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The LOOP Worldwide Adapter Plug will give you power wherever you go!

I love traveling to the Caribbean and especially South America, where I can get close to the Amazon and be surrounded by great photography opportunities. While I look forward to those trips, packing all of my gadgets and gear becomes a real chore. Since I simply must have every convenient gadget go along with me for the ride, I also have the tedious task of making sure that all of the relevant and appropriate AC chargers make the trip as well. And then it gets really complicated when I have to figure out if I have the right plugs for the countries I will be visiting.

If some of you are like me and deal with this challenge on your trips, then you will love the LOOP World Adapter Plug. This worldwide travel adapter charger is compatible in over 150 countries. It has built-in plugs for US, UK, EU, AU and CN, along with dual USB ports, and a universal AC socket with a built-in spare fuse. It also boasts intelligent charging that allows it to detect the device being charged, and adjust the power it provides to be efficient and fast charging. While the LOOP is a great solution, it is not a solution for all electronics, so it is not a good match for those power hungry devices such as hairdryers, or curling irons, or heat guns.

If the LOOP Worldwide Adapter Plug is a great fit for you as well, then head over to Amazon and pick one up for just $15.95.

The post The LOOP Worldwide Adapter Plug will give you power wherever you go! appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

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The LOOP Worldwide Adapter Plug will give you power wherever you go! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 9, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Never find yourself in a hotel room without coat hangers again

It’s not the end of the world, but it can be a pain when you find yourself in a hotel room without any coat hangers to keep your clothes wrinkle-free.  You don’t want to have to iron an outfit every morning before you head off to a business meeting or head out to have some fun on vacation.  With a set of Neele travel hangers in your luggage, you’ll always have the hangers you need.

Neele travel hangers fold up compactly to fit into the small pockets of your luggage.  They fold open into two sizes: small (9.84’’ long x 5.12’” tall), for children’s clothing or smaller adult garments, and large (17.32’’ long x 6.69’’ tall )
for men’s clothing.  The hanger’s surface prevents garments from sliding off, and the ends are curved to protect the garment’s shape.  They are constructed of ABS plastic with stainless-steel screws.

A set of 10 Neele Portable Folding Clothes Hangers is $9.77 at Amazon.

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Never find yourself in a hotel room without coat hangers again originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 10, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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This Ameribag protects your back and your identify

I’ve used Healthy Back Bags from Ameribag for years.  I even reviewed a shiny red vinyl HBBevo bag a couple of years ago that I still like and use.  This new Urban Traveler Healthy Back Bag shares some design features with my old bag.  It still has the main zipper against your back to prevent pickpockets from opening it and to keep the contents easily accessible to you without removing the bag; it still has lots of internal and external pockets for organizing your stuff, too.  It has added an internal RFID-protective pocket to protect your ID and credit cards from skimmers.  It’s a medium-sized HBB with a padded pocket for a tablet and a silver lining that helps you see and find the contents of your bag.  The Urban Traveler is made of 100% nylon, making it water-resistant and machine washable. Amazon has the Ameribag Urban Traveler in Stormy Grey for $59.95, which is the best price I’ve seen.

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This Ameribag protects your back and your identify originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 8, 2017 at 8:00 am.

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Saddleback Leather Company Hardside Carry On bag review

When looking for the right bag, I am as captured by form as I am by function, sometimes to the point of making concessions on function when I find a real head-turning item. This is exactly the state I find myself in after using the Hardside Leather Carry On from Saddleback Leather Company. 

I have owned this bag for about six months and used it for both air and car travel. Out of the box, the first sense that is awoken is that of smell.  The plastic bag holding the suitcase emanates a woodsy, rustic, olfactory treat that only properly tanned full grain leather can produce.  Upon further inspection of the carry on I can immediately see the care and craftsmanship that went into creating this piece and have no doubt that the 100-year warranty that accompanies every piece of Saddleback Leather is not a marketing ploy or a gimmick, this thing was built to last generations.

