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The Professional Hobo

Traveling full-time in a financially sustainable way

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travel gear

Where would a traveler be without travel gear? It enables us to do amazing things around the world....but it also disables us if we have too much of it. When I started traveling full-time (back in the pioneer days), I bought all the latest and greatest travel gear I could find - before realizing that if I tried to carry it all, I'd need a full-time porter.

In this collection of posts, you will find various pieces of travel gear that I have tested along the way. Some items remain a part of my full-time travel entourage today, while others I've either worn through or given away (since I like to change up my full-time travel packing list from time to time to keep things interesting).

In all cases, these reviews reflect my unbiased opinion, warts and all.

Cool Travel Gear You Can Use At Home AND While Traveling

Last Updated: November 10, 2020

Cool Travel Gear that you can use at home and abroad

The best travel gear is travel gear you can use at home and abroad. Here are a collection of items that have been both road-tested and lockdown approved.

Filed Under: travel gear

Best Travel Clothes for Men No Matter Where You’re Traveling (+ 5 items you need from Western Rise)

Last Updated: October 26, 2020

Best Mens Travel Clothes Featuring Western Rise

I created a monster. My bf won’t stop buying stuff from Western Rise, and he says they have the best travel clothes for men. Here’s why.

Filed Under: travel gear

Best Anti Theft Bags & Accessories, Plus Tips to Keep Your Stuff Secure

Last Updated: February 22, 2021

Best Anti-Theft Bags, Tools, and Tips

In addition to being vigilant, you can get ahead of petty theft by using anti theft bags designed to deter criminals. From small to large, wearable to attachable, here’s the best in the industry.

Filed Under: travel gear, travel planning

The Best Blogging Courses and Tools for Your Digital Nomad Dreams

Last Updated: January 7, 2021

Best Blogging Courses and Tools

Are you thinking about starting a blog, or taking your existing blog to the next level? I wish I’d had these blogging courses and tools when I started my blog.

Filed Under: Remote Work, travel gear, Travel Lifestyle Guides

Pro Packing Hacks: Here are the Best Travel Accessories

Last Updated: August 21, 2020

Pro Packing Hacks - Best Travel Accessories

I’m a sucker for packing hacks, and I’ve tried just about every packing tool out there. Here are the best travel accessories for both saving space and staying organized.

Filed Under: travel gear

2019 Holiday Gift Guide – Best Gifts for Travel Lovers

Last Updated: November 12, 2020

Best Travel Gifts for 2019 and 2020

This 2019 Holiday Gift Guide for Travel Lovers travel-tests Western Rise merino, Wiivv custom insoles, Performance Lab supplements, SleepPhones, The Airhook, Eustachi, KeepGo mobile WiFi hotspot, Let’s Roam scavenger hunts, and Remote Much travel career manual.

Filed Under: travel gear

The Best Carry On Backpack For One Bag Travel

Last Updated: February 11, 2021

Best Carry on Backpack for One Bag Travel

This is my quest to find the best carry on backpack for one bag travel – not just minimalist travel backpacks, but REAL one bag travel, with unrivalled versatility.

Filed Under: travel gear

The Ultimate Packing List for Full-Time Travel and Long-Term Travel

Last Updated: February 22, 2021

The Ultimate Packing List for Full-Time Travel

Looking for the ultimate packing list for full-time travel? Here’s exactly what I pack to travel the world as a digital nomad – down to every last item. This interactive packing list widget is sure to give you lots of ideas for your next trip.

Filed Under: Life as a full-time traveler, travel gear, Travel Lifestyle Guides, travel planning

My Zero Waste Kit for Travel (and Home)

Last Updated: August 21, 2020

How to Travel With a Zero Waste Kit

With this simple zero waste kit, you can eliminate single-use waste when you travel (and at home). Here’s how to do it, and why it’s important.

Filed Under: travel gear, Travel Lifestyle Guides

Dealing with Parasites: A Guide to Clean Water Around the World

Last Updated: August 23, 2020

How to Get Clean Drinking Water Around the World

After suffering everything from parasites to heavy metal poisoning, I’m now a clean water guru. And it’s not just about clean drinking water; it’s also about how to brush your teeth, what foods to eat, how to cook, and much more. This article gives you everything you need to know.

