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Road test: gear for your travels
Need a sturdy portable blender or a waterproof case for your iPod? Let our gear reviewers steer you to trusty and tested products.
ROAD TEST
As the mercury rises and temperatures sizzle, you're undoubtedly thinking about taking a plunge into a cool body of water. A pool. A lake. An ocean. If you want to snap some photographs of your waterside fun, you'll need to think about getting a waterproof camera. The ones developed a generation ago were bulky, steel-encased gizmos the size of toasters. Today's submersible cameras are small, sophisticated and light. We tested four models in a neighborhood swimming pool, including a one-time-use camera that utilizes (gasp!) film.
ROAD TEST
If you’re going to be limited to one piece of carry-on luggage, don’t lug a gloomy bag onto the plane. Instead, take aboard one of these trendy totes.
ROAD TEST
Camping is about immersing yourself in nature, getting away from the stuffy confines of modernity and losing yourself in Mother Nature's wonderland. But you don't have to suffer a bad night's sleep just because you're spreading your sleeping bag on the ground. When you're ready to sack out, don't rest your weary head on a rolled-up jacket or a sack of dirty laundry. Try a camping pillow, designed to be light, comfortable and easy to pack. We tested four brands.
ROAD TEST
Back In the late '80s and early '90s, secret agent Angus MacGyver foiled evil plots and vanquished bad guys on TV with nothing but a Swiss Army knife, some chewing gum and his extra-sharp wits. Imagine what hairy end-of-the-world crises MacGyver could solve with today's upgraded, super-loaded multi-tools. Knife manufacturers claim the latest man-toys are almost all you'll need for a backcountry adventure. We tested six popular brands of jam-packed multi-tools.
ROAD TEST
Squeezed, sore and sleepless? You must be flying coach. And to snag a more comfortable seat in business or first class, you may need to dole out hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Enter the inflatables. For less than $50, these blow-up cushions and pillows promise relief from hard seats, cramped legs and less-than-restful sleeping positions. We tested three inflatables. One definite downside: All take up some valuable carry-on space.ƒo
ROAD TEST
Just who was it, way back when, who decided a passport had to be just the wrong size for most pockets and containers? Ever since then, travelers and travel outfitters have been trying to deal with that larger-than-a-wallet, not-very-bendable shape. Now that Americans need those passports for any trip by air to Mexico or Canada, the annoyance has multiplied. Meanwhile, tales of clever pickpockets (foreign and domestic) abound. Hence these products, made of such mysterious substances as eXomesh and holofiber, which you wear over your clothing. Or under it. Or affixed to your ankle. Or at your belt. Or dangling from your neck. All are lightweight and relatively small. Most are designed to carry a passport, cash and/or credit cards, and the passport is always the hard part. I wore each of these for a day.
ROAD TEST
These three gadgets help you work out on the go without burdening your luggage.
ROAD TEST
When the women of my family dine out together, we often wonder whether the waiter will ask us, "Would you like this to go or to wear?" because our lack of hand-mouth coordination is so painful -- and apparent. On a cruise, for which you've packed lightly and allocated your daily spending to everything but the dry cleaner, this can lead to significant sartorial distress. We sacrificed a pair of khaki slacks (60% cotton, 40% polyester) to test four spot lifters. Using an eye dropper, we dribbled two drops of coffee on one pant leg and two drops of fat-free raspberry pecan salad dressing (tinted with red dye No. 40) on the other. We blotted and then attacked the evil glop. Results? You'll be OK if you miss your mouth with your cuppa Joe, but you just might want to order your salad undressed.
ROAD TEST
California generally has so little rain during an average year that it's easy for you to forget to take rain gear when headed for places more apt to have stormy skies. But an easy-to-pack poncho or coat can make a big difference when you're surprised by a monsoon -- or even a spring shower. A few weeks ago when we decided to test women's rainwear, Southern California had been dry for so long that we thought we'd need to wear the items in the shower to get an accurate picture of their effectiveness. But wet weather was just over the horizon. So each of the five items listed below was put to a definitive test: Could each withstand a half-hour outdoors in a downpour?
