FlipEze Laminated Books initially struck us as a waste of time and resources. The size of playing cards, the 10 pages for each of four languages (Spanish, French, Italian and German) offer translations of just the basic phrases, bound together with a plastic ring and clipped to a lanyard or large carabiner. Out of context, they seemed a little too basic and likely to take up too much space for what they offered.
But then a trip to Mexico found my younger daughter looking for something small to carry around each day that would get her to and from the swimming pool and restrooms at hotels, through restaurant situations and chatting with people quickly and easily while I was otherwise occupied on a work trip, and aquì, FlipEze was perfect.
We ditched the larger carabiner in favor of a smaller one and found ourselves whipping the cards out repeatedly, especially at the beginning of the trip. By the end, we were locals — at least when it came to asking for la cuenta (the check). $10.95,
Mountainsmith’s Market Street daypack is rugged and made out of some kind of high-density material called “Mystery-Tex” that is thick and heavy-duty.
It is kind of a mystery, but that’s OK. Those of us who walk to work or school in the elements don’t really care what it is as long as it keeps rain off our laptops and other electronics and paperswhich it does.
The many pockets, including the main clamshell-style one for easy access to the computer, make sense and aren’t just there to pad the marketing hype. The straps are thick but pliable, and the part that hits your back looks like a turtle’s shell. The straps offer excellent padding when we jam the bag full, although things can get a tad sweaty in hot weather despite the air-flow channels.
The bag’s hardy top handle makes it easy to swing around even when it is is overloaded. This bag’s so well made, it should last forever. $129, , but click on the retail options and comparison shop; some are offering it for $116.
The N29 LED cap is for travelers who want to light – and lighten – up their trips. We started out with flashlights, then shifted to head lamps and are now ready to move on … to a sporty cap that lights up like a small Christmas tree.
Unlike the torch, which leaves you one-handed, and the head lamp, which can bob around like a bulky headband, the LED hat frees up fingers without weighing down your noggin.
The water-resistant topper is made of vented nylon (no more sweat head) and features a row of LED bulbs on the tip. The lights switch on with an easy press of a button positioned inside the brim: Click once for two lights, again for all four.
When we entered a dark room, our trusty hat illuminated our path, lighting whichever object or trail we swung our head toward. (From an observer’s perspective, we looked as if we had four tiny blue eyes peering out from our forehead.) The glow was strong and wide, and stretched up to 30 feet – so we didn’t bang into a wall, or had we been hiking, fall off a cliff.
$12.98, .
HelenRae Luggage makes a big deal about being made by a woman for women, and there just might be something to that. The carry-ons come in fab colors (black with pink or blue piping, brown with pink), are lightweight (10 pounds as opposed to 12-15) but sturdy and have soft-grip adjustable handles that move to five heights. And the bag meets most airline requirements – filled, it comes in at just under 12 inches deep, 14 inches wide and 22 1/2 inches long (including wheels). But it really shines in the unique amenities: Velcro-attached partitions allow organized spaces, keeping shoes or other heavy objects from wrinkling fragile items; a front pocket sturdy enough for a laptop, a plastic-lined outer pocket ideal for the baggie of 3-ouncers for easy retrieval; and a removable, hanging garment bag. And four wheels that rotate, so no bruised shins trying to muscle the bag around – it nearly effortlessly moves with you. $195,
Teeny Towels are mini insect-repellent wipes in colored, translucent dispensers with attached key chains. They are geared for parents – or any on-the-go folks – who want all-natural, bug-repelling wipes in easy-to-carry dispensers.
We liked Teeny Towels’ citrus scent, and the dispenser was handy, but we’re skeptical when it comes to all-natural bug deterrent. And it’s a good thing mosquito season is ending, because these towels proved no match against the fierce biters of Bethesda, Md.
