Power to Go from Chargepod Fueltank

I’ve long been a fan of the Callpod Chargepod, a device that allows me to leave a whole collection of chargers and cords at home. (God forbid the electronics companies can manufacture standardized connectors for the simple task of delivering A/C power to a battery.) You just pack the mini hockey puck, one cord, and the little adapters for each device. Then you can recharge everything simultaneously with just one plug.

This new Fueltank item from Callpod is similarly cool, but it solves a different problem: not having the time or the ability to recharge your devices while you’re on the go. For business travelers moving from place to place, it provides a round of charges when and where they need them: on a plane, in a foreign country, in the back seat of a car—whatever.

It’s essentially a battery pack that you charge up from your wall socket, then you take it along with you, armed only with the connector tips for your particular devices. You you can get charged back up several times over without ever plugging in or crawling around an airport floor searching for an outlet. For a trip that’s only going to last a few days to a week, this is all you need to take and you can even charge two devices at once.

...continue to the full Callpod Fueltank review

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Packing Cubes From Tom Bihn

Here's another option for packing cubes and I like the looks of these.

The Seattle-based Tom Bihn company is mostly known for its fantastic travel bags. Rugged and Made in the USA, they inspire fanatic devotion. I'm about to become a devotee myself I think. I'll be trying out their Aeronaut carry-on bag for a four-night trip next week and am actually looking forward to packing.

The company also makes loads of neat travel accessories though, including a wide array of packing cubes and gadget bags. I have mixed feelings about the necessity of these organizers, but my post on the Eagle Creek packing cubes before remains one of the most popular posts on this blog, so obviously people like the idea of getting their undies organized.

There's only so much innovation and differentiation you can put into little pouches that zip close and fit into a suitcase, so Tom Bihn's packing cubes mostly stand apart on style and color. They all have a checked pattern and come in either Steel (dark gray and subdued) or Solar (bright yellow). They have good YKK zippers and ripstock nylon fabric. They're mesh on one side so damp clothes don't build up mildew. Here's the real difference though: they're not made in China. If you want to put your own personal stimulus plan in place and buy American, you can do so at Tom Bihn without paying a premium. The cubes are $15 to $18 each and should last a decade or two.

The company also makes a 2-sided clear packing cube that is great when you want to be able to see exactly what's inside or you've got liquids you're afraid could leak onto everything else through mesh. In theory this should work for carrying cosmetics through the security gauntlet at the airport, but it depends on the mood of that day's TSA agent: carry a spare plastic bag in case.

Travel Gear on the Wish Lists

Every once in a while I pull up the stats on this travel gear blog to see which posts are really getting checked out by the most readers. Which gear items are people researching and drooling over? (Okay, so maybe "drooling over" is the wrong phrase to use when talking about travel underwear, but hey, you like it a lot better if someone else spends $20 on it instead of you, right?) Since I'm on deadline for some magazine articles due this week, I've been taking a break from the travel gear tests. So here are the most popular posts over the past month:

Pacsafe's theft-proof travel bag. This post is two years old and is the most popular, so apparently lots of travelers are looking for a good slash-proof bag for walking around town. This one is highly recommended.

Quick-dry travel underwear from ExOfficio. Save money on the road with sink laundering and have dry undies in the morning.

Portable room safe. Apparently I'm not the only one who wonders how to keep valuables secure in a cheap hotel.

Are packing cubes worthwhile? Apparently a lot of people are pondering a purchase of these organizing aids.

The best backpacks for travelers. Your most important gear item for long-term travel.

Timex rugged Field Expedition watch. This was what I took with me trekking in Peru this past December. Great watch for a reasonable price.

Travel adapter, converter, and USB charger. This is a handy item that does double duty. I used it in Europe a few months back and was very happy with it.

Lightwedge innovative reading light. This one surprised me as I reviewed this way back in the summer of 2007. This book light takes some getting used to, but some people love it.

Handy Travel Scale from Travelon

Most of the travel gear reviews on this blog are for travel items you take with you on a trip. But here's one that could relieve some frustration before you step out the door: a travel scale that tells you whether you are over the weight limit or not.

