Quick-dry Travel Underwear

If you had told me in my backpacker days that I’d spend over $20 on one pair of underwear I’d have told you to put away whatever was in that pipe you were smoking. After a friend raved on and on about this quick-dry underwear from ExOfficio though, I broke down and bought two pairs of boxer briefs during a 20 percent off sale at REI.

I’m on assignment in Europe right now and have to say that they deliver as promised and are far more comfortable than I had thought they would be. Obviously they’re synthetic to be able to dry in a couple of hours after washing, but they feel soft and not scratchy. Mine took about four hours to dry, but I forgot to follow the directions. They say “Lay them flat on a dry towel, roll them up like a burrito, and stomp on them.” Then the boxers should air dry in 2-4 hours. The point is, you wash them when you go to bed and they’re ready to go in the morning.

I’m not sure I want to go through that every night, so I packed some normal undies as well (half synthetic bikini briefs that squeeze up small). But it’s nice to know that these will always dry fast.

Get quick-dry underwear at REI
Buy direct from ExOfficio

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Dollar Store Travel Razor Deal

Sometimes you can find a great travel gear surprise at the dollar store. This fine retail outlet type may be called something else where you live. In Mexico it’s the “3 peso” store and in Hungary it’s the “500 florint” store, but the idea is that it’s full of cast-off bargains, overstocks, and just plain crap. Sorting through it all is half the fun.

I scored a double at the Dollar Tree last week though, first with a nice flexible plastic skin for my video iPod, which was sweet considering I almost paid $9.99 for the exact same thing at Best Buy a few days earlier, but balked. Then I came across this beauty: a travel razor that also has the shaving cream. How cool is that? For a buck!

The packaging says it’s good for seven shaves, which for me means at least two weeks since I refuse to shave every day. Plenty for a vacation. (If you’re going for longer, get one of the razors that twists up really small—see the comments on this thread.)

It’s a nice 3-blade razor too perched on the top, so it works well. I wanted to give it a trial run before passing judgment, but this looks like a keeper. Now I’ve got to go back and stock up before they run out.

Folding Bikes and Trikes from Di Blassi

Is space in your pad too tight for a bike? Do you need to throw a bike or 3-wheeler in the trunk instead of on a bike rack? Are you commuting on public transportation with nowhere to put a bicycle for after you arrive? A folding one might be just the ticket.

I get all kinds of wierd things showing up on my doorstep to try out for this travel gear blog, but thankfully most companies e-mail first before sending the sample. Otherwise I might have been phoning Homeland Security when this Di Blasi Folding Trike box appeared at the front door.

Within 30 seconds of me getting it out of the box, it was assembled and ready for prime time, even though it comes with fenders, five gears, two hand brakes, a bell, and a generator light on the front and back. I didn't see the directions in the box at first, but it didn't matter. Getting in folded back up was a little tougher. I got stumped a few times, first by the clip on the folding pedals, then on a fender that wouldn't cooperate. I found the directions (in six languages) though and it all worked out.

I felt like a retired geezer with no sense of balance pedaling it around my neighborhood, but it rode well after I got used to it and and felt solid. It should feel solid - the thing weighs more than my real bike. At 47 pounds (21.4 kgs), this wonder of engineering is not for the weak and dainty. Testing out how it fit in the trunk of a car worked up more of a sweat than riding it around. This was the trike though. The folding bike is about 10 kgs lighter.


These folding bikes are impressively easy to fold and unfold and it really is something to behold. The trike folds down to 28 inches x 11 inches x 25 inches--it even comes with a carrying case. None of this comes cheap, of course. The folding trike is about a grand and a half or you can get an electric one for $2,700. The 2-wheel folding bikes start at $645 list and go to $845. They're built to last though, so if you're in a situation where this fits your lifestyle, check into it and find a dealer at the Di Blasi folding bike site.

Packaged Travel Laundry Kit

Last week I went into REI and stocked up a bit during a big sale. Of course I walked out with more than I had planned, including this nifty laundry kit from Lewis and Clark.

Yeah, I know it's just a sink stopper and some Woolite, which isn't really much of a kit, but for five bucks it's a worthwhile impulse purchase. I suppose I could get the sink stopper from a dollar store, but it's not so easy finding small packets of laundry detergent in the "bigger is better" U.S. and since I'm going on a quick two-week tour, I may not have time to track them down locally (or send out laundry to a service.)

I also picked up some quick-dry t-shirts and two pairs of that expensive but cool fast-drying underwear from Ex Officio. More on that later...

To get the Lewis & Clark pack pictured here, follow the REI link above and search "laundry." It comes right up.

Julbo Light-Adjusting Sunglasses

When it comes to around town sunglasses for the car and strolling, I tend to go for cheapo shades I don't have to care about losing. For biking or other activities though, it pays to have quality sport-oriented sunglasses that will last.

I've been trying out some hi-tech sport shades from Julbo that look stylish without being showy. The design on these is the tried and true wraparound, but with flexible stems and an extra-comfortable nose piece.

The real money, however, is in the lenses. A photochromic Zebra lens transitions from a high contrast Category 2 to a dark Category 4 in brighter light conditions. This is ideal for conditions where you are moving between shade and sun, which is common with a lot of outdoor activities. If you like your lenses super-dark this may not be ideal, but it keeps you from going headfirst over a tree stump when you're mountain biking through the woods.

The change in reflection power was pretty subtle: expect it to take about 30 seconds for a full transition. Basically someone can see your eyes if you're inside and can't see them after you've been in the sun a little while. I wore these for hours at a time over several days and they never rubbed or made anything sore. I still don't have a single scratch on the lens, which is usually my downfall with these non-glass ones. The lenses have an anti-fog coating as well.

The Addict and The Deep versions with these lenses both retail for $110. The Deep is essentially the same frame as the Addict but fits smaller faces. (And yes, it comes in plenty of colors besides pink.) Follow this link for info on the Julbo Lifestyle line.

Julbo Addict Sunglasses - Zebra Lenses


Julbo Deep Sunglasses - Zebra Lenses