Case Logic Pocket - For the Quick Draw

This little neoprene pocket works great for either of my phones or my digital camera. The ring has a quick clip opening. I hook it on the strap of whatever bag I am carrying, to keep my phone/camera readily accessible. It saves digging through a big bag to answer the phone or snap a quick candid photo. The fact that it has a slit opening instead of a zipper has endeared it to me. It is much faster to get things in and out of it.

Because the Case Logic pocket is so handy, I am continually expanding it's applications. I have even started using it when I run, carrying my phone, cash and ID in it. It keeps the items from getting wet from sweat, and protects my delicate phone in the case of rain or a drop to the pavement.

The title link is to the medium size pocket at Amazon.com.

(photo courtesy of Amazon.com)

These Case Logic pockets also come in other colors, such as pink, blue, orange, green, and silver, and at least 3 different sizes. I am inclined to buy a couple more, to replace my more expensive zippered neoprene cases, which are ultimately safer from a waterproofing perspective, but not nearly as usable. They will be relegated to vacation packing.

Editorial note:
(I actually bought the large size from www.ebags.com. I got a product review request, which I completed, since I really like the product, and now I can no longer find the Case Logic Neoprene pocket on the ebags site, though it may just be due to inadequate website search capabilities.)

Callpod Chargepod: One Device to Charge Them All

One of my biggest problems while traveling is keeping all my gadgets charged. Most hotel rooms, especially older ones, just do not have enough outlets. I end up deciding between unplugging the clock radio or the lamp, both of which I would like to continue using. And this is just to get maybe 2 devices plugged. Then at some point I have to rotate my other devices into the charging cue, because I always travel with at least 5 electronic gadgets: phone, laptop, camera, mp3 player, Garmin GPS (for running). I often travel with a second camera as well, and if G is traveling with me, we need at least 2-3 (blackberry, bluetooth, laptop) more outlets at night. (Wow, after adding that all up, I think I have just justified the cost of this thing.)

Here is how to get the job done: Callpod Chargepod. It lists at $49.95, plus $9.95 per tip. I don't think I can charge my laptop on it, but there is room for SIX devices here. They can all charge concurrently, and the speed is supposed to the the same as if they were charging alone. Plus, many fewer cables and adapters to drag along, thereby streamlining my electronics kit.

I also think it looks kind of cool. I would use it as decoration on my coffee table. Mmmmm . . . gadgets . . .

From a cnet review:
"The AC and car adapters are sufficiently long, while the device adapters range in length from 3 to 5 inches. While that might sound too short, the Chargepod's circular design means the device adapters fan out with enough room to plug in the full component of six gadgets. With that feature alone, the Chargepod beats your standard power strip hands down. By eliminating the often clunky power cords that come with many cell phones, handhelds, MP3 players, and portable gaming systems, you won't have to struggle to make everything fit.

Fortunately, Callpod has produced a wide variety of device adapters. Supported gadgets include cell phones from BlackBerry, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Sanyo, Sidekick, Samsung, Audiovox, Pantech, Palm, Nokia, LG, and Kyocera. And don't worry about multiple plug types under each manufacturer, as Callpod offers several options for most companies. You can also charge Nintendo Game Boys; Sony PSPs; Jabra and Plantronics Bluetooth headsets; Acer and Compaq handhelds; and Apple iPods. Yet, just like the Chargepod itself, the adapters don't come cheap. You can get one free with the purchase, but additional adapters are $9.95 each. Ouch."

Maybe when I finally end up with my Nokia E90 Communicator, I will be able to travel with fewer devices, and the shortage of available outlets won't be such a problem. In the meantime, this looks like it will do the trick.

Update: The prices on this are coming down. Nice.
Now down to $39.95 at Mobile Planet. Adapter tips are $8.45-8.95.

See Callpod.com for more info.

Top 9 Ways to See You Laptop Screen Better Outside

These are good tips on how to improve your (wo)man/machine interface while working outside on your laptop. After all, that's why you payed for the portability in the first place right? I have struggled with this problem myself this summer, so in the interest of productivity, here are 9 ideas to try. *The first two are mine, the next 7 are from Web Worker Daily. I am looking for a 10th - anyone, anyone?

