Posts Tagged Sea-to-Summit
Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Packable Duffle Bag
Here at Practical Travel Gear we’re suckers for anything that packs up small but carries a big punch. This strong but lightweight duffle bag from Sea to Summit packs down into a little pouch that’s about the size of a two golf balls. As you can see in the photo here, it’s not exactly a space hog.
When you need it though, it pops out to be a 23.6-inch long piece of luggage that can hold up to 40 liters of your stuff (2420 cubic inches). Now granted it’s not going to compete with a suitcase you’d buy to use as real luggage, but you probably wouldn’t expect that out of something that weighs a mere 2.82 ounces (80 grams), right?
The main use for this is the vacation phenomenon whereby you almost always come back with more than you left with. Souvenirs, gifts, booze, and trade show swag have a way of forcing some tough decisions. You either toss something you brought to make room, or you buy and fill up another bag.
With this expanding duffle, you can take that extra bag along just in case. I’ve now used it for two trade shows where I needed to pack light to avoid baggage fees but had a sneaky feeling I’d need to bring some extras back. Both times I’ve gotten away with carrying it on as an extra “personal item” that will fit under my seat.
Technically though, if you packed this to the gills it would be over the regulation size for a carry-on. It is 23.6 + 11.8 + 11 inches, which is a tad over the limit. You probably don’t want to jam this full anyway though since there’s no shoulder strap and you’ll need to carry it like a suitcase. Leave some room so you can smash it into those “your bag must fit in this bin” displays that American Airlines is so fond of making you submit to before even getting to the security line.
The Sea to Summit packable tough Duffle Bag with zipper comes in three color combinations and lists for around 40 bucks. You can order it from Summit Hut or Amazon.
See more reviews of Sea to Summit products.
Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Travel Light on April 18th, 2012
Sea to Summit Dry Lite Towel
According to “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” a towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. The same goes for a traveler, even if you’re stuck on this planet. But dragging a huge hotel towel everywhere can be a pain. Save space and bother by bringing a Sea to Summit Dry Lite Towel.
Made of 70 percent polyester and 30 percent nylon microfiber with ultra-suede finish, the towel is super-soft. It’s also available in a variety of colors and sizes—ranging from XS (12 x 24 inches) to XL (30 x 60 inches). For my test, I used a medium size. There’s a small, attached strap that unsnaps, so you can easily hang it to dry, or attach it to your bag.
On a hike in Kauai, it packed easily in my bag. I barely noticed the 3.6-ounce weight. But after I’d jumped into a natural pool to cool off, I’m glad I brought it.
The Dry Lite Towel is also amazingly absorbent. After I used my towel, I twisted out far more water than I thought it held. It saved me from dripping along on the trail after my swim. I carried it along on my shoulders through the forest, and by the time I got back to my hotel, it was nearly dry.
All I had to do when I got home was throw it into the washing machine, and it’s ready to go on my next adventure.
The Sea to Summit Dry Lite Towel lists for $9.90 to $32.90, depending on size, at RockCreek.com and backcountry.com.
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Posted by Jill in Adventure Gear, Travel Light on April 6th, 2012
A Year of Travel Gear
For the past year I’ve been living at 6,500 feet in central Mexico, in a historic colonial city that involves lots of climbing up hills, stairs, and cobblestone streets. In that time I’ve also traveled to a dozen other places in Mexico, and to Sedona, Salt Lake City, Chile, Costa Rica, Panama, and Peru. I’ve used and abused a lot of gear during that time, so here’s a look at what was really useful and what held up well.
I’ve been wearing travel pants at least half the time, whether I was traveling or not, because they’re lightweight and were easy to carry down in a suitcase. The Titanium Expedition ones from Colombia Sportswear I reviewed a while back held up well except around the back pocket, where the ironed-on pocket glue gave out after a while. The ExOfficio Altyn ones did better and if I hadn’t spilled chili-laced food on them now and then, they would still look practically new—even though I’ve had them since spring of 2009. Their FlexCord corduroy pants I wore all winter still do look new.
I’ve worn my North Face Gore-tex hooded coat through two rainy seasons now and it has never let me down. Through drizzles and downpours, it keeps me dry without making me bake inside.
I’ve plowed through a lot of shoes in the past year, some I’ve stuck with long after I was reviewing them, others I’ve loved less as time went on. The hiking shoes I like enough to take home with me are my Hi-tec Viper Trail Ultra ones. Besides those, the footwear that’s gotten the best workout is probably the pair of Keen Rockaway sandals I wore 9 months out of 12 and took on a few trips. They’re comfy, even after walking around all day, my feet stay cool, and they look good.
