Travel Product Guide

November 25th, 2008

Napkleen Helps Keep Travelers Clean

Napkleen is an oversized napkin/bib for people of all ages who spill. 

You may have seen bibs for children that tie around the neck, but these bibs for everyone stick to your clothes and don’t require ties.  They’re waterproof and disposable and made of a 2-ply tissue with a layer of impermeable plastic coating that will protect your clothing.

Toss a couple in your carry on for the kids to wear during an airplane meal, or keep them in the car glove box so they’ll be handy for a emergency drive-through fast food meal.  They’d also be handy for car trip when activities may involve a little messiness.  It will give you a fighting chance at having them arrive as clean as when they left home.

If you’re one of those people who drinks (coffee) and drives, Napkleen may come in handy and protect your shirt from one of those spills caused by a sudden stop.

As an adult I’m not sure that I’d want to wear one of these in public (unless I was cracking into a crab or lobster at my favorite casual seafood cafe), but they’d be super for kids.

Napkleens are not a green alternative, but are a handy travel option for when utility and disposability go hand in hand.

Photo credit:  Napkleen

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By Mary Jo -- 0 comments

November 24th, 2008

America the Beautiful – the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass

It’s a bargain to visit our National Parks and other Recreational Lands, but here’s a way to make a great bargain an even better one.  

The Annual 2009 “America the Beautiful – the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass” goes on sale December 1st and with a special holiday offer is valid from December 1st, 2008 through January 31st, 2010. 

That’s 14 month of access to to over 2,000 sites! 

The annual pass covers entrance fees at participating sites managed by the US Forest Service, National Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation.  This includes places like Crater Lake National Park, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (in photo), and Red Rock Canyon National Conservation area.  Check out the full listing of sites at the US Geological Service site.

The Annual Pass sells for $80, and covers entrance for the holder and all accompanying passengers in a single, non-commercial vehicle.  Where per person entry fees are charge, the pass cover the holder and three accompanying adults (children 15 and under are free).

To get the special holiday offer, you’ll need to order through the USGS website, via email to fedrecpass@usgs.gov, or by calling 1-888-275-8747, option 1.

This makes a great personal purchase as well as a terrific gift for any outdoor enthusiast on your list.  The USGS also offers an online shop with lots of other gift ideas.

Photo credit:  wikimedia

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By Mary Jo -- 0 comments

November 23rd, 2008

Garment Bagg-in-a-Pouch Folds Away Until You Need It

If shopping is one of your travel indulgences, you’ve probably had the experience of bring home more than you started with.  For those times, and for the just-in-case times, the Garment Bagg-in-a-Pouch from Baggallini can be easily packed away until it’s needed.

Start your trip with it folded up in a 9” x 11” pouch and tuck it away in your other bags. 

When you need additional room for packing, open it up into a medium-sized garment bag.  You gain additional packing space with the outside zippered pockets which are ideal for shoes or other smaller items.

The Garment Bagg-in-a-Pouch is made of lightweight water resistant fabric, so it will keep your clothes dry and cleans up easily. 

Available from Baggallini, or from your local retailer.  $49.95.

Image credit:  Baggallini

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November 23rd, 2008

Travel Journal Makes Life on the Road Easy

If you collect a lot of odds and ends of travel paraphernalia, the Poketo Travel Journal will definitely come in handy AND it will help ensure that all those little bits of things make it home with you.

Made of a heavy recycled chipboard cover, the journal has a large rubber band to secure it closed.  The inside is filled with a planning section (including checklists), a place to list your day-by-day itinerary, a section for notes, a daily planner, pockets to save your bits of stuff, and lots more useful stuff.  All totaled, there are 160 pages of good stuff inside.

The Travel Journal comes inside a pouch that keeps it clean, meaning you can worry a little less about where or how you pack it.

This would make a great bon voyage gift, or a Christmas gift for your favorite traveler.  Available from Poketo, $24.

Image credit:  Poketo

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November 22nd, 2008

2-in-1 Pet Travel Bowl

If you travel with your pet, this 2-in-1 food and water bowl is a great idea. It features two compartments that unzip into portable food and water bowls.

Whether your bring your pets on vacation, camping trips or hikes, you will find this travel product useful. You can get this 2-in-1 pet bowl right now at Pet Travel Center for just $10.95. Pet Travel Center offers a variety of other pet products, including travel beds, carriers and much more.

For other cute pet products and fashions, check out Couture Critters, where Gayla McCord offers an array of fun selections for your pets.

