Travel Essentials

I was recently asked to do an EDC, which apparently stands for Every Day Carry. Once I found out what this meant, I actually found it quite hard to do. I'm essentially a minimalist when I go out and you'll hardly ever find me carrying things I don't absolutely need.

So I thought maybe I would discuss what are my everyday travel essentials. This then became a toss up between budget travelling or 5 star travelling. It then became quite obvious that 5 star travelling doesn't really need much thought to go into it (seeing as you will take more than you need to anyway). This being the case, I selected my 5 essential 'budget' travel items.

1. Wallet - MontBlanc

106653 - Meisterstueck Pocket 6CC

When you have 3 wallets from Montblanc it might sometimes be hard to choose which one to take. However, for sheer practicality, the one that always travels with me is the Meisterstueck Pocket 6CC.

2. Sunglasses - Ray Ban Justin

Justin in the middle is my choice

Versatility wins out here. When I travel I want to be able to dress from 'as casual as possible' to 'a shade under semi-formal'. As such, the Justins trump the RB3477s and the Erikas and they are my go to shades for whenever I'm travelling.

3. Headphones - Audio Technica ATH-50

There's a new model out - The ATH-50X

Where would I be without my headphones. They are your best friend in a plane, train, bus or anywhere you just want to shut the outside world out and just get to your destination. I love the sound quality of the ATH-50s and their all round performance. Check out their review on CNET.

4. Wash Bag - Sportscraft

Looks great and you won't cry if it gets ruined

Every guy should have a quality one of these. Sure you could get something like the Mulberry Full Grain Leather Wash Bag. However, bear in mind that the wash bag often houses your most useful fluids and they get thrown around a lot. As such, you are one leakage away and/or one scratch, dent or rip on the outside. Hence, consider getting something that will allow you to get some enjoyment out of it without breaking the bank. You could also consider the shaving bag from Ralph Lauren.

5. Cologne - Bleu de Chanel

Sorry Giorgio and Ralph, Coco has got you this time

My choice of cologne. It was a hard decision and an honourable mention deserves to go to the Armani Code. Ultimately, it was the versatility of the Bleu that won out. I feel its more versatile compared to the code and helps to keep your masculinity in check because no matter how big your ego is, at the end of the day you are still wearing Chanel. I also feel more care free and fun when wearing the Bleu, whilst still feeling the part when dressed in a suit.

That makes 5 items and the end of the post. I trust that this has been helpful and you still like my taste in life. Stay tuned for more.

#Hanbaobao

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Favourite Luxury Items 2

More often than not, the original was better than the sequel and we wonder why the producers had to go a ruin a classic. However, like every sequel ever made, the opinion at the time was that this would never happen. This brings us to Favourite Luxury Items 2 (Click here for Favourite Luxury Items 1). I sincerely hope that this post is more Dark Knight than it is Batman and Robin. Lets begin.

6. Johnnie Walker Blue Label

The universal drink of someone with way too much money and zero knowledge about whisky. Similar to Moet and Chandon NV, it is only down to marketing that this whisky is well known. I've spent countless nights where a bottle of blue has been used for our drinking game shenanigans. However, if that's how highly you regard it, then whats the point of you telling everyone how much its worth and therefore how generous you are. Pull your head out of your arse, go get a nice blended whisky in the $100-$150 (i.e. Chivas 18), actually take the time to enjoy it and stop serving glorified red label. Or you could even go get some single malts to try and justify your manliness.

7. Comme des Garcons Play T-Shirt

This t-shirt has a special place in my heart of rage. It's the shirt worn by the person that wants you to know they can spend more than you and yet they still want to dress like a 10 year old. Seriously it looks like a t-shirt out of the kids department and yet its worn by college kids thinking they're all mature and shit. Go buy some clothes fitting of your age.

8. Gucci Wallet

I think Gucci gets a lot of unfair criticism a lot of the time. As it's such an iconic brand, naturally the moment some gets some money, they go buy something Gucci just so they can feel like an 'equal'. Just like the LV belt, the Gucci Wallet is another must have (and vice versa - Gucci belt and LV wallet) for this special kind of person. By now you must know what kind of person desires this wallet. I'm running out of ways to describe the same thing so I will just say one more word; 'Why?'

