Archive for December, 2009
Grab and Go Emergency Kit
One of those nagging things I always think is a good idea but never get around to is having emergency supplies in my house and car. Every time I read one of those articles about what should be in either one in case of emergencies, I realize I have almost none of those things in the trunk or basement and start feeling guilty.
Today I take off on a nine-hour road trip into snow-covered Virginia and am going a little better prepared. The folks at 4SurvivalToGo sent me one of their compact emergency kits to try out, so with this and a shake flashlight I’m at least partially armed and ready should we hit a blizzard along the way.
This Grab & Go Kit is the dimensions of a trade paperback but far thinner, so it could fit in a glove compartment or be unobtrusive in a hiking backpack. It’s packed with lots of items though that could come in handy in an emergency. Here’s what’s inside:
duct tape
bleeding control gauze
antimicrobial hand wipes
face mask
emergency whistle
glow stick
rubber gloves
biohazard bag
It all goes inside a thick plastic waterproof pouch.
If that’s not robust enough for you, there’s a a larger 72-hour kit with a carrying case that is loaded up with more, like a survival sleeping bag, a rain poncho, a knife, and waterproof matches.
The Grab & Go kit retails for $20 and you can get it at the 4survivaltogo.com site. Sure, you could probably put together one of these on your own for less, but will you ever get around to it? I’ve learned I probably won’t, so this is a convenient way to compensate.
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on December 23rd, 2009
My 5 Favorite Travel Gear Items of 2009
I just took a little walk down memory lane, browsing through all the posts I’ve written since PracticalTravelGear.com launched in May. I’ve written more than 50 reviews of items ranging from hiking shoes and backpacks to mosquito repellent and instant coffee (having a ball along the way).
Here are five items I wrote about this year — all things that I absolutely love. Looking back, I may not have gushed about them enough in their original posts; these are all pieces I keep in my own personal arsenal of travel gear, and will continue to use in the months to come (except for those great shades… keep reading):
Mountiainsmith Modular Hauler 3 Deluxe: This durable bag and organizing system has a permanent place in my minivan these days. I actually use it to keep grocery bags upright in my trunk, and having three sturdy tote bags (aka packing cubes) in my car has come in handy to hold wet towels, dirty shoes and other miscellaneous items. One served as a cooler for an impromptu picnic. The entire system will certainly be used to haul random gear for our lengthy family road trip over the holidays.
Teva Westwater Sandals: These shoes got a ton of use this summer, and I’ve brought them to warm-weather destinations, too. They’re perfect for city sightseeing as well as casual off-road walks, and can be worn to the beach or river, too, since they’re made with quick-drying mesh. The colors — a subtle spring green with brown — go with just about everything I own. Including…
Lucy Activewear Solaris Crop Pants: I love these capris. Cannot stress that enough. They’ve come with me to New Hampshire, California, Mexico, Belize and just about every weekend trip I took in Colorado this summer. The slightly stretchy, lightweight material is forgiving, and the cargo style is casual and hip. I love these pants. Did you catch that?
Julbo Angel Sunglasses: I didn’t expect to like these shades as much as I did, but they absolutely became my go-to glasses this summer and fall. I wore them with shorts while hiking and with a cocktail dress out to dinner. Unfortunately, on my trip home from Belize last month, I foolishly tossed them in my carry on bag with out a case — and one of the “arms” (temples in glasses-speak) broke off. I even tried super-gluing it back on (it busted in the corner near the joint screw) and for a while I wore the glasses without being able to shut one side fully (yes, even traveling to Cancun like that). The other day, I was carrying them and bumped into a door frame, breaking them again. I’m very sad about that.
Enfold Travel Snorkel by Body Glove: I’ve now brought this convenient, bendable travel snorkel to Belize and Mexico, and it hasn’t let me down. The mask skirt is comfortable on my face, and the snorkel mouthpiece is malleable for comfort, too. I love that it takes up such little room in my suitcase. For me, the casual snorkeler who might be near an ocean three or four times a year, this set is perfect.
Okay, so I can’t name just five. Here are five more items I’ve reviewed that I think are especially great (and are used regularly in my house and on the road):
- Black Rhino Laptop-Holding Backpack from Eco Gear
- Otterbox BlackBerry Commuter Case
- Briggs & Riley Large Shopping Tote
- Stanley Ultra Bright 5 Watt LED Spotlight
- Overland Equipment Donner Bag
Finally, I’ve got to give a shout out to Tom Bihn and the Seattle company’s quality backpacks, messenger bags and luggage. I’ve not reviewed any Tom Bihn items here at Practical Travel Gear (I save those for The Vacation Gals, since Tom Bihn provides us with products specifically to review there), but my colleagues Tim and John here have given rave reviews to Tom Bihn bags this year.
I look forward to learning about new great travel items in 2010!
Posted by Kara in General Gear on December 22nd, 2009
Review: Moshi Voice Control Travel Alarm Clock
I’ll admit, I’ve talked to my alarm clock for a long time. Saying things like, “No, it can’t be time to get up!”
But now, I’ve found an alarm clock that actually listens.
The Moshi Voice Control Travel Alarm Clock uses voice commands to set the time and alarm and is a convenient size for travelers. It’s very easy to use—something I can’t say for a lot of the alarm clocks in hotel rooms.
I’ve often fumbled around in a hotel room trying to figure out how to set the alarm. My preference is to use a clock instead of getting a wake-up call because, of course, there’s no snooze control on a telephone.
