Posts Tagged travel security
Banjees for Stashing Your Cash
How about a new place to stash your cash while traveling?
There are lots of products invented for another type of customer that eventually get co-opted by travelers. (Swiss Army knives, Tevas, trail runners, wicking clothing, and bandanas for a start.) Here’s a new one that could join those ranks: banjees wrist wallets from Sprigs.
The primary market for these banjees is fit women who need to have their apartment key and Starbucks card with them when they go out for their morning jog or power walk. Subtract the apres-cafe and that’s my wife, so I’ve had her trying this item out as she pounds the pavement in the neighborhood.
The verdict is that this is a pretty cool item that solves a simple problem in style. When it’s hot out, you don’t want to be wearing extra clothing, so this banjee keeps the essentials on your body without you having to wear something with pockets. She likes how these are stylish and allow some personality to shine through: they come in solid reflective colors, reversible polyspandex, eco designs from organic cotton, and more.
For the traveler, the benefits are more defense-oriented: keep a stash of cash in a place where nobody is looking. Who tries to pickpocket your wrist? I’m a big fan of money pouches that go inside your pants, but you still need to keep some ready cash somewhere else for bus fares, food stalls, and market bargaining. (The quickest way to lose your bargaining leverage is to pop out a money belt and start thumbing through giant banknotes.)
Plus there are times you want to keep your valuables locked up in a room while you go out clubbing or hitting beach bars. With one of these on you can still wear your cute skirt and t-shirt but have some money or a credit card on hand—in something that just looks like a fashion statement.
If you’re the type that needs to record your every move at night and share it as well, don’t worry: there’s a phone banjee too.
See the full line at www.Sprigsville.com or get them at REI.
Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Travel Light on April 28th, 2011
5 Things I Always Pack – Beth Blair
Freelance writer and blogger Beth Blair once worked as a flight attendant and she sometimes flies with kids, so she has learned plenty of lessons about luggage, packing, and useful travel gear. For today’s guest post, here are five things she always packs.
1. Flashlight
This tradition started back when I worked as a flight attendant and was required to carry a flashlight while on duty. Since then, my flashlight has come in handy many times including fixing a flat tire on a rental car, the night a hotel’s power went out for several hours during a severe lightening storm, and several times on airplanes when the reading light was burned out. I’ve been carrying Modus 1 by ICON (pictured below).
2. Luggage scale
I never paid much attention to the weight of my luggage since I try and carry-on as frequently as I can. However, when packing for a two-week cruise I realized how easy it could be to go over my airline’s max luggage weight, especially on the return trip home when the suitcases would be bursting with souvenirs. I use the Balanzza Digital Luggage Scale which fits nicely in my suitcase’s outer pocket.
3. Travel Carbon Monoxide Alarm
This is my newest travel gadget and I am thrilled to be packing it, just in case. Carbon monoxide poisoning is extremely dangerous because it is colorless, odorless and tasteless. I’m even more passionate about this item since someone I know via Twitter recently encountered a carbon monoxide scare while on vacation in a cabin, the gas fireplace wasn’t venting. Fortunately the CO alarm went off and alerted the guests to the problem. I have a First Alert Travel Carbon Monoxide Alarm.
4. Lollipops
There is nothing more painful than plugged ears while flying, especially for children who don’t know how to pop their ears. Usually medication won’t kick-in quickly enough and that’s where the suckers come in handy. Right before descent I hand my kids a lollipop and let them suck away. I’ve even shared them with adults in pain and they’ve worked. I pack classic Tootsie Pops, they last longer than other versions.
5. Business cards
I’ve found that carrying a stack of cards imprinted with pertinent information is time saving and convenient whether I’m traveling for business or pleasure. They especially come in handy when a baggage agent needs to log your information after the airline loses your luggage.
Beth Blair is a former flight attendant turned travel writer specializing in family travel and safety. She writes for Aviation Security International magazine and is co-founder of The Vacation Gals. Learn more about her on her personal site BethBlair.com.
See other guest posts in this series: 5 Things I Always Pack
Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on October 14th, 2010
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 L. 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 L. in General Gear, Travel Light on December 30th, 2009
