GTFOutcast – Page 2 – Hack your lifestyle for fun and profit

Bag Review: Rick Steves’ Convertible Carry-On [Updated]

A few years ago I did a review of the Rick Steves’ Convertible Carry-On bag. Since then I’ve ended up using it a lot. In fact, it’s my primary travel bag. I use it both for long-hauls, when moving continents, as well as for shorter trips, like a weekend jaunt. It’s proven to be indispensable. When I first reviewed it I didn’t fully appreciate the bag’s greatness. But I want to set the record straight now. First, the original review:

I’m very picky about what I carry so my requirements are fairly strict. First, I want something I can put on my back or over my shoulder backpack style – roller bags are for dorks. Second, it’s got to fit in the overhead compartment and/or under the seat in front of me – checked bags are lost bags. Third, it’s got to be able to fit my basic outfits:

Two-piece suit – preferably without wrinkling it too much,

Two business shirts,

Two to Three undershirts,

A week’s worth of underwear,

A week’s worth of socks,

A pair of shoes,

Toiletries (inside a plastic bag in a convenient location), and

A t-shirt and pair of shorts/pants.

Those are the minimum things that I look for in a bag. Other niceties are things like someplace to put extra books, roller wheels (hey, sometimes my shoulder gets tired), internal structure, tie and belt compartments, lightweight, etc.

I took the Rick Steves’ Convertible Carry-On on my trip to Dallas. I’ve had it for a while but just didn’t put it to much use. So I pulled it out of the attic and opened it up. The bag is at the maximum allowable size for carry-on luggage by most airlines, which makes the interior cavernous. Also it expands a couple of inches. As far as carry-ons go, this is as big as you’re likely to find.

I put all of my stuff in it and still had room to spare. There was a good amount of room for my suit and business shirts and I locked them in with the internal straps so they wouldn’t go anywhere when I slung it on my back. Unfortunately everything else sagged to the bottom.

The bag is kind of lumpy and awkward. Even filling it up took effort as I had to lay it out, move it around, fit my clothes in, and move it around more. It’s like filling up a grocery sack – if you’ don’t just cram stuff in it’s not going to be pretty. And wearing it around felt funny. There’s just no structure to it or anything.

Pros:

Fits anything you’re likely to carry, short of a VW.

Extremely light and flexible

Cons:

Awkward when empty and uncomfortable to wear

Ugly

Conclusion: If it’s fully packed out, this bag is probably great. But nearly empty it’s just cumbersome. I’s built for trecking across the globe so that’s no surprise. The bag is very light so that’s also good for long hauls, especially in the Winter when you’ve got to pack lots of bulky stuff. But at that point you would probably be better off just grabbing a frame pack and going with that.

I stand by my original thoughts, for the most part. It’s a huge bag. If you haven’t filled it, everything can kind of sags to the bottom. But I found that the side straps actually help a lot to take up some of that slack. WIth the addition of some packing cubes, a shirt folder and some creative packing you can actually manage to keep most things in their place.

But it’s a much better bag than I gave it credit for initially. It’s super versatile. And it’s incredibly light, too. I originally gave the bag a C but I take it back.

Verdict: A

A good alternative is the eBags eTech 2.0 Weekender Convertible bag. This one has more structure to it and is slightly less expensive but is very similar to the Rick Steves’ bag reviewed here. If given the choice I’d stick with Rick, but I owned the other bag and it’s very good too.

Episode 06 – Making money while traveling, and mail-forwarding services

Your front row seat for conversations with two computer hackers turned travel hackers – living globally, financially independent and semi-retired, both following their dreams and helping you to do the same. You can also find us on iTunes, YouTube or however you listen to podcasts, and we love getting your 5-star reviews. Follow the conversation with us on Twitter @GTFOutcast and stop into the blog often to read the latest and give us comments and feedback.

In this episode of GTFOutcast, Beau Woods and Taylor Banks chat about how one can make money selling goods bought cheap from their travels abroad. The discussion then moves on to the important topic of how travelers can ensure their mails are received securely and forwarded while away from home.

Watch GTFOutcast Episode 06:

0:54 – Taylor talks about the process of selling his house and clearing out furnishings, old electronics and computers using a combination of Craigslist, eBay and donations to locals charities. All in a bid to raise funds for the upcoming journey.

3:40 – Taylor gives us a brief tour of his 34-feet long new mobile home, nick-named the “Snuffleupagus”

6:29 – Beau gets in to the topic of how a traveler can make money while on vacation, and using funds from those sales to continue paying for his/her vacation.

8:48 – Taylor brings up the possibility of using an online marketplace to simplify the arbitrage process of selling goods on your behalf.