Filed Under: travel gear, Travel Lifestyle Guides

Cell Phone Travel Basics: International Phone Plans, SIM Cards, and More

Last Updated: August 21, 2020

How to Use Your Cell Phone While Traveling

Want to avoid international roaming but not sure what your cell phone travel options are? There’s something for everybody, and this article outlines ALL your options along with pros and cons and what kind traveler/trip each strategy is best for.

Filed Under: travel gear, Travel Lifestyle Guides, travel planning

The Best (Must Have) Travel Apps (25 of My Personal Favourites)

Last Updated: April 18, 2020

Best Travel Apps

These 25 killer best travel apps will help you travel more efficiently, safely, cheaply, and fun(ly). Smartphone travel apps like these are changing travel entirely!

Filed Under: travel gear, travel planning

Top Gifts for Travelers in 2018

Last Updated: November 12, 2020

Top Gifts for Travelers in 2018

Check out these great travel gifts for men and women! These best travel gifts for 2018 include custom sandals and insoles, an adventure backpack, passport wallet, gift collections, tripods, and clothing!

Filed Under: travel gear

My Travel Capsule Wardrobe: Best Wrinkle Free Travel Clothes for Women

Last Updated: February 13, 2021

My Anatomie Travel Capsule Wardrobe: Best Wrinkle Free Travel Clothes for Women

In this article I dissect what makes for the best wrinkle free travel clothes for women, as inspired by a capsule wardrobe challenge by Anatomie Travel Clothes. I took two tiny packing cubes of clothes and traveled ULTRAlight. Here’s what happened!

Filed Under: travel gear, travel planning, Vlog

My Search for the Perfect Travel Sandal

Last Updated: November 12, 2020

The Perfect Travel Sandal, revealed!

I’ve spent years searching for the perfect travel sandal balancing fashion and multi-function; read this post and learn from my mistakes!

Filed Under: travel gear, Vlog

Checked vs. Carry-On Luggage (and Why Checked is Best)

Last Updated: February 7, 2021

Checked vs. Carry-On Luggage

When it comes to luggage, I’ve had it all. Checked luggage, carry-on luggage, rolling, backpacks, wheeled backpacks, hybrids, and more. Here’s why I now travel with checked luggage, along with criteria fo you to decide if carry-on or checked is best for you – and the best road-tested luggage recommendations.

Filed Under: Top Posts, travel gear, Travel Lifestyle Guides

Best Travel Gifts for 2017: Packing Cubes, Dresses, Trackers, and More!

Last Updated: August 21, 2020

Best Travel Gifts for 2017 - wearing the Ultimate Travel Dress

The best travel gifts for 2017 include the Ultimate Travel Dress, expandable packing cubes, Eagle Creek compression sacs, Chipolo tracking device, Fat Chick Goes Awol (book), and Flexiroam global data micro-SIM card. Learn more about them here!

Filed Under: book reviews, travel gear, travel planning

Giant 2016 Travel Gear Roundup: Don’t Leave Home Without…

Last Updated: June 25, 2020

revolve dress

I review the Ultimate Travel Jacket, ROLO and TUO packing aids, Tieks, Revolve Dress, Anatomie designer travel clothing, Sudio Sweden wireless earbuds, RFID tools, J-Pillow, Nord VPN, and more.

Filed Under: travel gear

Travel Packing: How (and What) to Pack for Full-Time Travel (Video)

Last Updated: April 28, 2020

travel packing

In this vlog, I show you what I pack for full-time travel – and how I pack it. Learn travel packing tips and techniques, and watch me cram it all in my bag!

