Posts Tagged double-duty gear
YMX by Yellowman Maori Swirl Sun Tee
Cotton clothing may be soft and lovely, but it’s rarely what you need when you’re trying to keep cool and dry in a tropical climate. The YMX by Yellowman Maori Swirl Sun Tee is a lightweight, long-sleeved T-shirt that does both well.
Made of MadKool fabric (92 percent polyester and 8 percent spandex) the thin shirt is enough to cover you up without heating you up. It also has UV protection, with 50+ SPF. Wear it for a long hike in the sun (when you might forget to reapply the sunscreen) or wear it in the water when you’re snorkeling (when sunscreen won’t stay on for long).
The bright Maori swirl design was my favorite, since I recently traveled to New Zealand, but there are plenty of options in a variety of colors and designs. With these shirts, there’s no hiding in the background.
The Maori Swirl Sun Tee has a slim fit, so if you’re looking for a bit of a relaxed fit, it’s best to choose a size up. That’s what I did, and it was enough to get a comfortably slim fit. If you’re a fan of the baggy look, you may want to consider two sizes up.
The only slight bummer for me is that the arm and shoulder seams aren’t flat, so I can’t use this tee very effectively as a rash guard under a wetsuit. Otherwise, it’s versatile enough to wear on the outside or as a performance base layer.
The Maori Swirl Sun Tee lists for $89 on the YMX by Yellowman website.
Posted by Jill in Adventure Gear, Travel Light on January 6th, 2012
Our Favorite Travel Gear of the Past Year
We review a new item each weekday here on Practical Travel Gear, which means 200+ items a year we collectively try out in foreign lands, in airports, in the car, or in the great outdoors. Most of the stuff we think we’ll hate we don’t bother to even accept. Some items make us scratch our head or make us think the concept could be better executed. What’s really great is when our jaded selves put something through its paces and then go, “Wow—that’s really cool!” or “How did I ever get by without this?”
Kara Williams, who sadly is saying goodbye after more than 2.5 years, already provided a rundown on her favorite gear from the past two years. The items that stood out for her in 2011 were the REI Sunblock that was silky-smooth and only $6.50, the simple $12 Energizer Dual USB charger for the car, and at the other end of the budget scale the GoPro HD Hero waterproof helmet camera.
Pam Mandel stopped by for eight months before getting too bogged down with other gigs. Here’s what she loved from the items she traveled with in 2011.
She says this Digital Photography Rucksack from Kata “goes everywhere” with her. It holds a laptop, SLR, extra lenses, and more.
Pam also likes the super-bright flashlights and headlamps from Icon.
Speaking of light, Kelty’s Lumapivot Lantern wins the prize for the most interesting looking item we reviewed in 2011. See a photo of it at the top of this post. Pam says, “This cute, versatile little light could have been designed in an almost answer to my camp light wish list.” The “almost” part of that quote is for the inexplicable design decision to make the thing run on six AA batteries. Really, you couldn’t make that rechargeable like 2/3 of the other gadgets we reviewed?
We all try out a lot of footwear for this blog. The shoes that Pam kept coming back to were the Keen Voyageur hiking boots. She’d waterproof them if she were you, but otherwise great for hitting the trail.
Ramsey Qubein reviews most of the business travel gear and gadgets we feature on Practical Travel Gear. Here’s what impressed him this past year.
Ramsey likes this Solid Line iPad case because it solves the biggest problem with trying to replace your laptop with an iPad when traveling: with this case you can actually type at a semi-normal speed. It also protects the pad and serves as a stand for movie watching, so he says it “has lightened my carry-on bag by several pounds.”
Since he’s carrying that iPad on long flights across oceans, one of his other favorites has been the PressReader app, which allows you to download actual newspapers (not web versions) from all over the world, to be read without an internet connection.
When it is time to take the laptop, he says he keeps going back to the Jack Spade computer case from Bonobos. “It is neither the largest nor the most practical for lots of exterior pockets. However, it has a beautiful cotton fabric exterior and has yielded more compliments in the two months I have had it than any other bag.”
I’m Tim Leffel and I edit this thing, as well as reviewing two items a week for much of the year. That’s a whole heap of travel gear, so there are more than a few items that keep making my packing list.
I’ve worn (and in some cases given away after) a crazy number of different travel shoes this year. Three pairs are still in heavy rotation in both my home life and my travels: the Cushe Surf-slipper Loafers, the Ecco Tahoe shoes, and the casual comfy Sanuk Donny Primo loafers. Hey, I lived in (and traveled around a lot in) Mexico and Florida this year, so I guess I was in a kick-back beach mood.
