Time-tested Favorites: Best Gear from the Past Two Years
I’ve been reviewing travel products at Practical Travel Gear since it launched in May 2009. For more than two years, at least once weekly, I’ve detailed my firsthand experiences with everything from travel-sized toiletries and kids’ activity books to high-tech cameras and versatile clothing. That’s at least 120 blog posts about different pieces of gear, just a few of them true flops.
Here are 10 of my favorite items I’ve reviewed since 2009 — gear that I continue to pack on my travels today. By no means is this list exhaustive, just a few things that come to mind as I think about some of the “best” I’ve encountered recently and have stood the test of time.
1. Cate the Great Boots by Sorel: I’m thoroughly enjoying the latest stint of warm autumn weather in Colorado, but I’m equally anticipating winter’s snow, because it means I get to wear these hip (and warm) lace-up boots. They’ll get use not only for evenings out in snowy destinations, but also on the tubing hill or in the lodge for apres ski.
2. Heidi Bottoms stretchy skirts: For two summers I wore one or both of my Heidi skirts at least weekly. I received a complimentary skirt to review here on Practical Travel Gear, but then went out and bought another one because I loved it so much. I’ve paired them with T-shirts for sightseeing, and worn over a bathing suit as a cover-up. Well worth the price, because I’ve gotten so much use out of these skirts!
3. Miles of Smiles travel book for kids: This sits in the back seat of my minivan, and my daughter will pull it out and challenge us to tongue-twisters or some sort of verbal game we can play on our road trips. Really, chock full of entertainment.
4. ZIP-IT Travel Crossword Game: This one we keep in our cupboards of games to play at home, and it comes out regularly when I insist the kids turn off the TV. Though it is just a two-player game, it does help me buy some time when I need to, say, and my two kids need to some screen-less time at home. I also enjoy playing it, as well! It’s portable, and I’ve got to remember to pack it on our next trip — good to pull out during airport waits.
5. NorChill Soft-Sided Cooler: This is our go-to cooler for road trips. It’s the perfect size for placing between the backseats in our minivan. Alas, the zipper broke on our last family adventure. Need to remember to fix that before our next one!
6. Briggs & Riley Large Shopping Tote: I have so many carry-on shoulder bags and rollerboards, that I rotate them around depending on my length of trip or my needs on the plane. But one bag that I continually return to is this huge, quality-made tote — I can fit so much stuff in it!
7. Lowepro CompuDaypack: I wish the main compartment of this backpack were a bit bigger (see above, I like to carry a lot on the plane), but overall I dig this bag for housing my DSLR on my travels. I use it all the time, and in fact, store my camera in it when I’m not traveling.
8. REI Multi-level Protection SPF 30: This is a new find, but it’s a favorite in my house. In fact, when our one bottle’s gone temporarily missing, my kids ask (whine): “Where’s the good stuff?!”
9. USB Charger from Energizer: Okay, this one is relatively new-to-me also, but it hasn’t left my minivan since I got it. The kids use the double-USB charger to power their iPod touches, I use it for my Droid phone. Love.
10. GoPro HD Helmet HERO Waterproof Camera: This camera comes with us on all our travels, and I’ve used it to capture the action (still and video) snow tubing, surfing, water tubing, rope swinging, kayaking and more. The fish-eye lens results in some fun photos!
Posted by Kara in Adventure Gear, General Gear, Kids and Family on October 18th, 2011
USB-charged Night Bike Flea Lights
Want to stay safe on your bike at night without churning through batteries? These Flea Lights from Blackburn Design can recharge by USB.
One of the key advantages of living in a warm place is that you can ride your bike pretty much all year. A few months back I moved to Tampa, FL and recently I joined up with City Bike Tampa for a night ride they do from restaurant to restaurant in and around downtown. It’s not too strenuous, so you can grab a beer where you stop, but you’ve gotta have lights on your bike. It’s the law in this state, but it’s also the smart thing to do.
So before the trip I looked at a lot of bike lights and in the end decided to spend more than I planned on the smallest ones—around $50 for this set of front and back lights. They’re pretty damned cool though, so I think it was a good choice. They’re little but very bright lights with 4 LED bulbs and several choices of brightness and flash patterns. It’s a one-button operation too: you turn it on and cycle through the various options one by one. The last one turns it off.
These bike lights attach with Velcro straps, which is a huge advantage in my eyes over the ones that are meant to screw onto handlebars or a seat stem. With these I can switch them over to my daughter’s bike if she’s riding over to a neighborhood friend’s house or I can take a light inside in my pocket if there’s some shady character milling around the bike rack where I’ve stopped. If I wanted, I could also hook the front headlight to a helmet instead of my handlebars. Versatile.
