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Ecbc's Sparrow wheeled garment bag was designed to make your life easier, at least at getting through security, so you won't need to unpack into a bunch of TSA trays and pack it all back up again while juggling your electronics, your carry-on and your shoes. With ecbc's fastpass® system, all you need to do is fully unzip the outer packet which holds only your laptop on one side and your tablet or other small devices on the other and when your bag makes it through – zip it back up- no devices left behind. With the amount of pockets and zippers everywhere it actually takes it a step further and allows your whole bag to be a beacon of organization. The Sparrow even has its own valet where you can clip in hangers so when you get to your destination you just hang them up, no ironing! Two zip…
EC Lync System Carry-on ultra-light and durable luggage/backpack by Eagle Creek has the unique ability of changing from a carry-on suitcase with wheels and a pull out handle to a large day pack. Its actually the exact same bag either way (it doesn't fold out or anything) it just has a removable frame with wheels. I really liked the idea of it – it could be the perfect bag for those cheap airlines where they only let you have one bag and no 'personal item', purse or backpack. I end up on those airlines a lot, so I thought it may work well for me. In practice, though, its more cumbersome than I imagined and not especially intuitive. It comes in a stow bag with ikea-style picture instructions. It doesn't take long to put the frame together and that's a one-time job anyways – I don't see any reason you'd…
The Shouldit is a clever infinity scarf that has a hidden pocket so you can stash a few important items while traveling without having to worry about pickpocketers. It can be worn in various styles, though the one I thought looked and functioned best was a double wrap around the neck. When you wear it as a single large wrap it tends to slowly creep down so eventually all the items are resting uncomfortably at the bottom. The wrap can also be worn around the shoulders or converted back to a clutch if you so choose. The Shouldit would be perfect to take the place of a money belt to carry your passport, cash and credit cards discretely without having to wear either a thick belt around your waist or the awkward and obvious pouch that goes around your neck under your shirt. Though its great as a money belt…
Travel planning is a complex business involving many variables and wildly differing requirements, but most trips have at least one thing in common: there will be walking. If the place you’re going involves frigid temperatures, I bring you Bugothermo Techlite Boots by Columbia Sportswear to meet this need. These high-tech, ultra-light hiking boots are designed for cold-weather use and have a very nice added feature: electric heat. Special FeaturesThere are a number of features that these boots share with other high-performance hiking boots: water resistance, high-traction soles, internal cushioning and support, etc. These are important, but not what sets them apart. These are the things that make them different: * Removable, USB-rechargeable batteries* Built-in heating system* Rated to -25ºF* Lightweight at around 21 oz. each for a size 9 What’s in the box? * A pair of boots* 2 batteries with electronics control modules* 2 Micro-USB cables* 1 dual-socket USB-AC…
A few months back I gave you the rundown on what’s new in the smartphone world for travelers. So, supposing you went right out and picked up a shiny new Android phone. You got home, opened up the box, turned it on, and found that your new toy didn’t do all you thought it would be able to while on the road. This is not due to any hardware limitations of the little machine; it’s just lacking the proper set of applications to make it jump through the desired hoops. Hopefully this article will get you started in finding the right apps for the job. As you’ll see, with the proper apps, a good smartphone doesn’t just jump through hoops, it’ll do backflips and whistle the Star-Spangled Banner at the same time. I’ve purposely stuck with free applications. If you want any of them, just search for their names in…
Travel provides many wondrous opportunities to see sights and hear sounds that one might want to record with digital photo, video, or audio recording. While most devices come with some internal storage, there is the possibility that one might want to offload them to external storage for safekeeping. For this purpose, I bring you the Corsair Survivor GTR. This USB flash drive promises both near-indestructibility and extremely high performance. Corsair was kind enough to provide me with the 32GB version of the drive for testing purposes. Features Included with the drive is a USB cable and a metal chain long enough to allow the drive to be worn around the neck. The chain also comes with a rubber-edged aluminum dog tag with the Corsair logo on it, though I’m not really sure why that particular item was included beyond branding. Here are the specs: Weight: 1.6oz. Dimensions: 3.3” long 0.9”…
For those of you who have been reading my reviews since the beginning, you'll know that I've done smartphone reviews before. Since the last one, the Smartphone world has changed enormously. Last time, I asserted that carrying a smart phone can be a viable alternative to carrying a bulky laptop on your trip, which is even more true today. People have finally started treating their phones like little computers and manufacturers are adapting to the needs of consumers. The new generation phones are more like full-featured computers than their predecessors and sport features such as large screens, integrated mapping solutions, high-speed data connections, excellent browsers, and multi-touch controls. Today, I will look at the Android operating system by Google and phones from three of the four major US carriers to give you a feel for what's out there and what to expect in a modern smartphone.