I got a sneak peek at a prototype of the SteriPEN Freedom USB-rechargeable purifier almost a year ago and knew then and there it would make my list. If you’re traveling to countries where the water is questionable to drink, you need to buy one of these. End of discussion.
Probably one of the most expensive things I’ve reviewed since this site launched was also one that got used a lot—and will keep getting used a lot. The inflatable (but very high quality) kayak from Advanced Elements. It’s the size of a suitcase when packed, so you can take it anywhere you can drive—even if you have a BMW Mini.
It’s pretty hard to get excited about a water bottle, but I tried out two exciting ones this year. The Dominate water bottle resulting from a partnership between Under Armour and Thermos really does dominate, keeping liquids cold for an unbelievably long time, even in 100-degree weather. I also used the Camelbak filter one a lot for traveling around the U.S.
Since this is Practical Travel Gear, I have to give a shout-out to the best values I encountered: the unbelievably good for the price Roaring River jacket I reviewed from Hi-Tec and the whole range of Ryder Eyewear sunglasses that routinely come in at a fraction of the list price of their rivals.
We’ll continue to bring you reviews of great gear at fair prices in the coming year. Get our RSS feed so you’ll have them all on tap. Happy new year!
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, Business Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on January 5th, 2012
Osprey Sojourn Wheeled Suitcase and Backpack
If you go anywhere in the world popular with backpackers, you’ll see a lot of Osprey backpacks. You’ll also see a lot of their packs on hiking trails. They’re tough, comfortable, and guaranteed for life.
A while back though a few companies realized they could sell more bags if they convinced people they could have the best of both worlds: a backpack when you need to walk long distances through rough terrain or in a crowded dirt-lot bus station, but a suitcase when you’re in airports and cities with decent sidewalks. People bought the first ones in droves, so then everyone jumped in the game.
I’ve been trying out Osprey’s Sojourn 28-inch one to see if this idea really works well in practice. Can one of these be a good backpack and a good rolling suitcase? Yes and no.
First the good points, and there are plenty of those. This bag is just shy of 8 pounds, which is not bad at all for something 28 inches long with wheels and a strong chassis. It’s a good aluminum chassis too, with a nice retractable ergonomic handle, a fiberglass base, and large polyurethane wheels with sealed bearings. It wheels like a dream, feels good in the hand, and didn’t tip over when I stuffed it full.
The Osprey Sojourn holds 80 liters, or 4800 cubic inches. That’s about the capacity of the largest travel backpack you can get away with, though this one felt like it held less than other bags I’ve used with that listed capacity. This may be because it’s narrow and tapers at the top. Everything about it says “durable” and “high quality,” from the rubberized zipper pulls to the inside and outside compression straps.
I feel like there’s a load of extra fabric on this bag because of those outside compression panels though. I suppose the foam in those helps protect your belongings, but most of what’s in a bag this size is clothing and shoes anyway. You can certainly cram a lot into it this way though and still get it closed. There are handles to grab it by on the top and side, multiple mesh pockets inside, and a toiletries/small stuff pocket on the top.
Do you want a suitcase…or a backpack?
My real issue with this bag is not with Osprey, but with the category. I know these convertible wheeled backpacks are quite popular, but how often have you actually seen someone using one as a backpack—the wheels pressing against their shirt? I’ve only seen one I can remember in the last 10 years (though I’ve seen a few people that should have broken down and used the backpack instead of trying to wheel their bag over cobblestones for 10 blocks.) When I tested out the backpack feature with it full, I felt downright silly, like someone had strapped a suitcase to my back so I could fjord a stream.
Some double-duty travel gear works great: smart phones, Swiss Army knives, convertible travel pants, and iPad cases with a keyboard for instance. Other times the item feels like it has a split personality—like it needs to get off the fence and pick a side. Fortunately I could pick my side: Osprey attached the straps of this thing with snaps and a heavy-duty hook & loop system. So I pulled the straps out, stuffed them in a corner of the closet, and took advantage of the extra storage space. I’m done with the “convertible” part and it’s now a perfectly fine rolling suitcase I’ll probably only use on easy trips.
If you’ve tried one of these convertible bags before and really used it both ways, then Osprey’s Sojourn version is a fine choice. If you like the idea of a removable daypack too, check the Meridian line instead.
