I am still unpacking my stuff from a two-month trip through Mexico and Belize. I was carrying plenty of travel gear I was trying out for the first time—and have reviewed on this blog—but also some “oldies but goodies” that proved their worth once again. Here are nine items that have stood up to the rigors of the road and have performed well time after time.
Pac-safe Laptop Backpack and Daybag
I have used a Pac-safe B100 laptop backpack on a whole series of trips and I used it again on this one. It still looks almost new though and has retained its shape perfectly. I felt confident nobody was going to slash my bag in a crowded market and it doubled as an in-room safe where I could lock up my laptop and camera (with a cable lock) when I was wandering the town without it. My wife used the smaller Metrosafe 200 bag to carry all the essentials when we were sightseeing. This company makes great stuff and it’s worth the premium, especially if you’re carrying anything valuable you’re worried about. You can get most of their product line at Magellan’s.
Eagle Creek Toiletry Kits
When I’m checking a bag, I travel with an Eagle Creek Wallaby I got a few years back. My wife is still using an older version she got more than 10 years ago. Filled with compartments and pockets and a hook to hang it from wherever you can in the bathroom. When counter space is limited, this is very helpful, plus when packing up to go you just zip it up and you’re done.
Clothing from ExOfficio
I talk up ExOfficio travel clothes on a regular basis because time after time they meet or beat my expectations. I wore something of theirs pretty much every day for two months solid, yet the shirts and pants look just as good as they did the day I took them out of their packaging. From travel underwear to Insect Shield items to quick-dry shirts, this is great stuff. My one complaint is that every bead of sweat shows up way too easily in some of the darker shirts—a problem that’s not as obvious with some of my cheaper patterned shirts (also synthetic) straight off the local clearance rack.
Steripen Water Purifier
I’ve raved about this SteriPEN Traveler so many times since I got it three years ago that I ought to be doing TV commercials for them. I got the runs exactly one half of one day on this trip—out of 61 days total in Mexico and Belize. By using this I also saved at least a hundred plastic water bottles from the landfills or sides of the road. The one drawback I’ve found is the optional solar battery charger takes a good 6-8 hours of direct sunlight, which is not always plentiful during rainy season or while hiking in the mountains.
Skype
OK, this is technically software, not gear, but it’s a wonderful thing for travelers. I got a Skype unlimited calling subscription and online phone number with my own area code before I left so relatives could call us with their regular phone and it was a domestic call for them. It rang anytime we were online or they could leave a voice mail if we weren’t. It’s so cheap I’m keeping it going permanently just for when I travel. I took along a Philips Skype USB phoneon as well so I didn’t need a headset.
Convertible Travel Pants
Yeah, they’re kind of dorky, but all three of us had a pair or two and they got a lot of use. Pants when you need pants, shorts when you don’t. The definitive double-duty travel gear item. You can get nice versions from Columbia, ExOfficio, North Face, etc. at Sierra Trading Post or a slightly cheaper store brand version at REI. Right about now at least one brand is probably going on sale…
Chargepod Callpod
This is another product I absolutely love. Between two of us we were carrying two iPods, two home cell phones, and two Mexican cell phones this summer. With this cool Callpod gadget we could leave all the proprietary cords behind and have just one charger. (See photo at the top of post.)
Timex Rugged Field Expedition Watch
I’ve got eight watches on my dresser at home, but this is the one I take with me on trips. My Rugged Field Expedition watch has taken a licking and kept on ticking in six countries so far, through all kinds of weather. I think this one pictured is not available anymore, but I’ve had good experiences with the whole line. (And I like the light-up Indiglo feature.)
Teva Omnium Shoes
I just reviewed these awesome
Teva Omnium sandal shoes last week, so click the link above for the lowdown.
Also, from a working digital nomad standpoint, I was quite happy with the performance of some items I reviewed here recently, like the HP DV3 13-inch laptop and my Kodak Easyshare Z1012 IS camera with 12X zoom.
Stay tuned for more!
#1 by Heather - August 12th, 2009 at 11:30
Whew! That’s a lot of great stuff to mull over. I love Eagle Creek stuff and I think I too have a few things of theirs I’ve been using since the 90s.
#2 by Carol - August 21st, 2009 at 15:55
I have reading your old blog for years so I already got some of these things along the way based on your recommendations. The Steripen and Eagle Creek toiletry kit are part of my regular packing list now. Most of that ExOfficio stuff is out of my price range, but sometimes there’s a good sale!