The suitcase is free of breakable parts like zippers, snaps or a metal hinge and instead uses three leather straps as the closing system and thick leather securely riveted to the bottom that is the hinge for the lid. This is the first point where my love of form overrides my need for function.  These three straps create an elegant nod to the suitcases that paved the way for it.  It is not too busy looking and the straps hold the lid down very tightly.  The downside to this design is that you will not be quickly opening this suitcase to grab an item as you are running to catch a flight.  To open and close it again takes about 30 seconds so I would not be storing my passport or phone in here while traveling.  There is a top handle and a removable shoulder strap for side-body or over the shoulder carrying options.

Inside this elegant yet rugged piece is a beautifully simplistic space. The main compartment is completely open, allowing for maximum packing capacity.  You can pack your clothes and gear directly or use your favorite cube system for organizing your items.  The underside of the lid is also an open space but is equipped with a pigskin flap that will hold your items in the lid area and not allow them to fall when the case is opened.  The flap is secured by two adjustable leather straps.  This space is perfect for keeping shoes separate from your other items, dress shirts, pants, or just about anything else you need for your trip.  There is no external storage on this bag, which for me, makes this suitcase exclusively for clothing and other items like toiletries that I will not need until I reach my destination.

The dimensions (found below) of this bag comply with major airline size limits for carry-on luggage (Saddleback recommends you check with your airline before traveling) and fits in the overhead bin easily but sticks out a bit if trying to put it under the seat in front of you. This bag, like all of Saddleback’s offerings, is not lightweight by any standard for luggage.  Empty, it weighs in at 10.8 pounds, which makes sense considering the all wood frame and full grain leather that it is encased in.  The suitcase is lined with pigskin (fun useless trivia: pigskin is the second strongest animal hide behind the only kangaroo).  All of the hardware is 316 stainless steel and will not rust.  All of the materials used in the construction of this and all of Saddleback’s products are of the highest quality and are chosen to support their 100-year warranty and their motto of “They’ll Fight Over It When You’re Dead”.

External: 21 ½ W x 13” H x 7 ¾” D     Internal: 20 ½ W x 11 ¼” H x 5 ½” D

This suitcase is not without its drawbacks. Some have been mentioned already but I will recap them and also discuss some issues with Saddleback in general right now.  First off, this item is priced at $1195, not exactly competing with the Samsonite you can pick up at Costco.  The materials and man-hours for this piece really drive up the cost but it also pushes this bag out of reach of many customers.  The weight.  10.8 pounds EMPTY!  You have to love this bag and want to have an eye-catching piece to carry this through an airport over your shoulder or in your hand to justify something that is designed to go in the opposite direction of most modern travel gear when it comes to zipping through the airport with ease.  For car travel, the weight isn’t as much of a concern.  I have personally used it for both air and road travel and lugging it to the very end of Terminal B at Denver’s airport had me wishing I had bought a small collapsible hand cart for it (not an offering from Saddleback but there are many options out there), converting it temporarily to a roller bag.

Saddleback has also been experimenting with different finishes of leather over the last year or so. Historically they have made changes to their leather finishes but recently those changes have been more dramatic and often.  All of their leather is still the highest quality full grain leather, what I’m talking about is how the leather is finished (texture, wax content, etc.).  Before ordering a product from Saddleback, you might want to use their online chat function to verify that the leather being shipped is the same that shows up on the website as these finishes continue to evolve.

This bag, carry on, suitcase, whatever you want to call it truly is a show stopper. I keep mine in my home office as a decorative piece when I’m not using it.  When I have used it, I have been stopped no less than three times on each trip to either ask where I got it or to compliment me on its uniqueness and handsome appearance.  If you are looking for a lightweight bag that is all about function and flies under the radar and can only be described as “luggage”, I would not recommend this bag to you.  If, on the other hand, you are looking for a high-quality leather suitcase that can be carried onto a commercial airplane that makes a statement and you don’t mind the extra weight and you are able to spend nearly $1200 on what can only be classified as a luxury item, I would highly recommend this bag.