I actually received this Travelon luggage scale as a holiday present back in December and have used it a couple times since. My old method was to stand on the bathroom scale holding my luggage and see where it came out. Close enough when I'm well below the limit, but this is a far more accurate method if it's close.

You pop the hook out of the recessed holder on the back and put it around your suitcase handle. Turn on the unit, lift, and check out the verdict on the display. It needs AAA batteries, but they were included and I can't imagine they will run out of juice anytime soon.

On most commercial flights you can get away with 50 pounds for your bag, but on an African safari or Alaska puddle jumper you may be limited to 25 pounds. On a cheapo flight in Europe, the limit could be less than 20 pounds, or 8 kilos. If you have a rolling bag with wheels, you may be at 10 pounds before you even put anything in it, so this scale could tell you whether that fourth pair of shoes makes the cut or not.

There's another cool feature to this that also helps you determine whether you bag qualifies as a carry-on. There's a tape measure you can pull out of the side to measure the bag dimensions. Some of those rolling suitcases advertised as carry-on compliant are really pushing the envelope when it comes to total linear inches, so using this you can see if you are definitely in the clear or not.

I think my gifter got this for me from Target, but it's also available at Amazon for 20 bucks.

iGo Everywhere Saves Packing Space

If you want an example of an industry that is about as far away as you can get from "green," it's the consumer electronic gadget industry. There are four cell phones in my house and every one of them has a different charger connection for both the wall outlet and the car. (This includes two phones from the same manufacturer). Then you need a different charger for a Blackberry, an Apple device, a handheld game device, every digital camera, and on and on.

So when you travel with your gadgets, you are forced to carry along a whole array of chargers to keep everything juiced up. Unless you have a power adapter from iGo that is.

If you pack an iGo and a few tips to fit your particular gadgets, you can carry one charger that works for everything. Instead of three or four different plugs, you've got one plug and the interchangeable tips---all fitting into a handy little travel case. Despite the small size, it's also dual-voltage, so as long as you're carrying a plug adapter too, you can use this around the world.

After I wrestled with the treacherous plaster blister pack the iGo Everywhere came in, the device was intuitively easy to set up and use. The plug itself is one part, the retractable cable is another, and then each tip is separate. So the whole thing takes up about as much space in your bag as a pack of cigarettes would. The $40 "iGo Everywhere" version also comes with a car charger. It worked flawlessly charging up my iPod and phones as fast as the proprietary charger does.

The tips are labeled with cryptic markers that don't mean much (A133 for an iPod for instance) and the main downside of this product is that you have to buy each tip separately, at a list price of $13 a pop. So if you have four devices with different connectors now, you're up to $92, or more than $100 if you buy the splitter to enable you to charge two devices at once.

In comparison, the Chargepod Callpod I reviewed before has a much bulkier profile (mainly because of the clunky plug), but it will charge six devices at once and you can buy an $80 bundle pack that has the six most common plugs supplied---including USB and mini-USB.

Overall, this is a sleek and cool device that solves a major annoyance for frequent travelers. If packing small and light is more important than the simultaneous charging offered by the Callpod, the iGo charger could be a worthwhile investment. Just understand that you will have to pony up $13 every time you get a new gadget---unless the electronics companies join the 21st century and start cutting down on wasteful proprietary connectors.

Get the iGo products at your local electronics store, Amazon, or igo.com.

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.

Travel Thongs (or Emergency Thongs) from Flingz

Would it be handy to have little packets of clean underwear on you at all times? To be able to toss them into your purse or weekend bag and forget about them until needed?

I don't have the right equipment to be in the target market for these Flingz travel thongs, but they sent me one for my significant other to try out. She's already a thong wearer, so no convincing was necessary on the benefits of no panty lines. She popped the packet into her gym bag, changed into them after a workout, and pronounced them up to the job. The thongs are 95% cotton, she washed them in the machine like she does with all the others and the Flingz came out fine.

