gear
I love packing aids and am always on the hunt for something new that will keep me organized and save space in my bag. I've always loved the idea of compression sacks, the ones suited for sleeping bags or camping gear, but they quickly become a packing black hole and are not always so useful for packing for travel. The Hoboroll takes the compression sack and makes it organizer-friendly. It is the perfect solution for those who like to stay organized and want to pack light, even when they might not be so good at it.
CES, the yearly technology extravaganza in Las Vegas, offers the gadget and gear lover an almost endless array of new toys to drool over. This year seemed focused on thin laptops, sleek tablets and smart TVs. But what about tech for the traveler, especially ones who already have all the laptops and tablets that they could want? I went searching through the products released at CES and found a few that could help keep your devices powered and connected while you're on the road, even better than ones I've seen in the past. Keep reading to see what I found.
This gift list won't talk about traditional travel gear and it wont tell you to get an iPad. You already know about that stuff or we've covered some of it in past. (Those old lists, they are still really excellent, by the way. In 2008 we tackled gifts for first time travelers, backpackers, urban seeks and diy options. In 2009, we kept it quirky with guides to two of our favorite sources for offbeat goods, Fred Flare and Etsy. And last year, we rounded up some more favorites in our 2010 guide.) But enough about the past, let's move onto the present and show you some of the things that have caught our eye this holiday season.
Ever since I got my first smartphone, I've more and more frequently run into the situations where I'm out on the road and my phone is dying. Or, I've been part of the growing masses of people in the airport, frantically searching for a free plug to give their phone or tablet a charge. It's a frustrating situation and I'm guessing you've been there. I recently had the opportunity to test out a backpack that was made to alleviate these stressful situations - the Powerbag. It's a backpack designed with a charging system built-in, which allows you the charge your phone or tablet while you're carrying it around. No more hunting, no more plug stalking.
I should be prepared to deal with the rain. After all, I have lived in Seattle for five years now. The thing is, in Seattle, I just deal. Getting a bit wet happens and if it's monsoon weather, I begrudgingly pull the Gortex out of the back of the closet.
Over the past year, however, I kept finding myself heading to tropical locals like Hawaii or St. Croix, where suggested packing was always a light raincoat or umbrella. I was at a loss on what to pack, as I don't even own an umbrella and a heavy raincoat was not going to take up precious cargo space for a "just in case" scenario. So, I broke down and began the hunt for the tiniest raincoat imaginable.
I discovered this Helium jacket by Outdoor Research that is lightweight, easily packed, and works perfectly in a pinch. It's quickly become one of my travel favorites.
The WhatchyaGot bag suits it's name perfectly. Regardless of what you've got, there's a spot for it in this bag designed by Julie Gallegos. As she watched her father battle cancer, she saw a need that traditional bags did not meet. As Julie designed a bag to hold his medications, vitamins and other personal supplies, all while keeping them organized, she realized that she had stumbled upon something. She's decided to share this act of love with the world and the WhatchyaGot bag was born. Keep on reading to see what I thought about the bag.
Crumpled City Maps by Emanuele Pizzolorusso solve the problem of folding up a map wrong by making it crumpled to start with. Twenty-three cities are available and made of a waterproof material. Available at palomar for €12,00 in the EU or on Amazon
Recently, I was perusing an article where creative types shared their travel essentials on Hypebeast. One stand out entry was a collapsible shopping bag from BAGGU. While I was a bit skeptical about just how necessary a shopping bag was for travel, it was easy to see why their line of brightly colored bags would catch the eye of an artist. A quick glance at their website and I found an entire line of candy-colored bags for travel. I had the chance to play with a set of their zipper packs and a daypack, and discovered that BAGGU offers much more than a shopping bag for the jetsetter. If you're looking for more ways to pack light, stay organized and fashion conscious when you're on the road, these might be the bags for you.
If you were to look at an Eye-Fi card without knowing what it was, you might guess it was just a normal SD memory card. But tucked inside its tiny plastic shell, is lots of memory AND the ability to talk to your computer without a card reader. This feature is awesome for all photographers, but how can it benefit travelers in particular? Keep reading, and I'll show you how.
