Posts Tagged travel security
For the Badass Traveler: Swiss Army Soldier Knife from Victorinox
Want to carry what the Swiss Army is really using these days? Then check out this Victorinox Soldier Knife. It has a locking blade that opens with one hand, a few key tools, and grips on the side that keep it from sliding in your hand.
Carry-on bag rules and airline gotcha fees have put a dent in the use of Swiss Army knives by travelers, but I still carry one on any trip where I’m going by car or when I know I will be checking a bag. For more than 100 years, these knives have been the ultimate double-duty travel gear items. They open bottles, open cans, punch holes, saw wood, drive in screws, and—on the one I’ve had for ages—even open wine bottles and trim a beard.
I got a Victorinox Swiss Army knife as a birthday gift from Mom right before my very first trip around the world. This was in the early 1990’s. I used it on that trip, then on a second one around the world. Then a third. At this point the knife has probably seen action in more countries than Jason Bourne and it’s still working fine. Victorinox can confidently provide a lifetime warranty and know that very few people will ever need to cash in. These knives hang in there for the long haul.
This Soldier Knife is an update on the usual red knife with a white cross, with several refinements. It’s less slippery, is an army green color, and looks more like something a real army person of any kind would use. It feels more serious and hefty than the one I’m used to using, but is only slightly heavier, at close to five ounces. It lists for $60, but goes for less at retailers and online shops like Amazon.
The key difference in this model is a main blade that can be opened with one hand. This could be quite helpful when rock climbing, spelunking, or mountaineering, but I also used the function a few times while doing home repairs and gardening around the house. Sometimes you just don’t feel like putting down the stuff in your other hand.
The blade then locks after you open it, which can be good or bad. The good thing is it won’t suddenly close on, say, your finger. When you are sawing something with the serrated part, there’s no movement in the blade—it’s locked in place.
The bad thing is, you then need two hands to close the blade. So let’s say you’ve flipped out the blade with one hand, done your task, then need to move on, with one hand still occupied. Now what? Since you opened it with one hand, how do you now have two free to close it with? Should I hold it in my teeth, Rambo-style?
Maybe I’m just clueless and this is why I’ve never pictured myself in an army, even one like Switzerland’s that eats chocolate more often than it tells enemies to eat lead. It’s probably also why the fact it has been “Field Tested and approved by the North American Hunting Club” doesn’t do much for me either. But for those with better training (or coordination maybe), this is a great knife.
See the full Victorinox knife line at Swissarmy.com. Buy the Swiss Army Soldier Knife at the links below.
Get it at Buy.com
Posted by Tim in Adventure Gear, Travel Light on March 18th, 2010
Women’s Edition Travel Medical Kit
About a dozen years ago, when my husband and I were packing for our first-ever camping trip together, I asked him where his first-aid kit was. He looked at me like a deer in headlights. Needless to say, my husband does not live the Boy Scout motto of “Be Prepared.”
I bought myself a soft-sized travel first-aid kit soon after that weekend getaway, and have brought it on many of our adventures since then. (I’d check the brand, but it’s buried in the confines of my winterized RV.) Though I’ve (frankly) made little dent in its contents, I know that if I’ve got a burn, blister or bite to deal with on family camping trips, I’ll be the parent to come to the rescue with the proper ointment or bandage.
Now I’ve got first-aid goodies to call my own, with the Women’s Edition Travel Medical Kit from Adventure Medical Kits. This company makes dozens of first-aid kits specifically designed for various types of travelers, adventurers and sports enthusiasts — from mountaineers to paddlers to hunters.
Decidedly non-prissy (and not pink!) the Women’s Edition Travel Medical Kit contains a typical supply list you’d find in any travel first-aid kit — such as bandages, gauze, painkillers, moleskin, antidiarrheal medicine and antibiotic ointment — but also items geared just for the girls, such as tampons and cramp-relief remedies. I’m also partial to its compact-size, 200-page “A Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness & Travel Medicine” as well as the “Visual Communication Tool” chart: if you find yourself in a foreign country and unable to communicate to medical personnel there, you can point to images to explain, say, that you’ve been bitten by a dog or that you’re allergic to bees.
The kit — which measures about 7 x 5 x 3 inches when full — is meant to be used among up to four women on a multi-day trip, but it does contain many small, one-use items, so you’ll need to refill the kit as you go through them. And of course, you could just compile your own travel medical kit from items you already have in your medicine cabinet (it would certainly be cheaper to make your own), but my guess your homemade kit would be much bulkier than this one.
For one-stop-shopping, I give this Women’s Edition Travel Medical Kit a thumb’s up for it’s handy, streamlined case, valuable medical guide, and extra pockets to supply your own items if you like.
