Let’s face facts: traveling can be just as daunting as it is exciting. There are a lot of plans that need to be put into place, and the possibilities of something going wrong might be worrying. That is doubly true if you are taking a trip with someone else! In order to make sure you are well prepared to have the best journey possible, let’s take a look at 9 survival tips for traveling with your partner:

1 – Pack Light

Even a minimum of two people can lead to a literal mountain of belongings that are deemed essential for travel. The more stuff you have to pack and lug around, the grumpier you will be over time. Try to pair down what you take along with you to only the absolute bare necessities, and do your best to maximize the space in the smallest, lightest luggage you can find.

2 – Make Your Luggage Stand Out

On the same note, you want to make sure your luggage stands out from the crowd, especially if you are taking flights or a bus trip. Having the same standard make and model of a briefcase or travel bag as a multitude of other travelers is going to lead to confusion and frustration. Pick something brightly colored that you can recognize right away, and feel free to personalize it as much as you’d like.

3 – Turn Your Phone WiFi Off

If you are traveling abroad, make sure you turn the WiFi off on your phone when not in use. Be wary of connecting to public networks as well! Otherwise, you might leave any personal info stored in the device at risk for potential hacking and phishing attempts going on in the area.

4 – Dress Comfortably

Of course you want to look your best if you’re taking an important trip, but don’t be afraid to keep comfort in mind. You’re going to hate yourself later if you only have unforgiving dress clothes and tight fitting shoes, especially if you intend to walk around a lot. It’s okay to look a bit like a tourist if it means your feet aren’t killing you every night!

5 – Keep Your Wallet Close

Crucial belongings like your wallet need to be kept close by, preferably somewhere on the front of your person rather than back pockets and the like. There are many wallets sold now that are secure, lightweight, and resilient to scanning devices. Take something like that along and make sure you have it on you rather than in a bag you may accidentally leave behind.

6 – Take Some Cash

You don’t want to be caught anywhere without some form of paper currency. There are many establishments that don’t take card payments. It’s also much safer to pay in cash anyway since no information can be taken from you.

7 – Pack Some Light Snacks

No matter how well you plan a trip, it can sometimes be a chore figuring out dinner plans. If anything changes last minute, having some light snacks on hand can at least make sure you don’t have to go without any form of food at all. Creature comforts like your favorite crackers can also keep you from getting homesick.

8 – Prepare Yourself For The Locale

Whether you are going to an unfamiliar area or traveling abroad where people will be speaking other languages, be prepared. Make sure you have GPS capabilities, access to some sort of internet search engine, and a language translator if possible.

9 – Accommodate “Me Time”

Even if you are traveling with someone else like your spouse or romantic partner, you shouldn’t feel pressured to spend every second together. Leave a little bit of breathing room for one another as individuals. If you both have separate interests to some degree, cater to that. For example, you may actually split off into different directions one afternoon or even spend your downtime checking out different parts of your lodging amenities in the evening. A little bit of time apart will make the moments you do share that much better.

With these 9 survival tips for traveling with your partner in mind, you should have all you need to have a successful trip that is equally parts happy, healthy, memorable, and safe. Who could ask for anything more? A little bit of forward planning is really all it takes to help any vacation or business trip go smoothly. Follow the pointers listed above to the letter and you can be sure that all of your future travels will be among the best you have ever experienced.

There is nothing quite exciting as traveling to another country, no matter if you’ve been to that country many times before. However, no matter where you’re going, you will need to pack a bag or suitcase with all the essentials you’ll need for your stay. Unfortunately, most people don’t know where to start and often leave behind necessary items. So, we have developed the ultimate packing list that will ensure that you have everything you need for your trip.

The first thing you will need to do is select a bag or suitcase. You will need to choose between a rolling suitcase, duffel bag, wheeled backpack, carry on or travel backpack. If you need to pack a lot of stuff, then you should choose a rolling suitcase and you should even consider a suitcase with 4 wheels instead of 2.

Next on your travel list should be all of your necessary tech. Of course, when you’re going on a trip, you should never be without your camera, smart phone as well as an extra memory card. Unfortunately, many people end up filling up their phone or camera and can’t take more pictures. So, an extra memory card will solve this problem. You should also walk with your laptop, good headphones that have noise cancelling features, power bank, adapter as well as a portable WiFi device. These will ensure that you’re always entertained during long flights and always have enough power, no matter where you are.

You should also prepare to be comfortable while traveling and pack necessary comfort items. For example, you should pack a neck pillow, water bottle, moisturizer and lip balm, chewing gum, pen, eyemask as well as a portable hair brush. You should also consider packing a light snack such as a bag of nuts or even a small sandwich.

Next on the list are your toiletries. Of course, you will need to purchase travel size toiletries since most airlines have restrictions on full sized ones and those also take up too much space. You will need to pack your toothbrush, floss, toothpaste, deodorant, wet wipes, shampoo and conditioner, hair accessories, feminine products, makeup, towel etc. Also, don’t forget the sunscreen if you’re traveling to a particularly hot and sunny destination. You should also walk with any essential hair products that you typically use as well as a hair dryer if needed.

Once you have all these accessories packed, you need to select the clothes you’ll wear during your trip. Now, the clothes that you pack will depend on the type of trip, how long you’ll be staying as well as the destination. If you’re going on a vacation to a tropical island, then you’ll likely need to pack a lot of shorts, t-shirts, vests, light shirts, swimwear, hats, sunglasses etc. However, if you’re on a business trip, then you’ll need to pack formal shirts and pants, dress shoes, belts, jackets, blazers etc. Of course this also depends on gender as women would need to pack various outfits, dresses, matching shoes etc. Don’t forget to pack enough underwear as well as suitable jewelry. Even if you’re going on a casual trip, you should always pack at least one formal outfit in case you go out for a fancy dinner. Alternatively, if you’re going on a business trip, you should also include at least 2 casual outfits in case you go sightseeing or to the beach.

