Posts Tagged camping
Grand Trunk Travel Towels
My method for travel towels is usually to rely on the hotel. Or, to take the ones from home that really need to be replaced, tossing them at the end of the trip. Sometimes, I pick up a cheap beach towel from a general store. I’d not given much thought to pack towels before my recent travels to Tanzania. There was to be a lot of camping, limited space, and a need for things to dry quickly. I got two towels from Grand Trunk, their bamboo travel towel and their pack towel. After some fussing, I opted to take the pack towel.
This was, I think, a mistake.
At first use, the pack towel seemed like a thing I’d like. It’s well designed enough, it’s got button holes so you can wear it as a sarong, a drying loop, a little stuff bag, and it’s made from a quick dry fiber. It packs down to very small; there’s no problem finding space for in in the luggage. Thing is, I didn’t like the way it feels. It seems nice enough to the touch at first, but it gets a weird plastic-y surface when it’s in use. And it didn’t really work — I felt like I was just dabbing water off the surface of my skin rather than getting dry. I was always slightly damp. It’s a towel and I felt like I was using it wrong. Did I mention that it’s a towel? How can you use a towel wrong?
I wish I’d packed the bamboo travel towel instead. While it takes up, oh, six times the space, it has all the features of the pack towel — the buttons, the hanging loop, the stuff bag — it’s made from a much friendlier material. It does take a bit longer to dry, but given that my pack towel felt perpetually damp after the first use, it wouldn’t have made a difference to me. On the whole, the bamboo towel just feels nicer and it completes the very basic task of getting you dry.
In short, the pack towel, no, thanks. The bamboo travel towel, yes, please.
Just for cross reference, here’s a pack towel that fellow reviewer Tim rather liked.
Grand Trunk products are available on Amazon. The pack towel starts around 21.99 , the travel towel for 39.99
Posted by Pam in Adventure Gear, Travel Light on September 30th, 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
An Alternative to Travel Silverware: Chopsticks!
I like the idea of portable silverware and sporks for long-term travel. You are helping the environment when throw-away utensils are the alternative. You know who washed what you’re eating with. You can avoid eating with your hands in places where washing up afterwards isn’t easy: like on an Indian train.
If you’re traveling through Asia though, carrying these might make the most sense: portable chopsticks from Grand Trunk Goods. Besides instantly making you look like a seasoned traveler, these utensils hardly take up any room.
These chopstick are in two pieces so they can pack up tighter and won’t get broken. The top part is stainless steel and the bottom is a durable hardwood with a screw mechanism at the top. (Grand Trunk’s description says Ebony, Amazon’s says Rosewood, but whatever…) You screw the parts together and have some very fancy-looking chopsticks at hand for your noodles or rice and veggies. These chopsticks feel as strong as Dumbledore’s wand, but only weigh an ounce.
Put together, each chopstick is 8.5 inches, but packed up is only about a finger and a half length. The pieces pack into a handy little nylon pouch with a Velcro closure. There’s a caribiner clasp too for hooking it onto the outside of your bag or the clip inside your bag so they’ll be easy to find.
There’s nothing complicated about these, which is the whole appeal of chopsticks themselves: simple items that help you eat like a civilized person. They can also help you avoid getting sick—or polluting the place where you traveled to in order to appreciate its beauty.
See more and buy them at the Grand Trunk Goods site, check your local retailer, or order your travel chopsticks from Amazon for about 15 bucks—a deal!
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Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on September 7th, 2011
Ultrathon Bug Repellent: Stay Bite Free
I’ve stopped looking for an alternative to DEET. I gave up after having a long talk with a scrappy guy in a hunting and fishing store in lower British Columbia. “I’ve researched this over and over,” he insisted, “and I’ve tried every new thing out there. It’s not like I WANT to put DEET on my kids, but it’s the only thing that really works.”
My experience agrees. We’ve tried all kinds of alternative bug repellents in our outdoor adventures and while some of them do indeed smell lovely and might keep the bugs at bay for an hour or so, when it comes to things like avoiding malaria or other nasty mosquito borne illnesses, I’ll take the DEET and minimize the risk. The travel clinic I use recommends Ultrathon Insect Repellent by 3M. We used it for our travels to Southeast Asia two — or was it three? — years back and I’m packing it now for my upcoming trip to Tanzania.