Filed Under: Life as a full-time traveler, travel gear, Video Clips, Vlog

Anatomie Travel Clothing Makes the BEST Travel Pants

Last Updated: May 19, 2020

Anatomie travel clothing has long been my favourite stuff for full-time travel. Here’s what I learned after visiting their headquarters in Miami:

Filed Under: travel gear

9 Perfect Travel Gifts (2015 Edition)

Last Updated: August 21, 2020

Review of Kinivo blutooth headphones, SteriPEN Ultra, Best Travel Pants ever, Ambronite, Hoboroll/SegSac packing tools, Encircled Flipside Leggings, and more

Filed Under: travel gear

Awesome Travel Gear, Gizmos, and Services (2014 Edition)

Last Updated: August 21, 2020

Nord VPN - the Best VPN Service virtual private network

Review of an Ultralight filter water bottle, ion5 Solar Ionic Toothbrush, Nord VPN, Evolve Top, Compression Socks, and more

Filed Under: travel gear

Best Luggage for Long-Term Travel: Backpacks vs Rolling Luggage

Last Updated: February 21, 2021

best luggage for long-term travel

Best luggage for long-term travel: Here’s why I use rolling luggage now, with criteria for when you should choose backpacks, rolling luggage, or a hybrid.

Filed Under: travel gear

2013 Edition: Perfect Travel Gifts

Last Updated: May 19, 2020

Nora Dunn, The Professional Hobo, in Paris

Review of the Hoboroll, Passport Wallet, Adventure Towel, Travel Adaptor, Headlamp, Packable Daypack, Wheeled Backpack, Chrysalis Cardi, and more

Filed Under: travel gear

Wheeled Backpacks: Why They’re the Best, and Tips for Buying One

Last Updated: February 1, 2021

wheeled backack

With six years of full-time travel, I’ve found wheeled backpacks are by far the most travel-friendly. Here’s why, along with tips for getting the best pack!

Filed Under: travel gear

This is the Best Travel Clothes Brand for Long-Term Travel

Last Updated: May 19, 2020

Anatomie travel pants

Anatomie Wear offers designer women’s travel clothing. And despite my best efforts to dislike it, I just couldn’t do it!

Filed Under: travel gear

Florida with No Baggage

Last Updated: July 11, 2020

No baggage challenge

Read this funny post and watch the accompanying video to watch me go down in No Baggage Challenge flames.

Filed Under: No Baggage Challenge, travel gear

Preparing for the No Baggage Challenge

Last Updated: July 11, 2020

Preparing for the No Baggage Challenge; everything I travel with

I’m leaving behind what little travel gear I own to take on the No Baggage Challenge! Find out what I’m doing and why, and check out this video of me “packing”.

Filed Under: No Baggage Challenge, travel gear, travel planning

Perfect Gifts for the Traveler in Your Life

Last Updated: May 11, 2020

Here is a list of perfect gifts for the traveler in your life. From small items to expensive technology, there’s something to fit any price range. I didn’t just pick each item out of thin air though: there is a method to my madness. I either own it (and love it), have owned it (and […]

Filed Under: travel gear

Best Travel Gear: Travel Journal

Last Updated: May 11, 2020

travel journal, best travel gear

My best piece of travel gear seems to be one of the most simple. Yet, it is my bible on the road, going with me absolutely everywhere I go: my Travel Journal. A travel journal can be so much more than a diary of the events of your travels. For me, it is a way […]

Filed Under: travel gear

SteriPEN: Clean Water in Asia, and Not From a Bottle!

Last Updated: January 16, 2021

SteriPEN

Here is my first experience drinking clean water with the SteriPEN in Asia, and a financial breakdown of how long it took to pay for itself.

Filed Under: travel gear

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This site is part travel tales, and part lifestyle travel tips.

Check out my free Travel Lifestyle Guides to answer all the questions you have about your own travel journey!

I'm Nora Dunn. I traveled the world full-time for 12 years, and I still travel for half the year (pandemics notwithstanding).
Expert on long-term travel, personal finance (as a former CFP), remote work, and lifestyle design.
If there's a high-adrenaline activity, I've probably done it. Weird food? Eaten it. Former shaman's apprentice. Always an actor/singer/dancer. Professional speaker. All that. And more…

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The Professional Hobo is about how to travel full-time in a financially sustainable way, as experienced since 2006 by Nora Dunn, former financial planner and current world traveler/writer.

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