9. MontBlanc North South Bag

It saddens me to put an item from MontBlanc on this list. However, I absolutely hate the man pouch. I can live with the Indiana Jones satchel worn by Zach Galifianakis in The Hangover but I can't believe what a waste of money the MontBlanc North South Bag is. Seriously the bag is worth about $1000 and can barely fit much more than your wallet in it. You might argue that its handy for carrying passports or other small items but seriously $1000 for this idiotic item is insane. This is what arguably makes it an even bigger slap in the face than anything else on the list. The fact I hold MontBlanc in such high esteem only for it to tarnished by some idiot who wears it as a fashion accessory to display wealth.

10. Beats by Dre

I have to say Beats by Dre are one of the smartest marketing cons currently out there. They are essentially the Pitbull song of the headphones market; something that is crap by market standards and yet the masses want it. I don't know what the appeal is about Pitbull but I do hand it to Dre for capitalising on the fickleness of sheep; and of course I certainly wouldn't say no to a billion dollars.

So before I get too sidetracked let's get back to Beats. I'm not sure there's anything about beats that makes it a 'market leader.' Style - No, Sound Quality - No, Noise Cancelling Ability - No. So why is it so popular? Price - Yes. We've worked it out. People want to pay large sums of money so they can brag about it. At least LV and Gucci have the defense of being a 'market leader.' People really need to pull their finger out, do some research and make a educated decision for once.

Aaaargh!

#Hanbaobao

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Montblanc - A Justified Obsession?

Today I thought I'd share my thoughts on wallets from Montblanc. 

What I love most about Montblanc is in the simplicity of the designs. I think this gives the wallets both class and elegance. The best thing I find with these wallets lies in their practicality and durability. I don't know how many times I've dropped or thrown my wallets around and they have remained in great shape and condition.

I find many other wallets in a similar price range (e.g. LV, Gucci or Prada) are either too attention seeking (and owned by that person who seem to be always over compensating for something) or simply are not practical - designs I wouldn't want to use out of fear of scratching or ruining them. 

Anyway, I'd like to start by showing you my collection.

My Collection 

As you can see, I'm the proud owner of three Montblanc wallets. Yes, you might think that is excessive (it most probably is true) but I am adamant that each has their own practical function.

I'd like to talk about the first wallet I bought.

 5524 - Meisterstuek wallet 10CC

Today's fascination with skinny jeans/slim cut pants means that I found the Meisterstuek 10CC to be not very practical for everyday use. It was often quite bulky and would feel really tight in your pocket. Also due to its size, it would often get full with useless cards and items merely because they fitted in the wallet.

However, it was a great wallet to travel with. If you're like me, when travelling I pay with cash most of the time. The wallet can hold a large amount of cash and even small documents such as concert tickets or attraction passes whilst not being as cumbersome as a travel wallet. It's times like this that will make you thankful you have those extra card slots. The wallet also contains a coin pouch; something you may or may not find useful. Overall, its a great wallet to travel with and definitely beats using a fanny pack.

So what should you use for everyday use? Most people these days use plastic for everything. As such there is less of a reliance on the need for compartments and card slots. I therefore recommend the Meisterstueck Pocket 6CC shown below.

106653 - Meisterstueck Pocket 6CC

I use the Meisterstueck Pocket 6CC for everyday use. It fits nicely in your pocket and stops you from putting lots of useless items in your wallet. The wallet comfortably holds about 10 cards (same as the Meisterstueck 10CC but without the bulkiness. It still has a slot you can use for notes which is ideal.

However it has one major drawback. The wallet is essentially a fancy card holder, so unless you remember which order you put your cards in the wallet, you will have to sort through the cards. I keep the cards I use the most in the front slots (bank card, credit card, driver license/ID card etc) so I don't find it too annoying.

I will admit that it can be annoying at night and/or after you've had a few drinks. So if you agree with me, then I suggest you to consider the Meisterstueck business card holder with gusset.

7167 - Meisterstueck business card holder with gusset

This wallet is great for nights out where you want to carry minimal items. Just like the Meisterstueck Pocket, the Meisterstueck business card holder is slim and fits nicely in your pocket. However, as each card and cash each have a specific slot, finding what you need becomes easy and there is less of a risk of losing items if you were forced to sort through them.

So there you go. A few thoughts and uses for each of the wallets I own. I'm going out for dinner tonight so I'll be using my Meisterstueck business card holder.

Don't just take my word for it though. Ask anyone that uses a Montblanc wallet. They definitely wouldn't disagree with me.

If you'd like to find out more about the wallets, click on the links under the images

#Hanbaobao

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