We sat with our trusty research assistant (a.k.a. Dad) under a pear tree, rolled up our shirt sleeves and pants legs, and wiped the towelettes on our right arms and legs, keeping our left-side limbs product-free. Then we waited. Five minutes later, a huge tiger mosquito came in for a landing on our right arm. It bit. And it wasn’t alone. After 30 itchy minutes, we called it quits and tallied our bites.
Dad: Three bites on the left side, two on the right.
Us: Five on the right side, none on the left.
Conclusion: Pass the DEET.
$8.95 for a starter kit of two dispensers and four packs of towelettes; refill pack prices vary; various online stores, see a list on .
Skiing Socks are aptly named. And if your feet aren’t comfortable out there, nothing is. Made of 66 percent wool, 29 percent nylon and 5 percent elastic, the over-the-calf versions are high enough to come up over snowboard boots and skis, and have terrific padding in the crucial areas right in front of the shin bone and under the heel – just enough to provide some cushion and prevent chafing, not so much that there will be rubbing or issues with fit. The wool-nylon blend is warm and wicks away sweat; there’s just enough wool to keep it toasty but not itchy, and the socks come in ultra-light, light and medium, references to their thickness, so you can find the one that matches your needs. The dark-hued colors (grays, blacks, blues) with a few whimsical white snowflakes mean they go with everything. SmartWool, by the way, is based in Steamboat Springs.$19.95,
The spork from Light My Fire is the all-in-one utensil backpackers have been waiting for. Super-light (about 9 grams), durable (it bends before it breaks and will withstand sitting right up against a campfire without melting) and convenient (the knife edge actually works and is built right into the fork), this handy-dandy tool comes in 11 colors. The serrated knife takes a little bit of getting used to – at first you might scrape the inside of your cheek, but easy does it. Dishwasher-safe and comes in three sizes: Original, Extra-Medium for bigger mouths and Large for cooking. | $3-$10, light-my-fire.com
The Chilly Box Backpack Cooler is a versatile tool for the recreational type and the laptop-toting computer geek.
It fit a Dell computer with a 17-inch screen comfortably. It has two spacious side pockets and room for two small water bottles. Best of all, it has a removable waterproof cooler that promises to hold 18 12-ounce cans of your favorite beverage. I didn’t put that to the test, but on a recent golf trip to the mountains, I did pack it with food, and it kept it all cold with just a couple of ice packs, despite being inside the car for several hours.
Of course, I don’t recommend carrying the laptop while using the backpack cooler, but the backpack does fit comfortably and can easily be adjusted to just about any body type. The zippers can be a bit troublesome, but overall it can be handy on camping trips when you need more storage for food for a night or two. Also, the company, Universal Stylz Inc., is based in Denver, although the pack is made in China. | $40, ; 866-923-5100 or 720-570-1000.
A photographer who wants to be in any of the pictures she shoots can hand off a camera to a complete stranger; set up the self-timer and hope no one snags the equipment; or pull the old holding-the-camera-out-at-arm’s-length move, which generally leads to a huge face in the foreground and a tiny, say, Eiffel Tower or Great Wall in the background.
Now there’s a fourth option. We attached the Quikpod Pro+, an extendable hand-held monopod, to the bottom of our point-and-shoot (most models under about 16 ounces and with a tripod mount will work) and set the self-timer. Feeling rather conspicuous, we held the Quikpod out in front with the camera pointed toward us (it added 18 1/2 inches to our reach when fully extended), caught our reflection in the tiny mirror on the monopod’s far end and flashed our pearly whites. Instead of an uncomfortably up-close-and-personal shot of our forehead, we ended up with a balanced image good enough to hold on to. Be on the lookout for camera shake, though. The standard Quikpod Pro comes with a hiking clip, wrist strap and carry bag ($25); the tripod legs and belt clip that come with the Pro(plus) version are worth the upgrade. This is one lightweight (3.5 ounces) gadget that has just earned a place in our camera bag. | $30, 800-567-0878, , , . -The Washington Post
