Staying Healthy While Traveling

Healthy Travel Part I Flying & Cruising

Flying

There’s a love-hate side to travel. Being there is great but getting there not so much. Long distance flights are usually no fun at all, especially if you are like us and fly coach. With a price difference on international flights as high as ten times we feel the pain is worth the price.

The first area of increased risk encountered by the traveler is usually the airplane. Packing a few hundred strangers into a compact environment for one and a half to seventeen hours is an invitation to spread disease. One study discovered that, on average, 20% of your fellow passengers are probably sick. Here are steps you can take to reduce your risk while flying:

1. This is the big rule number one. Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth – The primary entry points for disease agents are your body’s mucus membranes (those moist areas) and the best way to avoid infection is to avoid transferring them from your hands. So, wash or disinfect your hands often and DON’T TOUCH YOUR FACE. I have a serious eye problem with medications that seriously irritate my eyes, leaving them itchy, burning and feeling like there’s something in them – if I can stop touching my face, so can you.

2. Select the right seats – The most likely people that will infect you are those sitting next to you, in the row ahead of you and behind you. For that reason, the safest seat is the window and the least desirable seat is on the aisle.

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3. Disinfect your space – Armrests, tray tables and those seat-back screens and controls have been found to be a serious source of infectious agents and the airlines do almost nothing to them during the cleaning of a plane. Get in the habit of carrying TSA sized bottles of disinfectant spray and/or wipes. Purell, Clorox and GermX are a few effective brands. Disinfecting wipes will usually kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria, including staph, E. coli, MRSA, norovirus, salmonella, strep and even the new threat of coronavirus.

4. Watch out for surfaces in lavatories – Another study found airplane lavatory surfaces, especially door handles, are a major hotspot for pathogens. Sadly, too many people don’t wash their hands. For that reason, avoid touching surfaces with a bare hand – use a paper towel to open doors and wash your hands thoroughly.

5. Nose Filters and Masks – Another problem with flying is getting trapped in that enclosed environment that recirculates the air with a number of people sneezing and coughing. I know we’ve come down with a flu or cold within a few days of a flight on a number of occasions.

Now in the age of corona virus it is becoming much more acceptable to wear a face mask and for the near future many airlines are requiring passengers to wear them which is probably a good thing. It used to seem odd to see an entire group exiting a plane wearing surgical masks but probably not any more and it does have a practical side. Before masks and the recent pandemic we discovered this item a few years ago, ordered them and have used them often on long flights. They’re discreet little adhesive pads with true HEPA filters that you stick to each nostril. Our discovery was called First Defense and today there are a number of competitors out there including 3M and WoodyKnows. Amazon

Another concern with flying is circulation. We’re often advised to get up and walk around to help our circulation but that is often just not practical on night flights where you are stuck between two or three people on a wide body jet. The cabin crew isn’t pleased either with isle walkers getting in their way.

Compression Socks

You can find some relief if you plan ahead on those long flights, especially if your cramped in coach. One area of particular concern is the toll it can take on your circulation. It isn’t unusual to discover that your ankles swell and maybe even hurt on and after a long flight. While the risk of developing blood clots on a flight is pretty low, it goes up with age and as travel length increases.

A lot of athletes and seniors already know the solution. Ask you doctor and he’ll tell you to wear compression socks. These stockings help increase circulation and reduce the risk of swelling or worse, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and clotting on long flights.

An excerpt from the Mayo Clinic explains, “Compression stockings steadily squeeze your legs, helping your veins and leg muscles move blood more efficiently. They offer a safe, simple and inexpensive way to keep blood from stagnating.”

Twisted Pillow

Another item recently discovered is a travel pillow that isn’t that half donut. I’ve been traveling with my inflatable half-donut for a number of years and the only thing I have to recommend it is everyone else is using one too. My experience has been that while it provides some help at supporting my neck and head it really doesn’t provide support for keeping your head up straight and that seems to be where the strain is.

Recently I found a straight line, bendable pillow that has a rigid center. It allows you to bend it so there is a higher point on one end that does seem to support your head when wrapped behind the neck. The negative is that it takes up more room and often won’t survive the cut when packing. Available HERE.

Cruising

It’s not just airplanes that provide an environment that allows for the easy spread of disease. Any public space that brings large numbers of people together in close quarters offers an increased chance of getting sick. Anyone who has had young children go off to school knows about those years of viral and bacterial infections brought home and spread through the entire family. It’s just one of life’s cycles and, while there is little you can do about those episodes, you can take action to reduce your risks while traveling.