The first line of defense is spraying your clothing and gear. It’s easy enough to do — I just hung two weeks of clothing on the laundry line, sprayed it, and waiting for it to dry. There’s no real smell once it’s absorbed by your clothing and it’s good for about six weeks or six washings. I’ve also got the lotion — in a 2 ounce tube for TSA friendliness. That stuff does have some chemical scent to it and honestly, using it in hot climates I found it less than idea, a little sticky on my skin, even. The thing is, this stuff is 34.34% DEET, giving you maximum protection from bugs. There’s a spray option too, that’s probably a bit easier to deal with wearing. It’s still pretty strong at 25% for the aerosol and 19% for the pump.
Usual common sense precautions apply. Don’t get the bug repellent in your eyes or mouth, keep it out of cuts, don’t inhale it. The side effects will vary from person to person; your most like to just have irritated eyes or a rather nasty taste in your mouth. There’s a decent FAQ that addresses any health concerns you might have on the 3M Ultrathon site.
I love the idea of less toxic packed sprays made from things like lavender and peppermint, but we’re bug magnets at our house, we get bitten. Nothing has proven — in our experience — to keep the mozzies at bay like this bug juice from 3M.
Get your airline friendly size lotion from Amazon here. The spray for your clothing (you’ll do this pre-trip) is here. Hesitating about going all DEET crazy? The CDC traveler’s health page is here; it should scare you enough to reconsider going chemical for your travels. And hey, there’s also insect repellent clothing; check out Tim’s review here.
Posted by Pam in Adventure Gear on September 2nd, 2011
The Selk’bag Sleep System: You Can Type in It!
“You look like an oompah loompah,” said the husband.
“It’s like a child’s snowsuit,” said my friend Eva.
“You’re never getting out of it, are you?” asked the husband.
“Oh. My. God. I could TYPE in that!” said Eva.
I was “wearing” the Selk’bag Sleepwear System, as its referred to in the marketing materials. It’s a little strange to use the word “wearing” when referring to a sleeping bag, but I was standing up and pacing around the living room. I was covered, head to toe, in puffy fuchsia pink.
“I can play the ukulele in this.” I said. “Hey, Eva, do you want to try it?”
“Yes. Yes I do.”
Here are some things I did in the Selk’bag:
- Playing the ukulele. Really.
- Writing email. (Yes, you CAN type in it)
- Reading and napping in the hammock.
- Getting in and out of said hammock.
- Stomping around the backyard while pretending to be Godzilla destroying Tokyo.
Here’s something I didn’t do in the Selk’bag: Sleep. Why? It’s too warm. It’s a seasonal thing, It’s just too warm, still, for even the lightweight bag that I’ve got.
From a somewhat more objective point of view, there are a lot of things I like about the Selk’bag. It’s really easy to move around in as compared to your traditional mummy bag. Because of the ease of motion, it’s comfortable — you’re able to lie down in whatever position you like.
The bag is easy to get in and out of. It’s got double zips down the front (kid’s snowsuits could learn from this!). You climb into it just like a jumpsuit. It’s got a big roomy hood, mitts with Velcro closures so you can free your hands, and extra protection on the bottom of the feet so you can walk around. It’s a bit like wearing giant footy jammies, giant inflated footy jammies, giant poly-filled footy jammies…
It’s rated to 35F, meaning it’s probably got about the same range as your typical three season sleeping bag. It weights about twice as much as my three season down bag, so if you’re going to have to carry it, that’s two pounds more than a classic sleeping bag (that you can’t play the uke in.) No, it doesn’t have a butt flap, you’ll have to climb out of it to use the loo. And sorry, lovers, you can’t zip your Selk’bag to a corresponding mate for, uh, entertainment purposes.
I love the idea of the bag for car camping trips. You can make s’mores in it, for crying out loud! I’m not sure I’ll replace my classic bag with it though, one of the joys of camping is zipping in with a friend. But I’m picturing myself sitting on a campsite bench on a cool Pacific Northwest morning, making coffee, reading, eating my instant oatmeal, all inside my super cozy crazy pink Muppet monster of a bag.
Can’t resist the idea of towering over your own imaginary Tokyo? Get your Selk’bag here, or check Amazon‘s prices.
Posted by Pam in Adventure Gear, Kids and Family on August 26th, 2011
