Posts Tagged Teva
Best and Worst Travel Gear of 2009
We’ve been cranking out first-person reviews of travel gear on a daily basis and trying out lots of things as we hike, backpack, explore new cities, and navigate airports. Some items disappoint, some thrill, some defy expectations, so here’s a list of what worked and what didn’t in 2009.
Kara Williams
Item I used on the most trips this year
These Lucy capris pictured above are comfortable and stylish—they can go from the hiking trail to the dinner table. I wore them on the top of the Continental Divide in Colorado, to Maya ruins in Belize, to an ecological preserve in Mexico, and eating lobster in New Hampshire.
Worst piece of crap I gave up on
This battery-operated mosquito repellent is a travel-gear don’t. The blue plastic fan looks like a toy, so it’s dangerous to young children. Plus, it’s dorky and doesn’t work.
Most useful item for $20 or less
The Flip & Tumble bag. A reusable shopping bag that compacts into a tiny, squishy, 3-inch ball is a must-have for any traveler. Use it to tote items to the pool, buy groceries at the local market, or protect packed clothing from dirty shoes on the return trip.
John Gordon
Item I now cannot live without
It took a long time, but I’ve finally found a Bluetooth headset I can love. Motorola’s Endeavor HX1 (pictured at the top) offers excellent audio quality for normal conversations and true bone-conduction technology, like special forces use, to knock out extreme noise. Voice prompts make it easy to use.
Worst “Do we really need this?” item
Some things I just don’t understand, like Planesheets for covering airline seats. Besides the dubious claims of cleanliness, I’d just feel a little weird being the only passenger on the plane sitting in a zebra-stripe seat.
Most questionable travel app
iPhone and iPod users are familiar with the marketing line, “There’s an app for that.” Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Without Fear app is supposed to calm white-knuckled flyers. There’s a screen that says, “This is natural. We know you’re scared. You’re going to be OK.” Like that’s going to help.
Never leave home without it
My AT&T Tilt 2 smartphone (same as the HTC Touch Pro2) lets me keep in touch with friends and clients whether I’m at the neighborhood store or in another part of the world. Sure, AT&T sells a lot more iPhones than this model. When the iPhone gets a real keyboard, can tether to my laptop and lets me swap out the battery, I’ll consider it.
Tim Leffel
Worst Case of Greenwashing
There was plenty of greenwashing to go around this year and the “green gear” tag keeps making its way onto things that really aren’t. I debunked plenty of these, but the most obvious one was this Altus Lumen LED light that burns through four AA batteries in an hour. Decent product otherwise, but the bombastic claim of being “the world’s first sustainable portable LED light” turned out to be based on one factor: the shell is 75% recyclable—provided you pry it all apart and separate the pieces when the thing dies.
What I used the most this year
There were plenty of items I tried out and then put on a shelf. The new things I tried that became a permanent part of my ensemble included the Tom Bihn Aeronaut carry-on bag (pictured at the top), my Teva Omnium sandal shoes, and pretty much everything I put on from ExOfficio—including their underwear. And I almost never pack my bags without a pair of Tifosi Optics sunglasses and some kind of Keen Footwear shoes.
Item that caused the most mixed feelings
I have to admit the Starbucks Via instant coffee tastes ten times better than Sanka or Folgers, but at $1 a serving, it sure better! If you already like the over-roasted, burnt taste of Starbucks, you’ll like this stuff. Even if you don’t, instant coffee that’s drinkable would be worth packing on a camping trip or when staying any place where hot water is more readily available than real coffee.
Honorable Mention – Past year’s standout that keeps coming back:
Travel gear item I would gladly do infomercials for
Only real travelers who have used it believe this $99 SteriPEN Traveler is for real. It looks fishy, I’ll admit: you stick this in the water you’re going to drink, the light kills everything, then you can drink away. But I, my wife, and my daughter have used this daily in 9, 6, and 4 countries respectively without getting sick. ‘Nuff said.
Posted by Tim in Adventure Gear, Business Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on January 1st, 2010
Women’s Hiking Shoes: Dalea eVent by Teva
My Teva Westwater sandals were my go-to shoe for casual footwear this summer — at home and on the road. Now that the snow has begun to fly where I live in Colorado, I’m finding that my go-to shoe for winter hikes is the Dalea eVent low-cut hiking shoe from Teva. While I haven’t traveled with these shoes yet, I wouldn’t hesitate to pack the low-cut style in my luggage; they are much more compact than traditional mid- or high-cut boots, and more-than-adequate for the casual hiker.
I like that the Dalea style is waterproof out of the box, thanks to the eVent waterproof membrane. Indeed, when I’ve worn the shoes along packed-down trails or plowed dirt roads, snow doesn’t stick to the exterior — which means my foot stays dry. The nubuck and suede leather is also protected with Scotchguard, so they should remain looking good through plenty of wear.
Another highlight: the rugged rubber sole offers plenty of traction; the toe and heel are fully protected. The “chocolate chip” color (see photo) goes with just about any hiking clothes I’ve got, and I appreciate the cute little flower-petal design cut into the side of the shoe (where the rubber sole also extends for even more protection).
Still one more little touch that makes me happy: the shoelaces are plenty long to double-tie.
I do find that this show runs a little narrow — or at least it fits snugly on my wide-ish foot. Also, the removable insole is pretty flimsy and doesn’t offer a lot of arch support on its own. Since I always use soft, custom-made orthodics in my hiking shoes (and running shoes), I just swapped my orthodics out of my old hiking boots and into these new ones no problem. That definitely helped with my comfort level. However, note that these are fairly stiff all around — they are definitely not “extra cushy” like some hiking boots I’ve owned.
The women’s Dalea eVent from Teva also comes in a great hunter green (”laurel wreath”). Pick your color and purchase for $125 at Teva.com.