After over twenty years and fifty cruises we are getting ill less often by following some simple rules we’ve adopted

These are similar steps to air travel precautions that you can take to avoid getting sick while on a cruise ship. The risk on a ship is very similar to that on an airplane. While you do have a lot more space that allows you to try and stay away from people that are ill, you will be exposed to that cruise environment for much longer periods, increasing the risk. The basic steps to avoid picking up an infection are the same:

1. Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth. This is a hygiene practice that would be good to adopt everywhere in life.

2. Disinfect your hands often – most cruise ships are now reasonably aggressive with hand sanitizers, usually providing Purell dispensers all over their ships often with crew popping up everywhere to squirt your hands (washy, washy).

3. Avoid touching surfaces in lavatories and, again, wash your hands often. It is recommended to use a paper towel to open the door when exiting.

4. Avoid contact with obviously ill people – Unfortunately we have gotten sick on a cruise a number of times because some people that are sick make no real effort to isolate themselves from other passengers. We believe this is an area where cruise ships should become more aggressive and probably will. On several occasions we’ve had seriously ill people that kept coming back to the dinner table each night. Our new policy leans toward “would we rather be thought rude or would we prefer getting sick?” If they won’t leave the table – we do.

5. Avoid elevators if at all possible. The small enclosed spaces are a breeding ground for germs even though the ship’s crew work hard at keeping the spaces clean and sanitized.

6. Don’t hesitate to consult the ships doctor. Too many people avoid the clinics because they’re afraid of the costs involved. We expect the cruise industry to start offering free doctors visits for people coming down with flu, colds, etcetera as this could represent a serious cost saving for them after the recent pandemic and its impact on cruise lines.

Carry your own emergency medicine cabinet – Part II. Avoid Jet Lag Part III.

Bitten By The Travel Bug

My First Night In Rome

A Short Story

Night in the Roman Forum

Back in the spring of 1965 for high school graduation I went to Italy with a relative. It was the first time I had left the United States and it was to be a great adventure. The way things worked out as we traveled around I had evenings mostly to myself. One of our first days was in Rome and we had checked into the hotel early in the evening and shortly after that I headed out walking to see what I could find.

The hotel was the Pensione Texas only a few blocks from the termini, the Piazza della Republica and a block off of Via Nazionale. Recently I was back in Rome and found that the small hotel is still there and gets reasonably good reviews (after 50 plus years it would seem they are doing something right).

Without a map, not having any idea where anything was and a whole evening to myself I started walking. To keep from getting lost I decided to stick to a main street and to make as few turns as possible. I walked out the block to the Via Nazionale, turned right and headed down hill (here’s a tip; when in a new city just walking around always head down hill. The good stuff is always around the river and to get there it is always down hill). Via Nazionale was a major shopping street with a lot of shops still open and heavy traffic.

Victor Mature

Imagine, two days out of America and I was walking the streets of Rome by myself. As I continued down Via Nazionale after less than a mile I came across a wide alley to my left going down a flight of stairs. It was just too tempting to not explore and besides at the bottom was an illuminated column. Once at the bottom I found a park spread out before me rimmed in by historic ruins. Noting the name of the street I had walked down to get here I set off exploring the ruins.

The Robe movie poster

Soon I found myself standing in the Roman Forum and I was so overwhelmed I almost cried. At that time Hollywood was in its Roman Empire period with hit movies like Ben Hur and Cleopatra and I was a big fan. Ancient Rome fascinated me and I read everything I could on the subject. In high school I had built a pretty good model of the Forum to pass Latin. This was such an emotional experience for me that it has stuck with me till today. The forum was all lit up and there were crowds of people all headed in one direction so I followed along. In the middle of the Forum was a roped off area with seats arranged for a concert. While I was figuring out what to do a group of about a dozen people were passing by and a man in the group turned and said “Hey kid, it’s a symphony, come and join us” (Still to this very day I have no idea why people look at me and just immediately decide I’m an American?). Well why not join them? Soon we were seated and an orchestra came out.

I think it was the Rome Symphony Orchestra and the one thing I still remember was during the concert they played The William Tell Overture  – after all, even young, unsophisticated Americans who know nothing about classical music know The William Tell Overture, it was the television theme song for The Lone Ranger. As we were leaving after the concert we were making small talk like how long I had been in Rome and I realized that there was something very familiar about this man. Back in the early sixties he was a big star. Over the preceding few years Victor Mature had starred in big hits like The Robe and The Big Circus.