The big appeal of these, however, is that they're inexpensive and they fit into a little palm-sized packet that's easy to shove into your purse or a corner of your travel bag. So you can have one with you at all times or pack three to carry you through a weekend trip.

My volunteer model wasn't up for any photos, so you'll have to rely on these from the website, but I promise the Flingz fit nicely. You'll have to make due with this shot from the Flingz website to get an idea of that. There aren't many retailers carrying these yet, so your best bet so for is to order from them direct at $7.50 for one or $18 for a three-pack (plus shipping).


Related post: Quick-dry Travel Underwear

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Checkpoint-friendly Laptop Cases Out Now

If you travel with a laptop, getting through the security gauntlet at the airport is almost as much fun as when you travel with a toddler. You normally have to remove it from the case, lay it flat with nothing on top of it, with a TSA agent barking at you for still not doing it right as you fill up bin #4 with your belt and shoes. Get to the end and put it all back together again.

Things took a big step forward recently with the approval of laptop bags that will fly through security with ease. They are now hitting the market, including office stores like Staples where you can get different versions from Samsomite and Targus. With these cases, your laptop stays in place and all you have to do is unzip the bag and lay it flat on the belt. At the other end you just zip it back up and you're on your way in a flash (well, after you put your shoes and belt back on.)

I've been trying out the Samsonite Checkmate laptop case, which will make my life easier next time out. It fits a 15.4-inch computer snugly or a netbook-sized one with room to spare (see pics). For that see-through compartment, it's laptop-only. But then the rest of the bag is like any other one you've used for travel or going back and forth to the office: lots of pockets and compartments, comfortable handle, and a shoulder strap. There is plenty of room for chargers, gadgets, and reading material, plus a front pocket with spaces for pens, business cards, a phone, and the like.

It uses lots of pleather around the nylon at the stress points, but the Samsonite Checkmate bag retails for $80 and comes with a 3-year warranty. It's rugged and looks like it will take any abuse you throw at it, while the cushioning inside keeps your equipment intact.

Staples also carries a few other computer bag options, including a rolling version. These models are just now getting into stores and taking longer to trickle out online, but should be easy to find as we get closer to the holidays. If you've got a business traveling road warrior on your list, this would be an appreciated gift.

Eagle Creek Hovercraft Lightweight Rolling Suitcase

If your travels will mostly take you through airports and hotel lobbies, the Hovercraft line of lightweight wheeled suitcases from Eagle Creek are a great bet.

As I said in the rolling carry-on bags report, wheels are not your friend when you are traveling light. If you're checking a bag (hopefully with an airline that doesn't sock it to you with extra fees), it doesn't matter so much. I still see 5-foot-tall women struggling with a 50-pound suitcase nearly every time I go to the airport though, and it's not pretty. If you're going to use a bag with wheels, at least get one that doesn't weigh 12 pounds before you even put anything inside it.

The Hovercraft series from Eagle Creek does a superb job of combining light weight and rugged construction. I've used the Hovercraft 22 version on five trips now (4 domestic, one international) and after a wipedown it still looks new. It only weighs 7 pounds, 6 ounces, which is pretty good for anything rugged of this size with wheels. The wheels are big ones though and make it easy to maneuver. The telescoping handle works smoothly and zips away behind a flap.

There are some nice touches to this bag, including a soft handle on both the top and side, a slide-out luggage tag, a reflective strip to be seen at night, compression straps, and a quick clip to attach another bag. It feels easy to manage when carried, but has a capacity of 2925 cubic inches (48 liters). It can go into expansion mode and hold more if you need to do souvenir or duty-free bottle stuffing on the way home. If you want to see the full specs, you can get them at this page on the Eagle Creek site.

As you can tell from the second picture, the manufacturer would love it if you used this suitcase in conjunction with their packing cubes. If you're the packing cube type, you'll find the pockets and dimensions match up well.

While I prefer to carry on a bag with no wheels in most circumstances, when I'm just going to one hotel for a conference or vacation and it's a direct flight, this is my go-to bag.