A couple of issues ago, I reviewed the The LuxuryLite “Carbon Big Stik." While it was a marvel of modern carbon fiber awesomeness, it had a single down-side: the length. While hiking through the wilderness, a walking staff of 50" or more is an ideal tool, but when making your way through a more urban environment you’ll look out of place. If you also consider my personal fetish for things that are as near to indestructible as possible and you'll understand why I felt the need to review the Cold Steel City Stick.
When hiking hither and yon across the countryside and your pack is loaded with all the high-tech gear you've read about in previous reviews, there might come a point where you begin to feel an emptiness inside your stomach and your thoughts turn toward food. That is what I'm going to talk about today: portable nourishment. Many hikers favor canned foods, breads, cheeses, etc. These are perfectly adequate low tech solutions for those who don't mind products that are a bit bulkier, heavier, or require more preparation than their space-age cousins. If you're on a longer trip and need things that will last, but won't weigh you down quite so much, you can turn to the wonders of modern science. In recent years, many modern marvels of food science have been created, packaged, and made available for your convenient joyous consumption. To examine the best of the low-weight, low-prep options,…
A major part of traveling is walking and hiking long distances over varied terrain. Traveling by foot is often essential to visit the most interesting sites; in such cases, a walking stick is often useful to increase balance and support. You could choose trekking poles or an old-school style wooden staff. However, the new Big Stik by Luxury Lite might just be the best option on the market today. The concept behind the Big Stik is to have all of the advantages of a full staff such as adjustable length and durability with added functionality including a camera mount on top for use as a monopod, a section with a sharp bit that can turn it into a spear for defense against an unruly animal, and a top bit for use as a shelter pole. For handling multiple terrains you are given two options, either a rubber tip or a…
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As all of you who read these reviews know, I am a serious geek for gadgets. If it's small and does something cool, it will make me salivate like one of Pavlov's dogs hearing a bell ring. Still, as much as I love them all, I have to admit that a good half of the devices I've reviewed are nothing more than high-priced paperweights when deprived of a power outlet. To solve this problem, I've examined a number of options such as the Brunton solaris and Solo.
When traveling, one challenge is keeping reading and reference materials at hand without weighing oneself down with books. Still, I never like to be without my guides, references, or things to read to keep me entertained during slow moments. In recent years, a technological solution has presented itself: the e-book reader.
A while ago, I wrote a review of a pair of Fenix Pocket Flashlights. At the time, these were being distributed in the United States by a small company called 4Sevens, run by David Chow. Recently, I got back in touch with David to see if there were any new developments in the field of portable photonic generation. He told me that in response to all the customer feedback they’d received, as well as their own thoughts on how to improve the product,. 4Sevens decided to design their own series of flashlights. The result of this design effort is the Quark line of LED flashlights. David was kind enough to provide four flashlights (the entire Quark line) for review. These are the AA, the AA2, the 123, and the 1232, all named for the type and number of batteries they use. After experimenting with these lights over a couple of…
Sunday, 31 May 2009
Love that Dirty Water: The WaterStick by Seldon Technologies
Written by Nick Atlas
Once in a while, you find something with a purpose so mundane and yet it functions so incredibly, that the ramifications of it are staggering. To this end, I went looking for a solution to a problem that plagues (sometimes literally) many world travelers: clean drinking water. The Seldon Technologies WaterStick, was just such a thing. The WaterStick was simple to operate, had a straightforward purpose, was portable, and was relatively inexpensive,. To put it simply, the WaterStick is designed to easily, portably, and reliably make almost any source of water clean and drinkable.