The Sojourn comes in three colors. It retails for $289 and you won’t be buying a replacement anytime soon: Osprey has one of the best guarantees you’ll find anywhere. They say “any reason, any product, any era.”
See more details about all their packs at Ospreypacks.com. Follow the direct links to check prices online.
Get it at Backcountry, Summit Hut, REI, or Rock Creek.
Posted by Tim L. in General Gear on January 4th, 2012
Athleta Whatever Skort
I ducked into an Athleta store this summer with a girlfriend who, like me, travels a lot and likes to have versatile clothing for outdoor adventures at home and abroad. She walked straight to a rack against the wall, pulled out a skirt, and proclaimed: “I love this! I even got one for my sister.”
It wasn’t just a skirt. It was the Whatever Skort. I have to admit, I was a skeptic at first, but she felt so strongly that I had to buy one and see for myself. After wearing it nearly non-stop while hiking in the Grand Canyon, I bought another one in a different color. She was right.
The moisture wicking and quick drying Featherweight Stretch polyester/spandex fabric is lightweight and slightly stretchy. The semi-fitted, A-line skirt has faux pleats and drapes nicely without being bulky. Built-in shorts are made from the same fabric, and allow you to be as adventurous as you want on your travels without worrying about showing off too much.
The Whatever Skort is available in regular, tall and petite versions, and colors range from deep purple to khaki to black. It’s comfortable enough to wear while hiking or sightseeing, but fashionable enough to wear to lunch without having to stop in between for a costume change.
With the inconvenience and cost of checked baggage, the fewer clothing items in my suitcase, the better. So anything that does double duty and looks good gets a permanent place in my packing list.
The Athleta Whatever Skort lists for $49 on the Athleta website. Some colors are currently on sale for $39.99—while supplies last.
Posted by Jill in Adventure Gear, Travel Light on December 30th, 2011
Guerrilla Packs Airporter Carry-on Sized Backpack
This Airporter backpack from Guerrilla Packs carries a wide variety of belongings for a very reasonable price.It integrates a laptop sleeve and gadget pouches in a versatile piece of luggage.
I’m a big fan of bags that adhere to the TSA carry-on sizes but are lightweight and multi-functional. I love a wheelie bag as much as the next guy when my trip is only about airports, hotels, and taxis. But when that’s not the case, having something without wheels makes me a lot more mobile and shaves off several inches and pounds. (Think of it as a diet luggage.) With European budget airlines, African bush airlines, and Nature Air of Costa Rica charging you a hefty premium for anything over 20-30 pounds, weight is money.
So this backpack is quite useful in those cases and I’ve seen people on multi-month trips through the tropics carrying nothing but a bag this size: it holds 50 liters in the main compartment and another 10 in the small daypack. That’s just the start of it though. Guerrilla Packs bills their bags as the first ones designed for the modern tech-laden flashpacker and by that measure this is a terrific piece of luggage. It’s got a built-in detachable laptop sleeve, which is really cool. It’s large enough for a 13-inch laptop and it’s inside the main bag (hard for anyone else to get to). Also inside the main bag are two compartment bags: one sized for a smart phone, one for a point-and-shoot camera It’s got two zippered compartments on the outside, loops for hooking things on, sleeping bag or pad straps at the bottom, and two water bottle pockets on the side.
You can carry it like a suitcase with it all zipped up, with padded handles on both the top and side. That always makes me happy. Or you can unzip and tuck the back flap and carry it like a regular backpack, with a padded waist strap and sternum strap.
It comes with a detachable daypack too, which is pretty standard, but this one is small enough that you won’t feel like a dwarf jumped on your shoulder and is pulling you backwards if you actually use it. (The design lets you clip it onto the front of your body though if so.) It’s a good size for a day of sightseeing, with room for all the essentials, a key clip, a zippered mesh pocket, and internal flaps. There’s one large flap with a Velcro tab that’s ideal size for a tablet.
All the pack’s zippers have pull tabs on them but have big enough loops to accommodate regular locks or cable locks.
So is this the most rugged, heavy-duty backpack I’ve ever tried? No, but for a $129 list price, nobody should expect it to be. It’s a great pack for that price, loaded with useful features, and the ripstop nylon should hold up well through a few years of heavy travel. All Guerrilla packs come with a six-month warranty.They also sell a few larger packs for carrying more of your stuff. (You can win one this month if you’re following Perceptive Travel on Facebook.)
These are just getting out to physical retailers now, but you can buy the Airporter direct from the company or get it from Amazon.
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Posted by Tim L. in Travel Light on December 15th, 2011
