To hang up the clothesline, we recommend using a bowline knot on one end and a taut line hitch on the other.

In fact, it’s worthwhile to get these items even if you can use a latex line because they’re great for making luggage repairs and performing other MacGyver-ish tasks in a pinch. If you have a latex allergy, Dyment recommends going with a length of cord ( paracord is nice because it’s durable and you can use it for other things as well) and stainless steel safety pins meant for cloth diapers, because they take up far less space than a clothespin and won’t rust. He also says to never, ever trust a suction cup: “They don’t work, period.” If the Flexo-Line is unavailable, Dyment says that the Rick Steves collection from Kiva Designs also makes a nice braided line that is a bit more expensive.

As he explained to me in an interview, “There are others that are fine, but there are far more that are not fine.” More specifically, Dyment says to avoid anything that’s not made of latex, because clothes will inevitably slip out of them. “I've never gotten a blister, even after walking over 30 miles in a day during the 2014 Le Mans,” wrote Morrison in an email interview.ĭyment has tried them all, but the Flexo-Line is the one he comes back to. Popular women’s travel gear review site HerPackingList calls them “the perfect sock for active travelers who will be on their feet for hours or days at a time.” Wirecutter writer Geoff Morrison switched his whole sock drawer out for these since he started traveling seven years ago and hasn’t looked back. This combination of blister prevention and light weight makes them particularly popular amongst runners in addition to travelers. Like most synthetic socks, they’re lighter weight and dry quickly, but what sets WrightSocks apart is their dual-layered design, which prevents blisters by diverting friction between your shoe-lining and the sock onto the inner layer of the sock as opposed to your skin. If you prefer a vegan product, have a wool sensitivity, or if you’d like something a bit cooler and are willing to sacrifice some durability, WrightSocks (both men’s and women’s sizes at that link) made from synthetic Coolmesh are a great choice (we like them better than Darn Tough’s synthetic option, which felt stifling). We also ran our picks by travel gear reviewer Eytan Levy, the Snarky Nomad.Īnd we relied heavily on Wirecutter staff experiences, since this is an especially mobile group that has worked remotely from every continent except Antarctica-the five most frequent flyers among us travel about a half-million miles in any given (normal) year. On top of that, we sought the advice and wisdom of Doug Dyment, the author of OneBag he’s logged millions of miles as a traveling businessman and public speaker over the past few decades.

Over the past nine years, we’ve spent hundreds of hours researching and testing dozens of products to find the most dependable items to help you travel well. Sometimes it’s just the familiar, reliable stuff in your bag.” “Sometimes that is a memory of home, a family, a significant other, friends, etc. “Traveling well is a fine balance between finding inspiration in the unknown while being grounded in something,” said Wirecutter founder Brian Lam. But what does it mean to travel well? Along with, of course, traveling safely, we’d say it involves avoiding hassle, packing a single bag if possible, and bringing only the necessities. Traveling well can be one of life’s great pleasures, whether you’re alone or with family and friends-and this is true now more than ever.

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