Get the Hovercraft 22 at Amazon

Soak Hand Wash for Delicate Clothing

One of the keys to packing light is to remember that clothing can be washed on the road. You don't need to pack two week's worth of outfits for a two-week trip. If you can pack well for a week you can be set for months.

Sending your traveling clothes to the hotel service can get expensive fast, however, with the price rising according to the rate of a room. In many countries you can get laundry done very reasonably nearby somewhere, but sooner or later you have to do some sink washing along the way. I've been trying out some samples for this purpose from Soak Wash that promise to make this effort a bit easier.

Through some magic combination of chemicals billed as "modern care for fine fibers," this detergent is gentle enough for delicate fabrics like knits, lingerie, and silk. Here's the novel part though: you don't have to rinse it out. "When you soak your items, the dirt and detergent comes out in the water and what is left in the item evaporates. When you squeeze out the water, you are left with a hint of fragrance that dissipates over time."

I wonder if this residue will build up over time, but it did leave the clothes smelling nice in my road trip test. You can pick from three fragrances: flora, aquae, or citrus.

The largest size is meant for the home and and the middle one is only okay if you're checking a bag. Thankfully there are small 6 ML packages that are lightweight and are easy to toss into a cosmetic case.

For info on where to buy it, see the Soak Wash website.

The Best Backpacks for Travelers

Editor's note - This post came out many years ago, so many of these specific models are discontinued. See this new post for more updated advice: The Best Backpacks for Travelers. 

It's one of the long-term traveler's most important decisions: which backpack should I buy? After all, it is the item you will learn to know most intimately, the vessel holding all of your worldly possessions for an extended period of time. If it's not comfortable and not rugged enough to last, you'll be cursing that backpack every day for a long time as you travel around the globe.

First, dismiss all the backpacks that are meant for hikers and mountain climbers. You do not want a pack that stuffs from the top and is short on pockets. You want one that is meant for constant packing and unpacking, one that will hold all the odd gadgets and small items you need for life on the road. And it needs to be able to lock securely and be thick enough that it won't rip on any stray sharp surface.

Some have wheels (good for a short trip, but not a long one), some are small enough to be carry-ons (great if you can pack that lightly), and some are high-capacity ones suitable for year-long trips that involve cold places. (Pack too much though and it'll be a bitch to carry.)

If you want to make this a popularity contest, then the tried-and-true winners out on the road are travel backpacks from Eagle Creek, like the Grand Voyage 90, and ones from Osprey, like the Waypoint 80. But if the size is right for you, it's also hard to go wrong with North Face or Jansport either.

The specs usually include either cubic inches or cubic liters and you can find conversion charts on the web to figure out equivalencies. The ones linked above are 80 or 90 liters, which is too much for some backs and there's the temptation to fill them up with more than you need. Go smaller if you are only going to be in hot places. I've found the 52-liter Eagle Creek Meridian one to be sufficient if I pack carefully.

Just don't go for some cheapo knock-off to save yourself 50 bucks unless it's a very short backpacking trip you're going on. You'll end up shopping for a new pack by the time you get to Bangkok or Buenos Aires.

Air Strip Lite Shirt from Ex-Officio

I'm kind of a cheapskate when it comes to travel clothes, constantly watching for sales to get great gear at a bargain price. Right before the trip through the Pacific Northwest I just finished up, I snagged this Ex-Officio Air Strip Lite shirt for $48 from Campmor. The normal price is $80 on the Ex-Officio site, though they do run good sales there as well fairly often.

No buyer's remorse with this item. I've been putting the Air Strip Lite through its paces and this is one impressive piece of clothing. It is amazingly lightweight considering the ventilation flaps, the pockets, and the long sleeves. It seems to weigh less than a cotton t-shirt. Plus it is really wrinkle-free. No matter how many times I've stuffed it in my bag or tucked/untucked it, a little while later it's looking fine.

I'm sure the wicking properties perform as advertised, though I haven't done enough sweating to find out. I did wash it twice though and it dried in a few hours on a hanger in a hotel bathroom.