The real game-changer with these though is they don’t use external batteries. They have a rechargeable battery that’s pumped back up via USB. That can turn out to be a very eco-friendly move if you’re using a solar charger of some kind or a product I’m sorry hasn’t caught on more: the wind-powered HYMini. (You would think a wind-powered generator on your bike is kind of a no-brainer—it’s always going to be spinning if you’re moving.) Blackburn even sells one package that comes with its own solar power charger.
The USB connector actually separates from the lights and with the combo set, one connector is used for both lights. That makes these a lot thinner than they would be otherwise, but I do worry that I’m going to lose such a small little accessory that’s vital to the functioning. No worries about that with AA batteries.
These are rated to run for 3 hours steadily on, or 5 hours for the front and 12 hours for the back if on the flash mode. That’s not enough? What are you doing riding around more than three hours non-stop at night you weirdo?
These lights come in a variety of colors and are so small and lightweight that you could easily pack them for bike rentals on vacation. Most good bike shops have Blackburn Flea USB lights, or you can pick them up online. Try Altrec.com for a wide selection of colors or Amazon, where you can pay far less than I did in a retail store.
Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on October 12th, 2011
5 Things I Always Pack: Colleen Lanin
Colleen Lanin is a freelance writer and creator/editor of Travel Mamas, a site for anyone who wants to travel with children…and stay sane. Colleen is a video blogger for Barilla’s Piccolini.tv, the former editor of the Tree.com Travel blog (by Lending Tree), and a family travel expert at BestFamilyTravelAdvice.com. Her articles have appeared in such publications as Parenting Magazine, San Diego Family Magazine, and 101 Things To Do San Diego. She teaches writing classes through San Diego Writers, Ink and University of California San Diego Extension.
1. Book Light
I love to travel but, ironically, I don’t sleep well when away from home. This is especially true when sharing a hotel room with my young children, who go to bed much earlier than I do. That’s why I always pack a book light so I can stay up reading while my travel mates doze. For those of you who still read old-school books, check out the LightWedge book light, which lights up the page but not the whole room. I suggest getting the soft case too to protect this acrylic light from getting hacked up.
2. Fiber
My family tends to get a little (ahem!) backed up when we travel. Apparently we are not alone. A friend told me travelers’ constipation is nature’s way of protecting us from predators because back when we were cavemen the Sabertooth tigers and whatnot would be able to track us down and eat us if we were to “use the restroom” too far from our respective caves. I don’t know if that’s true but I do know that my family eats less fruits and veggies and more corn dogs and ice cream cones when we travel, so I pack a little extra fiber to keep everyone feeling chipper. I like to bring Benefiber Stick Packs. These are individually wrapped powdered fiber servings. You can mix it in your coffee or in the kids’ juice undetected. If you’d rather mix it with plain water, try their Kiwi Strawberry or Cherry Pomegranate stick packs instead.
3. Antibacterial Cream or Gel
Whether on an airplane or visiting museums, amusement parks, or historical monuments there are a lot of opportunities to come into contact with germs while vacationing. To stay healthy on the go, I like Clean brand antibacterial moisturizing hand cream because it’s fragrance-free and doesn’t dry out your hands. My kids like the Pocketbac mini tubes of antibacterial gel in scents like Caramel Apple and Fresh Picked Strawberries from Bath & Bodyworks. Clip one of these onto your purse, diaper bag, or backpack with a handy Pocketbac holder for easy access.
4. Protein Bars
When traveling, whether stuck in an airplane on a tarmac for three hours or while sitting in a conference room on a business trip, it can be hard to gauge when you’ll get your next meal. I have a little bit of a blood sugar issue; I get shaky and cranky if I don’t get enough protein to eat throughout the day. While many travel snacks are carbohydrate-laden, I like to carry a few protein bars wherever I go. I consider myself somewhat of a protein bar connoisseur and my all-time favorite is the Melaleuca Attain Sweet and Salty Nut Bar. They remind me of my mom’s homemade oatmeal cookies and they contain 10 grams of protein each. For a less expensive option that gets the job done, I like SnackWell’s Peanut Butter Cereal Bars, with 8 grams of protein per bar.
5. Swimsuit
I don’t know how many times I’ve gone somewhere to find a hot tub, indoor pool, or nearby water park that I couldn’t jump into because my travel mate didn’t pack a swimsuit. Always, always, always pack a swim suit (especially if you’re traveling with me)! It takes up almost no room and you never know when some body of water will be splashing your name.
