“Travel gift guide: Readers recommend tried-and-true gadgets - San Jose Mercury News” plus 1 more |
| Travel gift guide: Readers recommend tried-and-true gadgets - San Jose Mercury News Posted: 23 Nov 2010 11:55 PM PST By Ann Tatko-Peterson WITH THE HOLIDAY shopping season now in full swing, family and friends are hunting up gifts for the travelers on their list. The choices are endless, so we decided to ask some real travelers -- our readers -- to tell us about the tried-and-true gadgets and accessories they have test-run and now pack for every trip. Here are a few of the must-have items they suggested as holiday gift possibilities: Travelon Digital Luggage Scale Handles and a hook pop out with the press of a button on this compact scale with a backlight that changes from blue to red when the bag weighs too much. Says Jackie Wyckoff of Campbell: "With airlines charging exorbitant prices for overweight bags, this is the best investment a savvy traveler can make." Cost: $26.95 Available: www.travelproducts.com and most luggage stores. Baggallini Complete Cosmetic Bag This 20-by-12-by-3 inch microfiber bag features a swivel hook for hanging, two exterior pockets, clear interior pockets and bottle compartments and enough space to fit toiletries such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, hair spray and shaving cream. Says Elizabeth Precour of Vallejo: "When it is open, it will hang on a towel bar in a bathroom so that everything is accessible. We leave it ready to go with everything inside." Cost: $44.95Available: www.Baggallini.com; also find local retailers listed on the website. Garmin nüvi 275 GPS This 3.5-inch portable navigator has turn-by-turn directions, an integrated FM traffic receiver to help you detour around accidents and road construction and Bluetooth technology for hands-free calling. Says Roger Lenker of San Pablo: "Loaded with U.S. and European maps, it's a must if you drive around yourself." Cost: $249 Available: Amazon.com, Best Buy and Costco. Antistatic ThermaCheck Fleece Travel Throw No need to use an airline blanket again with this 60-by-40 inch throw blanket from Lands' End. Says Lois Leong Tim of Pinole: "The 100-percent polyester throw is encased in a (16-by-12 inch) sham that turns it into a travel pillow. It is machine washable and comes in delicious colors, including chilipepper, creme brulee and kiwi." Cost: $29.50 Available: Landsend.com. Medicine bag with supplies Darshana Kamdar of Concord has the novel idea of putting together small amounts of over-the-counter medicine in a quart-size clear plastic zip-top bag that can be carried on an airplane. She suggests including Imodium, Pepto-Bismol, Tylenol, baby aspirin, bandages, antibiotic cream, a thermometer, small flashlight, hand sanitizer, cough drops and Benadryl. For a ready-made bag, try Minimus Dorm Medicine Chest. Says Kamdar: "It is a life saver, especially when you are in a foreign country and you have a language problem, making it hard to find a local pharmacy." Cost: $24.99 (for Minimus) Available: Drugstores or ebag.com. Folding Foot Rest Elevate your feet for a long flight with this solid plastic 4-inch high footstool that folds to 8 1/2-by-4 1/2 inches for traveling. Says Tania Grant of Watsonville: "For short people whose feet barely touch the floor when sitting for long, or who suffer from sciatica, my orthopedic surgeon recommended a footstool. This one easily fits inside your tote or check-in bag." Cost: $24.85 Available: www.Magellans.com. CHI ionizer From Sound Vitality, this 3-ounce personal ionizer is worn around the neck and emits ions that reportedly offset the magnetic and electric depletion that cause exhaustion, while also killing airborne bacteria. Says Ginger and Bob Good of Saratoga: "Seven years ago an elderly American traveler in Prague was told about CHI (ionizer). Since she had it, she never caught a cold after flying. We bought them, wear them when we fly and don't get sick!" Cost: $119.99 Available: SoundVitality.com. Nikon binoculars Ever since they brought them to the 1988 Olympic Games, Lina Broydo of Los Altos Hills has packed a pair of quality binoculars that her husband found at an estate sale. The Nikon 10x25 Trailblazer is perfect for traveling -- it's waterproof and only 14.4 ounces. Says Broydo: "With my binoculars the view of Paris from the top of Eiffel Tower is breathtaking and visually detailed. ... Some people don't leave their home without an American Express card, I do not leave my home without my amazing binoculars." Cost: $74.98. Available: www.Binoculars.com, Walmart and Sears. TUGO A half dozen readers recommended this pliable cup holder, which tightens between the upright handles of a rolling suitcase or bag. It holds any take-away coffee cup or small to medium drink and adjusts to keep the cup upright, even when rolling the bag. Says Rob Johnson of Oakland: "I never had enough hands to juggle my bags, boarding pass and keys -- forget a cup of coffee. Now I slide my Starbucks into TUGO and wheel it anywhere, even on the escalator, without spilling or dropping anything." Cost: $9.95 for the drink holder. Available: www.goodtugo.com. Sarong Adventure traveler Alice Bourget of La Selva Beach calls the sarong she bought in Bali her "indispensable travel tool." You won't have to travel Indonesia to get one, either. Tibet Arts has a multipurpose sarong measuring 64-by-47 inches, made of a cotton-rayon blend and available in nine colors. Says Bourget: "Around the globe this sarong has acted as bathrobe, towel, umbrella, scarf, pillowcase, skirt, dress, veil, sunshade, cushion, changing room, basket, curtain, tablecloth, carry-on bag and blanket. I never travel without it!" Cost: $10.95. Available: www.TibetArts.com or women's apparel retailers. Stowaway Down Pillow The 18-by-14 inch lightweight pillow is