The Air Strip Lite shirt is 80 percent nylon, 20 percent polyester, but it feels soft and supple.
Like everything else I've gotten from Ex-Officio, this is a well-made, quality product that exceeds expectations. A couple more versions of these shirts and my carry-on packing list is going to get much simpler. Highly recommended.

Get the Air Strip Lite for men or for women

Related posts:

Buzz-off hat

Buzz-off clothes for kids

Buy Well to Pack Lighter

For a few years I've been running travel gear reviews on this Practical Travel Gear blog. I was stressing the need to pack light long before USAir started the trend of charging money to lose your bags and American showed even more contempt for its customers by charging for anything you check. Now the game has gotten serious and you really have to consider the cost of gear verses the cost of carrying it. Will that purchase help you save money---or will it cost you more money?

When you backpack around the world, you are thinking about this all the time of course, since you have to carry the load on your back. It doesn't take long to start cursing those blue jeans and the pair of shoes you really could have done without. Even a hardback book starts seeming like an extravagance.

On vacation though, it is easier to overpack. You have a wheelie suitcase maybe, lots of helping hands, luggage carts, and taxis. And before, you could just check your bag if it got too heavy or too big.

As I splurged far more than I ever normally do on a Air Strip Lite shirt from Ex-Officio for my current trip to Canada, I realized that I'm starting to look like those Korean travelers I used to make fun of: the ones who couldn't go on a hike or go skiing without buying all the latest and greatest custom-purposed outfits first. I've got the quick-dry underwear, the quick-dry wicking shirts, the zip-off convertible pants, the lightweight multi-purpose shoes. Throw in double-duty gadgets like the Chargepod and the Eagle Creek Money Belt and I start looking like a Magellan's catalog.

But you know what? I can pack for a two-week trip in a carry-on if I need to, which is the name of the game these days. It now pays to pay more for the right travel clothing. It weighs less, it washes easily, it dries fast, and it will usually last longer.

Plus the double-duty gear does more than one thing while taking up less space. The miniature gear does more in a smaller package.

Plan ahead, buy the right stuff, and you'll move through airports for less hassle--and fewer extra fees. I'm on the road trying out lots of new stuff right now actually, but with my family, so these posts will be a bit less frequent for the next two weeks.

See all quick-dry, lightweight clothing from ExOfficio.

Carry-on Sunscreen for Your Beach Trip

The three-ounces and under rule for flying is an inconvenience if you are trying to travel with a carry-on bag. But you can get around it pretty easily with small containers, travel-sized toiletries, or innovative products like non-liquid travel sheets.

There's one item that is especially problematic though: sunscreen. Three ounces of conventional sunscreen isn't going to last you very long if you're vacationing in the tropics. You could wait and buy it there, but you'll pay twice as much.

So, when I was going to Roatan Island on Delta--which only flies there one day a week--I brought along this three-ounce spray sunscreen from CVS. I was skeptical about these spray sunscreens when they first came out, but if you really rub them in evenly, they seem to work just fine. The real benefit for travelers though is you can get a lot more use out of three ounces of spray than you get from that amount of regular sunscreen lotion.

This sunscreen comes in a strong aluminum canister and has an SPF of 30. (And it's actually more squat than the bottle pictured here.) In my tests in the blazing sun on a beach, it performed well and didn't feel as gunky as the usual stuff. I used it for five days and still had enough left that I brought it home. The three-ounce spray sunscreen from CVS retails for $5, but is often on sale for less.

Radar Folding Brim Cap

Often it's the simple travel gear tweaks that make a difference. Here's a dead simple one with huge results: a hat with a folding brim.

Packing a baseball cap or something similar is a pain. In your checked luggage it gets crushed and bent. In your day pack it gets in the way. On your head you have to take it off at every security check. But what if you could just fold it and stick it in your pocket or stuff it between a book and a magazine in your day pack or laptop bag? Enter the Radar Pocket Cap from Outdoor Research.