You can follow Colleen Lanin on Twitter @TravelMamas or on the Travel Mamas Facebook Page.
Posted by Pam in General Gear, Kids and Family on October 7th, 2011
Tough as Titanium Spork for the Road
If I’m not mistaken, it’s been four years since a spork appeared on Practical Travel Gear and that was on the old version of this blog. Titled In Praise of the Lowly Spork, it was about one that had been thrown in with another gear item I was getting to review, as an afterthought.
Snow Peak wants to elevate the spork to a higher plane, thus this Titanium Spork with baked-in coloring. This Japanese company doesn’t believe in doing anything halfway. If you’ve been to Japan or Korea you’ll understand: if you’re going to go camping (or hiking, or skiing), you must be fully outfitted with the very best gear, even if you only do this once every two years. Projecting the right image is very important.
Thankfully Snow Peak realized there’s a limit when it comes to which products can command a premium price and a spork isn’t one of them. So unlike their $69 souped-up coffee mug, this spork retails for around $9 or $10 depending on if it’s plain or a color. Sure, you can get a plastic one for 1/3 that amount, but it won’t look this cool or feel as bulletproof.
First of all, it’s made from titanium—really! It’s not just a name to make it sound stronger, it truly is stronger than steel. For the colored versions you see pictured here, that pigment is actually bonded in the metal in the manufacturing process so it won’t wear off ever. The color on mine has gotten a little duller over time, which Snow Peak says to expect, but I kind of like the new weathered hue.
As far as “features” go, it’s a spork: it can be a spoon or be a fork—what else do you want from it? There’s a little hole on the top of the handle for hooking it to other things, but that’s about it. It’s something you take with you on a camping trip to have two utensils as one or you take it backpacking around the world so you’ll always have something to eat with. In countries where people eat everything with their fingers, this can be especially useful for self-catering: if you ask, “Can I have a fork?” at the take-out counter, they’ll look at you like you’re from Mars.
Thinking ahead, this would be an inexpensive but unique gift for that about-to-depart traveler heading out for a long jaunt. And as a dad I can say these things are always a hit with the kids. My daughter uses one of these in her daily school lunchbox, just for fun.
Get the Snow Peak Titanium Spork at Backcountry, at REI, at RockCreek, or at Amazon.
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Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on October 5th, 2011
Travel Gear Under $20 for Fall
Polarized sunglasses for 10 dollars?
We don’t highlight travel gear sales too often on this blog since they can come and go so rapidly. As I’ve said before though, if you can wait until the hot new items is last year’s model, you can often get it for 25 to 50 percent off. Occasionally a fair bit more than that.
I just got the fall 2011 catalog from Campmor in the mail earlier this week and since it’s a print version, these deals should be around for a while. They’re all “while supplies last” and you may have to compromise on the color now and then, but these are sweet values for the cheapskates like me always trying to avoid paying the list price. If you order $100 worth of stuff, you get free shipping. (See the link at the end.)
A woman at Sunglass Hut once told me in a huffy voice that I could not expect to find polarized sunglasses for less than $100. She was off by 90% because there are five models of Scin polarized sunglasses on sale now for 10 bucks.
Getting geared up for ski season? You can get a pair of Bolle Mojo ski goggles for just $15.
This Princeton Tec Quad Headlamp pictured above is usually $35. Right now it’s $19. Four bright LED bulbs that will last for ages on one charge.
Like REI, Campmor has its own line of travel quick-dry basics clothing that’s significantly cheaper than the brands everyone knows. They have a long-sleeve shirt for men that’s a tad over $20, but three items for women that are less: a shirt-sleeve adventure shirt, a skort, and capri pants. There are also a whole lot of under-$20 items for kids, including convertible pants. Here’s a link to the adventure shirt for women. Do a search for “Campmor Adventure” after landing for the others. 
Speaking of kids, here’s an array of screaming bargains: how about a Marmot Girl’s Lumina Fleece or a Columbia Benton fleece for your little girl? Or get girls and boys some quality Terramar wicking long underwear sets for $15.
This isn’t the half of it (I didn’t even touch on all the socks) and if you go up a few notches in price you’ll find Timex watches, camping lanterns, and other great goodies for half price. Happy hunting! Free Shipping on Orders of $100 or More
Looking for reviews? See our adventure travel gear reviews or items that will help you travel light.
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, General Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on September 21st, 2011
