For the last six weeks I've been carrying around the new Nomad Leather Charging Wallet, and have been really surprised at how great this portable battery wrapped in a high-quality leather wallet is for travelers and every day active people on the move. It's really a great answer to challenge of never having enough juice for your phone when you need it.
Wine:Thirty Flight readers know that I am enamored of the smart travel tech gear from Nomad, the focus of my post in May, The Nomad life: Keeping charged on the go (for pictures of planes and directions to wineries), and included in my lineup of Top five travel gear for people who don't have time to prep for the places they're going. But...
I hate carrying more than I have to, so I've long been a devotee of the slim wallet concept. Every successive wallet I buy gets slimmer and slimmer to the point where for the last several years I've literally been carrying around a leather sleeve stuffed with only a few cards. Meanwhile, Nomad's first attempt at the charging wallet back in 2015 their worst showing ever, an insanely bulky billfold made of... was it leather? I was, needless to say, skeptical of this new offering. But...
It's a winner! The new edition is made of nice leather from Chicago's Horween Leather Company established in 1905, and feels great in your hand. It scuffs and then patinas to a beautiful worn shine in a most natural, authentic way that after six weeks it looks uniquely your own. That Nomad chose to release two versions, the "Slim" edition I've been carrying and the "Bi-Fold" edition for folks who need more space and don't mind the bulk, means that minimalists like me have a good option. It's not as tiny as my old sleeve, but I am impressed that it packs in a battery worth at least a full charge of my iPhone 6s (and perfect-length lightning cable) with enough space for five credit cards, eight business cards, and the subway card for whichever city I'm in.
Unrelated tip: I reduce wallet bulk by carrying a transit card for DC, New York, Boston, and Chicago in my travel bag, and then swap out of my wallet based on where I am at any given time... RIP San Francisco BART card, will have to get another one of you next time.
My singular gripe is that the cash storage situation is not ideal in the slim variety (easily solved with the bi-fold). There's space, but not without protruding a centimeter or so from the center pocket where I keep my business cards and lesser used credit cards. Some might like this, as it does make the cash easier to get to. Also, and sadly for Android users, this guy only comes with the Apple style lightning cable at the moment.
Overall, in their second edition Nomad has taken the charging wallet from product that needed the most work, to far and away one of their best. It's one of the first Nomad goods that I'd recommend purchasing, is certainly one of the most natural to carry around, and just exudes a rugged sophistication thanks to the superbly crafted leather and classy stitching they've obviously taken great pains to include. It's my new traveler's essential!