I just used one of these for two weeks on the road and it delivered as promised. I folded and unfolded it about 20 times and it kept its shape. I carried it on the plane going and stuffed it into my checked bag coming back. It still looked good, stylish even in a Fidel kind of way. (But Fidel would never wear it in "burnt orange"--one of the choices.) It lists for $24 and I'm confident it's going to last. If it doesn't, well the tag says, "Outdoor Research products are guaranteed forever."

The only drawback is there's no give anywhere so you have to know your head size to order it. Get out that measuring tape, then go pick your color at the OR Radar folding cap page.

Transformers-style International Travel Adapter

Back in the day, I used to carry around a felt pouch with a half-dozen different plugs in order to be prepared for what the world threw at me in terms of odd electrical plugs my ancient laptop would face. Thanfully there are now more compact choices out there, including this SIP-3 “Ultimate International Travel Adapter” from Sima Products.

This model doesn’t go with the one-piece design you find in other electrical adapters. Instead Sima choose to offer a series of plugs that fit together in a way that ends of taking up about the same amount of space, but giving you the option to leave the ones you don’t need stowed away. It’s an elegant, efficient design that makes me wonder why it took this long to appear. Once you pull it out and put it back together, it just feels natural, almost intuitive. Plus the price is right--under $12 in some spots.

This set will cover you for some 150 countries, from Australia to China to the UK, so it is a handy item for any international business traveler or backpacker about to take off on a round-the-world journey with something that needs to be plugged in.

As with any basic set of adapter plugs, there’s no actual electric conversion. Don’t plug your 110v hair drying into one of these plugs in Europe and expect the motor to keep working. There’s no fuse either, so you need to use common sense and only plug in electronics that are designed for dual voltage.

You should be able to find this on their site, but if not click the link below to find the best deal elsewhere.

Find the best price for a Sip3 adapter

Cool Travel Gear from Passengers Only

Some travel gear sites try to dazzle you with their selection and end up overwhelming you to the point you forgot what you came to buy. Others try a different approach, with a "less is more" design aesthetic and carefully selected items that are stylish and not on every store shelf.

In the latter camp is Passengers Only, a hip site that has a range of interesting bags, briefcases, gadgets, and even a mobile foodie survival kit.

I've been needing something for stowing that overseas bottle of wine or booze into my checked baggage, so I got my hands on this Built NY Wine Carrier, which comes in four patterns. It retails for $16, or there's a double holder that's $19. I stuffed a bottle of tequila in mine to make sure it'll work for an upcoming Mexico tequila grab, but then I put a bottle of white wine in it to see how well the insulation worked. Two hours later, still cool, so this would work well for a jaunt to a dinner party or picnic. It's made from washable, stretchy neoprene, so it's flexible and durable.

If you want to look like a lush with class though, you can go for fancier models in leather from Piel or Clava. Or just shop around for hip gadgets and gear for yourself or a gift for that jaded someone who is looking for something beyond an overpriced travel alarm clock from Sharper Image.

Eagle Creek Packing Folder for Shirts

One of the toughest packing challenges is keeping your dress shirts or blouses looking decent after you have stuffed them into a suitcase for 8 to 24 hours. I've tried all kinds of bags and devices (and switched to mostly wrinkle-free shirts), but this Eagle Creek Pack-it-Folder delivers better than most.

It doesn't look all that different from many other similar items, but it comes with a secret weapon: a "packing board" inside that you fold your shirt over to make it fit perfectly. Then you slide the thin plastic piece out and do the same with the next shirt. This enables the shirts or blouses to fit into a smaller space than they would if you did it haphazardly. Also, it has a double-fold, double-velcro clasp system that keeps everything held down tightly. I'm not sure I'd stuff in the 8 to 12 items Eagle Creek says it will hold, but I've done fine with 6 dress shirts.

As with any flat shirt packing pocket, your collars will get crushed regardless, so you might want to wear that $200 Brooks Brothers French cuffs shirt with a starched collar onto the plane. Otherwise, stuff away.