filled with goose down and covered by soft polyester fleece on one side and a water-resistant nylon taffeta on the other. It comes with a stuff sack for easy transport in luggage. Says Anne Hayden of Danville: "Due to neck problems, I need a low pillow. This one is extremely soft and very compact." Cost: $19.99 Available: www.llbean.com. Ladies Briefcase on Detachable-Wheels From McKlein USA, the Italian leather briefcase detaches from a wheel and telescope handle system. It comes in six colors, has a front pocket with key lock and ample interior compartments, including a laptop sleeve. It measures 16.75-by-7-by13.75 inches. Says Barbara Baksa of Fremont: "With the wheels attached, I can zip through the airport without wearing out my shoulder. I can detach the wheels if I need something smaller and more maneuverable. And it is so stylish, strangers compliment me on it." Cost: $240. Available: www.mckleinusa.com; also find substantial discounts at Amazon.com. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Gift Guide: Tech gadgets for frequent travelers - AP - msnbc.com Posted: 23 Nov 2010 11:09 AM PST NEW YORK — If you have people on your gift list who travel a lot, you may want to think about giving them something to keep them comfortable and entertained while on the go, even if they're not as nomadic as George Clooney's road warrior character in the movie "Up in the Air." We can't do anything about delays, cramped seating, jetlag, traffic jams and noisy passengers, but these gadgets could make it easier to tune them out: Livescribe Echo Smartpen (4GB: $170; 8GB: $200) Pros: Livescribe makes pens that record audio and match it up with what you're writing. So people taking notes during a presentation can get away with jotting down keywords and then going back and listening to the conversation, cued up to different words on the page. Users can download free software to their PC or Mac that pulls in their notes, along with the audio, whenever they plug the pen into their computer's USB port. Livescribe claims the pen lasts five to six hours when it's recording audio, and it charges using the USB cable. Cons: The pen works only with paper that's pre-printed with a special pattern. It comes in notebooks of different sizes ($8-$25), but each has the same icons lining the bottom of every page. Tap on the controls to stop, start and pause audio recordings, as well as do things such as adjust the volume of the pen's speaking voice. Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse ($50) Pros: This mouse lies flat when you're not using it, but, with one satisfying click, can be bent into a curved shape, making it look more like a standard mouse. Light and low maintenance, it turns off automatically whenever you press the mouse into a flat shape. It promises up to six months of battery life before travelers have to recharge it. It's designed to be usable on any surface, so there's no need to pack a mouse pad. A small dongle plugs into a Windows PC or Mac to create the wireless connection. Cons: The scroll wheel is simulated by a touch-sensitive strip that lacks the feel of a real wheel. Apple iPad (Wi-Fi only: $499-$699; 3G: $629-$829) Pros: Although ads for the iPad often depict someone relaxing with the tablet, legs propped up, it is an ideal companion for people on the go as well. True, you can surf the Web and watch movies on a phone or laptop, but the iPad's 9.7-inch display makes for easier viewing. It looks better than most laptop screens. Because the iPad turns on instantly and lasts up to 10 hours unplugged, using it is less of a hassle than booting up your PC and hoping that you can finish the movie before the battery runs out. The fact that the Transportation Security Administration doesn't require travelers to remove iPads from bags during airport security checks is the icing on the cake. Cons: With a starting price of $499, the iPad is one pricey toy. And that's not counting the cost of applications and a protective case. (We like Apple's $39 offering because it doesn't add bulk and also has a stand, making hands-free movie-watching easier.) At 1.8 pounds, it won't weigh down a carry-on, but it's more cumbersome to whip out than a phone. Klipsch Image S4 headphones ($80) Pros: For some people, the iPod's standard-issue white ear buds get uncomfortable when worn in long stretches. Travelers will find comfort in the S4's small, tapered ear buds, which come with soft tips in different sizes. I found them more comfortable than iPod buds. They're sturdier, and they block out some ambient noise. When I wore them on my subway commute, I could still hear announcements over the loudspeaker, but not other people's conversations or the rattle of the tracks. As a bonus, the buds come with a metal carrying case and a tool to clean off earwax. Cons: The cable tangles easily and is awfully thin, although the ear buds are covered by a generous two-year warranty should they break. Over-the-ear headphones with active noise cancellation, such as Audio-Technica's ATH-ANC1 QuietPoint headphones ($80), are better at muffling the roar of jet engines. iGo Laptop Travel Charger ($100) Pros: Every laptop comes with a power brick, but this one, made by iGo, is easier to take on the road and works with a variety of Windows-based laptops, thanks to a bevy of "tips," or adapters, that fit into differing power jacks. Someone who travels with two or more laptops could find it a god-send. Weighing 13.5 ounces and measuring 0.7 inches thick, the charger is lighter and thinner than most AC adapters for full-size laptops. It comes standard with a cigarette-lighter adapter. Cons: Not compatible with Macs. Works with international wall current, but you still need a separate adapter to plug it into the wall in most countries. 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