Carry-on Bliss with the Flybag

I noticed that it has been quite a while since I reviewed something fitting into the "cheap and light" category, so I present to you the Flybag.

The company sent me one of these to try out for my last trip and as soon as I got back I ordered one for my Mom. How's that for an endorsement?

Plenty of companies now make some kind of carry-on cosmetic kit that helps you cope with the shakedown at airport security. I've reviewed a few here on this travel gear blog. This version adds a bit of fun and novelty to the mix though, which made me smile.

Sure, there is the clear case that will keep most TSA agents from messing with your 3-ounce or less containers and three refillable bottles for special goop you need to take with you. But in an attempt to make your flight more comfortable after you have cleared security, there is a cool eye mask to enable you to catch some sleep and some earplugs for plane noise or crying babies.

The mask and earplugs can also come in handy if the hotel that looked so lovely on Orbitz turns out to have badly-fitted windows and is right on the busiest street in the city.

And I like their sense of humor. The Flybag carry-on kits come in "blue bomb," "pink scissors," and "grey dagger" colors.

You can order direct from the Flybags.com site or get it for under 20 bucks from Amazon.

Fashionable B100 Laptop Backpack from Pacsafe

With the Meshsafe B100 laptop backpack from Pacsafe, you can walk around town with the confidence that your valuables are secure.

I was just in Mexico City for 10 days and after having it drilled into my head that it was a dangerous city, I thought I should play it safe with the backpack holding my computer. I have a very small laptop from Fujitsu though, in a size that would now be called a netbook. So I don't need something really large like the Daysafe 200 (with removable "safe") that I reviewed this past summer.

This B100 is a lot slimmer and, I must say, quite a bit more striking. I fit right in with the hipsters at Condesa DF Hotel in Mexico City and with a glow strip on the side, the nutso drivers could see me crossing the street at night.

As with most Pacsafe products though, it's what's going on behind the scenes that sets them apart. Anybody can make a fashionable laptop bag, but can they make it slashproof, snatchproof, and tamperproof? No, I don't think so.

This laptop daypack really is all that, so you can waltz through a crowded market with no worries about someone slashing the bottom of your bag open. the heavy-duty zippers can be clamped shut with a hook. You can clip a hook to a piece of clothing for more security. Plus there's a cool outside pocket for your cell phone that has a hidden cinch strap under the flap. If someone just tries to yank the flap, they can't get to the phone. (This feature makes the strap look a little dorky because the phone is right by your head, but it's removable and at least this way you do hear the phone ring.)

It's not just tough fabric making the bag slashproof. There is stainless steel wire embedded in the shoulder straps and steel wire mesh between layers of fabric in the bag itself.

I also like the practical side of this bag. It has a squishy and comfortable handle on the top (which you can see in the top photo) so you can just carry the thing easily when your shoulder gets tired or you're carrying several bags. Plus when you set it on the ground, it sits there upright. It doesn't fall over. Two simple things, but they make your travel life much easier.

The Pacsafe B100 fits laptops up to 13 inches. It's got all the gizmo, gadget, and pen pockets you would expect, plus a zip-out water bottle holder on one side and an umbrella holder on the other. Its slim profile means you can't stuff it with five books and a wad of magazines. but you can easily fit in enough to get you through a couple flights or a day of sightseeing. See the full specs at the Pacsafe site.


Check prices for Pacsafe at laptop backpacks at eBags.com

Casio Super-zoom EX-FH20 Review

I've been using this Casio Exilim Super-zoom camera throughout Peru and Mexico City, but it has taken me a while to get a review together because it's hard to boil down all this thing can do into a few paragraphs. I feel like this is the camera I've been looking for in order to get great photos in any situation, without having to be an SLR geek with a bag full of lenses.

First the bad news: it's as big and heavy as an SLR camera with one lens attached, so don't go thinking you'll save on weight or space. But the key thing is, you don't have to carry anything else. It has an incredible 20X optical zoom that works really well. I don't know how I'll go back to something less after this. I could stand anywhere and get a great shot of something far away, like a Peruvian highlands woman at a cattle market that was a good 100 yards away from me. This camera has lots of built-in software that's useful rather than gimmicky and one feature is image stabilization that really works. Unless you're shaking like a recovering alcoholic with the D.T's, you'll usually get a good shot even at full zoom if there's enough light.

There is also an image composition feature that works behind the scenes in low light. It figures out if you are using a tripod or not, then takes and blends multiple shots if you're not. So you end up with something like the vertical shot here in Arequipa---very cool!

All the Exilim cameras have Casio's "best shot" menu, which allows you to choose a specific situation from a menu such as "sports," "night portrait," or "scenery." Shutter speed, aperture, and even saturation are adjusted to fit. In my tests, this worked extremely well, to the point where I almost never bothered to use the manual override.

