Tim Leffel’s Cheapest Destinations

Travel Gear That Works

I’ve been traveling a lot the past few months and reviewing a lot of items for the Practical Travel Gear blog. Plus I’ve been using some oldies but goodies that have done the trick ever since I started backpacking in the early 90s. Here’s a rundown on a few new and old items that continually delivered for me.

Cool new gear:

Steripen water purifier. This thing is close to magic. You just stick it in a pitcher of water (or a wide-mouthed bottle), let it rip for 60 seconds, and you’ve got purified water. Imagine how much less plastic developing countries would be throwing into landfills if every traveler had one of these! It’s not cheap though, so put it on your gift list before you take off.

PacSafe theft-proof bag. Your chances of somebody slashing your bag or cutting the strap aren’t huge, but it only takes one time to make your trip a real bummer. These bags are reinforced and equipped with all kinds of features that make things much tougher for thieves.

Perpetual flashlight. Batteries are a drag. They need to be replaced and the old ones are an environmental problem almost everywhere. Enter the perpetual flashlight. You shake it for 30 seconds and it’s recharged. Nothing to plug in, nothing to throw away.

Oldies but goodies:

- Money belt that looks like a regular belt. You can have a few hundred dollars on you without anyone knowing it, or just an extra $50 for emergencies. You can get one of these from a variety of places, but for the best selection see BeltOutlet.com.

- Good hiking boots. My Merrill boots cost me about $90 at REI, but I’ve hiked through Costa Rica, Peru, and Guatemala with them, not to mention a few day jaunts near home. They’re still going strong.

- Hanging travel toiletry kit. I’ve been using one of these as long as I’ve been traveling and it’s essential for any trip lasting more than a few days. If you’re moving around, you know this will work in just about any hotel or guesthouse, no matter how cramped and devoid of counter space your bathroom is.

- Retractable cable lock. I’ve got to buy a new one of these soon as the old one has gotten so much use it’s about gone. Whatever you need to lock up, wherever, this can come in handy to secure your valuables. With one of these, you can lock up your things inside your backpack or luggage and have an impromptu room safe.

And one bust:

On one trip before I got the Steripen I used a water bottle with a built-in filter. I sucked, then it sucked. It worked well when it worked, but if it got dropped or jostled the filter would fall off the straw part, throwing the charcoal filter into the water, rendering the whole batch useless. I didn’t have a Katadyn brand one, but a cheaper knock-off. I got what I paid for.