Coliseum at night

The group was headed to a restaurant up the hill with a patio overlooking the Forum and I went with them for coffee. The weather was beautiful, and the view unforgettable. I’ve tried recently to locate that restaurant and that view again but without success. The nearest I can come is Ristorante Aroma with beautiful views of The Coliseum at night.

Later I said my goodbyes and within a few minutes I found myself looking at a huge circle with a non-stop rush of Roman traffic racing around it (I don’t recall any traffic signals). In the middle of this circle stood a colossus of an illuminated structure that was the iconic image for Rome, The Coliseum. I eventually made it across and in those days it was not fenced in and there wasn’t anything to keep you from just walking inside – but that’s a story for another time…

From that evening on I have been in love with Italy and addicted to travel. I have returned to Rome numerous times and aside from sharing this city recently with family, the overwhelming experience of that first Roman night will always be mine.

Travel Tips and Technology

As we travel we’ve made some mistakes and have learned a few things over the years as we have planned itineraries. Avoiding issues with TSA, U.S. Customs and Immigration, jet lag and loyalty programs. Hopefully our experiences can help you avoid delays, save money and help you get ready for your next adventure.

More articles and guides coming soon to this directory as we continue to update this page. Please check back often.

Spending Time In Tampa Bay Florida

More than beaches and Busch Gardens. A number of attractions worth a visit when visiting the Tampa Bay area and a historic Liberty Ship.

Tampa - St Pete, Florida Botanical Gardens, Sunken Gardens, Florida Aquarium
Tampa - St Pete, Florida Botanical Gardens, Sunken Gardens, Florida Aquarium
Tampa - St Pete, Florida Dali museum
Tampa - St Pete, Florida Aquarium, Liberty ship, American Victory
Tampa - St Pete, Florida, Liberty ship, American Victory
Tampa - St Pete, Florida, Liberty ship, American Victory
Tampa Bay map
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The Art and Science of Packing for a Trip

Traveling light can become a lifestyle once you begin focusing your attention on available options and planning for the trips needs. Traveling with lighter, easily rinsable, multi-purpose clothes actually makes the trip much easier on you when you no longer are hauling around oversized and heavy luggage.

Please Note: Most items shown on this page have links to Amazon for convenience only. We do not receive any commission or fees at all from Amazon. We only recommend items that we find have real value and are used by us in our travels.

Six Steps To Better Packing

Pick your wardrobe carefully. Know the weather where you are going to help determine what clothes to pack. Also try to determine any special events that may require dressing up or dressing down. With this information you will be able to determine what you will need but also what isn’t necessary to carry.

Eliminate items that need special care. Don’t take clothes that wrinkle easily, regularly need ironing or don’t easily dry. (See our wrinkle remover idea below.) Avoid packing items, like silk, that are easily damaged in a laundry.

Stage clothes you’ve selected in one place so you can get the whole picture and make an evaluation. Ask yourself questions like what combinations do I have and how many items work with each other. By carefully planning you can pack a half dozen items that mix to produce a dozen different looks. It’s important to be able to mix and match. Planning on layering your outfits can eliminate the need to carry heavy items.

Select clothes designed to travel. Give priority to clothes that can be rinsed out and dried quickly. There are growing choices in miracle fabrics that are designed to keep you cool and dry fast. These items are generally lighter in weight so they take up less space when packing and usually work well in layering making them fit multiple uses.

Pick shoes with a purpose. We travel with very lightweight tennis shoes (actually running shoes- see below), a pair of sandals and we usually wear our everyday shoes. Pick a comfortable pair that will fit into your wardrobe choices. When packing, fill fold-top sandwich bags with socks and small items and put them in your shoes. This keeps things organized and also keeps the shoes from creasing.

Select the right suitcases and backpacks. It is awkward to find yourself on a crowded train with an oversized suitcase that you can’t lift or will not fit in the overhead. On buses and commuter trains, you shouldn’t place suitcases on the seats as you’re taking up valuable space. During peak times the aisles can be packed making it impossible to maneuver large bags Nothings worse than being lectured or yelled at, especially in a language you don’t understand.

Click above image for more information on packing cube

We have gotten into the habit of traveling mostly with two carry-on size suitcases and a couple of backpacks. We’re often use packing cubes to organize the suitcase contents and reduce items shifting around. Cubes are convenient to separate out clothes for just one night while in transit so you don’t have to rummage through a whole suitcase. We also travel with a light-weight foldable backpack for holding things acquired along the way or when we need to lighten the weight of a bag we need to check.

