Archive for May, 2009
Lucy Activewear: Comfortable, Stylish Travel Clothes for Women
Are you a PracticalTravelGear.com reader who Tweets? That is, you’re active on the social-networking site Twitter? I sure am (follow me at @karasw), and earlier this month, one of the travel folks I follow on Twitter wrote: “If you love comfortable, flattering active/travel clothes… I love Lucy. Check em’ out at @lucyactivewear.”
Of course, I’m always on the lookout for comfy travel clothes that don’t make me look frumpy, so I clicked to learn more. While the bulk of the Lucy collection is for yoga, running and indoor-gym enthusiasts, new items include “tops” and “bottoms” that are indeed ideal for plane and car travel, as well as day hikes and outdoor sightseeing excursions.
Check out these Lucy items that I’ve been wearing around town lately. (I can’t wait to pack them for my next trip to Vail & Beaver Creek, Colorado, where the sporty, casual designs are perfect for the sporty, casual mountain towns.)
Hillside Capris
These just-below-the-knee capris just might be the ultimate pair of travel pants (for warm weather, anyway). They are constructed with trademarked “Lucy Flex” fabric (96% nylon/4% spandex), which means the pants stretch without losing their shape. Besides the super comfort factor, the material dries quickly; no cotton means they won’t wrinkle either (so great for long sitting-in-a-plane-or-car days).
Style-wise, these pants are sporty enough to wear to yoga class, on the river or on a hiking trail. There are three subtle belt loops as well as a cinch-tie waist; so you could go either way: pull the cinch tie out if you always wear pants with a belt, or just use the tie with out a belt. Either way, you look put together.
According to the Lucy size guide, the Hillside Capris have an “active fit,” and on me, that means they aren’t too body hugging (that’s the Lucy “sleek fit”) nor too blousy (the “relaxed fit”). These Hillside Capris are just right! Retail for $58.
Solaris Crop
These cropped pants are longer than the Hillside Capri, and they’re made of 96% cotton, so you’re dealing with more wrinkle potential. Still, I love the look and feel of the Solaris Crop. This is another “active fit,” so there’s plenty of room to move around — comfortably, with the 4% spandex.
The marketing copy on the Lucy websites suggest hiking in them on a breezy summer day; but frankly, I think the lightweight pants are too stylish to bring on the mountains. These pants, to me, are more appropriate for a casual day spent window shopping and dining at sidewalk cafes.
The Solaris Crop comes with a matching wide belt that ties in the front, and has two little cinch ties on the bottom of each pant leg. Low button-top side pockets give them a cargo feel. Retails for $68.
Soleil Hoodie
I thought I looked so cute in this top until my husband told me my chest looked droopy in it. Okaaaaaay. This could be due to the gathering and ruching details in the front and the sides. And it runs big; I’m 5’9″ and it’s long on me, so petite gals, beware. My other complaint: the interfacing at the generous V-neck opening is too narrow — after washing, it flips up. I have to iron it down to keep it from popping out; and this is not a good thing for a busy mom who only pulls out the ironing board perhaps once a month.
That all said, the jersey cotton (with a touch of spandex) is incredibly soft and cozy. I’ll throw it over a tank top (see below) and shorts or use it as a beach cover-up this summer. Retails for $58.
Training Tank
I like tank tops with coverage and the Training Tank has it. Simple and classy, it’s another versatile piece that can be worn while running or working out, or pair it with capris (see above) for a casual day look. Once again, the fabric is top-notch: this is made of trademarked “Lucy Tech” material, a combination of cotton, poylyester and elastene that wicks away moisture. And once again, this item of Lucy Activewear is incredibly comfortable. Retails for $28.
Check out the entire “Explore” collection designed for travel and adventures in the outdoors on the Lucy website.
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Posted by Kara in General Gear on May 29th, 2009
Cy*Fi iPod Speaker: Wireless That Works
Whenever I hear the words “wireless” and “speaker” together, two bad visions come to mind. One is the set of Advent wireless stereo speakers in my daughter’s playroom: if you even look at them funny, they lose the signal and sound like crap. The other vision is a party I was at a few years ago where the host spent half the night moving around a set of those all-weather wireless speakers like you see in the Skymall catalog because the sound kept cutting out or getting distorted.
