{"id":6271,"date":"2014-08-14T10:00:17","date_gmt":"2014-08-14T14:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theprofessionalhobo.com\/?p=6271"},"modified":"2026-04-24T17:18:06","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T21:18:06","slug":"awesome-travel-gear-gizmos-services-2014-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theprofessionalhobo.com\/awesome-travel-gear-gizmos-services-2014-edition\/","title":{"rendered":"Awesome Travel Gear, Gizmos, and Services (2014 Edition)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I’m amazed at the variety of travel gear, gizmos, and services that make life on the road easier, more secure, and generally awesome. Here is some of the cool stuff I’ve discovered in 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note: While this post was published in 2014, it has since been updated for accuracy of links and product info. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Editor’s Note: Some of these products and services were provided to me for free or at discounted rates. There are also some affiliate links in this post. All opinions are my own, and I practice what I preach. <\/i>

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Water Bottle with Filter<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Water<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In spending three months in Peru, I had not one, but two gut-wrenching bouts of parasites and bacterial infections. I’ll spare you the gory details, but suffice it to say it’s debilitating, and incurable without medication. One of the leading causes of this yucky-ness? Water. In retrospect, I suspect even the \u201cdrinkable\u201d water in my hotel in Lima was the cause of my second illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, I went out and found a water bottle with a filter that removes 99.9999% of water-borne bacteria and parasites \u2013 including heavy metals! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2024 Update:<\/strong> Since originally writing this post, I’ve used A LOT of different water filters and water bottles with filters. Many have involved some kind of compromise (eg: weight or bulk or ease of use, or not filtering enough ickies), or been discontinued. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The water filter bottle that has won out over the years is made by Water-to-Go<\/a>. It filters absolutely everything I want to filter (you can even fill it up with yucky river water and it comes out clean), it’s easy to use, and they even make their bottles out of sugar cane! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has a straw-like filter that ensures I never suffer a parasite again. It’s perfect for everyday drinking, as well as any future treks I do in the wilds of Peru<\/a> and elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more ways to treat unclean water, check out: Dealing with Parasites – a Full Guide to Getting Clean Water Around the World<\/a><\/em>

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Nord VPN<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Nord<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Now with clean innards, it’s time to have a clean computer. I wouldn’t want to travel and live without a VPN (virtual private network) to encrypt my internet activities and protect my computer from hackers. (See also: How to Travel Securely and use a VPN<\/a>)<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2019 Update: <\/strong>Over the years, I\u2019ve used a lot<\/em> of VPN services, but none of have measured up to NordVPN for me. Here\u2019s why: <\/p>\n\n\n\n