High Sierra Sport Company ~ Jill tested the ATQ 26-Inch Drop-Bottom Wheeled Duffel. This bag provided ample room for clothing and paperwork for a six-week trip to Europe. It was ideal for all situations: trains, planes, cars, buses, wheeling over cobbled streets for miles at a time. It came back with only a few nicks and scrapes (thanks United) and is good to go for the next adventure. Won't be leaving home without it!
The ideal travel bag-times three! Our 26-Inch Drop-Bottom Wheeled Duffel can be used as a wheeled upright, a duffel or a backpack. And, thanks to an advanced EVA foam structure, this bag is deceptively light. With its roomy compartments and intelligent organizing features, packing more in is never a problem. Price: $280.00 http://hssc.com/ItemDetail?itemNum=AT458
High Sierra Sport Company ~ Viv tested the 27-Inch Wheeled Backpack with Removable Day Pack and couldn't of been more pleased. The daypack was the ideal size to hold all the notebooks and camera/video gear for six-weeks on the road. Whilst the backpack functioned perfectly during the entire trip. Ample room and easy to pack/access. Great wheels for uneven pavements and lightweight for hauling in/out of trains.
Pack more - and lug less. Versatility defined, our 27-Inch Wheeled Backpack brings you three bags in one! Use it as a wheeled bag, a backpack or unzip the day pack for a handy carry-on. Plus, its EVA foam structure makes it one of our lightest wheeled bags ever. With its smart organizing features and quick convertibility, you can it anywhere and still have room to spare. Price: $320.00 http://hssc.com/ItemDetail?itemNum=AT406
MSR ~ WJ found these towels to be perfect for many situations. Keep one in your car for emergencies, handy to have in a day or backpack for drying off yourself, gear and equipment from unexpected rainfall. Incredibly absorbent for weight and size.
Packtowl UltraLite is the lightest, most compact microfiber towel on the market, perfect for camping, travel, or any situation where weight and space are at a premium. It absorbs water quickly and dries in a snap. Available in four sizes and two solid colors. Prices start at $9.95 http://msrgear.com/camptowels/ultralite.asp
Therm-A-Rest ~ Lite Seat - Although, this was an active trip, there were still many hours spent sitting on planes, trains, buses, in cars and theatres. The Lite Seat kept us comfortable, clean and was easy to roll up to fit in a jacket pocket when not in use. Works great indoors and out: hiking, canoeing, snowshoeing.
Ultralight and compact, the Lite Seat is tailor-made for fast and light adventures. It's self-inflating and rolls up small enough to carry in a pocket or small pocket, so it can be taken anywhere. Price: $27.95 http://thermarest.com/product_detail.aspx?pID=45&cID=4
Therm-A-Rest ~ Lumbar Pillow - WJ used the lumbar pillow for more than just the lower back. It also works great as a pillow, or head and neck rest while travelling. Easy to keep rolled up in a pocket or daypack.
BottleWise ~ This turned out to be very handy during our travels. We split it up when we were running out of room in our bags. Used it for wet laundry/swimsuits when we didn't have any bottles to carry. Kept our many bottles of wine, beer and liquors intact and gave us peace of mind that our clothes would remain safe from breakage. WJ will definately carry the BottleWise Wine Bag on future trips.
TSA-friendly Bag Lets You Safely Transport Wine Bottles Inside Checked Luggage
Keep Your Best Bottles Safe During Air Travel
BottleWise Duo, the first multi-purpose bag designed specifically to keep your bottles safe during air travel. Price: from $48.95 http://bottlewise.com
Joby ~ Gorillapod - Original, SLR, SLR Zoom If it weren't for the Gorillapod, we wouldn't of been able to get some of the great photographs we did. Kept the camera stable in many situations: hanging off the railing of river ships and cruise ships, wrapped around tree branches in parks and town squares. All three sizes worked very well and are a great edition to the camera bag of any photography enthusiast.
The Joby Gorillapod firmly secures your camera to just about anything — anywhere and everywhere! Unlike traditional tripods, the Gorillapod has flexible, gripping legs which can wrap around almost any surface. It is now available in three sizes! Lightweight, Compact, Portable, Bendable, Wrappable, Grippable, Gorilla Fun! Price: from $21.95 http://joby.com/
Lonely Planet ~ Eastern Europe Phrasebook With so much packed into such a small book, don't expect to find more than the basics: hotels, restaurants, emergency, embassy and entertainment words and phrases. We are finding that even in small towns in non-English speaking countries, it is relatively easy to communicate with locals if you have a few words in your vocabulary. This book helps in that department, just don't expect to be speaking fluent Hungarian after reading the chapter.
Whether you're dipping into history, exploring the arts scene, or simply enjoying the sun set, the 11 languages in this phrasebook will help you tune into the local lore. Covers Albanian, Bulgarian, Croatian (with Serbian), Czech, Hungarian, Macedonian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Slovak and Slovene. Price: $10.99 www.lonelyplanet.com
Lonely Planet ~ Western Europe Phrasebook Same finding with this guidebook as for the Eastern Phrasebook - a little bit of knowledge can go a long way. Doesn't take up much space, but doesn't provide in-depth coverage either. Bonus is that you can pack eleven languages into such a small package.
Covers the basics in: Danish, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish & Turkish. Price: $10.99 www.lonelyplanet.com
Borch Maps ~ WJ used many of Borch's city and country maps during our travels. The information contained on these maps makes it easy for any tourist to find exactly where you want to go and identify landmarks, monuments and the top thirty things to see in each city or town. Stock up for your next trip... we will!
A soft-laminated finish makes the map more durable and doubles as a write-on/wipe-off surface (non-permanent marker only). Price: from $7.95 www.borch.com
MSR ~ Overland Carbon Poles Jill has used these poles for a few months (travelling and Nordic walking) with great success. They are lightweight, compact, sturdy and the hand-grips are clean and comfortable. Easily slip into a backpack for travelling and are a snap to fit to your preferred length, depending on the terrain. Great pair of poles that you won't be leaving at home.
At eight ounces a piece, these lightweight poles are at home on the trail as part of an ultralight hiker's bag of tricks. Price: $139.95 http://msrgear.com/poles/carbon.asp