Image credit: Pet Travel Center

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By Kori Ellis -- 0 comments

November 22nd, 2008

Travel Espresso Machine

I love my morning coffee!  I enjoy the taste, and the ritual drinking of it helps me ease into my day.

On the road, I enjoy an espresso, but with costs going up, it’s quickly becoming an indulgence rather than a routine part of the day.

The Handpresso Wild allows you to make your own using a portable espresso machine that you can take nearly anywhere.  You save money and energy by using hand power rather than electricity.  You do need to have hot water, but you can get that with the coffee maker in your hotel room, or pack an insulate thermos for a car trip or day hike. 

It looks simple to use (see video below).  You pump the handle a few times, add water, insert the coffee pod, turn upside down, push the button and it’s espresso.  You can have it anywhere!

This handy gadget is small enough to pack in a suitcase, keep in your car, pack for camping or a car, or keep handy for any kind of travel.

Buy the Handpresso Wild for $130.  A variety of accessories and coffee pods are also available.  You can easily recover the cost of the machine as you replace your daily espresso habit.

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November 21st, 2008

Leather-Bound Atlas and Guides

Are you looking for a gift for a friend who travels often? This series of leather-bound maps, guides and other travel information is a terrific choice.

You can choose from the World Atlas, the guide to America National Parks, the Rocky Mountains Journal, or the Appalachian Trail Guide. All four are bound in soft calfskin and feature gilt-edged pages. These reference books are the perfect choice to carry on vacations or adventure trips.

Each atlas or guide book is priced at $49 from Orvis. You can also add embossed personalization for an additional $8. Order one or order them all!

Photo credit: Orvis

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By Kori Ellis -- 0 comments

November 21st, 2008

Chargepod Eliminates Need to Pack Multiple Charging Units

If you’ve ever left home without the proper charging cable, this gadget may be for you.

The Chargepod is a 6-way charging device that will allow you to charge all your devices with one gadget.  You no longer need to pack every single cable that you need, nor do you have to worry about finding enough outlets in your hotel room. You can re-charge all your small electronic, from one outlet, using this device.

Beginning units consists of a base station and one adapter cable and start at $39.95.  From there you customize your unit, adding the cables you need for your various gadgets.  A quick scan and it looks like it works with most devices (cameras, mp3 players, phones, etc.), but it does not charge your laptop.

Having been caught without the right charging equipment before, and having stayed in far too many hotel rooms that don’t have adequate outlets, this little gadget caught my eye.

Image credit: Callpod

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November 20th, 2008

Sound Machine Blocks Hotel Noises

I can sleep pretty much anywhere.  Hotel noise, whether from outside, from the hall, or even from next door, just doesn’t bother me.  There are so many times, however, when traveling companions have asked if I’ve heard noise from the night before that kept them awake.  From my end, the answer is usually, no – I’ve slept through it all.

If your sleep patterns are easily interrupted by hotel noise, the Marsona Sound Machine can help muffle those disturbing noises and emit soothing sounds instead.

To use it, just plug it in, select the sound you’d like to fall asleep to, and then adjust to volume to a calming volume.  You can choose from nature sounds like rainfall, waterfall or surf.

The sound machine comes in a nylon travel pack and includes a dual-voltage power pack.

Retails for $89, and is available at Magellan’s.

Photo credit:  Magellan’s

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November 19th, 2008

Cute & Cuddly Eye Pillow

I’m a night person, and I travel on a lot of red-eye flights.  I’m usually the one up reading late, but it’s not uncommon to see other passengers trying to get a little shut-eye.  They are trying to ignore my light with their sleep mask.

There are all sorts of sleep masks out there, but I love the cute factor of these cuddly animal eye pillows.  They are big enough to block out surrounding light, and the softness of the fabric and filling just sort of settle in around your eyes and nose.

These are more than just a simple sleep mask, though. The pillows are filled with lavender and chamomile, giving them restorative and relaxing properties.

They can be heated or frozen, placed on the eyes, and used as relief for eye puffiness and strain, headaches, facial tension and sinus pressure, all maladies that can be a problem when flying. 

Try keeping the pillow in the freezer until right before you leave for the airport.  The pillow will stay cold till you get on the plane, and then you can use it to help relieve some of the sinus congestions that can come at 40,000 feet.  Or, take advantage of the microwave in your room to get a little comfort at bedtime.

Available in five animal shapes:  polar bear, brown bear, cat, dog, and a bunny, they retail for $17.95.   These would be really great for kids and teens.  If they are just a little too cute for adults, you can consider a similar product in a plain (boring?) wrapper.

Image credit:  Warm Whiskers Eye Pillow

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