Nomad Numbers Blog

Essential Tech Gear Packing List for Digital Nomads

We’ve been slow traveling for 6+ years and our packing list has evolved a lot over the years. Our tech and electronics items are definitely the most essential items that we can’t imagine traveling without. Whether you are digital nomads working full-time or simply slow traveling as nomads, here is our packing list of essential tech that will come in handy on your journey.

If you’re looking for our comprehensive packing list beyond tech gear, check out Men’s carry-on packing list for nomadic long-term travel and Women’s packing list for nomadic long-term travel.

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By Mr. Nomad Numbers, ago

US mobile phone carrier for verifications overseas: Tello Mobile review

Phone, text and online data access while overseas is an important logistic to figure out for nomads, expats and travelers alike. There are a lot of great options nowadays for eSIMs like Airalo, Eskimo or RedteaGo to get easy data access overseas. However, if you’re an American and need access to a US mobile phone number to receive text message verifications, you may need to maintain a US mobile phone carrier. A number of online banks and credit card companies have tightened their restrictions on accepting VoIP numbers so our Google Voice number no longer suffices. After extensive research on US mobile phone carrier options, we discovered Tello, a service that provides a real US phone number that banks accept, all for a very affordable $5 per month (or $60 per year) plus taxes.

In this blog post, we’ll share why we think Tello is a fantastic low-cost carrier option, walk you through setting up an account, and show you how to use it effectively while traveling internationally.

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By Mr. Nomad Numbers, ago

The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter: A Detailed Book Review and Summary

We love to travel, but we also prioritize our health. One of my favorite health podcast hosts, Peter Attia, recommended The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter, a journalist and adventurer who contributes to Men’s Health magazine. I finally finished it, and it did not disappoint! Easter puts together personal stories and interviews with different individuals, highlighting how the comforts we’ve introduced into our lives paradoxically lead to physical and mental stagnation. The key takeaway? We should continually push ourselves outside our comfort zones over extended periods. This is something my wife and I embrace as we explore new countries and lead unconventional lives. Let’s dive deeper into this detailed book review and summary of The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter.

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By Mr. Nomad Numbers, ago

Luye International Hot Balloon Festival

If you’re looking for a unique summer experience in Taiwan, a visit to Luye for the International Hot Air Balloon Festival is a must. This one-of-a-kind event runs – in the summer – for a few weeks each year, bringing together hot air balloons from dozens of countries, showcasing their vibrant designs. As a visitor you will be able to enjoy the show and sign up for a balloon ride and take in the stunning landscapes of this beautiful region. In this 3-day itinerary, we’ll guide you through everything you need to know—what to do, when to visit, how to get there, and tips to make the most of your time at the festival.

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By Mr. Nomad Numbers, ago

Nomad Checklist: 9 Things to Prepare for Nomadic Life

Embarking on a nomadic lifestyle is an exciting adventure that requires careful planning and preparation. When we first took the leap and started our nomadic life in 2018, it was very thrilling but also very stressful and overwhelming. We’ve put together a comprehensive nomad checklist of 9 things to prepare for nomadic life to ensure you have a smooth journey. Some of these things take time so make sure you plan well in advance to avoid a last-minute crunch.

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By Mrs. Nomad Numbers, ago

Visit Ogimi Village, Okinawa: Half-Day Itinerary in Japan’s Blue Zone

Prioritizing health and wellness is a cornerstone of our lives, with a fitness goal of staying active well into our 80s and 90s. We draw immense inspiration from the blue zones—regions of the world where residents often live past 100 years, thanks to their healthy lifestyles. If you’re not familiar with blue zones, they are areas known for their exceptionally long-lived populations, including Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California. There was also recently a great Netflix series on this topic “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zone.”  During our visit to Okinawa, Japan, we couldn’t miss exploring the blue zone area of Ogimi Village. In this half-day itinerary guide, you’ll discover what to do, where to eat, where to stay, how to get there, and other tips for experiencing this remarkable blue zone.

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By Mrs. Nomad Numbers, ago

Nomad Packing Essentials: 16 Must-Have Items for Long-Term Travel

We’ve been nomadic and traveling full-time for 6 years and we have gone through a lot of iterations of our packing list. We have swapped a lot of items for better and more travel-friendly items. We have also added items that we didn’t think we needed initially but added more comfort. When you have limited space to carry your life’s belongings around the world with you, you become very selective on those items. In this nomad packing essentials list, we cover 16 must-have items for long-term travel – including tech, toiletries and compact essentials. Many of these items aren’t obvious for a travel packing list but are especially handy for long-term travel. We focused on items that you may not have known existed or may not have known you needed but you will be very glad to have it for your long-term travel!

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By Mrs. Nomad Numbers, ago

Lessons from ‘Die with Zero’ By Bill Perkins – A Book Review and Summary

Die with Zero by Bill Perkins is one of the top few books that recently has had a profound effect on how we approach our lives (which we added to our life changing book recommendations). This book offers a different perspective on personal finance and life optimization that really made us rethink our retirement planning and approach to spending. In this book review, we will break down the key ideas of the book, provide some practical advice as well as share our personal takeaways.

Like many others in the financial independence community, we have been ingrained to save and invest as much as possible to maximize our return. From our cost to travel the world reports we are currently spending between $30,000 and $40,000 per year to support our nomadic lifestyle which is actually well below the return of our portoflio. The concepts introduced in this book has adjusted our mindset on how we make decisions to spend. Let’s get into the Die with Zero book review!

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By Mr. Nomad Numbers, ago