Every bag and piece of luggage I brought with me and used repeatedly has held up well and all of it’s going back with me, so no complaints there. High marks for Eagle Creek, Tom Bihn, Kelty, and Osprey. All the Sea to Summit accessories are still going strong too, like this little toiletry kit I take with me every time I’m going carry-on only.
Somebody stole my Victorinox Swiss Army knife out of a checked back somewhere in the Mexico City airport, but I can’t really complain since my mom got it for me before my first round-the-world journey in, oh, 1993? Not bad for something that retails for $22 at Backcountry.com.
There’s a rattan crushable hat from Tilley that I’ve worn all year in the high altitude Mexican sun, but the company ended up killing off the product before I even got to review it. It’s a testament to the quality of their goods though that this one has kept its shape that whole time and still looks great. It’s hard to go wrong with Tilley hats.
And of course no gear round-up would be complete without three items I take on almost every single trip: my SteriPen Opti water purifier, my Callpod Chargepod for keeping the gadgets going, and my Kangaroom pouch for keeping all those gadgets and cords in once place.
Got wanderlust? Check out our sister pub Perceptive Travel for the best travel stories from wandering book authors.
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on July 13th, 2011
Packable Ultra-Sil Sling Bag is Tiny but Strong
We’ve reviewed a good number of Sea to Summit products here because they make a whole lot of practical travel gear and gadgets that won’t bust your budget. Since we also like to bring your attention to travel items that can pack up small, it’s time for their latest Ultra-sil product, the Sling Bag.
Once again, this packs into a tiny little pouch that you can wrap your hands around—that’s a USB thumb drive next to it in that photo. It’s small enough to hook onto a loop on your bag or it can easily stuff into a corner of a backpack. Pull out the insides though—magician’s dramatic flair optional—and you’ve got a useful messenger bag for shopping or sightseeing. Opened up it’ll hold a bunch of fruit or the day’s needs around town: guidebook, camera, journal, and some gadgets even.
The official capacity is 16 liters, and it just may actually be strong enough to hold multiple liters of your favorite beverage, but I wouldn’t recommend testing the limits. The seams are reinforced, but your shoulder is not.
It’s made of strong siliconized Cordura nylon and has a real zipper along the top enclosure so you can close it to keep the snow or rain out. But it weighs all of 2.2 ounces.
The Sea to Summit Ultra-sil Sling Bag is available in Green, Black, Blue, Red, or Yellow. The zipper, strap, and connected pouch are all the same color. The list price is $30 and I’d love to tell you what you can get it for on sale at retail, but it’s new and still hard to find. The only places I can find carrying it online so far are smaller outlets like Summit Hut and Moosejaw. Watch the Sling Bag product page at Sea to Summit for availability updates at other outlets.
See more reviews of Sea to Summit products.
Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Travel Light on February 10th, 2011
Reactor Plus Sleeping Bag Liner from Sea to Summit
If you’re hard core enough to be camping right now in the mountains, hopefully you’ve got a sleeping bag that’s good enough to keep your warm. If you only do this kind of thing once in a while though and want to add a layer of warmth to your existing sleeping bag, this Reactor plus liner from Sea to Summit is the answer.
This liner only weighs about 9 ounces (263 grams) and it stuffs into its own small Ultra-Sil sack, but it makes your sleeping bag able to keep you snug and warm in temperatures about 20 degrees lower (11 centigrade). It’s made with lightweight Thermolite wonder fabric that provides lots of warmth without a lot of heft.
Naturally you could use this on its own as a sleep sack in hostels with sheets you don’t trust very much. There was plenty a night I could have used this when backpacking in countries where heat is considered to be something only fancy hotels should worry about. (As you find out when traveling on the cheap, there are a lot of these countries…). It could also be a pillow or bus blanket in a pinch.
This compact liner is meant to be for women and men of average height—if you’re over six feet tall you should look for something longer. It also comes in only the color pictured here, but that’s kind of understandable since it’s meant to be stuffed inside a sleeping bag anyway. This liner retails for $60 and since it’s a brand new product, it’s not discounted anywhere yet.
We’ve reviewed quite a few Sea to Summit products here and I’ve been happy with the quality and usefulness of them. This liner performed well in my tests and is a cozy addition to their camping and travel gear lines.
Get the Sea to Summit Reactor Plus Thermolite Liner at RockCreek.com
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, General Gear on October 13th, 2010