Web Worker Daily » How to Use Your Laptop Outside «:

"If you’ve ever tried this, you know immediately what could be better: being able to actually see your laptop screen, that’s what. Laptops are great for many things, but visibility in bright sunlight is not one of their high points. Over my years of mobility, I’ve tried a bunch of things to get around this, and collected ideas from others. If you insist on going out to work, try some or all of these potential solutions to see what you’re doing:"

1. Buy a laptop with a matte screen, which reflect much less light outdoors than the glossy ones.*
2. Override your battery saving settings and turn the screen brightness up to full.*
3. Work under an awning or umbrella.
4. Wear a baseball cap, cowboy hat, or other cap with a brim, pulled low to put your eyes in shadow.
5. Wear polarized sunglasses.
6. Equip your laptop with an anti-glare screen. (The last time I tried this, a few years back, I couldn’t actually find any that worked, but perhaps the technology has improved.
7. Equip your laptop with a sunshade. You can buy a commercial version or spend a few minutes with a big piece of cardboard and some tape to make your own.

8. Take frequent breaks to look away from the screen to ease your eyestrain.
9. Give up, have a beer, and decide that the summer sun is more important than work. You probably need to stop billing in this case, though.

Swift - Best Bike To Take Traveling

Xootr Swift Folding Bicycles

I have a Xootr, the very cool kick scooters made for adults. The company is now selling a lightweight, ultra strong, full-size folding bike. It weighs in at around 22 lbs, light enough to carry up the stairs of your 5th floor walk-up, or on to a train. It folds small enough to pack in a Samsonite "oyster" hard-sided suitcase to check for plane trips. How much fun would that be? Fly into Paris and see the sites on your own bike!

Since the Swift bike sports mostly standard size components, you can swap out a worn-out seat or chain at most bicycle stores, instead of having to order parts from the factory as you must with some of the high-priced, specialty folding bikes. Plus, it costs less than most of them too.

$679 (Blue or Silver) "Best Overall" -The Wall Street Journal

Sweet Ride Full-size wheelbase. Classic steering/frame angles. Rock solid TrusFold frame system. Efficient 406mm wheel--the compact standard. Gets Small Quick Folds in 5 seconds with the TrusFold system. Goes Where You Go Subway, train, bus. Elevator/office. Automobile. Air travel.

Sleek Steel Wallet

Sleek and Sturdy Steel Wallet Keeps RFID Hackers at Bay - from Wired.com

Mmmmmmm . . . steel . . . I have a weakness for the strong metallic type, in almost kind of design form. In this case, it is a very practical thing as well. Aside from its beauty and uniqueness, being impervious to water/sweat/rum would come in handy, not only while traveling, but also around my house.

Image: Stewart/Stand

Ever felt the need to replace your tattered, bulging, leather wallet with something closer to a solid metal case? Now you can. A new wallet made from industrial-grade stainless steel fabric promises to keep your money and credit cards safe -- from rain, perspiration, spills and even identity thieves.

New York designer Theo Stewart-Stand created the steel wallet from the same finely woven, industrial steel that is used in aerospace applications, petroleum processing and metal doors and windows. Stewart-Stand tightened the weave of the steel so it is small and flexible enough to thread into fabric, but still stronger and far more durable than leather or suede. The resulting skinny wallet feels as smooth as silk -- but doesn't stretch, is cool to the touch and, of course, can't be stained.

While developing the wallet, Theo Stewart-Stand inadvertently discovered an even more unique benefit. It turns out the stainless steel used in the wallet protects from the latest concern in identity theft: RFID hackers.

The wallets are available for between $80 and $125 online or at the Stewart/Stand store in Brooklyn.

Which Luggage is Right For You?

PRACTICAL TRAVELER; PICKING OUT THE RIGHT BAG TO PACK - New York Times:

Great article from the NY Times on what type of bag is best suited for you/your trip. These days there are so many options, but no one best choice. Different styles work for different types of trips, so when choosing, keep in mind the length of the trip, amount of hauling you will have to do yourself, type of terrain and transportation (cobblestones and stairways vs limo to luxury hotel).

"Type of Construction. As outlined by Mr. Meek, there are three basic categories of luggage today. One is the hard box, such as the molded luggage of Samsonite or American Tourister and the aluminum alloy cases of Zero Halliburton (which usually retail from about $325 to $550). These are especially durable, watertight and can usually be handled roughly without disturbing the contents. But they are relatively heavy (the 29-inch four-suiter Halliburton, probably the heaviest, weighs 19 pounds).

