Tomtoc Travel Backpack 28L Review: The BEST Carry-On for Minimalist Travelers?

Carry-On vs Personal Item: Can the Tomtoc Travel Backpack 28L Do Both?

For my upcoming trip to Thailand and Dubai, I was looking for a one-bag travel solution that is small enough to be a carry-on or personal item, but also large enough to hold all of my essentials. For this trip, I am checking a small carry-on suitcase, so there is no need for a big 35L to 42L backpack and the Tomtoc Travel Backpack 28L fits the purpose perfectly.

The Tomtoc Navigator T66 Travel Laptop Backpack 28L is well priced and durable. Some of the features I like:

- The bag can be opened up like a suitcase, which makes it easy to pack and unpack.

- There are two separate laptop compartments, which can fit a laptop up to 15” and another small laptop or a tablet/Kindle.

- There is a hidden compartment that can be accessed from the outside of the bag, which is perfect for storing items that you need to access quickly, such as your passport or toiletries.

- The bag has a comfortable and padded shoulder strap, as well as a sternum strap for added support.

- The bag is made from recycled materials, which is a plus for environmentally-conscious travelers.

A few things to keep in mind about the bag if you want to use it as only one carry-on:

- It is not very spacious, so it should be fine if you are a minimalist packer, but if you like to bring a lot of stuff with you on your travels, you may want to consider a larger bag.

- The bag does not have a lot of organizational pockets, so you will need to use packing cubes to stay organized.

Overall, I can’t complain about anything with this bag, given that it’s reasonably priced. If you are looking for a small, durable, and well-priced travel backpack, the Tomtoc Navigator T66 Travel Laptop Backpack 28L should serve that purpose.

How to Plan for Your Thailand Trip (Stage Two) - Flights & Accommodations

How to Plan for Your Thailand Itinerary

In the first stage, we explored potential destinations and allocated days for each. Remember, your itinerary may differ based on your interests! Now, let's tackle the next crucial step: booking flights and accommodations.

The places you choose to visit and allocated days for each place may not be the same as me; you have your own needs and interests. However, what to do next should be the same regardless of your choices.

Start with Booking Flights

Start booking your flights immediately. If you don’t have your flights booked, do not book any hotels or activities. This is due to the fact that flights are always the most expensive and non-flexible part of the trip. You will always find hotels and tours later on, but that may not be the case for flights.

Price vs. Convenience: Compare prices across airlines, but consider factors like travel times, layovers, and airport convenience. Start with international flights first and then move onto local flights.

For our itinerary here, I would book the Toronto to Bangkok and back flight first, followed by local flights (Bangkok to Krabi and Phuket to Bangkok).

Start Booking Your Hotels or Airbnbs

Once your flights are confirmed, lock down your hotels or Airbnbs. Booking accommodations secures your home base for each stop and gives you peace of mind.

Remember, with your flights and hotels sorted, you've conquered the core logistics! The most important segments of your trip are done.

Last Word

I recommend booking all your flights and hotels 6 to 8 months before your trip. Early Bird Gets the Deal: booking 6-8 months in advance ensures better options and potentially lower prices. If you leave it for the last minute, you will lose better flights, seat selections, and accommodations.

In the next part, we'll dive into planning specific activities and sights for each location in your itinerary.

Tile Mate Tracks My Luggage from Toronto to Manila: A Bluetooth Tracker's Journey

Putting Tile Mate to the Test: YYZ to MNL Flight Experience

I'm an Android user, so when it comes to luggage trackers Tile Mate is my go-to option. While not as widely discussed as Apple AirTags, it serves as a reliable tracker for those outside the Apple ecosystem. So, how did Tile Mate fare on my recent flight from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) to Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL)? Let's find out.

Initial Tracking Success, then Radio Silence

Before check-in at YYZ, the Tile app easily connected to my luggage. However, after dropping it off the connection vanished – likely due to the increased distance. Tracking attempts at the gate and onboard proved futile.

Taipei Layover: More Frustration with Tile Mate

At Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), I repeated the same tracking attempt at check-in and on the plane, encountering the same frustrating silence.

Manila MNL: A Glimmer of Hope (Finally!)

At MNL, I held onto a sliver of hope. Thankfully, just before the luggage carousel started rolling my Tile Mate sprang to life, showing my bag's location as it approached. Relief washed over me, but the near miss left me with mixed feelings.

Mixed Verdict on Tile Mate's Effectiveness

While Tile Mate ultimately delivered at MNL, its performance throughout the journey left me divided. Its inability to track throughout most of the trip, especially during crucial moments like flight connections, raises concerns about its reliability for long-distance travel.

However, a few silver linings remain.