Safe travels!

Source: The sample for this review was purchased using my own funds.  For more information on this bag please visit Saddleback Leather’s product page.

 

Product Information

Price: $1195
Manufacturer: Saddleback Leather
Pros:
  • 100 year warranty; extremely well made and solid construction; no breakable parts like zippers or snaps; 100% full grain leather; excellent customer service
Cons:
  • Heavy; expensive

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Saddleback Leather Company Hardside Carry On bag review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 2, 2017 at 8:40 am.

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Eagle Creek Pack-It Structured Cube review

When it comes to travel, whoever said “half the fun is getting there” quite obviously did not have to pack his own bag.  If you are anything like me – and I sense you are – you have a tendency to pack more than you need just in case you…well, need it.  To compensate, you have to learn how to pack efficiently or accept the fact you will need a small army to carry your bags.  Eagle Creek’s Pack-It cube system intends to help you with the first one, but the question is – can it?  Read on to find out…

The Eagle Creek Pack-It Structured Cube starter set (lucky I don’t get paid by the word) is a set of nylon compression cubes designed to make whatever you put inside them, within reason, smaller.  The set comes with one small cube, one medium cube and a second medium cube with a structured panel.  More on the function of the panel in a moment.  The medium-sized cubes are perfect for shirts but the structured cube is too small for most man-sized pants.  For example, I wear a 38×32 pant – not a small size, to be sure, but not overly large either.  With some creative folding, I was able to get 1 pair of pants into the medium structured cube, so clearly you would need a larger size structured or an unstructured to handle your pants.  Not a fault by any means, just something to keep in mind.

The structured panel, I assume, is intended to help you properly fold clothing like shirts to fit in the medium structured cube.  After folding, you can pack the panel at the bottom of the cube to help retain its shape.  Personally, I would have preferred both medium cubes in this set to have that panel – it would have made this a very valuable travel companion starter set.  Instead, only one of the cubes comes with this panel, an odd oversight.

Because I travel a lot for my day job and because I spend a lot of time in front of clients, I pack long-sleeve, button-down dress shirts.  The medium structured cube will hold 3 of my XL-sized shirts along with the panel.  The small cube will hold either a week’s worth of underwear or socks (not both).

As you can see, the medium structured cube is something of a tight fit with the 3 dress shirts packed along with the panel.  Question is, does the compression actually yield any space savings in your bag?

And the answer: yes, it does.  That is certainly less room than the 3 XL shirts on their own would take.  I would guess that 2 of the medium structured cubes, 2 of the unstructured medium cubes to hold rolled up pants and two small cubes would handle a week’s travel and would allow me to downsize to a smaller suitcase.

The solution comes at a potential cost, though.  I mentioned repeatedly that I pack dress shirts, and any system like this that relies on compression will wrinkly your clothing.  On the 3 trips I have taken using the cubes I have had to iron my shirts every morning.  Sure, that happens on occasion when free-packed in my bag, but there are times when I can get around that by hanging my shirt in the bathroom and letting the steam from the shower take care of minor wrinkling.  Not so with this system.  If I could wear t-shirts or a more casual shirt, this would not be an issue.  Nor should it be something that deters you unless you are actually allergic to irons.

All in all, the system does what it says.  My recommendation, however, would be to assess the kinds of packing cubes you might need and purchase accordingly rather than buying a one size fits some solution.  For example, the medium unstructured cube holds 2 pairs of rolled-up pants.  Two medium unstructured, two medium structured and two small unstructured would take me from a 25-inch checked bag to a 21-inch carry-on.  One trip and I’ve made back the investment in the system.  And that’s a good value in my book.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Eagle Creek.  Please visit their site for more information or visit Amazon to order.

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Eagle Creek Pack-It Structured Cube review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 30, 2017 at 11:00 am.

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