Posts Tagged airplane gear
IDAPT i1 Eco Dual Charging Device
This unique dual charger from Idapt provides the ability to charge more than one device simultaneously, which for this time-strapped traveler is extremely important. Yes, it is feasible to charge an iPad, iPhone, and laptop all at once overnight in my hotel room, but sometimes they run out of juice in the middle of the day. I can charge more than one thing from the same outlet in the airline lounge or airport gate area while on a short connection.
The brand’s main focal point is the reduction in environmental impact this can have by only using one charger for all of your devices. When it has reached 100% charging for your devices, it automatically powers down reducing usage of electricity. This is, of course, important to me too, but so is the ease of use and increase in productivity that it provides.
Plus, when you are the one paying the electric bill (like when using its wall plug while at home), it saves you on energy use. I am sure you have heard that even when an outlet is not in use, if something is plugged in, it is using energy and electricity. In addition, the device is created from recyclable materials. There is also a car plug to use with your car lighter port that makes it a cinch to use while driving to the airport.
There are dual inputs on the device: one USB charging port perfect for my iPhone or iPad and one regular charging port for my laptop. The combination cuts down on the number of cords needed on my desk or near my seating area if space is limited.
The $25 price tag is extremely affordable especially with a tradeoff of having fewer cables to travel with (think about those otherwise overweight bag fees!) and increased productivity on a short connection. It is available on IDAPT’s website and at Amazon and makes a great gift for business travelers.
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Posted by Ramsey in Business Gear, Travel Light on March 19th, 2012
Crumpler Red Dry Line No 2 and No 9
From the moment I laid eyes on Crumpler’s Red Dry No 9 rolling tote from their newest line, I could see its apeal to a solo or business traveler. First of all, it’s a looker. More importantly, its carry-on size is compact and includes all the bells and whistles you’d expect from Crumpler, such as a 17 inch laptop compartment (plus a second laptop sleeve!), no fewer than seven distinct storage sections, and functional, high-quality construction. But before I put it in use, I didn’t see how slick little No 9 would work for a family traveler with three kids in tow.
Turns out, Red Dry No 9 is a pretty near perfect carry-on for families, too. It’s easy to pull with its adjustable, hideaway handle (bye-bye, old rollie with the quirky wheel), is lightweight, and fits much more than you’d think. (The dimensions are 17.5×16.5×10.) You can use the No 9 as an in-air entertainment carry-all (using the aforementioned laptop sleeve), but even more useful: as a family ‘just in case’ case. Not familiar? We always pack essential toiletries, one set of sleepwear, and swimsuit (when applicable for our destination, of course) for each family member when traveling by air, to ward against lost or late luggage (not that that ever happens). To my surprise, using No 9′s dividable storage spaces (complete with elastic compression belts), I was able to fit in all of the above (plus my husband’s laptop), for five people. Due to the snap-fitted gussets on the sides of the bag, it opens 180 degrees ‘accordion’ style for when I needed to dig in to find something, which was inevitably on the bottom. Better yet, No 9 not only fit comfortably into our plane’s overhead luggage compartment, but fit under the seat. Three cheers for easy access!
Also in the new Red Dry line is Red Dry No 2, a nicely-sized shoulder bag (made, of course, with the same high quality construction as the No 9). It can be worn over the shoulder or across the body, and is designed with an iPad in mind. It’s a great companion piece to the No 9 (or any rolling tote), and due to its well-appointed front panel, could completely replace a purse. Travelers could easily carry on both the No 9 (packing a laptop and extra clothes) and the No 2 (packing an iPad, book, and a snack or two) and breeze past most airlines’ carry-on requirements with room to spare.
Bottom line: would I bring Red Dry No 9 and 2 on a family trip? No 9: yes. It would replace my laptop bag and probably a few of the kids’ backpacks, making our travel day far more streamlined. No 2: maybe. It’s not quite big enough to cater to an entire family’s in-flight needs and paperwork, but it could double as a day bag once at the destination. Plus, it’s unisex enough that a man could carry it (oh so chivalrously) for his wife. (Just saying.)
Crumpler Red Dry No 9 retails for $265, and No 2 is $90. Both are water-resistant, and the No 9 is lockable. Both are available at the Crumpler website, as are several check-in sized bags in the Red Dry line, should you want to supplement your carry-ons.
Posted by Amy in Kids and Family, Travel Light on March 13th, 2012
Evolution Travel Pillow by Cabeau
Walk through any airport terminal these days and you will find travel pillows and accessories galore. Most, however, are cheap imitations that provide little support. I think it is so funny when people carry their own enormous pillows with them when they travel. Not only do they provide weak support when sitting upright in an airplane seat, but they also get incredibly dirty going through security sitting on airplane seats and in overhead bins, and riding around in cabs.
The solution is not to rely on the rarely washed, stained, and hair-studded micro pillows provided by some airlines. There are dozens of travel pillows out there, but they vary in durability and comfort. The Evolution Travel Pillow from Cabeau Travel is a solid option thanks to its firm, yet squishy feeling allowing a firm position for your head to stay in place while giving a bounce that is soft and comfortable for long periods of time.
Its secret is the memory foam that conforms to your head to support it. Unlike inflatable pillows, which provide a more abrupt conformity as you turn your head, the memory foam gently squishes to provide more realistic comfort. There is a higher ridge towards the back that supports the base of the head to prevent it from easily rolling over once you have reached that deep slumber. The pillow can even be turned around so that the ridge supports your chin from nodding forward.