11:19 – Beau talks about building relationships with distributors you meet while on your travels, where by you find a reliable local partners to ship the goods over and paying them online for doing so. Taylor brings up consignment shops and using them as agents to conduct the sale for you.

12:56 – Taylor discusses ways to set up your mail in order to receive packages while on the move

15:05 – Taylor talks about Earth Class Mail, a service that accepts your mail, opens it, scans it and makes it available online. If you are an RV owner, there are several operators and RV clubs that offer mailbox rental and mail forwarding services.

16:54 – Beau shares how he solves his mail-forwarding problems using a service called Virtual Post Mail. A service, from his personal experience, is best set up while still in the US.

21:50 – Taylor and Beau bring up the concerns of identity theft and how to be sure third parties who receive your mail aren’t snooping around, invading your privacy, or even misusing your packages.

GTFO FTW: Presentation at BSidesLV

Taylor and I presented this year at the excellent BSides Las Vegas conference. It was a great time. Yeah I hear you saying “pics or it didn’t happen.” Here you go smarty pants, we got a video of it!

If you like this and want more you ought to check out the GTFOutcast podcast and get social with us. Add GTFOutcast to your Google+ Circles. Follow GTFOutcast on Twitter.

GTFO FTW: Hacking your lifestyle for fun and profit

(Video courtesy of BSidesLV and Irongeek.)

Episode 05 – How to establish an online brand and attract customers

On the August 29, 2013 episode of the GTFOutcast, Beau and Taylor discuss the process of building a brand online and how to attract customers to your website. From SEO, advertising and online promotions, Taylor shares his experiences setting up AceHackware.com.

Watch GTFOutcast Episode 05:

2:29 – Taylor talks about the DerbyCon security conference in Louisville, Kentucky.

4:42 – The guys dive into the topic of building a brand. Taylor talks about how to build an audience for a brand, event or product — and working backwards can often help attract the right user.

8:11 – Taylor talks about creating ads on search engines using the right keywords. Apply the logic of targeting specific buyers and not the casual audience and the widest reach. Also, it’s important to tweak a campaign based on the initial feedback. This will help cater to the right demographic.

Website

13:39 – Taylor talks about using Google Analytics and Facebook Advertising to better learn about the incoming audience. Using social media can help you understand your demographic — especially if you are not keen on grabbing a user data using cookies.

16:50 – How do you determine your budget and resources for buying your audience? SEO, advertising and other mean of internet marketing — learn a bit of everything is Taylor’s advice. At the end of the day though, customer acquisition expenses will come down when you succeed in attracting the right audience and serve them well.

20:00 – Taylor talks about where his early investments were made in customer acquisition. From spending way too much at the beginning to finally learning from his mistakes.

21:40 – Beau asks Taylor about how to identify the initial keywords when using Google AdSense. Taylor’s answer to that is to draw inspiration from successful social media techniques in grabbing people’s attention.

24:40 – Taylor wraps up with the lessons he learned and how he ultimately built a better website. Paid traffic was used to learn from, and that paved way to growing organic traffic.

Episode 04 – How to find apartments on rent when traveling to a foreign country

On the August 25 episode of the GTFOutcast, Beau and Taylor talk about the process of find a place to stay in a foreign country. We’re not talking hotels here. Instead, long term accommodation like apartments and houses you can stay on rent, and yet, get that truly local experience that you seek.

Watch GTFOutcast Episode 04:

0:21 – Beau checks in from Mexico City and kicks things of by talking about the talk he and Taylor gave at the BSidesLV conference.

4:31 – The two talk about the manner in which they put the slides together for their presentation.

6:12 – Beau talks about how much he’s enjoying Mexico City, and the exhausting process of looking for a place to live. Turns out Craigslist in Mexico City has just as many scammers as anywhere else. Beau eventually ended up using AirBnB.

11:17 – Taylor asks Beau about his learnings on how to make it easier or better to find a place in a new country. Beau suggests AirBnB for your stay upon arrival, but use this time to learn more about rental policies and prices. Taylor recommends VRBO if AirBnB isn’t an option.

15:36 – Taylor ask Beau about the rent in Mexico City and if he got a place worth the price. Beau talks about how his rent covers everything, from maintenance to utilities.

17:57 – Taylor asks Beau about how his AirBnB experience went. For Taylor, he was quite “burned” the last time he used AirBnB.

22:24 – Beau concludes his AirBnB experience by saying one of the best perks of using AirBnB has been connect with locals. Taylor then asks Beau about how the transportation facilities in Mexico City are and how cheap and convenient it is.

26:54 – Taylor wraps up the episode.

