Travel Expert Zach Griff Packs a Retired Cellphone on 150,000 Miles of Annual Flights
Travelers flying an average of 150,000 miles a year face a persistent vulnerability when exploring abroad: losing access to the primary device needed for navigation, communication, and photography. To mitigate this risk, travel newsletter author Zach Griff packs a retired cellphone in his carry-on backpack on every trip, maintaining a strict backup routine he has followed for the past 11 years, Business Insider reported.
Griff’s strategy involves placing an old smartphone into his travel bag rather than letting it sit unused in a desk drawer or nightstand beneath stray cords and chargers. The backup device takes up minimal space in a carry-on and provides an immediate replacement if a primary phone breaks or disappears while traveling internationally.
Serengeti Safari and Paris Mishap Prompt Strict Backup Policy
The travel expert adopted his two-phone rule following an incident in 2015 while visiting the Serengeti on safari with his wife, Jill. Staying at a remote lodge surrounded by wildlife, Jill cracked her current phone and damaged its camera, preventing her from taking pictures of elephants, giraffes, and lions. Griff noted that alternative options like standalone cameras take up more carry-on space and cannot replace a lost or broken mobile device.
In over a decade of continuous global travel, Griff has deployed his backup phone as an active replacement only once. During a crowded outing near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, while attempting to slide his device back into his pocket, he dropped it onto the ground. The impact caused a crack across the top of the screen and disabled Face ID, though the hardware remained functional. Griff switched to his backup phone for the remainder of the trip to avoid complications.
Carrying Two Phones for International Travel
While Griff has not needed his spare device for emergency communication during his journeys, he maintains that having the equipment eliminates the friction of sourcing a replacement phone in an unfamiliar country.
Essential Traveler Inquiries
Why does Zach Griff pack a retired phone instead of a standalone digital camera?
Griff relies on a spare smartphone because dedicated cameras occupy more carry-on space and fail to restore lost communication or cellular connectivity if a primary phone breaks abroad.
How often has the travel expert actually used his backup device on trips?
Over more than ten years of flying approximately 150,000 miles annually, Griff has deployed his backup phone as a replacement just once, following a drop near the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
What specific incident prompted the 11-year backup routine?
During a 2015 Serengeti safari with his wife, Jill, her phone camera broke at a remote lodge, preventing her from photographing local wildlife and cementing Griff’s decision to always pack a spare.
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