Fortunately this cy*fi speaker is a different story: it promises “CD-quality” sound while broadcasting tunes from your iPod and my skepticism was dashed as soon as I fired it up. When I compared the sound on this nifty 4-ounce device to a couple heavier ones that plug in, the cy*fi actually sounded better, even when the transmitter was on the other side of the room or I was moving around the room with my iPod.
Now some would say that for a $200 list price ($180 for the Bluetooth version), it damn well better sound good, but cool technology that does what it’s supposed to comes at a price. They get this down to 4 ounces with a sci-fi-looking plastic housing (get it, “cy fi”?), plus a small built-in rechargeable battery. The speaker battery, which outlasted the music player itself, charges up when plugged into a docking station. The transmitter attaches to your non-Shuffle iPod—or in the case of the Bluetooth version your phone or other device.
Two included attachments are meant to let you take this with you on the move. One is for attaching the device to your bike, the other to the strap of a backpack or other bag. I tried this one bike ride and got a lot of funny/annoyed looks, and I wouldn’t make it a habit, but if you insist on having music while you cycle it is far safer than wearing earbuds. You can still hear the ambulance bearing down on you or the other cyclist shouting “on your left!”
The annoyances with this are minor ones. The device and transmitter keep flashing while in use, which kind of destroys the mood in a dark bedroom if you know what I mean. The buttons allow you to change the volume and track on the speaker, but they’re kind of hard to push and they disable the volume control on your player. The proprietary charging dock is a hurdle for travelers who want to pack light. As with most electronics manufacturers shipping container loads from China, the device comes in an unrecyclable plastic blister pack that requires care to keep from slicing a finger.
All in all though, this would make for a great travel speaker. I loved being able to place it anywhere in a room, accessing all my playlists and getting great sound. Plus it’s weather resistant enough that you don’t have to worry about moisture. It is light and compact enough to squeeze into any bag, though hopefully in version #2 they’ll streamline the bulky charging dock.
The cy*fi wireless speaker comes in three color combinations. It’s not widely available at retail yet, so get it direct at the mycyfi.com site.
Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Travel Light on May 27th, 2009
For Quick Trips: eBags Professional Deluxe Tote
With all the well-publicized changes in air travel, not having to check your bags has a lot of advantages these days. And for quick trips, I’ve found the eBags Professional Deluxe Tote a roadworthy addition to my luggage collection.
Usually, I travel with a lot of gear. A lot.
But for short trips, I can leave behind some of the larger bags and carry the eBags tote instead. That’s liberating!
One of the most important things I looked for was a bag that will fit on any commercial plane I’ve ever flown. Space is often limited on smaller, regional jets and turboprops. Airlines are also cracking down on carry-on bags that are too large.
Many airlines are now charging for checked bags—for example, many of the “legacy” airlines such as American, Delta and Continental charge $15 for the first bag and $25 for the second bag (unless you have elite status or travel with someone who does.) United and USAir just started charging $20 if you don’t purchase this checked bag “service” in advance.
Avoiding the checked-bag fees a few times will more than cover the cost of the tote. That’s a big plus during these difficult economic times. Plus, you’ll avoid waiting for checked baggage at the end of the flight.
Even though it’s small and only 2.3 pounds, the eBags Professional Deluxe Tote is versatile. The main compartment is suitable for clothes, with built-in shoe pockets. Another section, the business compartment, includes an office organizer and is ideal for a notebook computer, papers, energy bars, even a small video camera.
There’s also a zippered side compartment with a pocket and a couple of side pockets good for carrying a cell phone, itineraries, boarding passes, receipts, car-rental contracts and notes.
The tote is made of nylon and has a rugged, padded shoulder strap that can be removed if you just want to just carry it by the handles.
eBags offers an impressive lifetime exchange warranty (five years for commercial use.) The list price for the bag is $75, but the actual sale price is often half that amount.
The eBags Professional Deluxe Tote gets high marks from many road warriors and is ranked as a “Best of the Best” on the company’s website-—meaning more than 90 percent of buyers who took the time to review it would buy it again. I would.
