Traveling is one of my favorite things to do. Whether it’s hitting the road for a conference, taking off for a weekend or enjoying a weeks vacation somewhere. Few things get me as excited as airports, GPS destinations and hotel suites.
This year, between conferences and vacations, I’ve already got about an estimated 6 weeks out of the office. It’ll likely end up more. In fact, it’s only the end of February and I’ve already traveled with my gear three times for a total of about two weeks.
When you’re on the go that much, you want to make packing easier. I’ve tried various solutions, especially for my gear.
As many prepare to head to VO Atlanta, I thought I’d put together a list of some of my must-haves for traveling.
5 Must Haves for the Traveling VO
BUBM Universal Travel Gear Organizer: This is one of my favorite finds. It’s a handy little travel organizer that’s perfect for keeping all your charging cables and adapters sorted and tidy. For me, I’ve got an Apple Watch, iPad and iPhone. That’s three lightning cables right there. Throw in the AC plugs, 12V adapters and then other various USB’s… it doesn’t take long to make a mess. Not with this handy organizer.
Cocoon GRID-IT!: For larger cables – like my XLR – and some of the other adapters I travel with, nothing beats my Grid-It. I have the 8″ x 12″ model. Though, somedays I think I could probably use a bigger one. This things makes packing cords a breeze. Everything stays organized and all in one easy-to-find place!
Belkin 3-Outlet Mini Travel Swivel Charger: Start plugging in all your various devices, including chargers, laptops, and whatever other recording gear you may travel with, and it doesn’t take long to run out of outlets. Especially in hotel rooms where you can’t find plugs have the time, or they’re all used up with lamps!! This little unit is GOLD! Turn one plug into 3 + 2 USB’s. Fits perfectly in your carry-on even. I stick mine in my Grid-It.
X-DRAGON Solar Power Bank: When you’re at a voice over conference there are certain universal truths. You won’t get enough sleep. You’ll learn lot. He who has comfortable shoes wins. And… your phone will be dead. A lot! Unless you have one of these. I never go anywhere without my power bank. What I love about this one is the solar panel. That always gets me extra charge time. A good power bank should give you at least two complete charges. Almost enough to get through one day at a conference! 🙂
Flexible Spider Tripod: When you’re on the road, you never know where you might have to record. It could be in a hotel. It could be in a rental car. It could be in somebody’s bedroom closet. A lot of VO’s travel with a portable desk stand for their mic. But (from experience) you can’t hang a desk stand from a rearview mirror or an ironing board. This little beauty has held my microphone in all kinds of places and works great every time!
Bonus Pro Tip
One of the things I’ve finally learned to do is keep a Master Packing List in Evernote.
As often as I travel, I’m still not good enough to remember everything! I also got really tired of making a list every single time I went somewhere.
When it comes to traveling with gear, especially, you’re always going to need the same stuff.
Now I keep a Master Packing List in Evernote that I can copy and paste before every trip. That way I know I’ll have all my essentials, and can just add any other trip specific items to the list.
Happy Trails!