Over the last few years, you've seen a variety of reviews here for many different types of things. Having reviewed a great number of products recommended to take on your journeys, I realized that I had neglected one very important item: the one you use to carry all the things you'll need or want: a bag.
The Ecotat Systems U.S. Military Tent Multipurpose and Tactical Recon Liner/Bag #4 In reading the title of this issue's review, you may notice something unusual. You may notice that there isn't a snappy product name or a company brand that you recognize. Instead, you see the name of a couple of items with functional, descriptive names such as what you might find on an olive drab label attached to something that fell out of a soldier's pack. Well, if that's what you think we're going to look at this month, you'd be absolutely right. For this issue, I decided to find the lightest and most powerful tent and sleeping bag I could to review. I found all sorts of things. Some that were wired for light, sound, or power. Others that didn't use poles or assembled themselves. Still others that used exotic forms of goose-down found only on the insides…
One of the biggest problems travelers face is communication. Sure, we’re cosmopolitan people of the world. We’ve been around. We’ve learned bits and pieces of other languages. Maybe we’re fluent in a few and speak a smattering of a few others. Still, there are over 230 living languages spoken in Europe alone. When it comes down to it, there’s only so much language we can hold before we start to run out of space. Enter Lingvosoft, a New York-based software company. The product is their Translator line which they sell either one language-to-one other language at a time or in a so-called “ultimate” pack of English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.
A while back I did a review of a few Leatherman tools which I said, at the time, were one of the most useful things one might carry on a trip, with the possible exception of a towel. Recently it came to my attention that, in only reviewing the Leatherman offerings, I had neglected the other industry leader in the field of dinguses-that-do-just-about-everything-and-fit-in-your-pocket. That would be Gerber, the other well known maker of pliers-centered multi-tools. The people at Gerber were kind enough to bring this neglect to my attention and offer their assistance in helping me to remedy this oversight. To that end, they provided me with three different tools to review: The Diesel, The Freehand, and The Ripstop.
I recently spoke with representatives of Brunton, Inc., a manufacturer of technical gear for outdoor activity, regarding inTravelMag’s last issue’s article on portable power options. <make this a hyperlink to last month’s review> I mentioned that I spent a lot of time looking for uniquely flexible and unusual items. In response, they suggested that I review their Vapor AF expedition stove. According to Brunton, this stove could burn just about any liquid or gas fuel. Anything from gasoline and kerosene to butane and jet fuel is usable in this stove. Of course I had to do the review.
In the last several months, we’ve talked about a number of tiny, durable, and multifunctional electronic devices. They all have one thing in common: they need power. The electricity to charge these devices may not always be as easy to find as a nearby power outlet. Maybe you’re off in the woods, on an extended hiking trip, or find yourself somewhere where power is intermittent or not available at all. Enter Brunton, a maker of high-tech outdoor equipment and their Solaris USB and the Solo 3.4. These two products form a complimentary power solution with which Brunton has been kind enough to provide to us for review.
When reviewing products, I try to find unique and interesting items that have greater performance, durability, or more features than anything else. That is why when I first saw the MaxxDaddy folding chair; I knew I had to review it. We have all seen foldable camping chairs—they are usually made of aluminium or cloth, cannot hold much, and have a tendency to wobble. This is not the case with the MaxxDaddy, as I will prove.
Friday, 29 February 2008
The Sony LocationFree System and EZVision X4 Video Glasses
Written by Nick Atlas
Even the greatest of travel adventures have downtime. Maybe you’ve got an airport layover. Maybe you’re waiting for a bus. Maybe you’re stranded in a hostel somewhere due to inclement weather or illness. For whatever reason, at that moment, instead of experiencing the grand excitement that the whole thing was supposed to be, you’re sitting there bored. Enter the LocationFree video system. The LocationFree system from Sony Electronics is designed to allow viewing of video streamed from home to a remote location over the internet.