Episode 03 – Overcoming obstacles before setting off on your travels

On the July 11 episode of the GTFOutcast, Beau and Taylor discuss the obstacles they face before setting off on their travels and also how to get rid of stuff they don’t need in order to, either raise money for their trip, or to just travel light.

Watch GTFOutcast Episode 03:

0:46 – Taylor talks about the obstacles in getting started with his travel plans. Selling off the stuff at home to raise funds for his RV trip isn’t working out as easy as he thought it would be.

4:35 – Beau quotes Billy Hoffman, who said the hardest thing to do as an entrepreneur is splitting time to do everything you want to do, and how it parallels with life and travel.

5:49 – Taylor mentions the Pomodoro Technique, a time management method

8:17 – Beau talks about the obstacles he faced when beginning his travels. Like finding a good place to stay.

10:44 – Taylor agrees with Beau that it’s great to seek where the locals hang out and not where all the tourists flock. Not only does this help in bagging better deals, but it also guarantees a true local experience.

12:34 – Beau asks Taylor about luggage bags. Taylor agrees with Beau that roller bags aren’t the best for the kind of travel backpackers enjoy.

18:22 – Beau suggests Taylor do a trial run living in his RV. That will help understand what are the things that are essential for a long trip and things that are not.

19:38 – Taylor asks Beau how he went about selling all of his stuff. Beau did a combination of Craigslist, a yard sale for 3 days and gave some things away to his friends when time ran short.

22:37 – Taylor ends the show talking about the things we have an emotional attachment to and how to let go of them.

Episode 02 – What inspires you to travel?

On this episode, Beau and Taylor talk about why they travel and what inspired them to do so. From boredom at work, to the urge for adventure and seeking something new, the duo offers listeners advice on how to take that first step in packing their bags.

Watch GTFOutcast Episode 02:

1:05 – Beau asks Taylor how his coffee is. Which leads to the question of how many times Taylor has been to Hawaii and what he thinks of the Hawaii islands.

2:40 – The conversation drifts in to how some of the best food both Beau and Taylor have eaten on their travels has been the local street food.

3:54 – Beau launches in to the main topic of why we travel and Taylor talks about his inspiration to travel. Believe it or not, Taylor’s long term goal is to change the way we teach children.

6:38 – Beau talks about how he traveled around the world for a three whole months. But that wasn’t enough, and that trip inspired Beau to think about traveling a lot more.

9:16 – Both of them agree that long term travel really helps you think better as you have the time to do so.

10:10 – Taylor talks about how productive his mind is when he goes hiking. Some of the best thinking both of them have done is when they had the time to travel at ease and not really have to worry about the everyday pressures of life.

13:10 – Taylor asks Beau about what makes him want to get up and do what you do. For Taylor, waking up in a hotel room in a new foreign country is what keeps excites him to keep traveling.

16:54 – Beau gives a philosophical talk on boredom. (Seriously)

20:15 – Beau asks Taylor what was it that initial inspired him to go from a stable life to a more adventurous one and take a chance doing something that most would consider an “insecure” job.

24:15 – Beau talks about his epiphany after the 3-month long world tour and how the soul-searching eventually led to the admission of unhappiness Beau got out of work. Beau advices others to take that one small step to travel and believes that will set the ball rolling.

28:56 – Talyor admits he has a tough time planning for the future. At the same time, he believes it’s okay if younger people didn’t think too much into the future as plans and ambitions may change as years go by.

32:54 – Beau wraps up the episode by stating people’s paths may change and they need to overcome their thresholds.

GTFO Podcast – The First Episode!

After years of corporate work life, friends Beau Woods and Taylor Banks welcome everybody to the first ever episode of the GTFO podcast — or the GTFOutcast as they like to call it!

Watch GTFOutcast Episode 01:

0:25 – Beau asks Taylor about his plans after buying an RV.

1:20 – Taylor gives his introduction and all the low down on the GTFO podcast and why both of them wanted to do this series of podcasts.

3:34 – Beau gives his introduction and how he left his job in information security to travel for more than 18 months.

7:01 – Taylor stresses on how, now that both of them have gained enough work experience, it gives them the freedom to take up work they only want to do and not work because they have to.

10:19 – Taylor reminisces of a trip to Costa Rica, which was essentially a business trip, but it brought about a mental change in the purpose of what he was doing with his life.

12:40 – Beau adds to that by talking about the change in values travel brought about. How money was no longer the objective, and how he hopes this podcast helps others in enabling others to achieve the same.

16:59 – Why should you subscribe to the GTFO podcasts? Well, besides being awesome, Beau and Taylor lists out a couple of other reasons:

the conversation is going to be very candid
each episode is short yet concise
sharing travel experiences — both the good and the bad — and how you can learn from the same

21:02 – Beau and Taylor wrap up the first episode!