Travel expert who flies 150,000 miles a year shares the item he always packs, even though he’s rarely used it
A backup for every trip
Griff says he has brought his retired cellphone around the world for the past 11 years. He estimates he flies an average of 150,000 miles each year. A spare phone takes up little room in a carry-on, he said. If the current phone is lost or stops working, the backup can help a traveler stay connected without searching for a replacement.
Why a camera is different
Griff said a camera can be useful, but it does not fit as easily in a carry-on. It also cannot replace a phone if that device is lost or broken.
One time he switched phones
Griff said he has used the backup phone as a replacement just once in more than a decade of travel. He dropped his main phone while trying to slide it back into his pocket.
The fall cracked the top of the screen and disabled Face ID, though the phone still worked. Griff chose to switch to the backup to make the rest of the trip easier.
Key points
- Griff estimates he flies 150,000 miles a year and has carried a retired cellphone for 11 years.
- He says a backup phone can help if a traveler's main device is lost or damaged.
- Griff has used his spare phone as a replacement once, after cracking his main phone's screen.