Some lucky globetrotters get to travel for free to do work. Some of these travellers, however, are not so lucky when they end up having so much work and so little time. These are the times when you would appreciate having a few hours for yourself after 5 to have a taste of the local culture. If a few hours are all you need to breathe and relax a little, you must learn a few tricks about saving time.
If you happen to travel regularly and you almost always go to the same places, you need to learn about “travel caching.” This can save you some amount of time enough to have a walk around a nearby park and a dinner afterwards.
What is Travel or Urban Caching?
“If you often travel to the same hotel for work, don’t carry luggage with you. Keep a trunk or suitcase at your destination instead.” This is travel caching.
Dave Greenbaum, pointed out a very interesting description in Lifehacker – Travel Section
made by Tim Ferriss, the author of the bestsellers “The 4-Hour Workweek” and “The 4-Hour Body.” This post was entitled: Try “Travel Caching” to Avoid Checked Bags While Travelling.
“Remember the first Jason Bourne movie, when various agents are “activated” to kill Jason? One of them lands in Rome, where he accesses a hidden locker that contains everything he needs: a few passports, a gun, ammo, cash in small denominations, etc. That is an example of a single “cache.” (Yes, I’m somewhat obsessed with Jason Bourne)
Doomsday preppers (not derogatory) will often have multiple caches at various distances from a “bug out” departure point like a home or office. In the case of disaster — tornado, terrorism, zombies, Sharknado, etc. — they can set off walking empty-handed, if needed, and find everything they need waiting for them. Here’s a good intro to this controversial craft.”
This is “urban caching.”
“But how the hell do you apply this to regular travel? Ah, that’s where things get fun.”
Of course this is only possible when you are travelling to the same city and you are staying in the same hotel. If you are using a corporate account, staying in the same hotel again and again is all part of doing a job. Talk to the hotel management and ask them about leaving a suitcase or a trunk that has everything you need for a week’s stay. Does it sound like it’s too good to be true? Not at all!
Greenbaum called a few hotels to broach the idea. Here’s what he found out: It is a perk that hotels do for their celebrity guests if they ask. It is something that most hotels would do for your stuff for free especially because you are a regular guest. Keeping your cache will also ensure that you would stay in their hotel next time you’re in the city.
Some other travelers have done it before, they didn’t used the word “urban or travel caching” then, that’s the only difference.
Some tried shipping their stuff before flying to the destination. This can work too, but there is always that risk that your stuff won’t get there in time. If you go to different destinations each time, it might do the trick. If you are, however, staying in the same city and hotel using a corporate account, travel caching is definitely worth trying.