A second category is semistructured, which means that there is a basic frame but soft or semisoft sides, usually with zippers, allowing room for expansion. ''If you put an extra sweater in, it's going to bulge a bit,'' Mr. Meek said, ''but you won't wrinkle anything.'' Most of the people interviewed agreed that among the better brands are French, Ventura, Skyway and Hartmann. For the traveler who simply must travel heavily laden, such as a professional entertainer, several retailers spoke admiringly of the French jumbo garment bag, which can carry up to eight men's suits or 15 to 18 lightweight dresses and has suggested retail prices from $505 up, depending on length and type of covering.

The third category is totally unstructured, soft, casual luggage - the most prevalent on the market today. It can be in the form of a duffel bag, a backpack or a suit or dress bag to carry aboard a plane and hang up or fold over and stow beneath a seat. It usually lies perfectly flat for storage, will carry as much as anything on the market and weighs practically nothing. If the material used is of superior quality, such as Cordura or ballistic nylon, it is virtually indestructible. Those interviewed mentioned that among the leading brand names are Bill Bayley, Pegasus and Andiamo. "

I definitely live in the third category mindset. To me, the lighter the luggage, the better, since I already have to haul the weight of all the clothes/shoes/electronic equipment inside. Can you imagine starting out with a suitcase that weighs 19 lbs. (Halliburton 4-suiter), and then adding your 20-30 pounds of stuff to it? Where is that bellman?!

In addition, those of us that live in tiny NYC apartments don't have room to store anything but the soft-sided bags that lay flat when empty, and take up relatively little room. Happy Packing!

MyWorld66 States Map

create your own personalized map of the USAor write about it on the open travel guide

Ok, this stuff is fun, so I went ahead and did my World66 "states visited" map too.

This looks a bit better than my world map. 20 states or 39%. Looking at this map kind of brings out my competitive side, and makes me want to go to all 50 (and 1 district).

By the way, I HAVE been to Canada, I just forgot to mark in on the previous post's map.

World66 - World Traveler's Information

Here is a good website to add your worldly travel knowledge to. Its sister site is WikiTravel.org,
and it is open content, so you can find travel information, use the travel information, and edit the travel information. It is also downloadable to a handheld device. The more people that know about it and use, the better it will be.

World66.com: "Let's start with our credo:

We believe that travelers are the best source of travel information.

That is why we have setup World66, an open content travel guide, where people from all over the planet can write about the places they love, the hotels they stayed in, the restaurants that have eaten. Every part of the travel guide can be edited directly, just click the [edit] button and go ahead. You can change the info you find, do a write up, add a complete city or just a bar or a restaurant.

Does this work? We think it does. Thanks to this approach World66.com has become one of the most complete travel resources on the internet, with 136,233 articles on 68,444 destinations all over the world. Good info, more up to date than you find in travel books. Check for yourself. And should you find some wrong info, a hotel that has closed down, whatever, don't complain, but act. You can change it. It's up to you.

And together we can make world66.com the best travel guide on the planet."

You set up your own profile, and it lists every contribution you have made to the travel information on the site. PLUS, you can customize your very own kick-ass MyWorld Map!I thought I has traveled a few places, but I see I have been dancing around in a small circle we will call the Atlantic Rim. I haven't actually even been to Alaska, so it looks a bit better than the reality. Unfortunately, is goes only by country, not city, so we are painting in broad strokes here.
MyWorld66Map will continue to be located at the bottom of the home page of this blog, thePortableLife, and I will update it regularly.

A Woman Packs For A Week (Monica Ricci)

Monica Ricci, professional organizer, shows how the other sex does it. This is a good comparison to the last post - Tim Ferris packing for a trip to Maui - because it is for a week also, but her trip includes business and pleasure, so I think that is a bit tougher. Here is an example of her minimalist packing aptitude.

Your Life. Organized. : Tips for Packing Light: "I left Atlanta on Sunday and I come home next Sunday so I'm out of town for a full week with only a carry-on bag and my purse. (LOVE this thing!) My seatmate on the plane thought it was amazing that I hadn't checked a bag, so I thought I'd share a few tips for packing light...
This is what was in my rolling carry-on bag. There's the large Eagle Creek Pack-It Folder which holds all my clothes (except the jeans, t-shirt and sandals I was wearing when I took the photo), the three smaller Eagle Creek zipper pouches which hold my underwear, my non-liquid toiletries, and my cords and chargers.