There are a few other unique features to this camera, including the ability to shoot video in high definition and the the ability to shoot 40 frames per second as still shots. The former I found to be too much of a memory hog to be useful (a gigabyte for just over a minute of video---and loads of fun to try to upload anywhere). The latter really came in handy though when I was watching Andean Condors soar by in the Colca Canyon of Peru. I was able to take a hundred action shots at a time and be sure I got a few good ones. See one of them below. There is also a facial recognition program that makes sure four or six faces in a group are all in focus.

All this cool technology takes some getting used to of course; it took me three weeks to figure out how to turn on the shutter delay timer. The manual doesn't make it easy since it's printed in just about every language but Swahili, three of these languages on each page. After you get the feel of the controls though, it's easy to make changes quickly on the fly as needed, adjusting for a cloudy day or flourescent light.



The viewfinder on this camera was what really got other people's attention when I was using it though. At 3 inches it's bigger than my iPod classic's screen and really allows you to size up whether your shot or video is a good one or not, even without using the zoom feature. My videos did come out well too: here's a sample I shot in Peru. There is also a (digital) viewfinder to look through at the top for when the light is too bright.

You can change the image size, shoot in RAW, and adjust all kinds of factors from shot to shot. So you have almost as much control as with an SLR, but in a more versatile package.

The Casio Exilim EX-FH20 uses four AA batteries and burns through rechargeables fairly quickly (90 to 130 shots in my tests) so you need to carry some spares. There's no way to recharge batteries while they are in the camera, so you'll need to buy a travel charger. If you're using disposable batteries, you might as well start your own private acidic landfill.

See the full specs of the EX-FH20 at the Casio site.

Get it at Amazon.

Search prices on Casio cameras

Hydration Tablets from U for You

If you're hot, sweaty, and on the move a lot, here's something new for you: tasty hydration tabs.

Sometimes I get some oddball samples of things to try out for this travel gear blog, but if they're fun, inexpensive, and have at least some application to moving around your state or the wide world, I'll test them out. Or I'll get some help from others to try them out, which is the case with these U hydration tablets from a company called nuun.

Think of these as a portable form of energy drink, and one that doesn't require throwing away cans or bottles. Each little tube has 16 tablets, each one good for a liter or so of water depending on how strong you want the taste. And in this case, you actually will want to taste them: the surprisingly yummy flavors are tangerine ginger, Goji berry green tea, and lemon chai. You pop in the tablet, it fizzes for a bit, then your bottle of water is transformed.

They contain lots of electrolytes and vitamins to replenish what you've lost on that long hike or bike ride. You'll get your zinc, your magnesium, your vitamin A, and a whole lot more. These would probably be good for jet lag too, with all the B vitamins. Almost no calories though, which puts them ahead of most commercial energy drinks that are full of sugar or corn syrup.

My wife is a personal trainer, so I had some people at her gym try these out, people who run marathons and triathalons while I watch football and drink beer. They universally gave the flavors a big thumbs up, though some wanted to dilute them more. Some of the testers got a boost from them, others preferred the heavier-duty stuff they normally use, but liked the convenience of this.

Get all the details at the U Hydration site, where you can buy a 3-pack of these (enough for 48 liters) for $24.

The tube is easy to pack and is made of recyclable plastic. And hey, the artwork is nice too.

Lowepro Camera Bags for all Sizes

I can't remember ever using a regular camera bag since the digital age started. It seems like every digital camera is a different size and shape. The ones I've been using always seem to be a big fatter than the norm. So I end up making something else fit, like an Eagle Creek pouch meant for something else or a small purse-type thing purchased from a Maya woman in a mercado.

When a Canadian chipmunk-looking squirrel started licking my old camera bag during a hike in Alberta's Banff National Park, I decided that maybe it was time to look harder for a real camera bag that wasn't crusted with 10 years of dust and grime. So when the Lowepro people offered to let me try out one of their many camera cases, I was able to find the one that fits my Kodak model.

The Kodak superzoom models (like the Z1012) are more compact than some of the others, like the Panasonic Lumix or the 20X Casio model I'll be reviewing in a few days. So this Apex 60 model is just right. Snug, but with room to spare for memory cards and batteries. There's only one zipper on this model: a flap inside separates the camera itself from the accessories. The accessories section is further separated with a Velcro-closed pocket and a mesh pocket. The Apex 60 comes with a basic carrying strap and a Velcro loop on the back for attaching it to a belt or daypack.

The cushioning all around protects the camera, which would have come in handy when I dropped mine a while back and the video option stopped functioning. It's water resistant on its own, but also comes with a cool waterproof cover that tucks underneath when not in use, as with a hiking daypack. So you can feel safer in a sudden downpour or touring Victoria Falls. Despite all this, it only weighs four ounces.