ROAD TEST
Sure, you have more than a thousand songs crammed into your MP3 player, but what good is all that music if you can't hear it over the jet, train or automobile noise? Enter noise-blocking headphones designed to kill the racket while preserving the rich tones. But now there is an alternative to those bulky, hairdo-mashing headphones: noise-blocking earphones. The earphones -- or ear buds -- are a fraction of the size of headphones and fit inside your ear. There are two types: the kind that block the noise by sealing your ear canal and the kind that use high-tech circuitry to create "anti-noise" sound waves to kill ambient clamor. We tested four models for clarity, comfort and noise elimination.
ROAD TEST
First look: Eagle Creek's 22-inch Hovercraft Rolling Upright is a fine, lightweight case made by a manufacturer known for its adventure gear and travel luggage. It has a spacious main compartment, plenty of pockets, padded, easy-to-grip handles at the top and side, and a solid, telescoping handle. The add-a-bag strap at the top is detachable, a nice feature.
ROAD TEST
The moon is that big silvery object in the night sky, and the sun is that bright glowing orb that is responsible for all life on this planet. If that's the extent of your astronomical knowledge, you might consider buying a device to identify more heavenly objects. We tested several tools, from high-tech GPS-guided gadgets to old-fashioned cardboard sky charts, to see which does the best job of putting names to those twinkly lights in the night sky.
ROAD TEST
I must have caffeine on a long road trip, preferably of the hot liquid variety. But when I try to drink from a paper cup, the plastic lid pops off, scalding my hand and decorating my shirt front. The brew gets lukewarm after several sips, and the drinking aperture leaks, leaving me with dribbles down my chin.
ROAD TEST
Whether you're stranded at the Denver airport or knocking around Central Park, there are several options for charging your cellphone in a pinch. These devices, which work without a wall plug or car lighter outlet, give you instant power for a call or a full charge in an hour or so. (Times vary by device and battery strength.) Some chargers work with AA batteries. Others hold a charge in an internal lithium battery. Still others turn the sun's rays into portable power. The most dramatic difference: their sizes.
ROAD TEST | FITNESS
Visiting the gym every day isn't easy; when you're on the road, it's almost impossible. For a fitness buff, that makes travel -- business or leisure -- more stressful than it needs to be. What to do? But there are healthy ways to counteract the hectic schedules of travel. Some people stay only at hotels that have fitness facilities; others map walking, hiking or running routes (hotel concierges can usually help); still others pack compact workout equipment to help them maintain their fitness routine within the confines of their hotel room. We tested a variety of these products -- crunching, flexing, practicing our downward-dog yoga routine -- and found they had one thing in common: They helped avoid the end-of-day couch-potato syndrome that travel sometimes inspires.
You're planning a business trip when you notice your meeting site is near a prime fishing lake. Maybe you can get away for a couple of hours of fishing. But who wants to schlep a 6-foot rod and a tackle box through an airport for half a day of fishing? You don't have to; you can combine business and pleasure with a lightweight, collapsible fishing rod that slips into your suitcase. We tested four brands for freshwater fishing, including one that claims to be the world's smallest fishing rod.
TRAVEL GEAR
Luggage with wheels. What a concept. It's a pity it took the world so long to think of it. But pulling a two-wheeled suitcase still isn't all fun and games. You're always just a bit off balance because the case rolls at an angle. The solution: four-wheeled luggage, some of which is so lightweight and flexible that you can dance circles around travelers dragging the older style. And pulling it seems easier on your back. The suitcases are upright, so you can be too. We tried three carry-on-size bags on international trips and were pleased with all of them.
ROAD TEST | LUGGAGE
"More than 50 pounds, pay $50." It's an easy way to remember that a bag checked on a domestic flight and weighing more than 50 pounds may cost as much as $50 in overweight fees. Weight limits are even more restrictive and costly on many international flights. That's why you often see beleaguered travelers kneeling on the floor in front of airport check-in counters trying to transfer belongings from one bag to another to avoid unanticipated overweight fees.
ROAD TEST | LAPTOP CASES
It contains digital family photos. It holds your business contacts. It's a repository of other valuable data too, including that video clip of the dog riding a skateboard. So how to keep harm from befalling your laptop? Many swear by a high-impact protective case. We tested four brands that promote themselves as the top of the line in laptop protection.
