No Bells, No Whistles--Just Durable, Useful Road Gear That Earns Its Keep

I was in London last month, where it rained off and on. There’s nothing new in that, but there is in the fact that I’d packed an umbrella. And not just any umbrella. Designed for traveling, mine proved so useful that it got me thinking about all the things that make life easier on the road: clever, well-constructed things without too many bells and whistles, created by people who know what it’s like to get a splinter in Goa or be caught by a downpour in Trafalgar Square. Raindrops on roses are fine in “The Sound of Music.” But these are a few of my favorite things for traveling:

* The Leighton Feather Light Ultra Flat Mini Umbrella, made by Futai (USA) Inc., $21.95 from Christine Columbus, an online women’s travel gear catalog; telephone (800) 280-4775, Internet https://christinecolumbus.com. I’ve always traveled without an umbrella to save space, often buying a cheapie on the street when the sky turned black. But cheap umbrellas are about as durable as toilet paper. That’s why my new umbrella is special. It folds into a flat, pocket-size packet (1 by 10 inches, weighing 6 ounces) and is made of a durable, Teflon-coated fabric called Poly Ponge, with a wind-resistant frame that opens to a 43-inch diameter. I’d be a fool to leave it behind, wherever I’m headed.

The manufacturer, Futai, which is headquartered in Taipei, is the world’s largest umbrella maker, producing all the parts that go into every bumbershoot it makes for companies like Givenchy, Eddie Bauer, Disney and London Fog. Ever in the forefront of umbrella technology, Futai recently introduced a slightly larger version of my umbrella for London Fog, with an automatic opening feature ($24.95). The quality is so high that Futai offers an unconditional lifetime warranty.

* The Macabi Skirt, P.O. Box 520944, Salt Lake City, Utah 84152; tel. (888) 550-7540, Internet https://www.Macabiskirt.com, $69. When you first see a Macabi you might think it gimmicky, because it has a strap hanging in its interior folds that allows you to clip the fabric up between your legs, turning the skirt into blowzy trousers--the way pioneer women did in the fields. But if you’re angling for bonefish in the Yucatan (like the skirt’s inventor, Carol Louder) or need to ride a motorcycle modestly in Bali (like me), you’ll quickly recognize the virtues of a Macabi. It’s made of quick-drying, rugged Supplex, with an elastic waistband and zippered pockets, suitable for trekking in Nepal or a gin and tonic at the Imperial Hotel in New Delhi.

Macabi is a cottage industry, which is why you’ve got to go to the source to get one. This is part of its appeal, as is the fact that its based on an age-old concept. “Women have tucked up their skirts for a long time,” says Louder. Then, too, I can’t help relishing the fact that cool, sunburn-retardant Macabis have proved popular among male river guides.

* Uncle Bill’s Sliver-Gripper Tweezers, $4.95 to $5.50, available at Restoration Hardware, in the Real Goods Trading Corp. catalog (tel. [800] 762-7325, Internet https://www.realgoods.com) and from Boss, the Boulder Outdoor Survival School, tel. (800] 335- 7404, Internet https://www.boss-inc.com. Those who travel in the tropics know to be extra careful about splinters due to the heightened risk of infection. That’s why I love Uncle Bill’s inch-long, pinpoint-precision tweezers. Uncle Bill, a.k.a. Bill Jones, is a retired engineer who started making his tweezers about 15 years ago at home. I had a little trouble tracking them down until I found the Web site for Boss--where I got distracted by the survival school’s calendar, featuring courses like “Sonoran Living Skills,” held on Mexico’s Tiburon Island. Boss president Josh Bernstein says the tweezers are great for removing cactus spines. I find them useful for eyebrow shaping.

* Emer’gen-C, made by Alacer Corp. in Foothill Ranch, Calif., is available in health food stores for about $10 for a 36-dose box. I mix a little packet of effervescent Emer’gen-C with water every morning I’m away. This health cocktail contains 1,000 mg of mineral ascorbates (easier on the system than the type of ascorbic acid used in most C supplements), as well as a host of B vitamins. It’s wrapped in portable, waterproof packets and comes in five flavors. Flight attendants favor it, and Jay Patrick, who founded Alacer 29 years ago and works a 50-hour week at the age of 87, says he never gets colds--and has 20-20 vision, no arterial blockage and the bone density of a 30-year-old.

* Chaco sandals, made by Chaco Inc. in Paonia, Colo., are available at Adventure 16 stores in seven styles for $62 to $100. Mark Paigen, a white-water rafting guide and custom shoemaker, created Chacos 10 years ago with river runners, who need amphibious footgear, in mind. They’re also perfect for beach vacations and attractive enough to wear around town--largely due to their continuous pull-through strap and a single buckle that eliminates the need for Velcro (which tends to wear out). Resolable and extremely sure-footed, with arch-supporting footbeds designed to minimize fatigue, Chacos are my favorite warm-climate sightseeing shoe. And they double as slippers in hotels with questionably clean baths.

* TYR reversible bathing suits, made by Huntington Beach-based TYR Sport Inc.,; $58 to $63 in sporting goods stores. I wear my TYR not just in the water but on long-haul flights because, unlike underwear, it doesn’t pinch and poke. The company makes one- and two-piece suits with a solid color on one side and a pattern on the other, resulting in less transparency and two suits for the price of one.