To wrap things up, we have just covered the most important things you need to pack when traveling. This list will definitely help you to stay organized and ensure that you don’t forget anything important. So, be sure to use this travel ultimate list as a checklist and you’ll soon have a packed suitcase!

Night photography is very different from daytime photography. There are unique factors to take into account during the night and steps you have to take to get the best picture. If you are new to night photography, there are some tips and tricks you can use to get the scenes you want.

Use A Tripod

A tripod is a necessity when shooting at night. Night photography is usually done with a slow shutter speed and the smallest camera shake can result in a blurred image. If you want sharp pictures, you need to have a tripod.

A basic tripod that is stable and solid will be enough. The tripod will need to be able to hold your equipment and it should not weigh too much. Having a spirit level in the tripod is a good extra, but it is not a necessity. This is due to modern cameras having a built-in digital spirit level that you can use instead.

Use Manual Focus

The autofocus you use for daytime photography is very reliable, but you might not want to use it for night photography. This focus is not foolproof and will often struggle in the dark. Using manual focus will ensure your images all focus on what you want.

When you use autofocus at night, the camera might choose the wrong element to focus on. Generally, this will be the element that is clearest to the camera. Manual focus gives you more control and you will be able to get a crisp picture.

While using manual focus, you should also look at activating the Live View Mode if your camera has this. This will provide you with even more control over the focus of the picture. It is important that you not switch to autofocus at any point in the shoot. Doing this will override everything that you have set up manually.

Shoot RAW

While JPEG is a great file format because it does not take up a lot of space, you should look at shooting RAW at night. To save space, JPEG will compress your image files drastically. This can cause a lot of problems when you are shooting night scenes which a high dynamic range.

RAW files will take up more space on your memory card, but the quality of each is preserved. You will need to edit them after, but the clarity is generally worth the extra work. RAW files are also the best if you want to avoid grainy pictures because of the low-lighting and post-processing. To ensure you have enough space for your entire shoot, you should take some spare memory cards with you.

Take Test Shots

Night photography requires a methodical approach and you need to take test shots. At night, you need to know the exact camera settings you need and the only way to find them is a test shot. You can adjust all the settings until you get the image you want.

Test shots also let you experiment with the setup of the shot. You can see if it is possible to get light streaks or try a new perspective for the shot. Allowing time to fine-tune everything will ensure that you have the best images at the end of the shoot.

If you are shooting at night for the first time, there are certain tips and tricks that you need to try. Manual focus is better than autofocus and you should use RAW files instead of JPEG. It is also important that you take test shots at night to get the image that you want and use a tripod to avoid blurred images.

As you ponder your impending adventure travelling the globe and staying in economic hostels, you may wonder what kind of items the accommodations may call for. To be fair, staying in a hostel is clean, relaxing and restful, but nothing like the 5-Star accommodations you may be used to.

To keep things simple, here are a few of the most important items you will want to include in your travel bags if you will be sleeping in hostels for your trip.

1. Padlock

As you may imagine, there are all types that come to stay at the friendly and economical accommodations of the hostel. But, you don’t want to give any of them a chance. Make sure all your bags and belongings are secured with a locking mechanism. You should have a couple of these and they should be of the best quality. A cable lock is small compact and can keep all your baggage secured together and safe from all but the most determined villains.

2. Earplugs

While they are nowhere near as malicious as baggage thieves, snorers, mouth-breathers, late night-arrivers and the ambient sounds of unknown locations can also ruin your trip by keeping you awake at night. It is important to get good quality rest if you hope to be at your very best for your trip, this is why a good set of earplugs is a smart thing to have.

3. Eye masks

Another essential item to have in your hostel bag will keep you from the many visual interruptions to your sleep. Roommates will turn the light on and off all the time or use their mobile devices at all hours of the night, expect it. To ensure that you wake well rested and refreshed, wear an eye mask while sleeping and earplugs and just let the world around you fade away.

4. Universal charger

A must have item for any traveler who will be seeing the globe is a universal charger. There is no telling what the connections will look like where you go and in case your regular charger is not suitable, you will want to have something that can address all the devices you have. Having a power bank with you is another good way to keep yourself well-connected.

5. Quick-dry towel

You may be lucky enough to find yourself in a hostel that does offer towels, but many will not. In any case, you don’t want to take any chances, have a small quick dry towel on hand. This is not just great for emergencies but for those times you find an unexpectedly suitable swimming location and would like to take a dip.

6. Flip-flops

This is not just for heading out to sunny locations and sandy beaches, though they are great for those times as well. Your flip flops will save you from cold floors, sharp objects and athlete’s foot in the communal showers of a hostel location – a must have item!

7. A Waterproof Toiletries bag

You will want your entire bathroom kit to be as easy to access and formidable against the elements as possible. If you can find the type that actually rolls out and hangs up on the wall, you will be very happy. Hostel showers can be small and busy, so keeping things as easy as possible in there will take a strain off the trip.

8. Card Games

You will meet all sorts of people from all walks of life on your travels and one thing that can always bring people together for fun is a good card game. Bring a deck of cards and learn a few fast-paced games and a few classics. This is a great way to make friends and connect with people.