Moshi uses voice-recognition technology to control the clock. Say “set time” and it will ask for the current time, then set the clock. Or, tell it to “set alarm” and it will turn on and set the alarm for whatever time you say. There’s even a choice of three different alarm sounds. And they are loud enough to wake even sound sleepers.
You can also ask Moshi for the room temperature, get the current time, turn off the alarm, or say “snooze” to grab another nine minutes of shuteye. And, in case you ever need them, there are physical controls for setting the time and alarms, turning the alarm on and off and for volume.
The size is perfect—less than four inches wide—and the clock weighs in at under three ounces so it won’t contribute to any overweight baggage fees. It’s powered by three AAA batteries.
The Moshi travel alarm clock comes in four colors—black, white, blue or pink. And the price is a reasonable $24.99.
Moshi also makes two other models for home use—the Voice Control Alarm Clock and the Voice Control Mini Alarm Clock. They have a few additional features, such as playing sleep sounds and the larger clock also has a night light.
The company also plans to release an iPod app soon.
The Moshi Voice Control Travel Alarm Clock is the the easiest-to-use alarm clock I’ve ever tried. And it’s the first one that listens to what I have to say.
Posted by JohnG in Travel Light on December 21st, 2009
Sansa Clip Plus MP3 Player – 4GB for $40
I’ll admit that I like my iPod and travel with it a lot, but I’m kind of ambivalent about it. I hate the fact that you can’t play a regular song purchased from iTunes on other players, while an MP3 can be played on pretty much anything. You can go the other way, however, importing anything into iTunes, which means that songs in the MP3 format are essentially more valuable than ones in Apples’ AAC format.
Just as Windows laptops give you far more for your money than Apple ones, MP3 players tend to be much cheaper and more flexible than Apple’s players. Take this Sansa Clip+, which holds 4GB of songs (the equivalent of two 4th-generation Shuffles) and also accepts the cool little SlotRadio cards preloaded with music. And it has an FM radio with 40 presets. Plus a mic for voice recording. All that for $50 list and only $40 at Amazon. Is that a deal or what?
I’ve been using one that SanDisk sent me to try out for a couple weeks now and this Clip+ is a screaming bargain. I loaded it up with all the MP3s I had on my computer and played the radio sometimes too, both through earbuds and through the iHome mini speakers I reviewed last week. As usual, the earbuds that came with it were crappy, but when I plugged in my own good ones the sound was indistinguishable from that of my iPod.
The navigation is pretty simple and easy to figure out, with songs arranged by album, artist, and playlist. A quick click of the home button on the front takes you to the main menu. Simple controls allow you to do all the usual—pause, go back or forward in the tracks, and raise/lower the volume. There’s a power button on the top, though with no “hold” button to keep it from starting up in your bag. Battery life is15 hours, so that’s probably not much of a worry. It has a standard mini USB plug (yea) and the included cord recharges it through any USB hub. A bright display on top tells you what song is on—the main drawback of the Shuffle in my opinion.
Besides MP3s, it supports WMA, secure WMA, Audible, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, and audio books/podcasts. Plus there’s a microSD card slot, which also doubles as a SlotRadio card player. If you get sick of your own 1,000-song collection this will hold, pop in one of those prerecorded cards and you’ve got 1,000 new songs instantly.
This is one tiny player too. See the photo below where I put it on top of my iPod. It barely even covers the video display area. And it has a clip on the back to keep it secured to your clothing when you are running or biking. No accessory needed. It comes in black, red, or blue, also in 2GB and 8GB versions.
Apple has become so dominant in music players that it is hard for anyone else to make a dent, but this is certainly a worthy competitor to the Shuffle or Nano, especially if you don’t care about watching video on a teeny screen or shooting video, like the new Nano does. If you’re getting a gift for a child or will be getting your music somewhere else besides iTunes—like eMusic, your own CD collection or Amazon’s better-priced MP3 store—then this player is a terrific value.
Get the Sansa Clip+ 4GB at Amazon
25 FREE Downloads. eMusic for your iPod or any MP3 player
Posted by Tim L. in Kids and Family, Travel Light on December 20th, 2009
Word-Lock Luggage Lock
I can’t think of one instance when I’ve used a combination lock to secure my checked luggage. Maybe when I was 20 and backpacking through Europe; I vaguely recall using a big ol’ school-locker lock to keep safe my backpack in various hostels. But, frankly, I figure that if someone really wants the stuff out of my suitcase, they’re going to get it whether the zippers are locked shut or not.
That said, you do hear some crazy tales about items being stolen out of checked baggage. So if you do feel like you’re checked valuables would be more secure with a lock, you might consider the easy-to-set combination lock from WordLock.
I like the idea behind this lock since four-letter words are so much easier to remember than four-number combinations. The instructions to set the combination are easy to follow. In fact, my 7-year-old (with the help of his 9-year-old sister) figured out how to change the combo I set (R-O-C-K) to D-O-R-K.
In case you can’t come up with your own clever four-letter combination, a list of different options comes with the lock instructions. Each dial has 10 different letters on it; not all 26 are available, so you are somewhat limited. (Even so, there are 10,000 possibilities.)
The lock is recognized by the TSA, and inspectors can use a universal key to open it if they need to inspect your luggage by hand — no bolt cutters necessary. (Note, however, that sometimes it’s the TSA inspectors doing the stealing.)
My advice: If an item is really valuable, put it in your carry-on luggage.
WordLocks are available at many big-box retailers; plug in your zip code here to find one near you. Or purchase online at Amazon.com for under $10. The lock makes a nice travel gift or stocking stuffer.
Posted by Kara in General Gear on December 18th, 2009
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