The Pack-it-Folders come in three sizes and enough colors to match nearly any luggage ensemble, with a list price from $22 to $28. Order online at the following:

EagleCreek.com

Eagle Creek Pack-It Folder from Backcountry.com

Pack-it-folders at Magellan's

Callpod Solution to Mobile Charger Hell

There's one group of bastards that's running about 20 years behind on the whole green initiative, enviro-friendly thing: the mobile electronics industry. Besides the fact that everything I buy is in wrapped in impenetrable plastic that's not even recyclable, every mobile phone and gadget I've ever bought in my life has needed a whole new charger kit.

A partial solution to this infuriating problem is the Callpod Chargepod, a device I've been drooling over since the first time I saw it in Wired. I got my hands on one and it performs just as advertised, reducing an unruly pile of bulky chargers down to one elegant octopus of connectors.

Here's how it works. You just plug the cord into one--yes one outlet on the wall and then attach your devices to the connectors coming out of the central hub. This hub is smaller and thinner than a hockey puck and is super-light. As you plug in each item, a blue LED comes on to tell you that your device is charging. You walk away and go about your business, coming back to a fully charged array of gadgets.

For my family's configuration, I can plug in my Sanyo mobile phone, my wife's Nokia, my iPod, her Shuffle, and a Sony PSP all at the same time. Since the Shuffle is plugged into a USB connector, figure anything else that charges that way could plug in there too. It will charge six devices at once. That's a lot of stuff, which is great news for travel: pack one little pod and the connectors in its handy carrying case and you're all set. You can even use the car adapter and charge on the go.

You have to get the right connectors for your own devices though, which brings us back to this industry of "We love proprietary stuff bound for the landfill." If you get the Chargepod Bundle Pack you should be covered for Apple/iPod, Motorola, Blackberry, Nokia, Palm Treo, and Sony PSP devices. I say should because even among one manufacturer they can't keep things simple: my wife's Nokia phone required a different Nokia adapter than the one in this pack, so $9.95 later, she's in business. I also had to buy one for my Sanyo phone, another $9.95. After you make this investment though, you're set--well until you get another device with yet another proprietary charger connection.

I'll stop ranting now because it's not Callpod's problem things are so difficult. They are making money by easing our pain and that sounds like a win-win to me.

The Callpod Chargepod lists for $50 alone or $100 in the Bundle Pack. A tad cheaper at these retailers:

Buy.com - Callpod CHPA-0002 Chargepod 6-Way Mobile Device Charging System Bundle


Callpod Chargepod Bundle from J&R

Packing Light Cosmetics Solution: Minimus Carry-on Caddy

This is my fourth review in a month of a solution for putting cosmetics in carry-on baggage, so it's safe to say that the market is finding a way to make this work. (See links to the other reviews below.) This one is from the folks who specialize in miniature sizes of everything: Minimus.

They have found a nice way to combine their inventory of travel-sized products with something to put it in: the Carry-on Caddy. You can order the caddy itself for $5, but what's cool about this though is you can order it all stocked up with 6 items for a male or a female ($14.25). Or if you're the type that buys cosmetics at Wild Oats, you can get it stocked with 9 organic items in citrus or lavender. (around $21).

My male version came with five useful name-brand items and one dud: Gillette shaving cream, Right Guard deodorant, Nivea lotion, Colgate toothpaste, Scope mouthwash, and...Tresemme hair spray. Hair spray? Maybe there needs to be a male, female, and tres femme metrosexual version.

It was all packed in a Ziploc bag and then put inside the heavy-duty black canvas bag with velcro. A carbiner fastener goes through a loop on the back, enabling you to just hook it to your carry-on for easy TSA inspection. After security, you can unhook it and put it inside your bag or just leave it hanging. (Don't worry, nobody can see that hair spray you're carrying inside.)

If this doesn't come with exactly what you want and the selection at your local Rite-aid is lacking, browse the 1,000 or so items at Minimus to pack the case with just what you need.

Other carry-on baggage cosmetic solution reviews:
Nivea travel kit
Travelon sheets
3-1-1 Bag