Traveling with a Guitar

Dear Travel Guru –

I’m an avid acoustic guitarist and will be going overseas to teach. I’d like to take my Martin with me, but it’s expensive and I don’t think the climate will be very good for it. I’m also afraid it may get stolen or broken.

Have you heard of anyone taking a guitar to China?

Larry W.

Dear Larry –

I had a friend who took her guitar to France when she studied abroad in college and she was really glad she did. She mentions being amazed that, people from all over knew most of the same songs whether they were old folk songs or contemporary. It helped bring the group together. That being said, her guitar was somewhat the worse for wear after being carted all over Europe.

So you may want to consider investing in a substitute. The one I have in mind is the Ultra Light Acoustic Traveler Guitar from ProTravelGear.com. This satin finish guitar comes with an acoustic piezo pickup, a light-weight detachable lap rest frame and it weighs less than 3 pounds. The neck and the body are made of Eastern American Hard Maple measuring 28” in length and 5 ¼” in width. The fingerboard is ebonized rosewood inlaid in the vintage clay style. It comes with its own gig bag and retails for only $279.

Its other specs include:

Frets - 22 Medium
Scale Length - 24 ¾ inches
Fingerboard Inlays - Vintage Clay Style
Truss-rod - Fully Adjustable (access via endcap)
Neck Width at Nut - 1 ¾ inches
Pickup - Shadow® Piezo
Hardware - Chrome 14:1 Gear Ratio Tuning Machines (Closed Gear)

If you decide to order this guitar, be sure to do so before you leave the U.S. because it’s not available for shipping outside of the States. It is a cute little guitar, with full sound...and it also makes a great conversation-starter!

Have a great trip!

Best regards,
The Travel Guru


At ProTravelGear.com, we are dedicated to providing you the best travel shopping experience possible, now even better with free shipping on all orders*. We proudly carry the industry's most recognized brands, like Patagonia, Ex Officio, Eagle Creek, Plane Quiet, and many others. We also offer new gift ideas, expert advice, and resources for trip planning.

Pro Travel Tip: Convertible Pants

Dear Travel Guru –

My boyfriend is an avid hiker, kayaker and mountain biker. He also loves to camp. He’s always looking for pants that pack small, wash easily and are multi-purpose. He usually travels with a backpack so there’s not a lot of extra space. A pair that’s good for hot or cool weather would also be helpful.

Got any recommendations?

Karen T., Oklahoma City


Dear Karen –

ProTravelGear.com has the perfect adventure pants for an adventurous guy. They’re lightweight and will fold small to fit in with all of the other travel gear he puts in his back pack.

They’re the Men's Ex Officio Amphi Convertible Travel Pants.
I’m an avid kayaker and camper myself and these pants are the best!. They’re made out of a fabric called Nycott which is nylon treated with Teflon, but which feels like cotton. What I like about them is that they’re comfortable, water, wrinkle and stain resistant, can be rinsed out quickly in a stream or a sink and will dry in a flash.

I also like the fact that they convert to shorts. If it’s hot, I simply zip off the lower leg. If it’s cold or I’m going to a restaurant or bar where I need to wear pants, I simply zip the leg back on. The ankle zip makes it easy to get shoes on and off.

They come in 32” or 33” seam length and the shorts are 9.” There’s also a convenient security zip pocket on the leg in which to store valuables, so in case the kayak tips, my money and other treasures won’t go floating off downstream.

I bet your boyfriend will like these so well, he’ll want several pair!

Best regards,

The Travel Guru

At ProTravelGear.com, we are dedicated to providing you the best travel shopping experience possible, now even better with free shipping on all orders*. We proudly carry the industry's most recognized brands, like Patagonia, Ex Officio, Eagle Creek, Plane Quiet, and many others. We also offer new gift ideas, expert advice, and resources for trip planning.