Pants, Bluff Works (Reviewed February 2013) Recently we were approached by an independent clothing company, Bluff Works, which boasted versatile pants that look good in an office yet hold up to the rigors of outdoor activities. These pants were the brainchild of founder Stefan Loble who wanted a solution to the constant ironing and washing of his work clothes. These sharp looking *wrinkle free* pants are ideal for the urban stylist - looking … [Read more...]
Sprout Eco Friendly Watch
Sprout Watch (Reviewed January 2013) Affordable and Eco-friendly do not always match up in the same sentence - but they do when referring to Sprout watches. Sprout brings watchmaking into the current century for the environmentally conscious generation - their watches are biodegradable. The adventure watch we tested is contained in a case made of corn resin, the material behind the dial is natural bamboo, the strap is organic cotton and the … [Read more...]
Parrot Learning Digital Audio Pen Reader
Parrot Learning Digital Audio Pen Reader (Reviewed: Oct 2012) Who would have thought a talking pen could help make learning a language easier! Introducing the "Chinese Talking Travel Guidebook" from Parrot Learning. We have taken a number of trips to either Hong Kong or mainland China and in advance of another trip to the mainland - we've been using this guidebook in anticipation of our trip. Chinese, like other Asian languages is a tonal … [Read more...]
Power Bar 4200
Power Bar 4200 (Reviewed: Sep 2012) is the latest product by by FatCatGear - this tiny battery pack uses the latest in ultra-thin lithium polymer technology. It is small but it packs a punch as far as battery life - advertised as typically more than twice the charge of a normal smart phone battery. This we had to test out - the battery life on our iPhone is less than desirable. We drained our iPhone to below the 10% warning - charged and … [Read more...]
Olympus Tough TG1 Camera
Olympus Tough TG1 Camera - A Dave's Featured Travel Product for 2012 (Reviewed: July 2012) We recently purchased the Olympus Tough TG-1 iHS to take on an upcoming International trip; we played around with it a day prior to leaving. It's images makes the mundane look magical. With twelve creative settings ranging from "miniature" to "dramatic" we were quickly able to turn our garden into an ethereal "world", akin to something out of Lord of the … [Read more...]
Rick Steves Rolling Backpack
Rick Steves Rolling Backpack (Reviewed: Jul 2012) Leave it to Rick Steves to combine the simplicity of backpack with the convenience of a roll a board. Roll the "Rolling Backpack" around for ease at the airport or at your hotel but shoulder it in situations where its better on your back then on the ground (crowds, nasty sidewalks etc). After sitting around for a month or two we were itching to put this to the road test. A trip to Thailand, Japan … [Read more...]
P^Cubed Pants
P^Cubed - A Dave's Featured Travel Product for 2012 (Reviewed: April 2012) was developed as a Pick-Pocket proof solution to give travelers peace of mind when traveling and remove the need for money belts. These heavy-duty pants allow travelers to select the level of security based on their surroundings. Nice! For example front pocket guards are retractable, rear pockets have anti-theft zippers and cut resistant fabric and behind the left rear … [Read more...]
iSafe Fanny Pack
iSafe (Reviewed: Jan 2012) The iSafe fanny pack is always armed and ready for use. By quickly pulling down on the hidden draw strap you will immediately produce a mind numbing shrieking sound that is sure to draw attention, startle your attacker - gaining precious time to with an advantage over your attacker. iSafe is advertised as being the world's loudest personal alarm system - containing two 125 decibel sirens and a high intensity LED strobe … [Read more...]
Precision Voyager
Precision Voyager (Reviewed: Jun 2011) by EatSmart is a small lightweight digital hand-held scale that is just the ticket for determining weights of luggage before leaving on a trip. We've all seen people frantically unpacking items at the check-in counter to avoid the overage weight fees - especially these days. This items removes the stress and worry of whether your luggage will be over the airline weight limits. Simply unclip the strap and … [Read more...]
Head Hammock Traveler
Head Hammock Traveler (Reviewed: June 2011) There are a lot of items that claim to make sleeping in airplane Economy seats more comfortable - with limited success, most we've tried are related to pillows or a brace behind your head/neck. The Head Hammock is somewhat different in that it allows you to lean your head forward slightly and rest against a well supported cotton hammock. This simple yet ingenious invention is the brainchild of Theri … [Read more...]