EcoQue Portable Charcoal Grill is a Winner
Want to grill a few burgers and hot dogs without using half a bag of charcoal? This EcoQue portable, stainless steel grill is ultra-efficient, using only 9 briquettes to get blazing hot and stay that way for more than an hour.
This funky-looking grill’s shape is the key to both its efficiency and its portability. When set up, it directs the heat to where it’s needed, getting far hotter than most charcoal grills. When not in use, it folds up into a little bag that’s easy to throw into your car or even a bike pannier. (It’s all stainless steel, so at ten pounds it’s too heavy to be a hiking item unless you’re not taking much else.)
It’s all about the design with this product: although it packs down into a small bag with a handle, it folds out into something that will get quite hot with a minimal amount of energy. It’s made from a series of unfolding steel plates that wrap around the grate and part that holds the charcoal. It was a little tricky to set up, but intuitive enough that you could probably figure it out without the instructions.
Some of the edges are a little sharp, so probably asking your 8-year-old to set it up isn’t the best idea, but it didn’t take but a couple minutes. You then place something to light the charcoal on the bottom (they sell some starters made of sawdust and wax, but you could improvise with sticks and leaves). Since the heat is concentrated, you don’t need to put the coals in a pyramid and flatten them out later. They’ll start and burn where they’re supposed to be.
You can cook in the open like the photo at the top and that worked fine for me. There’s a cover though as you can see in the photo to the left and that would work well for smoking after the heat has died down a bit, or if it’s a windy day and you need the protection. There’s a nifty handle that comes with this kit for taking that hood on and off easily. Obviously the surface of this thing gets quite hot.
Clean-up was quick and straightforward. The optional foil liners make it faster since they keep a lot of gunk off the frame.
The 12-inch Eco-Que grill sells for $120 and if you want the foil liners (recommended for easy clean-up, though not so eco unless recycled), they’re another $8. You see more details at the EcoQue site and get it online at Amazon.
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, General Gear on May 9th, 2012
Hummingbird Carry-On Zip Travel Bag
Save your clothes from getting soaked on your next water-based vacation. Whether you’re cruising, paddling, or lounging by a river, your black wheelie just can’t do the job when it comes to keeping the water out. Keep your gear waterproof with the Hummingbird Carry-On Zip travel bag.
The 40-liter capacity duffel is rugged enough to join you on extreme adventures, but it’s also convenient to use on a coastal vacation. The 1-pound, 9-ounce bag is lightweight—more than many waterproof bags of the same size. Most importantly, it’ll save your clothes from getting soaked.
The welded seams and waterproof zipper make the bag perfectly functional in wet conditions. And let’s face it, when you’re on vacation, dry clothes are a key to happiness—unless you’re swimming.
The diagonal zipper allows easy access to all your clothes, and the soft sides make it easy to fit the bag into a kayak hatch or an overhead bin. The strap is attached on three sides—so you can carry it by hand or on your shoulders. For those who are actively around water on trips, whether it’s just a weekend or even longer, this is more than just your standard dry bag. Those aren’t the easiest to carry, and the straps on this bag make it much more convenient to carry and use as a travel bag.
I’ve taken it on a trip to Kauai, where I spent a lot of time on the water (on a catamaran and SUP). I’ve also used it on shorter, coastal trips in California–where I needed something waterproof for kayaking.
It’s not black, but the bright yellow color will help you identify it on the baggage carousel, if you do happen to check it. There is a larger, 75-liter version for those who have a lot of gear and don’t mind checking it.
The Hummingbird Carry-On Zip Travel Bag lists for $149.95 on the Cascade Designs website or check prices at Amazon.
Posted by Jill in Adventure Gear, General Gear on May 4th, 2012
Vapur Flip-top Element Anti Water Bottle
Want to buy a water bottle? There are a zillion of them out there to choose from, with variations on the color, materials, and opening. There’s one that really generates some double-takes when I use it though: the collapsible water bottle from Vapur.
I reviewed the original Vapur collapsible anti-bottle late last year, so why am I returning to it now?
Well, this one has a different top. Yeah I know, that doesn’t sound like much of a big deal and I didn’t get all that excited when a rep handed one to me on the floor of a gear trade show I attended. Was it really that hard to open the original one?
Not really, but this one is a whole lot more convenient because you can open it with one hand, without using your teeth. And there’s no little plastic cap to lose. See with this new flip-top version, you can pop it open with the same hand that’s holding it, which is great if your other hand is holding a camera. Or a walking stick. Or a ledge on the side of a cliff you’re climbing.
Since the flip-top keeps the water from leaking out, you can drink straight out of this without sucking. Simpler and quieter, plus you don’t have to feel like a baby. The top assembly screws off for cleaning and drying. There’s an attached plastic ring on the top
Like the original version though, this water bottle has lots of advantages. It can roll down tight to store in your bag when you’re not using it—like when you’re going through security or checking a bag. If it’s half full, it doesn’t still take up the same amount of room as when it’s full. And the really cool part is—pun intended—you can freeze it. Fill it up with water, put the whole thing in the freezer, then you’ve got ice cold water while you’re hiking, for hours. Or you can use it as an ice block in your cooler. After it melts, you’ve got fresh water.