Next to those you can see my little blue cosmetics case and my regulation quart-size Ziploc bag of liquid and gel toiletries, my orange pashmina wrap and baseball hat. Below those, there's my curling iron and two pairs of shoes. Look closely and you'll see my sneakers are stuffed with socks and a sports bra."

Plus, she added in her laptop and cooling mat. Follow the link to more pics and tips on this packing post.

Great job. A week with only a carry-on roller bad and a purse - and she's a woman!

A Man Packs For A Week (Tim Ferris)

From the Blog of Tim Ferris, who is packing for Maui in this post. This is much more my style than was the Nancy Novogard packing post. I will never be the one who inter-wraps my clothes with tissue, then places them in recycled dry cleaner's bags to reduce wrinkling. One of the many ways in which I will disappoint Martha.

» How to Travel the World with 10 Pounds or Less (Plus: How to Negotiate Convertibles and Luxury Treehouses): "I practice what I’ll label the BIT method of travel: Buy It There.

If you pack for every contingency—“better bring the hiking books in case we go hiking, better bring an umbrella in case it rains, better bring dress shoes and slacks in case we go to a nice restaurant,” etc.—carrying a mule-worthy load is inevitable. I’ve learned to instead allocate $50-200 per trip to a “settling fund,” which I use to buy needed items once they’re 100% needed. This includes cumbersome and hassle items like umbrellas and bottles of sunscreen that love to explode. Also, never buy if you can borrow. If you’re going on a bird watching trip in Costa Rica, you don’t need to bring binoculars — someone else will have them."

He follows this bit of wisdom with a video and packing list explaining everything in this photo, why he is packing it, and where to get most of the pieces. This is minimal packing.
I am wondering if he has another pair of shoes? My guess is that this pile is sans a traveling outfit, which he is wearing for the plane ride there. This is for a week long trip. There must be more shoes . . .

MizPee Follow-Up

The link to Miz Pee in the last post at Travel Gear Blog led to the King James version bible for sale at amazon.com. What the . . . ? SO I searched out the home page of Miz Pee myself and here's what they had to say.

MizPee Home:( If you follow the link, you will see that the example they give uses New York, NY, so maybe the service has expanded outside of San Francisco at his point.)


"Do you ever find yourself desperately looking for a clean toilet in the city?

MizPee finds the closest, cleanest toilet and gives you entertaining reading material once you get there. Since the service is cell phone-based, it's always with you, when you really need it."

I was going to wait and post his tomorrow, but I couldn't hold it any longer.

Where to Wiz?

Excuse me, MizPee? -From TravelGearBlog.com

MizPee is not a way of spelling out the name of your 3rd grade teacher, it is in fact a somewhat humorous, yet most likely extremely practical service for your cell phone. How many times have you been out in the city and realized that you needed to use a restroom, only to pull into a gas station (or run, frantically) and discover that they don’t have public restrooms? Probably way too often.

This is a brilliant idea. A mobile phone app that helps you find the nearest bathroom in the city. Unfortunately, it is only available in San Francisco at the moment.

Packing Fashion for Foreign Travel

Here is the companion print piece to the previous unrevealing video. The highlights are less about the actual packing, and more about packing the appropriate clothes for different countries.

Fashion Journal - WSJ.com: "Ms. Novogrod says she takes care to choose clothes that work, rather than those that make a statement. 'It's possible with fashion to become so concerned with the surface that you're not approachable,' she notes. 'I'm conscious of looking appropriate -- to my age, to my profession.'

But she is careful not to play it too safe, because there are situations where a distinctive, colorful piece can work. Ms. Novogrod has been very happy with a recent purchase of a cotton Pucci tunic. It has turned out both to be packable and to look great from stages or a dais.

Sometimes it can take several days for Nancy Novogrod to pack for an overseas business trip. Before putting things in her suitcase, she lays out all her outfits, along with shoes and handbags to go with them. Everything is packed within bags, with shoes and handbags traveling in the cloth bags they came in. Gym clothes go at the bottom of the suitcase.

The actual packing process for Ms. Novogrod can take place over several days. She makes notes in advance. When she settles down to pack, with her schedule in hand, she lays out outfits complete with shoes and handbags to be sure she has the right thing for each event -- and not a single extra item. 'Otherwise, you end up taking way too much,"

I do second the idea of laying out each total outfit, accessories included, before packing any of it in your luggage. This way you can ensure you don't have way more pants than shirts, etc. I think in the end it helps you reduce the amount you pack. Once you layout the outfits, you can figure out which pair(s) of shoes will go with the most outfits, so you can take fewer of those too.