The Apex 60 lists for $24, but you may save a few bucks buying it online.

Lowepro sells a wide variety of camera bags, from ones fitting the smallest compact cameras to sophisticated bags for pro photographers with bags of lenses and tripods. There is a compatibility chart that allows you to match your camera to the right bag and there's even one for "stealth photographers" who need to stay incognito. They back even the cheapest pouches up with a lifetime warranty. To see the whole line of bags, go to the Lowepro site.

If you're a flashpacker with an SLR, a few lenses, and a laptop, check out the Lowepro CompuDaypack review from a while back.



Search Lowepro camera bags at Amazon.

Travel Gadgets and Gear That Work in Practice

About 48 out of 50 travel gear reviews on this blog tend to be based on real world tests. Some sites run gear reviews or stories based on just a press release and a photo, which is putting way too much faith in promises if you ask me.

I recently returned from a two-week trip in Peru: Colca Canyon, the Saltankay Trek, a couple nights in the Sacred Valley, then two days in Lima. I tried out a lot of gear for the first time, indluding the OR Revel light waterproof jacket, a Kombi bamboo weave base layer, an Airzone daypack from Lowe Alpine, and a set of lightweight but waterproof hiking boots from Keen. (Plus an awesome Casio superzoom camera I'll review next week.)

I packed and used plenty of other items though that I have reviewed here in the past. Consider this a list of travel gear items that really deliver in practice, over and over again.

Hiking socks from Gordina Lavawool and Teko. Eight days of hiking, warm feet, zero blisters.

The Steripen Traveler. I just added another country to the list where I didn't even get the slightest case of the runs when using this water purifier. (I'm up to six now.) Yet I only added one throwaway plastic water bottle to the landfill in two weeks' time. With its solar charger case, I also recharged the batteries from a hotel window sill.

The Hymini wind and solar charger. I never had to plug my iPod into a computer to recharge and I left my phone charger at home and just brought the tiny Nokia connector for Hymini. I powered three devices solely on wind and the sun, with no worries about 220 vs. 110 volts.

Western Digital portable hard drive. I am paranoid about losing photos when on assignment, so I save to my laptop every day or two then back up to this hard drive, which goes into a separate bag. With its small size and light weight, it's easy to squeeze in.

ExOfficio quick-dry travel underwear. Carrying 14 sets of underwear for a two-week trip is silly. These dry in a few hours, so it's easy to do a sink washing and have clean undies in the morning.

CoolMax wicking t-shirt from CoolClothing. I have some more expensive wicking shirts, but I like this one because it's black, thin, and dries quicker than anything else in my pack.

Illuminite zipper fleece. Peruvian drivers aren't known for having a deep respect for pedestrians. Wearing this around Cusco and Lima, at least they saw me in the headlights. Plus it's comfy when I don't need to be seen.

Comply noise-reducing ear buds. These are passive rather than active for noise reduction on a plane (squishy like earplugs to block out noise), but are far easier to pack than the Sennheiser headphones I also like.

My Timex Field Expedition watch. Held up well in the elements as usual and I love the Indiglo function at night. Plus you don't need to consult the owner's manual to reset the time or date.

Keen Shellrock MP Hiking Boots - Light but Rugged

Three and a half years ago I hiked the Inca Trail in Peru with a great pair of Merrell hiking boots, but this second time to Peru I took along a pair of newer and lighter ones for the Saltankay Trail. I hiked for six days straight with the Shellrock Mid WP model from KEEN Footwear and came away quite impressed.

These mid-height boots do it all while still coming in under 15 ounces. They're waterproof but they breathe well, which is really important when you're slogging through mud, mule crap, and streams sometimes, but in a climate warm enough for shorts and a t-shirt. These hiking boots have plenty of reinforcement where it counts too, with a "stone bruising protection plate" in the front that saved my toes over and over on the rocky trail. I could walk down steep rock faces with the great tread, plus a heel stabilizer and a shank kept each foot stable on rough terrain.

The real test, of course, is the blister test. I didn't get even the hint of a blister on this trek and never touched the Band-aids I had brought along. My foot is wider than the standard D, so I usually have a problem with boots that don't come in wider sizes, especially when wearing thicker hiking socks. These fit fine though---I just had to loosen the laces a bit more than a D-width person would need to do.

So, the Keen Shellrock Mid WP hiking boots came through on all counts. Despite their light weight, they perform like a heavy-duty boot and I expect them to serve me well on many hikes to come.

They come in two color combinations, both looking good but not too out there. There is also a very similar women's version that comes in two different colors. Same specs, but a bit smaller and lighter. Both genders list for $130, but they come in closer to $100 at some online and offline retailers.

Get the KEEN Shellrock Mid WP from Backcountry.com