Other notable features of the pillow include a small pocket on the side to slip in an iPod, iPhone, or mp3 player so that you can listen to music as you relax without worrying you will drop your device or it will snap off if you stand up to use the rest room. Adjustable straps allow you to tighten the pillow around your neck to keep it from moving around and insuring it stays in place as you sleep even if you reposition yourself. Memory foam ear plugs are also included, which adds a second layer of quiet when worn under noise reducing headphones.
The pillow comes with its own machine-washable cover and travel bag with its own drawstring allowing you to compact the size of the pillow so that it easily fits into a briefcase or travel bag.
The Evolution pillow is available from www.CabeauTravel.com for $34.99 and makes a great gift for frequent travelers especially those taking long overnight flights. It’s also available at Amazon and sometimes slightly less at Buy.com.
Posted by Ramsey in General Gear, Travel Light on March 12th, 2012
Kidz Gear Wired Headphones for Kids
If you spend significant time in the car or plane with your kids, you probably bring along electronic devices to entertain them. And if your kids enjoy electronic devices while traveling, you’ve probably tried more than one style and brand of headphones. (A bit like ‘giving a mouse a cookie’…if you’re a parent, you know what I mean.) As a family who hits the road regularly, we’ve tried all sorts of headphones–from the cheap foam-cupped ones that break near-instantly to Apple earbuds that fall out, to everything in-between.
Kidz Gear Wired Headphones are–hands down–the best we’ve tried. First off, they’re comfortable, which means your kid won’t be ripping them off (hopefully). The cups are nicely padded, and the over-the-head arch is double-paneled, to keep them from slipping off. My seven and ten-year-olds have been putting the headphones through their paces, but because they’re so adjustable (there are nine distinct size adjustments on each side) they fit my 12-year-old too. The Kidz Gear website lists them for kids two years and older, and though I don’t have a two-year-old to try them on, I noted many positive reviews online for use with kids even younger.
Secondly, they produce high-quality, stereo sound. (This is why my 12-year-old reaches for them more often than not.) The cups completely cradle kids’ ears, and the sound delivered is noticeably better than with ear buds (especially while watching a movie or TV show). For those of you for whom sound technology stats will mean something, the sound pressure level is 80dB-90dB.
Thirdly, Kidz Gear headphones now come with built-in volume limiting technology. This means that sound is limited to approximately 80 percent of the normal level, ensuring it’s safe for kids’ ears. I worried this would make audio books and quieter music too hard to hear, but we never had this problem.
Next, these headphones are programmed with an inline Apple remote and mic for use with Apple devices (including iPods, iPhones, and iPads). This doesn’t mean they only work with Apple devices: we’ve used them with our portable DVD player and a Leapster as well. But if you do use Apple products often, you’ll like the convenience of a control feature right on the cord to raise or lower the device’s volume and track up and down. There’s also a built-in mic, though my kids don’t take a lot of calls from the back seat of the minivan, so I can’t say we needed this.
Lastly, at a retail price of $29.99, the value is astonishing. Honestly, I would have paid double for such a well-made, multi-functional travel product. Each headphone comes in its own padded bag, and if you buy two, they toss in a volume limit splitter cable. Due to the independent volume control on each headphone, even with two kids listening to one device, each can set the volume to his or her liking.
Our absolute only complaint is that the wire is quite long. I can see how this would be helpful if your kids are watching a back-of-seat mounted screen, but for use with iPods or other hand-held devices, there’s too much cord in the way. That said, I wouldn’t let that stop you from trying these out.
Pick up a pair at Amazon or the Apple Store for $29.99.
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Posted by Amy in Kids and Family on March 6th, 2012
Tom Bihn Ristretto for iPad
Unless you absolutely have to, why lug your laptop around every time you travel? When you’re toting around your iPad or netbook, it’s so much better to bring a smaller bag—one that isn’t built to fit a laptop and the kitchen sink. The Tom Bihn Ristretto for iPad (and iPad2) is a great option.
While the size requires you to pare down, there’s plenty of room for your iPad or netbook, cell phone, wallet, notebook, pens, keys and even a water bottle. The padded compartment protects your iPad, while an easy-reach pocket allows you to grab your phone or pen on the fly. A zippered secure pocket is included, for items you want to hide away. The small bag is roomier than it looks. I was easily able to get a camera, book and sweater for the plane trip in with all the other gear.
Use the shoulder strap or a removable waist strap—perfect for securing your bag while you’re biking around any city. The Ristretto comes with the Tom Bihn “standard” shoulder strap, which has a 1 1/2-inch-wide nylon webbing strap and a wide foam pad for your shoulder.
For a little bit extra ($20), you can upgrade to the “absolute” shoulder strap, which has a soft, durable neoprene pad with comfortable stretch backing. I picked the upgrade strap, and it’s made a big difference when I’m hauling a lot of stuff around. It may not make the best sense for the Ristretto, since it’s a smaller bag, but I also use my shoulder strap on other bags—any that have hooks for D-ring attachments will do.
Tom Bihn makes other Ristretto bags that fit larger technology, so if you just can’t part with that 11-inch or 13-inch MacBook Air, there’s a Ristretto for them as well.
The Tom Bihn Ristretto for iPad lists for $125 and the one place to get it besides their store is on the Tom Bihn website. (Their bags are made in the USA and to enable them to keep doing that, they’re only sold direct from the company.)
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Posted by Jill in Business Gear, General Gear on February 24th, 2012
