Tumi Theorem Frequent Traveler Roller
Luggage is modern man’s beast of burden, but that doesn’t mean it can’t look sexy. The Frequent Traveler is all curves, its carbon-fiber handle carving an arc when extending from either side. By engineering the handle so that it slides down the 22-inch roller’s exterior rather than retracting into its back, Tumi increased interior space by 26 percent. Your move, camel. [$995; tumi.com]
Bushnell Backtrack Keychain GPS
Push a button on the Backtrack to save the coordinates of where you’re standing. When you want to get backhit the other button and the homing device points the way. Its digital readout is simple, showing distance and a compass arrow that points you in the right direction, whether to your hotel on a Lisbon side street or your parking space in the stadium lot. [$70; bushnell.com]
Navigon 7200T GPS
If you own a GPS then you know the frustration of having a husky-voiced woman insist that you take an exit just as you’re passing by it. To help, Navigon uses Reality View, which re-creates in 3-D what you’re seeing through the windshield, including road signs, and indicates exactly which lane you should be in. Free real-time traffic updates for life are handy too. [$450; navigonusa.com]
Altec Lansing IM237 Orbit Speaker
Headphones are a must for the plane ride but once you’re sipping mai tais on a suite veranda with the wife, you need something that can deliver tunes for two; hence the Orbit. Three AAA batteries power the easily packed speaker for 24 hours, and it connects to anything with a headphone jack. And at only $40, you won’t freak if you leave it at the hotel. [$40; alteclansing.com]
Limited-Edition Derek Lam Kiehl’s Travel Kit
The TSA’s Law of Three Ounces has made last-minute packing into a desperate search for a 24-hour pharmacy with plane-legal grooming supplies. Save yourself the hassle with this limited-edition kit from Kiehl’s. Travel-size lip balm, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion come packed in a bronzed vinyl case that you can toss in a duffel on your way out the door. [$225; kiehls.com]
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December 22nd, 2008 at 12:11 am
As for the luggage, I can’t say, never used it. Nor the Navigon GPS. But the keychain GPS? I have, and it takes FOREVER (as in never) to acquire a signal. I got it to work once (my sister works for USAID, and tried using it in Iraq, she got nowhere with it), but never again. The speaker is actually pretty good…but hard to pack in a laptop bag, and I got the feeling it would take a beating if put in my seabag (I’m in the Marine Corps). The last one…cheers if yer a metrosexual….I am not. I recently got back from Afghanistan after living off of baby wipes, instant coffee, and whatever creative impulse led to a new combination of MRE ingredients. So the 3 oz. stuff gets the “thumbs up” for the civvy but real hard-core travelers will want to stock up at the local Walgreens or CVS. Plus it’s a hellava lot cheaper.
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