Clothes designed for the traveler and adventurer have become a whole category of its own. Brands like Columbia, North Face and Patagonia have built their brands around travel clothing but as the number of new miracle fabrics have exploded the choices in clothes for the modern traveler with many being at remarkable price points.

Do The Army Roll

The Holy Grail of packing is a way of getting maximum density in your gear while avoiding the bother of wrinkled clothes. To that end the military has a system. It’s called an Army roll (it’s also called a military roll but let’s give the U.S. Army the credit) and it really does work. Based first on the understanding that folds produce creases and loose packing of clothes adds wrinkles, the system was developed over years of practice.

The Army Roll may seem counter intuitive but it can be applied to many clothing items. In general its approach is to first fold clothes so that any creases are where they would be considered normal. Pant legs stretched tight along front and back creases and shirts folded so that the creases are straight down both sides of shirt front. After that the garments are rolled up tight and held in place. Often this uses cuffs and shirt tails folded up a few inches to tuck the roll into. Army rolls can work on slacks, shirts, jackets and even sport coats. For detailed information there are literally dozens of online videos – use the search term “army roll”.

A number of years ago we were on a cruise and our table mates were a retired couple who claimed that they traveled with only two carry-on suitcases and a couple of small shoulder bags and they used the Army roll system of packing. Over two weeks we remarked about their outfits and on formal night he even showed up in a tuxedo. On disembarking we can confirm that they walked out of the terminal wheeling those two carry-on bags behind them and two light canvas shoulder bags.

Travel Clothes

Our curated collection of light weight, easy dry clothing that can save you time and space while traveling:

32 Degrees – We’ve become very fond of this line of clothing. Available in thermal and sweat wicking shirts and other apparel. We both wear their T’s and thermals. LINK TO AND SHOP 32°

Exofficio – They offer a wide assortment of fast dry under garments for men and women along with interesting travel ideas. LINK TO AND SHOP Exofficio

Balanced Tech @ Amazon – this is another good collection of fast dry travel clothing. LINK TO AND SHOP BALANCED TECH

Click image to visit UNIQLO

Under Armor – This company was the first in the market with sweat wicking clothing and was originally marketed to the military and police. to help them stay cool and dry. We started with this brand and the shirts have held up really well. LINK TO AND SHOP men’s wear LINK TO AND SHOP women’s wear

UNIQLO – this is a Japanese clothing company that is expanding quickly worldwide. We believe they offer a premium line utilizing a number of those amazing fabrics at a reasonable price. We have bought and traveled with their moisture wicking polo shirts and while heavier than some they still seem to rinse and dry very quickly. Order online and in stores. (we have no affiliation with Uniqlo)

Light Weight Running Shoes

Click image to shop Feetmat running shoe
Click image to shop Whitin running shoe

Feetmat Women’s Running Shoes – ultra light weight and very breathable. They also have some very nice water shoes.

Whitin Mens Running Shoes – An ultra light weight and rugged running shoe.

Our Easy Travel Wrinkle System

Click the image to link to this item on Amazon.com

Our system involves carrying a 2 or 3 oz spray bottle containing just a very small amount of ingredients. Once we are settling in and hanging up clothes we fill that spray bottle up with water and shake vigorously and mist those clothes wrinkles. Here’s the secret formula.

To a 2 or 3 Ounce Bottle add the following ingredients

  • 1 Teaspoon rubbing alcohol
  • 1/4 Teaspoon uncolored fabric softener
  • Shake

When needed, fill the bottle with water and shake well and mist those wrinkles away.

The Easier and Free Alternative

The truth is that a gentle mist of just water will relax most cloth enough to drop out those wrinkle. So if you don’t want to bother mixing up a batch of wrinkle remover, just carry that empty bottle and just fill with water. Less hassle and it works almost as well.

Packing Cubes

Click the image to link to this item on Amazon.com

The ultimate accessories for organizing your suitcase are packing cubes. Keeping clothes tight is an important part of reducing wrinkles and these inner packing cubes help with that. Another advantage is they allow you to segregate clothes into useful groups. No more rummaging through a suitcase, messing up clothes, looking for an item. We also use them to separate a group of clothes for a one night hotel stay while on a trip. No unpacking half a suitcase. When shopping for cubes you need to pay a lot of attention to the sets individual sizes for the best configuration to fit your suitcases.