A few months back we did a review of the Intermec CN3 handheld computer. It was a great package as far as functionality and durability, but showed its industrial origins in the areas of usability and size. This issue I take a look at the other side of the coin. The AT&T Tilt is one of the latest of a new generation of consumer-grade handheld computers. It’s small, it’s sleek, it does everything, and it’s all wrapped up in a shiny ergonomic package that’s sure to please.
As you explore the world, how many times have you needed an odd bit of information that you didn’t have on hand? Maybe it’s the population of Senegal or the characteristics of a certain type of plant or details on the literary career of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Whatever the information, it’s probably somewhere on Wikipedia
In your travels, there are many important items to have with you at any given time. Arguably among the most important of these general use items is the simple towel. “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams has this to say on the topic:
This month I had a chance to take a look at two new flashlights. You may think that flashlights are a pretty dull subject, but try saying that in the middle of the night when you are miles from anywhere. Even so, you might think that there’s only so much to say. You push a button or turn a knob and light comes out the end. With the Fenix P1D CE and L1D CE, it is not that simple. These tiny powerhouses are more like pocket-sized spotlights compared to normal flashlights.
There are a number of web tools available for sharing experiences - photo sites, blog sites, link collections, and maps. With some work it is possible to bring these together, by connecting Google maps to your photo site or your blog. But what if all of these sharing possibilities were brought together in one spot? And what if it was designed with the traveler in mind and made just -click- that easy?
So you’re going to be away from home for a month or two on that epic trip you’ve always wanted to take. You’re going to be crawling through jungles, climbing mountains, navigating cities in unfamiliar countries, and generally being away from the things you usually take for granted. Still, you may want to be able to make a call when you’ve got cell phone signal. You might want to navigate via GPS. It’s possible that you’ll want to have a handy translator in your pocket. You might even want to drop an email to friends back home or find some information on the web. Even with all of those possible wants, the prospect of lugging a delicate, bulky, and awkward laptop around with you for a month probably doesn’t appeal. Enter the CN3 Handheld Computer from Intermec.
Have you ever been in the middle of nowhere and had something break or need to cut, bend, break, measure, or otherwise repair or alter something? In that case, have you ever found yourself without just the right tool for the job? If you hate having to put in screws with the point of your handy jackknife or trying to find an appropriately shaped rock every time you need to crimp something together, then here’s an answer for you: The Leatherman Tool. This issue we’re taking a look at two different models from Leatherman, the Wave, a pocket model made for a semi-urban setting, and the Core, the toughest, most heavy duty tool they make.
The Grundig Mini World Radio is an entry-level short-wave receiver ideal for a specific buyer: the weight- and budget-conscious but well-informed world traveler. At less than thirty dollars ($27 - $50 online), it is light on the budget.
Over the past several years, we have seen great leaps and strides in miniaturization. This has led to an increase in the so-called “combo” device–including the now ubiquitous camera/phone and the flashlight/radio. Garmin’s Rino 110 is an excellent example of how combination devices can provide increased portability and excellent value. With both a 2-way radio and a basic GPS navigation system, it provides both limited communications and the strong GPS performance that has been Garmin’s hallmark in the past.
Thursday, 31 August 2006
Vivitar DVR-510 5.0 Mega Pixel Digital Video Camera
Written by David Fortini
The DVR-510 is one of Vivitar’s digital video cameras. This camera can do more than just video and still images it can also be used as a voice recorder, MP3 player, and a PC camera. If you’re going for a light-weight, all-in-one device, this could be a bonus for you. It also supports PictBridge printing, so if you have a PictBridge printer you can print directly from the camera.
Monday, 01 May 2006
Partner ES400T English-Spanish Bi-way Talking Dictionary
Written by Christina Kay Bolton
The Partner ES400T English-Spanish Bi-way Talking Dictionary by Ectaco is one of the more serious translators I’ve seen. It has a dictionary of 520,000 words! It also features slang and idioms, and a recording feature for new words, if that’s not enough.
If you’re not looking to take you entire CD collection on your trip, then the ultra compact iriver T30 MP3 player should work for you. The T30 is part of iriver’s ultra portable line of media players, available in 512MB and 1GB versions.
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