Posts Tagged cheap and light
Cheap Survival Insurance: $15 Adventure Medical Kit
With this kit, you can prepare for unexpected problems without carrying a lot of extra weight and bulk.
If you’ve ever been on a guided tour or hiking trip, you’ve probably noticed that whenever something goes wrong or someone gets hurt, the guide has a Hermione-like magic bag filled with all the right bandages and first-aid supplies. You almost never see a professional guide without some kind of daypack because they need to be prepared for whatever nature can throw at them.
How prepared are you when you go hiking, kayaking, biking, or rural road-tripping on your own? Are you prepared for getting stuck somewhere for the night—with no heat?
It’s hard to justify a big and bulky kit that covers every possible bad situation. But I’m digging this little 4-ounce, $15 Survival Medic packet from Adventure Medical Kits. It’s got some first aid supplies in it, like antibiotic cream, an antiseptic towelette, and bandages. The real high-value items though are things you would probably spend much more than $15 on if you were to buy them individually and pack them up yourself. (And they wouldn’t fit so well together.)
This kit has their cool little firestarter that makes sparks, tinder to light up from those sparks, and an emergency blanket to retain your body heat while all that gets going. There’s a compass to keep you from wandering in circles and a signal whistle to alert anyone around that you need help. You also get 26 inches of duct tape and some very useful survival instructions in a small booklet.
All this packs into a waterproof plastic bag that’s about the size of one hand. It takes up about as much room as a solar charger, so it’s not going to be a packing burden or weigh you down.
You wouldn’t know it from watching 24-hour news channels, but I read that more tourists died in U.S. national parks last year than died in all of Mexico. But people don’t usually warn you to be careful when you say you’re going to go hiking in Yellowstone. Pack one of these—it’s cheap insurance. Order it direct or get it from Amazon here. It should also start showing up at stores shortly.
If you go backcountry hiking on a regular basis, check out this heftier kit I reviewed earlier from the same company: Origin SOL Survival Kit.
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, Travel Light on January 19th, 2012
ShowOffs Reusable Travel Bags
Years ago, when the TSA introduced mandatory guidelines for packing 3-oz-or-less toiletries in clear, quart-sized bags, I — like the rest of the world — reached into my kitchen drawer and pulled out Ziploc-brand baggies for just that use. Since reviewing a few rollerboards that came with plastic zipper bags for just that use, I ditched the kitchen baggies for these slightly classier reusable bags.
For folks who might not be in the mood to purchase a new suitcase for its included zipper bag, consider ShowOffs travel bags for your next trip. Indeed, these bags — with magenta, seafoam green or black “frames” or flower designs — can make you feel a bit more dignified about sharing your mini tubes of toothpaste or Clearasil cream with other travelers in line at the airport X-ray.
Gallon and quart sized ShowOffs bags plus reusable bottles for $14.99.
Quart-sized ShowOffs come with three little bottles approved by the TSA that you can refill with contact lens solution, hair spray, shampoo or the like. The colorful designs one one side of the bag still allow TSA agents to see inside. Gallon-sized bags, meant for use in your checked baggage, have more of a solid design with just a small clear space on each so you can peek in to see what’s enclosed. Bags have a Ziploc-like resealable closure and the plastic feels thicker and sturdier than a regular kitchen baggie.
Use ShowOffs bags not only for toiletries, but also snacks, small electronics or any other small items that you want to keep organized in a larger bag. I always put regularly sized toothpaste, sunscreen and kids’ liquid Advil in gallon-sized bags when I check my luggage, so I’m pleased I’ll have these stylish bags for my next long-haul trip.
Purchase on the ShowOffs website (free shipping) or other online retailers like Brookstone or eBags (where they are currently 20 percent off).
Posted by Kara in General Gear, Travel Light on December 27th, 2011
Vapur Collapsible Water Bottle
We’re regularly preaching on here about the evils of single-use plastic water bottles, so we like to keep an eye on water bottle designs that make it easier to avoid this marketing-driven environmental disaster.
This reusable, collapsible bottle from Vapur got on my radar recently when I was at an adventure travel trade show and several companies (including Eddie Bauer) were handing them out as promos. I’ve used one a few times now and while it’s kind of an unusual thing to get used to, it has some big advantages.
The main one is that you can pack this thing without taking up any space. Since you can’t go through security with a filled water bottle anyway, you can stow this in your carry-on and then use it at a water fountain on the other side of the TSA security theater. It’s also freezable, so you can have very cold water later on a car trip or even use it as an ice pack in transit. The plastic is BPA-free of course and the top pops off for easy washing. You can buy replacement tops too and keep using the same bottle.
Now you might think this wouldn’t stand upright, but the way it’s designed it will stand up until it gets pretty empty: there’s an extra section on the bottom that expands when the bottle is filled. It also comes with its own carabiner threaded through a whole, so you can hang it on your pack filled or not.
These run about half the price of a stainless steel quality plastic bottle, but there are some disadvantages. Like the Sigg kind of metal ones, this has a narrow opening at the top. That makes it harder to wash if you’re putting something besides water in it.
