Posts Tagged Tifosi
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 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 L. in Adventure Gear, Business Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on January 1st, 2010
Fashionable Tifosi Salvo Sunglasses with Polarized Lenses
I have a few different pairs of sunglasses lying around the house for different needs and activities. On the water though, there’s one word that can make a huge difference in what works: “polarized.” Putting on a pair of regular sunglasses on the open sea and then putting on a pair of Polarized ones is like the difference between an old small TV and a big flat-screen high-definition one. You can see eliminate most of the glare and see more of what’s happening on or under the water.
Since I was about to head off to the Galapagos Islands for a week on a ship, I jumped at the chance to try out this Salvo model from Tifosi Optics. I’ve got a pair of Tifosis that’s my go-to pair when biking or hiking—the Torrent—and I love them, especially the photochromatic lenses and the little vents that keep your eyes from tearing up at high speeds. This model is more fashionable though, which meant I could take just this one pair with me on the trip and know they would work fine for the deck of a boat and also sightseeing around Quito.
These have metal frames and the polycarbonate lenses are hard enough to make you think they’re real glass, so they feel solid and expensive. They’re extremely comfortable, to the point where I went rooting around for my sunglasses in my bag one day, not realizing I already had them on. They have some give in the frame and the ear stems have spring-loaded hinges that bend out a little without snapping. Rubber accents are placed in contact points to make them more comfortable.
One reason I can so heartily recommend Tifosis though is the price. These are not mall kiosk cheapies, but at a price of $50-$60, they’re quite reasonable. (The more classic aviator-looking Helo model is $34-$45.) That’s a half or third of what some of the more overhyped brands on the market retail for.
Tifosi has lines that are popular with cyclists, golfers, and tennis players, but they’re great for active travelers who just want a good pair of sunglasses that will last. This is especially true since every pair comes with a hard zippered case you can stuff in your bag or a daypack pocket without worry. Inside is an additional soft case that doubles as a lens cleaner. There’s a lifetime warranty against defects too.
For something that straddles the line between form and function, the Helo, which comes in four frame/lens combinations, is a great choice. This one is sized for small to medium faces though, so if you’ve got a big head, search the other options below. Check the Fade or Ridge if you like metal frames.
Browse the whole selection at TifosiOptics.com. Search online prices for Tifosi Salvo or see the dealer locator for independent bike and sports spots that carry this popular line.
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, General Gear on October 22nd, 2009