The one downside of these is they’re more bag than bottle, so when they’re not full, they won’t easily go into a bike cage or some backpack holders. So they do better playing back-up than the lead role. On the plus side, kids love the novelty.
These Vapur Element bottles come in four colors representing fire, wind, and water. There’s a 1-liter one, but it’s much easier to find the regular size, which is 7/10 of a liter. These retail for $11.99 if you buy direct from Vapur, but check prices online at Summit Hut too.
See more water bottle reviews from this travel gear blog.
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Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on May 2nd, 2012
High Sierra Pack-n-Go Duffel is a Steal
Your second bag and a toiletry kit—for 20 bucks?
For this travel gear blog we get excited about different things than reviewers focused on the latest $500 suitcases and $300 laptop bags. When we find something that works well and is bargain-priced, we’re all over it. This High Sierra Pack–n-Go Duffel seems too good to be true. It’s a workhorse duffel bag that can qualify as a carry-on, but it folds up into a little pouch. Not just any pouch though: the case is a toiletry kit. How cool is that? To see it in action, check out this video demo.
All parts of this work better than you would expect. The toiletry kit is good on its own, with a loop for hanging, a loop with a clip to hang it from a towel rack or shower bar, plus a zippered pouch and several mesh compartments inside.
Then you pull out the duffle bag and it over-delivers as well. It’s got an adjustable shoulder strap plus hand straps with a Velcro handle fitting—all solidly stitched. Those straps are adjustable too so you can convert this to a backpack in a pinch. The zippers are strong and they move smoothly, plus they’ve got sizable openings at the end for locks. There’s an extra zippered compartment on the side. It’s made from 600-denier “Duralite” nylon that looks like it’ll hold up for the long haul.
The one I’m showing off in the demo video is basic black, but this Pack-n-Go duffel comes in a variety of attractive solid colors and patterns, like the one you see here to the right.
It also comes in larger sizes: 24, 30 and 36 inches, each of them still stuffing down into a flat pouch that’s easy to pack. You will have to check the others if you’re flying, but it could be worth it to fly somewhere with one bag, come back with two, especially if you’re buying nice things. It’s still usually cheaper than shipping, especially internationally.
This 20-inch Pack-n-Go duffel shows an “original price” anywhere between $24 and $60, but you can easily find it online for around $20. The actual retail prices generally work out to a dollar for each inch of length: the 36-inch one goes for $36, for example, which is still a great deal. Check prices at eBags, Luggage Guru, and Amazon.
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Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Travel Light on April 26th, 2012
Patagonia Silkweight Wicking T-shirt
There are plenty of hi-tech t-shirts fighting for your travel budget, but this Patagonia Merino Silkweight one stands out on several counts.
When I first starting backpacking around the world, anyone with any manners wore cotton t-shirts. That’s because the efficiency minded Germans who seemed most likely to be sporting the new “wicking t-shirts” could be smelled coming from halfway down the beach. Yes, it’s wonderful to have something on that dries quickly and that makes a lot of sense when packing, but straight synthetic fibers without any treatment tend to get rid of moisture…but hold onto everything else.
Thankfully, we’ve come a long way. You can now stuff your backpack with lightweight, fast-drying t-shirts that you can wear for days without stinking up the hostel. You can take workout wear for your business trip without sacraficing much extra space. You can be ready for an all-day bike ride and know your sink-washed shirt will be dry by morning.
This Patagonia one, which is a blend of 65% merino wool and 35% polyester, lists for a wince-inducing $60, but it doesn’t look, feel, or pack like your usual cut-rate alternative. It does feel silky-smooth against the skin, but the merino wool gives it some softness you don’t normally get in straight synthetics—yet it’s thinner and stretchier than a straight merino wool one typically is. It feels more durable too. Both the shoulder seams and side seams are not only flat, but they’re offset so they don’t get in the way of your pack straps or your arms.
When it comes to packing, you’d be hard-pressed to find any t-shirt anywhere that takes up less space in your bag than this 4.2-ounce one (119 grams). No matter what you do to it though to make it fit, it pops out with no wrinkles.
This Merino 1 wicking t-shirt is meant to fit tight and show off your pecs, so go a size up if you don’t favor the superhero look. I usually wear a medium, but went for a large on this. It still looks flattering, but isn’t so clingy.
I wore this for three days without washing it, in moderate travel conditions, and it stayed reasonably odor-free. When I sink-washed it after that, it dried in two hours in shade with a steady breeze. In the sun it would probably take an hour or less.
Like everything Patagonia makes, this t-shirt comes with an “ironclad guarantee,” so if it fails on any count beyond normal wear and tear, they’ll replace it. There’s also a lot of eco-cred in this product, from chlorine-free wool treatment to bluesign approval on the materials sourcing.
The Merino Silkweight t-shirt comes in 5 muted colors and 6 sizes. Check current prices at Rock Creek or at Zappos, where they also have the women’s version.
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Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on April 25th, 2012