The other problem is you can’t use this with a SteriPen water purifier. You’d have to purify the water in something else and transfer it to here. Or use a pump filter. This only matters in countries where you can’t trust the water though. Just go from the tap if you’re in the first world.
You can buy direct from Vapur (and order ones with your logo on it if you’re a trade show exhibitor) or check out the selection from Amazon, some of them with cool artist drawings like the one at the right. Or check prices online for other retail outlets.
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Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on December 22nd, 2011
The Screwpop Tool – Now Black and Customizable
Close to two years ago I reviewed a cool little $5 item that I’ve used plenty of times since: the Screwpop. It’s a handy tool that opens beer bottles (that always gets my attention), has a Phillips screwdriver, and a regular flat-head screwdriver. With those out, it’s also a hex nut wrench (should your nut be the right size). See the details here.
These days, unless you encounter an especially dickish TSA agent, you should be able to carry this with you on a flight. But if they do confiscate it, you’re not out a fortune at least.
The original version, still available, is chrome, which is hard to print on. So now there’s a black version. This looks cool on its own, but the one key advantage is that you can customize it for your company, your band, your store, your website, whatever. So instead of giving people some useless schwag they’ll toss in the garbage or a ballpoint pen that will die in a few months, you can hand out something they could still be using a decade from now.
To show me how this works, the Screwpop people did a sample run of their tool with the Practical Travel Gear logo and website address—see the photo at the top. Pretty darn cool.
Want one? (Contest now closed)
I’m handing out some of them at the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in January, but I’m going to send three of them to our readers. First you have to do one of these three things:
1) OR
Then send an e-mail with which one(s) you did to tim [ at] practicaltravelgear.com. Include your name and physical shipping address. That’s it!
I’ll pick three winners at random from the submissions, which must arrive by midnight, December 23, 2011. The Screwpops will ship out the first week of January. (No sorry, while these make great stocking stuffers, you’ll have to buy one if you want it in time for Christmas.)
If you don’t win, you can get the newer black Screwpop for $6 at ScrewpopTool.com.
* UPDATE – WE HAVE WINNERS! Congratulations to readers Janice Z, Sam G, and Brian C. Sorry, you’ll have to lay out six bucks for one of your own if that’s not you.
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on December 14th, 2011
Eagle Creek Accessories to Keep Your Money Safe
Many types of urchins would love to get hold of your money or credit cards when you travel. Keep it all safe with these under-clothing accessories.
There are a few practical travel gear items I’ve been using since I first set off on my first trip around the world many years ago. One of them is the venerable under-pants money pouch from Eagle Creek. Officially it’s the Undercover Hidden Pocket. I’ve had one of these under my pants in a few dozen countries and as a result, the total amount I’ve been pick-pocketed in all time is…30 rupees in India. (And that really was in my pocket—I’d just gotten change at a movie theater.)
Sure, you can buy things that hang around your neck and go under your shirt, but I don’t like the feel of that—especially in sticky tropical countries—and it’s too easy for someone to do a cut and pull in a crowd. To get this thing out of my pants would be tough though, especially since it’s usually attached to my belt. (You can pin it with a giant safety pin if not wearing a belt.) Then when you need your money or credit card, it’s easy to pull this out and get to them.
There are three places to put things: a main compartment good for a passport and bank notes, two equal smaller ones for credit cards or another currency folded. Speaking of choices, there are also two different belt loops. One is brown, one is black, to match whatever belt you’re wearing. The other just folds out of the way.
It’s all made from ripstop nylon and I can attest that these things hold up through years of daily use on the road. If you’re carrying a passport though you should put that inside a Ziploc bag to be safe. If you get caught in a total deluge, this thing is not completely waterproof.
The Undercover Hidden Pocket comes in black or khaki and lists for $12, which is not a bad investment for something that will help you hold onto the rest of your money. It would make a nice gift for a person about to go on a long international journey. You can find this money pouch at most any outdoor gear or luggage shop, but you can also order it online from Backcountry, Altrec, or Moosejaw.
Undercover Leg Wallet
Another option, if you’re going to be somewhere that involves having pants on every day, is this Undercover Leg Wallet. Instead of going between your underwear and your pants/skirt, this attaches snugly to your leg. 
It kind of feels like you’re packing heat, so if you want to pretend you’re a detective with a concealed weapon, this will do it.
I’ve used this a couple times, but it’s not something that would be my first choice. It’s harder to get to this when you’re pulling out money to pay a bar tab or buy something in a market. Plus it doesn’t work with shorts or a skirt. It has to go on your calf unless you have really skinny legs.
On the plus side, it’s larger and doesn’t hinder movement in any way. This seems to me to be a great choice for people who spend a lot of time in dicey situations: third-world journalists and NGO field workers, for instance. If someone gives you a good once-over, they’ll see a money pouch attached to your belt or hanging around your neck. They won’t see this.
As with the first item above it’s made with wicking ripstop nylon and has a soft surface for the part that goes next to your skin. Ample pockets keep your goods separated and the straps close with adjustable Velcro.
You’ll find this Undercover Leg Wallet at many physical retailers and it lists for $18. Get it online at Backcountry, eBags, or Altrec.
See more Eagle Creek gear reviews
Posted by Tim L. in Business Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on December 8th, 2011