(There’s also a kids’ version for $65: Teva Kid’s K Dalea Hiking Shoe in Walnut)
Posted by Kara in Adventure Gear on December 15th, 2009
Teva Sunkosi 2: by Land and by Sea
This summer while I was bopping around in my comfortable and versatile Omnium sandals from Teva, my trusty traveling wife was bopping around in a pair of these Sunkosi 2 water shoes for women. She loved hers almost as much as I loved mine and they’ll definitely be going into the bag for a sailing trip we’re taking in the fall.
The Sunkosi 2 model is more shoe than sandal, with mesh fabric that completely covers the foot. So they look more like regular sneakers until you get up close and see how they’re constructed. They work great in the water though, with the liquid draining out through the mesh and through openings in the bottom of the shoe. Ironically, hers seemed to dry out faster than my sandal-construction Omniums, perhaps because there is less fabric-covered velcro to hold the moisture.
These amphibious shoes still conform well to your foot though, with a single pull lacing system pulling in straps on the side in addition to laces on the top. The whole system works well wet or dry, walking around a city or wading through a stream. Since the mesh on these covers the whole foot and the laces pull everything snug around your foot, you don’t get lots of pebbles in them like you do with the sandal versions.
These are quality shoes that are well constructed. They still look great after two months of city walking, trail hiking, beach-to-boat wading, and stream fjording. We tossed them in the washing machine when we got back from our trip and they look almost new now.
The Sunkosi 2 lists for a hundred bucks, but sometimes you can find it on sale, as in $70 when I checked at Backcountry.com. This time of year is usually a good one for buying water shoes as retailers are moving them out to make room for more wintry gear. They come in two different colors, though the names of those are less than helpful. The one at the top is called “walnut” and the ones to the left are called “arctic.”
Get the Teva Sunkosi 2 direct from Teva.
Check Sunkosi 2 prices at Amazon
Related review: Teva Westwater for women
Posted by Tim in Adventure Gear, Travel Light on September 9th, 2009
Teva Omnium Sandals for Men
Up for some river rafting, kayaking, or walking through rocky streams? Beachcombing or just strolling along cobblestone streets? These Teva Omnium sandals can do it all and leave your feet feeling fine at the end of the day.
One key to packing well is to bring plenty of double-duty items along. The Teva Omnium sandals go well beyond “double,” to the point where they can be your main pair of shoes in multiple situations. Yes, I have taken them on plenty of adventure activities: kayaking, hiking, swimming through a dark cave river in Belize, and snorkeling from a cenote to the ocean in the Yucatan. But I’ve also worn them for days on end just bopping around town and going to the beach.
Teva wrote the book on strap-on adventure sandals that can perform like shoes. Part of the reason their shoes are so comfortable is the series of patented strap systems they have built into each model. There’s no sliding or flopping around in this footwear: each pair really does conform to your feet, even if they’re a bit wider or narrower than the standard D-width. With this model you can kind of set the sizing up and then forget about it. You unclip and clip them to take them off and on and your adjustment stays intact.
There are all kinds of features making these special, from the “Spider Rubber” soles that grip rocks well when climbing to the zinc-treated Microban odor control system. The first worked very well, the second just so-so. The drawback of sandals that are comfy enough to feel like fabric shoes is that the uppers can get as wet and soggy as shoes and they take a few hours to dry out in ideal conditions. So they’re prone to get mildewy (and yes, smelly) if you’re in a damp mountain area as I was for a while on this last trip.
The other drawback inherent in these Teva sandals and all the knock-offs that came after them is that they tend to trap every rock, pebble, and grain of sand that comes along. Since they are closed at both the toe and the heel, there’s nowhere for all the solids to drain out with the water. That’s a tradeoff you have to make though: comfort and a great fit all the time in exchange for having to take them off and dump them out now and then when you’re hiking through a stream.
The Teva Omnium performance sandals list for $80. I’ve worn them almost every day for two months solid on the road and they still feel and look great. Under less strenuous conditions, these ventilated adventure shoes should last for years of weekend outings.
Teva Footwear – Omnium at Teva.com
Posted by Tim in Adventure Gear, Travel Light on August 5th, 2009
Cute, Summery, Versatile Sandals: Teva Westwater
I’m a sucker for Mary Janes. Maybe the side-fastening footwear style reminds me of my (happy) childhood. Or maybe I like them because current fashion trends say it’s okay for a 40-year-old mom to sport this cute style. Or maybe I just like shoes that stay on my feet (unlike flip-flops).
Regardless, the Teva Westwater definitely falls under the “cute” category, and they are functional, too. Teva marketing materials say they can go from the river straight out to dinner on the town. Frankly, I think they are too nice to wear on any sort of kayaking or rafting trip — I’m certainly not going to subject mine to the Colorado River this summer. It’s nice to know they are made with a quick-drying/mesh upper (the spring-green color above), but I’m wearing my pair for sightseeing, shopping and those restaurant dinners during my travels in the coming warm-weather months.
That said, the Westwaters don’t offer a lot of arch support, so I can’t forsee sporting them on day-long treks. And the strappy sides cut into the side of my foot just a bit — not enough to forego wearing them, but they’re certainly not cushioned, nor are they the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn.
But there are way too many plusses going for the Westwaters for me to abandon them all together — not when they go perfectly with my Lucy Activewear Solaris Crop pants! Truly, I dig these casual summer shoes, and I just hope they last through the season. Knowing the Teva brand, and the fact that my husband has worn the same Teva sandals for the past seven years, I’m guessing the women’s Westwater style is built to last, too.
Teva Westwater women’s sandals retail for $70 and come in four colors.
Get them Direct from Teva
Posted by Kara in Travel Light on June 19th, 2009