How a Professional Traveler Packs

A WSJ video of Nancy Novogrod, editor-in-chief of Travel + Leisure magazine, showing how she packs. Some good basic ideas, though nothing new for the regular traveler. How much time to you have to put clothes in bags? I prefer to pack things in tightly and then get the wrinkles out with the steamer once there.

Summary of Online Note-Taking Programs

Here is a good summary of several of the leading online information collecting programs from Web Worker Daily, via Lifehacker.

Web Worker Daily » 7 Apps for Online Note-Taking «:

"If you’re like most of us, you deal with piles of unstructured information every day: phone numbers, ideas for later consideration, snippets of information from the web, recipes, phone messages…the list is endless. For the web worker, moving this information into an online notebook can be an attractive proposition. Rather than tie yourself to one computer, or even one operating system, you can get at your notes from anywhere that has a web browser handy. Not surprisingly, there are a fair number of choices in this arena these days.

For this roundup, I stuck to online applications that let you save free form notes in some sort of organized fashion for later use."

The 7 apps summarized are:

Google Notebook

mynoteIT

Notefish

Notezz!

Stikkit

Yahoo! Notepad

Zoho Notebook

The consensus among Lifehacker, and Web Worker Daily and its commenters is that Google Notebook and Zoho Notebook are the front runners.

Organize Your Information In One Place

It all started with bookmarks in the Internet Explorer toolbar. A way to keep track of my favorite sites. Then bookmarks were not enough as I started researching projects on the web. I was printing out the articles to save them, so I had the full versions at my fingertips, without having to search through a bookmarked web page.

Next I started using Evernote, a great free product for clipping web articles with the touch of a button while I surfed, and the ability to add notes, reminders, etc. Evernote was just the ticket, until I started traveling more and using a laptop in addition to a desktop, in which case I had a different set of notes on each machine. Well, Google to the rescue, with a type of online Evernote-style product called Notebook.

Official Google Blog: Note this: "Note this" 5/15/2006
Posted by Bay-Wei Chang, Senior Research Scientist

"Search is all about finding the answers you need. Unfortunately, some kinds of questions--like where you should stay and what you should do on your Hawaiian vacation, or what kind of digital camera you should buy, or what the latest treatments for arthritis are--can't always be answered in one sitting, or by visiting one site.

That's why we built Google Notebook--to give you an online 'notebook' where you can organize all your research, add personal notes to it, and share it with others. Google Notebook surfs along quietly with you as you browse, letting you clip and annotate whatever text, images, and links that help answer your question, all without ever leaving the web page you're on."

If this sounds like something you'd like to try, you can find it here

There is a Firefox extension that puts a "note this" button on your toolbar for super simple copying. This is a perfect addition to the wired traveler's online toolbox. Spreading the Google Gospel - Amen.

Victorinox Garment Sleeve "Werks" For Me

Twice a week I walk the 1/2 mile to the cleaners and back to pick up laundered shirts. Twice a week I struggle to keep from dragging the hanging shirts on the ground (I'm 5'2"), being slobbered on by the dog, or wrinkled as I lay them over the chair when I stop for coffee, on the way home. Twice a week I think there must be a better way to get them home.

Today I went on an online search for a garment bag to carry the clean shirts home in. The requirements were: very lightweight, inexpensive or dual purpose (useable for plane travel) foldable so it doesn't drag on the ground, and a shoulder strap so I have my hands free to hold the dog, groceries, or handlebars of my XOOTR.

This is what I decided on:

Victorinox Werks Traveler 2.0 Deluxe Garment Sleeve at eBags
At $129, it is not inexpensive (there were some for $20), but I'll be using it twice a week, vs the twice a year that many more expensive models are used for. Plus, we are big fans of the duffel bag for travel at our house, so a small sleeve for hanging items will fit in perfectly, since there are always one or two items that don't hold up well in the unstructured bags. Below are the Garment sleeve's specs. This garment sleeve was the best combination of lgihtweight and style that I found on eBags, plus, it has a shoulder strap!

Unique design and innovative materials come together to deliver a bag that is durable, lightweight and stylish.

Product Features

Material:	1682 Denier Ballistic Weave Nylon With Teflon Coating
Size:	23" x 23" x 1"
Linear inches:	47"
Weight:	2 lbs , 10 oz
Warranty:	Lifetime guarantee against defects in materials and workmanship