ROAD TEST | WIRED CLOTHING
An iPod. A BlackBerry. A GPS device. A Palm Pilot. A digital camera. These are exciting times for techies, but how do we carry all these electronic gadgets while traveling? Not in a clunky fanny pack. Clothing manufacturers have come up with a line of gadget-ready garments with pockets, straps and holders for every conceivable hand-held device. We tested three brands.
ROAD TEST | SHOES
It's a weekend adventure trip. You'll hike. Maybe you'll bike. You might jump in a kayak or just hang out by the pool. So you need to pack at least four pairs of shoes, right? Yeah, right. Instead, pack a pair of what shoe manufacturers are calling "performance footwear," an impressive-sounding term for all-purpose shoes. The idea is that you need only one pair for most outdoor activities. We put three styles through their paces, while hiking, kayaking, bouldering and running.
ROAD TEST | BIRDS
The morning breaks to the sound of a chirp. Or maybe it's more of a twitter. Perhaps it's a chirp, chirp, twitter. What's that? A wren? A sparrow? A grosbeak? You don't have to be a bird lover to be fascinated by these songs and calls. While on the road, you may come across a hoarse squawk or lilting melody that you can't place. With these new digital devices, you can learn the names, hear the songs and see pictures of hundreds of birds at the touch of a button. We tested three devices that match faces with those sounds.
ROAD TEST
Summertime — and that means picnics and barbecues, at the park, beach or the mountains. But just because you are outdoors communing with the animals doesn't mean you have to leave civilization — and smoothies or daiquiris — behind. Not when you have a portable blender for those drinks. We tested four blenders designed to take on the road. Our drink of choice was a simple smoothie: a dollop of yogurt, some frozen blueberries and mango chunks blended with ice.
ROAD TEST | WATERPROOFING GEAR
Among the world's most popular inventions — alongside the microchip, duct tape and the thong bikini — we must include the digital audio player. IPod sales alone have made Steve Jobs so rich he can now buy his own country. (Macland? Applestan?) To protect our precious digital players on the road, we now have a selection of waterproof and shockproof cases. Some shells resemble modified sandwich bags. Others look like "Star Trek" communicators. We tested three popular versions, using an iPod Nano.
ROAD TEST | SECURITY ALARMS
Do you worry about bad guys tripping up your trip? Enterprising companies are happy to come to your rescue with safety devices they say will help you travel more confidently. One problem: reliability. Two of the security alarms we ordered online were duds. One screamed constantly from the moment we put its batteries in; the other failed to scream at all. Here's a look at some of the winners.
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ROAD TEST
You love the outdoors, and you do it all: hike, bike, fish, kayak ... and sweat. With you in mind, athletic clothing companies churn out performance shirts made from synthetic materials that they promise will keep you dry and comfortable even when your sweat glands kick into overdrive. A few manufacturers claim their shirts not only wick away sweat but also repel outside moisture and block the sun's harmful UV rays. We tested three shirts while fishing, hiking and — the ultimate test — chaperoning four kids through an amusement park.
ROAD TEST | TRAVEL CLOCKS
We rate five that soothe, screech or slip under a pillow.
ROAD TEST | MAPPING SOFTWARE
These mufflers keep the journey quieter in the air and on the road.
NEWS, TIPS & ADVICE
Ah, the joys of the tropics: warm weather, clear skies, sunburned faces. We tested several products that advertise they'll help buyers avoid overexposure to the sun's rays. Some — like a sunbrella (an umbrella that supposedly blocks 98% of the sun's rays) — were more bothersome than beneficial. But a couple of new hats made our wish list. Besides looking fun, both have high sun-protective ratings.
ROAD TEST
Although it's widely thought that the world can be divided into butter people and olive oil folks, the two groups often overlap. Now, consider those who won't leave home without a passport case, and the rest of us. We can see no earthly reason to add another travel accessory to our collection. After all, passports and tickets can be shoved into purses, jackets or trouser pockets. (Cargo pants work especially well.) But passport-case lovers can't be convinced. And some of the world's best-known designers are giving them what they want -- at luxury prices. At the other end of the market are inexpensive holders; the newest ones claim to block scanners from stealing ID information. And, of course, there are holders that dangle from a strap. Travelers who choose these believe the trade-off for looking a little dorky is peace of mind. Maybe they're on to something.