Itinerary? Check. Clothing and accessories? Check. Travel documents? Check. Now all that’s left is the accompanying gear to make your sojourns—whether far from home or in your own backyard—easier, safer, more functional and stylish as well.
Somethin’ for the fellas
I know the phrase is “ladies first,” but sometimes you just gotta put your man ahead of you. So first, let’s check out what is being called by some the new standard in on-the-go shaving. Designed for the man on the move and small and light enough to fit in your suitcase, gym bag or even in your car’s glove compartment (eyes on the road, please!), Shavetech is billed as “a sleek, technology-forward, USB-chargeable razor.” Because you don’t need an electrical outlet, it makes it the perfect companion to keep you fellas lookin’ good all day and night should you need a last-minute shave. www.shavetech.com
Another great travel product for men comes from SCOTTEVEST. Specializing in intelligently designed, technology-enabled clothing, the company produces a diverse line of vests, jackets, hoodies, pants, shirts, T-shirts and polo shirts, all with unique, hidden pockets perfect for concealing your cellphone, loose cash, wallet, passport, iPhone/iPod/iPad and so forth. The rub is that all of their products are well-designed and very stylish, so that you don’t look like you’re wearing a dumpy looking fishing vest chock full of bulky items.
The company recently branched out into women’s wear as well, which coincides perfectly with the latest sports arena and other venue restrictions on purse and backpack sizes and contents. Among the offerings are beautiful and comfortable cardigans, vests, shirts, jackets, pants and other clothing items that, in addition to the items for the men, help conceal makeup, personal hygiene items and other delicates without the bulk. www.scottevest.com
Sim card safe
Although today’s technology continues to provide us with leaner, smaller technology that fits into our palm or pocket, some still come armed with a variety of tiny SIM cards about the size of penny that need to be swapped out now and again.
So for those constantly on the go—particularly frequent travelers taking along cameras, cellphones and the like—you can keep all of those cards safe and organized with the Mobile Safe Case.
Smaller than a business card and only approximately one-quarter-inch thick, these cases are a perfect fit for all of your SIM and micro SD cards and save you from the hassle of digging through your pockets, purse, briefcase, travel bags and so forth to find them. The case is made with a simple sliding drawer that can hold about half a dozen cards, which easily locks and snaps shut. Best of all, it is lined with special “Grip Pad Technology” that stays in place until you lift it off, so there’s no adhesive that sticks to the cards, and it includes a handy little tool for easily removing the SIM cards from your electronic devices. www.gpg2.com
Everyone needs a sidekick
In this case, it’s a SideKick360 Smartphone Adapter. Although it’s designed to provide precision control and solid camera support to photographers and filmmakers, I found it to be very handy to hold my cellphone on my desk while working, and in crowds, walking over bridges, sightseeing on open-top bus tours and other places where I wanted to be extra careful not to let my phone get bumped or drop out of my hand.
The 360-degree rotation ball joint and smooth vice-grip handles provide complete and easy vertical and horizontal positioning, and the tripod attachment base fits easily into the palm of your hand. Also, it is very lightweight and small enough to drop in your purse or over-the-shoulder travel bag. It’s available in 12 vibrant colors, so you can choose one that suits your personality as well instead of only having to go with the standard black. www.mefoto.com/products/sidekick360.aspx
Here comes the sun
We’ve known for quite some time now about the damaging effect the sun can have on our skin. However, the upside is that over the past few years, there’s been an emergence of new and innovative products designed to help prevent that damage well before it has a chance to take hold.
Among them is the Bloxsun Sun Scarf, a line of beautiful scarves to suit an array of sun protection needs. Made from a UPF 50-plus stretch nylon blend, the scarves—available in over a half-dozen fashionable and unique patterns and colors—are great for protecting your head, neck, shoulders and/or lap while walking on the beach, sitting at your child’s sporting events, lounging at the pool, watching a tennis match—the sun protection situations are endless. No more roasting like a chicken and paying the price with red, burnt or peeling skin! The company also makes stylish Sun Gloves for great hand protection. http://bloxsun.com
Freshness on the go
Sometimes hand sanitizer is just not enough, and your face, underarms or neck might need a little “tune up.” La Fresh, a line of essential cosmetic and skincare products, as well as hygienic and cleaning wipes, for men, women and children.
Their products include light, pocket-sized, individually wrapped wipes for facial cleansing, makeup removal, feminine and male personal hygiene and hand disinfectant. They also offer sunscreen, nail polish remover, lens and screen cleaning, shoe shine, natural mosquito repellent and baby cleansing wipes, plus convenient travel-sized shaving gels, hair styling gels, hydrating lotions and deodorants. www.lafreshgroup.com
Lysa Allman-Baldwin writes for numerous online and print publications, including as the cultural travel writer for www.Examiner.com and as a senior travel writer for SoulOfAmerica.com, an Afrocentric travel website. Lysa can be reached at lallmanbaldwin@kc.rr.com.