Purchase the kit online at Adventure Medical Kits for $60. Better yet, check out Amazon.com: right now it’s selling for only $33.60 — a relative bargain!
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Posted by Kara in Adventure Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on February 5th, 2010
5 Things I Always Pack – Beth Whitman
This month’s guest post with “5 things I always pack” is from Beth Whitman. She is the author and publisher of the Wanderlust and Lipstick guides for women travelers, the editor of WanderlustAndLipstick.com, and leads tours to Bhutan, India, Vietnam and Cambodia. Here’s what she carries with her when she hits the road.
1. SteriPEN
In an effort to reduce my garbage footprint when I travel, I always carry a SteriPen Traveler water purifier. I’ve used this on numerous trips to India, drinking the tap water (hint: it still tastes yucky) and have never gotten Delhi Belly as a result.
2. eReader
I still buy the print versions of guidebooks because nothing beats lying in bed at night and highlighting all the places I want to visit. But for leisure reading, I upload books to an eReader, like Amazon’s Kindle, so that I’m not wasting space in my bag on a heavy tome.
3. Eyeshade
I’m never without an eyeshade that I wear on the plane or in my hotel room when there’s too much light coming through the window. It’s cheap and takes up little space, but is such a lifesaver when I really want/need to sleep.
4. Cable Lock
Nothing beats the added protection of a retractable cable lock. I can lock my backpack to my bed on an overnight train or to a stationary object in my hotel room if I’m staying someplace where I’m a little concerned about leaving my valuables behind.
5. Digital Photo Storage
Of course I always have a camera with me. But, I learned a hard lesson (I lost – but later recovered – about 300 images taken in India) about backing up my images nightly. These are generally small units that have the capacity to hold far more images or video than I’ll ever take on one trip. I use one from Digital Foci.
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Posted by Tim in General Gear, Travel Light on December 30th, 2009
Grab and Go Emergency Kit
One of those nagging things I always think is a good idea but never get around to is having emergency supplies in my house and car. Every time I read one of those articles about what should be in either one in case of emergencies, I realize I have almost none of those things in the trunk or basement and start feeling guilty.
Today I take off on a nine-hour road trip into snow-covered Virginia and am going a little better prepared. The folks at 4SurvivalToGo sent me one of their compact emergency kits to try out, so with this and a shake flashlight I’m at least partially armed and ready should we hit a blizzard along the way.
This Grab & Go Kit is the dimensions of a trade paperback but far thinner, so it could fit in a glove compartment or be unobtrusive in a hiking backpack. It’s packed with lots of items though that could come in handy in an emergency. Here’s what’s inside:
duct tape
bleeding control gauze
antimicrobial hand wipes
face mask
emergency whistle
glow stick
rubber gloves
biohazard bag
It all goes inside a thick plastic waterproof pouch.
If that’s not robust enough for you, there’s a a larger 72-hour kit with a carrying case that is loaded up with more, like a survival sleeping bag, a rain poncho, a knife, and waterproof matches.
The Grab & Go kit retails for $20 and you can get it at the 4survivaltogo.com site. Sure, you could probably put together one of these on your own for less, but will you ever get around to it? I’ve learned I probably won’t, so this is a convenient way to compensate.
Posted by Tim in Adventure Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on December 23rd, 2009
Word-Lock Luggage Lock
I can’t think of one instance when I’ve used a combination lock to secure my checked luggage. Maybe when I was 20 and backpacking through Europe; I vaguely recall using a big ol’ school-locker lock to keep safe my backpack in various hostels. But, frankly, I figure that if someone really wants the stuff out of my suitcase, they’re going to get it whether the zippers are locked shut or not.
That said, you do hear some crazy tales about items being stolen out of checked baggage. So if you do feel like you’re checked valuables would be more secure with a lock, you might consider the easy-to-set combination lock from WordLock.
I like the idea behind this lock since four-letter words are so much easier to remember than four-number combinations. The instructions to set the combination are easy to follow. In fact, my 7-year-old (with the help of his 9-year-old sister) figured out how to change the combo I set (R-O-C-K) to D-O-R-K.
In case you can’t come up with your own clever four-letter combination, a list of different options comes with the lock instructions. Each dial has 10 different letters on it; not all 26 are available, so you are somewhat limited. (Even so, there are 10,000 possibilities.)
The lock is recognized by the TSA, and inspectors can use a universal key to open it if they need to inspect your luggage by hand — no bolt cutters necessary. (Note, however, that sometimes it’s the TSA inspectors doing the stealing.)
My advice: If an item is really valuable, put it in your carry-on luggage.
WordLocks are available at many big-box retailers; plug in your zip code here to find one near you. Or purchase online at Amazon.com for under $10. The lock makes a nice travel gift or stocking stuffer.
Posted by Kara in General Gear on December 18th, 2009