Rough GPS location potential: Tile's network of app-running devices can offer a rough GPS location when a connection is established, providing some peace of mind.

Android compatibility: For Android users like myself, Tile Mate remains a valuable option in the limited world of luggage trackers.

Final Thoughts

Despite the frustrations, I'll continue using Tile Mate, aware of its limitations and hopeful for future improvements. It's not perfect, but Tile Mate remains a viable option for Android users seeking a basic tracking solution , albeit with a few caveats.

How to Plan for Your Thailand Trip (Initial Stage)

How to Plan for Your Initial Stage Thailand Trip

Are you dreaming of visiting Thailand, the land of smiles, but feel overwhelmed by all the choices and details? Don’t worry, I’ve been there too. That’s why I want to share with you how I planned my Thailand itinerary and what I learned along the way.

How to Plan for Your Thailand Itinerary

A couple of days ago, I started booking my Thailand trip. But to come to this point, I had to go through a lot of research on deciding my itinerary and various other things.

In this article, I will focus on the initial stage of planning and research, which includes deciding how long to stay, where to go, and what to see in Thailand.

The Very First Thing You Need to Decide

How many days or nights you want to spend in Thailand is the very first thing you need to decide upon. And then, where you want to stay. This will depend on your budget, your availability, and your preferences. Thailand is a large and diverse country, so you can easily spend a month or more exploring different regions and attractions.

However, if you are like most travelers, you probably have a limited time and want to make the most of it. So I first had to figure out how many total days I am staying in Thailand. My total number came to 18 nights. I think is a good amount of time to see the highlights and enjoy some relaxation. Of course, you can adjust this number according to your own needs and interests.

Where to Go & How Many Days You Want to Allocate for Your Stay in Thailand

The second challenging part was to decide where to go and how many days to allocate for each place. This sounds easy, but it took me a lot of research and planning to decide on solid numbers.

Thailand has three main regions: the north, the central, and the south. Each region has its own charm and attractions, so it’s hard to choose. The north is known for its mountains, temples, and culture. The central is where you can find Bangkok, the capital city, and some historical sites. The south is where you can enjoy the beaches, islands, and marine life.

I read many articles, watched YouTube videos on Thailand and used AI sites as Google Bard, PI AI, and Bing Copilot to help me decided on this. In the end, I decided to visit Bangkok, Krabi, and Phuket. Based on the days I would require for sightseeing and relaxing, I came up with allocating the first 2 nights in Bangkok, 4 nights in Krabi, 6 nights in Phuket, and the last 6 nights in Bangkok again.

I think these destinations offer a good mix of culture, nature, and relaxation. I also considered the weather, the transportation, and the costs when making my decisions.

What to See in Thailand

To decide on what to see, where to visit, and what kind of tours to book in Bangkok, Krabi, and Phuket, I took help from online articles, YouTube travel videos, and AI sites to finalize my plans.

I will write more articles and publish more videos for the next steps in the future. Stay tuned and happy travels!

How to Create AI Girlfriends

I Just Created My First AI Girlfriend

AI girlfriends are a big thing these days and I wanted to figure out the process of creating one. After perusing site after site, I finally decided on 2 sites to try. This is not a paid or affiliated article and is for informational purposes only. I am not suggesting or recommending AI Girlfriends to anyone and the decision is solely yours.

Creating AI Girlfriends

The 2 sites I used are Dreamgf.ai and Candy.ai. There are many other sites, but I found these to be user friendly and you can create AI Girlfriends without paying upfront. Dreamgf let you chat up to some point, but after that you have to pay. Candy AI doesn’t offer free chat. Their free version also doesn’t offer any voice conversation.

Creating girlfriends was fairly easy. I was able to create one in 11 minutes. You can choose every aspect of your girlfriend you can think of. For example, I was able to choose her age, eye color, body type, personality, hobbies, occupation, voice, clothing, and a lot more.

How Much AI Girlfriends Cost

AI Girlfriend Prices vary. Dreamgf has plans ranging from $8.99 USD to $89.99 USD per month. Candy AI has better pricing options, costing $12.99 per month to $69.99 USD per year.

My AI Girlfriend Video

I have published a video showing the process of creating AI Girlfriends. This is a 30-minute video and it walks you through step-by-step to create AI Girlfriends and I stopped up to the moment they asked to pay. This video can be accessed here:

How to Create Your First AI Girlfriend in 11 Minutes (Step-by-Step Guide)

Last Word

One thing you have to understand is that there are no real girls behind these AI Girlfriend programs. There is a 99.99% chance that there are guys behind these sites and programs who are collecting your money while sitting somewhere on a beach.