

Jen
August 31, 2017 at 8:33 pm26

Thanks Kevinobryan. I need to get the Packing Cubes, I can never find my belt or socks when traveling.

KevinObryan
August 31, 2017 at 8:35 pm26

They make a huge difference when packing!

Judon
August 31, 2017 at 9:33 pm26

I love my Crocs. Great feedback and ideas Kevin!

KevinObryan
August 31, 2017 at 9:36 pm26

Thanks Judon! Lol

Stephen
September 1, 2017 at 7:36 am28

Hmmm something to think about my next trip…thanks Kev.

KevinObryan
September 1, 2017 at 8:10 am28

You’re welcome!

Suzanne Osborne
September 1, 2017 at 11:02 am29

Loved this Kevin! Passed it on to my Son-in-Law who travels frequently!

KevinObryan
September 1, 2017 at 12:20 pm29

That’s Great Suzanne!

Trevesa DaSilva
September 2, 2017 at 5:32 pm28

Awesome tips Kev! The only thing I can think of now to add are snacks, sweets and gum! Snacks for when you might be a bit peckish and the food on the plane can’t hold you or you don’t want to spend those extra dollars in the airport. Sweets for when you “start to feel bad” as Jamaicans would say and gum for those times when your ears start blocking up.

KevinObryan
September 2, 2017 at 9:09 pm28

Thank you Trevesa!!! Yes love those tips and I did think of some of those, but decided against it because they were expected lol But I may have to do a part two soon

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