If you've been traveling internationally and misplaced your passport, you know it's not the most fun situation to find yourself in. Ok, that might be something of an understatement; if you don't recover your passport, you will, at the very least, be spending time in line at your country's embassy. While I have never actually entirely lost my passport, I have torn apart a hotel room in a moment of panicked desperation, convinced that all (all being my passport) was lost. Of course, that time, my passport happened to be on my bed with a sheet folded over it. Other times I've found myself digging through a backpack filled to the brim with gear, looking for my passport, only to discover it was in the zipper pocket outside and dumping out my entire pack in a customs office wasn't necessary.
If any of these situations sound at all familiar to you, then, like me, you are likely not the most organized person. You know that you should always put your phone, keys, wallet and other essentials in the same place so you can find them. But somehow you manage to mess that up from time to time. I promise that 1) you are not alone and 2) there is an app for that: Tile.
Tile makes Bluetooth trackers that come in many different styles: from stickers to credit card shapes. Tile also offers a combo pack if you want to track a variety of items. Tile has built-in integrations for many different products as well, from our PowerPack to the KeySmart Pro to Away's Suitcases.
The Tile App allows you to find your Tile enabled devices/anything you've attached a Tile to in about a 150 ft radius, depending on which Tile you are using. Once you are in range of the Tile (or Tiled item) that you are looking for, it will begin ringing so you can find it. You can also use your Tile to find your phone: simply press the button on your Tile, and your phone will begin ringing.
The power of Tile is not found solely in the Bluetooth range of whatever items you have Tiled; it is in the network created by the phones of all Tile users. If you are far out of Bluetooth range of your Tile, anyone who is also a Tile User can update the location of your Tile on the app, helping you to find it. All they have to do is go within the Bluetooth range of the missing Tile and the missing Tile's location will be automatically updated.
At Nomad we are always looking to combine multiple items into a seamless object, so creating a leather passport wallet was a no brainer for us. Having my passport in my wallet keeps it physically secure, and the additional security that the Tile provides adds another layer of safety while traveling. Of course, peace of mind isn't the only thing that adding Tile to your travels brings you; it gives you more time to enjoy the trip. On average, the time Americans spend looking for lost items equals 2.5 days out of the year. Looking for lost or misplaced items, while never fun, is at the very bottom of the list of things I want to do during my vacations. Having Tile integrated into my travel essentials, whether it's my passport & wallet, or my PowerPack, saves me time and energy so I can focus on enjoying the trip and staying in the moment.
Tile and Nomad don't just make your travels easier; our gear will upgrade your everyday carry situation. Nomad helps you combine daily essentials into one item, and Tile helps you keep track of those essentials: now, that is some synergy we can get behind! Shoot us a line at thenomadic@nomadgoods.com and let us know how you use your Tile & Nomad gear to do more with less!