Free Shipping On Order Over $75 at eBags.com
Search carryon luggage at up to 60% Off
Posted by JohnG in Business Gear, Travel Light on May 25th, 2009
Frais Hand Sanitizer
Since having children, I always carry a travel-size bottle of hand-sanitizer — whether I’m taking a plane ride cross-country or driving to the grocery store. Moms know that children tend to touch everything and then stick their hands in their mouths constantly.
My brand of choice has always been whatever is cheapest — and usually that means the grocery store brand, like the little sample-sized Kroger bottle that sells for 99 cents. (Purell is a close second, but only if it’s on sale.) I’m not that picky when it comes to killing germs; so the hand-sanitizer gel that smells like alcohol and dries my hands doesn’t really faze me.
That is, until I tried a a luxurious product on the market: moisturizing, aromatherapeutic Frais. Infused with 8 essential oils, from grapefruit to tangerine to ginger, Frais smells delicious. Its active ingredient is sugarcane alcohol, instead of generic rubbing alcohol, so it’s more moisturizing than other standard brands.
Plus, the company is environmentally friendly, with manufacturing taking place in a Sydney-based wind- and solar-powered factory. Apparently sugarcane alcohol is more energy efficient to produce than grain or corn alcohol, so the company preserves some of earth’s resources that way, too. A portion of proceeds from Frais sales goes to Just a Drop Foundation, which brings clean water to communities around the world.
I found the Frais hand sanitizer a bit stickier than my usual no-name brand. But once it evaporated on my hands, that residue feeling went away. As I said, I think the perfume-y scent is heavenly. While my husband called the scent too “girly” and “fruity,” my children — ages 7 and 9 — liked it. So if that encourages the kiddos to want to use hand sanitizer more often, then this mom is a fan.
The kicker: the product is not cheap. It retails for $7 for the 1.7-ounce container. Mini, smaller-than-lipstick-size .2-oz containers are $3.50. I’m not sure I’d go out of my way to order the product online, but I wouldn’t hesitate to buy it as a gift for a female traveler who appreciates the finer things in life. (Nor would I turn it away if someone bought some for me!)
Buy Frais online or at a handful of salons in cities like New York, Miami and Los Angeles. See the Frais website for details.
Posted by Kara in Kids and Family, Travel Light on May 22nd, 2009
ExOfficio Men’s Cruz’r Travel Shirt
For looking good during your travels and having a sink laundry option for packing light, this men’s Cruz’r short-sleeve shirt from ExOfficio is a dream.
When I was a hard-core backpacker setting out on year-long travels through the world’s cheapest destinations, clothes were a secondary thought. After all, you can revamp your wardrobe in Bangkok or Delhi for next to nothing when you get tired of your faded t-shirts. No way was I going to spend the equivalent of a few nights’ lodging for a shirt just because it would make me look nice. The standard scruffy backpacker wardrobe was just fine.
Now I travel more on business or vacation and need to look, well, more presentable. I still want to travel with a carry-on whenever possible though, which means stepping up and packing quality lightweight clothing with extra benefits. This ExOfficio shirt is a real winner in that regard. It weighs just a few ounces, but feels expensive: good stitching, quality buttons, vented sections, and a zippered pocket, for instance. It’s 41% cotton so it feels nice on the skin, but it dried in three hours on a hanger on a shady porch when I washed it in a sink. (It even has its own little fabric hook on the back if you’re hanger-less.)
It’s wrinkle free and low-maintenance, so this is a great travel shirt to wear on a voyage short or long. Based on my experience with ExOfficio items like this I’ve used before it’ll still look great a year or two later. It’s comfortable when you don’t need to look nice but will hold up well for when you do.
ExOfficio products are to travel gear what lululemon clothes are to workouts and yoga. Not cheap, but great quality. The regular price of the Cruz’r shirt is $64. Pack a couple of these though and you don’t need to bring much else. Great for traveling light and traveling smart.
Click on the photo above to see more or see the men’s shirt section here:
Posted by Tim L. in Travel Light on May 20th, 2009
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