Travel Light, Travel Often

Luigino 2013 Backpack

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Atom Skate Bag

Today we are talking all about traveling.  If you are on a league in a "remote" area like mine and have to travel quite a bit to play other leagues or put on training camps, the Antik Roller Bag and Luigino 2013 Backpack are perfect for carrying your gear.  When packing for long weekenders, I will pack my uniform, a few pairs of socks, a pair of comfy pants, and a couple shirts along with a few Wisp travel tooth brushes and floss.  If I need anything else, I will just borrow it or hope the place I'm staying has it.  Normally, I only need to check bags when I'm bringing stuff to sell or on my return trip.  I like to be able to check my skate bag on my way home since it's not as important to have my skates immediately when I land and can risk my bag being delayed.   A plus for the Antik Roller Bag is that all you have to do to air out your gear is open it up!  It has mesh zippered over two compartments inside the bag so when you open it, everything stays in place.  Genius.

When I am trying not to check a bag and don't have room for all my gear, I will carry my skates on a Bruised Skate Noose and have never had an issue having my Antik Roller Bag, laptop bag, and skates as carry-ons. Plus, the skates are a great conversation starter!

PowerDyne Y Tool

Reflex Skate Tool

Something to keep in mind: TSA will confiscate tools longer than 7".



Some tools under 7" to add to your arsenal include the Y Tool, Reflex Skate Tool,  and  Bones Bearing Tool. 

Bones Bearing Tool

Stink Out!

If you have a bottle of Stink Out, which I hope you do because it is a miracle for stinky pads, make sure you have it in a plastic bag or somehow protected so it doesn't seep out when pressure causes it to swell.  If you are carrying it on the plane with you, remember it is one of those items TSA wants to see in a Ziploc bag with the rest of your liquid items.  Stink out comes in 2 sizes, 2 oz and 4 oz.  Currently, TSA allows up to 4 oz for each liquid container, so you should be good as long as they don't freak out about something else (we can only hope!).



Now that we have talked about things you should do/carry when traveling, here are a couple tips of things NOT to do.  Don't check your skates if you need them for the trip, they could get lost or delayed and while you can usually borrow or purchase new gear, you probably don't want to break in new skates at a bout.

Don't have a carry-on bag that is too large or too heavy.  Not only do other travelers find it quite annoying to wait for you to attempt to squeeze your bag into the overhead, but flight attendants will end up taking your bag and check in in the belly of the plane, for which many airlines now charge you.  Stay on the flight attendants' good side by knowing the limits and you might just get an extra bag of nuts for your effort.

Lastly, Zuca Bags have become more popular and I even had one for a while, but I gave it away.  It was nice to be able to sit on it the couple times I found myself without a chair and wanting to give my legs a break, but that wasn't worth the stinky gear which couldn't dry inside the bag or having to play Tetris to get all my gear inside.  The regular Zuca Bags don't fit into most airline overhead compartments or under the seat in front of you, however it will fit under the center seat on certain airlines.  If you want to keep your leg room and choice of aisle or window, you could spring $295 for a special travel bag, but why would you do that when you can get other bags that work better for much less?  Just stick with the Antik bag or Luigino backpack and you will save money and have a more enjoyable travel experience.

Well, that's about all I can think of right now.  What are your travel secrets?  Post them in the comments and remember to post your haiku as well so you can be entered to win a set of Heartless wheels!


Until we skate again and safe travels!
Shocker