Posts Tagged REI
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
REI Revelcloud Jacket
Those huge down jackets seem so limiting. Perfect for cold weather (even though they may make you look like the Michelin Man), they’re not optimal once winter is over—or for a variety of outdoors activities. The REI Revelcloud Jacket is a lighter weight alternative that you can take hiking, biking, camping, or even wandering through a new city on your travels.
The shell is 70 percent recycled polyester (called Quantum and made by Pertex). The insulation is made with equal parts recycled and non-recycled polyester (made by PrimaLoft). It’s water repellent, blocks wind up to 50 mph and is lightweight.
Raglan sleeves allow for a better range of motion in your activities, and are much easier under backpack straps. The front zipper has a draft flap, and a chin guard keeps the zipper from rubbing on you uncomfortably. The draw cord at the hem and the stretch binding at the cuffs and collar all help to seal in warmth.
The REI Revelcloud Jacket has two zippered hand-warmer pockets that are deep enough to shove your gloves in as well. There’s also a smaller, zippered chest pocket with a media port, so you can plug and play wherever you go. If you’ve got a chunky phone/media player protector, however, you may need to take it off first.
A stuff sack is included with the jacket. I have to admit, even though the Revelcloud Jacket isn’t as bulky as a puffy down jacket, I doubted it would fit neatly into the stuff sack. At the very least, I’d have to figure out some very specific folding/rolling technique in order to get it to work. Not at all. I just pushed the jacket into the sack, without any origami folding required. It compresses down to the size of a super-size burrito. I’d be less likely to lose it if it came attached to the jacket, though.
The REI Revelcloud Jacket lists for $149 on the REI website. Guys shouldn’t feel left out, however, because there’s a men’s version as well for the same price.
Posted by Jill in Adventure Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on December 16th, 2011
REI Multi-level Protection SPF 30 Sunblock
Oh, the joys of finding a sunblock the entire family adores! My husband came home from the Outdoor Retailer show this summer with a peculiar looking tube of sunscreen. The simple black-and-yellow label reminded me of generic cereal boxes you might see on grocery-store shelves. The utilitarian packaging led me to believe this might be a ho-hum product. Nope — the REI Multi-level Protection SPF 30 Sunblock is my new favorite.
The feature that I (and my picky children) like most about the REI sunblock is its consistency. It’s silky smooth — not goopy or greasy in the least. It has a dry finish. This is a sunscreen that adheres to the skin quickly; it’s one that I forget I’m wearing, since it blends into the skin quickly (no evident white layer) and allows the skin to “breathe.” Truly, I think it’s the most comfortable sunscreen I’ve ever worn.
This sunscreen is water and sweat resistant — but you’ll want to reapply after prolonged swimming. The entire family used this product for afternoon at the family pond and kayaking on the Colorado River in August and didn’t get burned at all. I am confident it will protect me when I’m lounging by the pool or on the beach on Oahu this week.
I think the price of the REI sunblock is reasonable, too: it’s $12 for an 8 oz. container, $6.50 for the carry-on size. Sure, that might be a bit more expensive than the Coppertone bottles you’ll find at your local grocery store. But I’m willing to pay a little more for a sunblock that my entire family likes and won’t complain about when I announce it’s time to do the full-body lube before days spent in bathing suits outdoors.
Now this product does have octinoxate, oxybenzone and other chemicals that help protect skin from the sun. It’s PABA-free, but it’s certainly not “all natural” or “additive-free”; however, this sunscreen does the job well. Its excellent consistency and staying power are clinchers for me.
Get the 8-ounce version or travel-friendly 2-ounce version at REI.com.
Other sun-protection products I like:
Posted by Kara in General Gear, Kids and Family on September 20th, 2011
Better-priced Travel Pants From REI
Walking through your local REI store can be like a traveler’s version of a trip to Tiffany’s. When I stopped in two weeks ago to use my annual rebate check and a “20 percent one full-priced item” coupon, I had trouble actually using the latter. After perusing racks of $95 slacks from Columbia, $80 t-shirts from Mountain Hardwear, $200 sunglasses from Smith, and $18 socks from a whole slew of companies, I ended up using the coupon on some heavy-duty DEET bug repellent. I saved $1.60. Woo-hoo.
In all fairness though, REI does run some killer sales now and then, in the stores and their outlet site, plus the prices on their own private label versions of popular clothing items are much easier to swallow. Like the lower-priced snacks and cereals under the Target or Costco brand name, the REI versions of pants, jackets, or wicking shirts won’t sting you so badly at the cash register.
So I used my rebate check to go toward these nice REI Adventure Pants, marked down from $44 to $32.83—a deal that is still up on their website too at the moment. I usually travel with a pair of convertible pants that turn into shorts, but you’ve got to admit they scream “Tourist!” just as loudly as a floppy hat and a camera case. So when I’m traveling some place where men in shorts aren’t common (um, turns out that’s most of the world actually), I like to have a pair of lightweight pants that stay cool and don’t make me look like a backpacker. These do the trick nicely and are the kind I can wear out to dinner or a club without feeling self-conscious. Or I can wear them on a hike and know that they’ll wick away the sweat.
They’re not your average cotton chino slacks. They call the synthetic fabric “neo-linen nylon,” but all I know is it’s soft, breathable, and very lightweight. These are the kind of pants you can wash in the sink and they’ll be dry before morning, which means less to pack. They’ve got plenty of pockets tucked around them, including two rear button-closure ones, two concealed zipper pockets at side seams (handy for those pound or euro coins) and a zippered hip pocket. Like most any sheath of fabric they will “block harmful UV rays.” Not completely wrinkle-free, but close enough for casual wear.
They come in khaki or graphite in a variety of inseams. Men’s versions only though unfortunately: REI’s Roundezvous Pants for women list for $56.
Search “adventure pants” at REI.com
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, Travel Light on May 6th, 2009
