Travel Essentials Blog

Need gifts to get to you before the 25th? This week, Travel Essentials is offering a free shipping upgrade to any order placed before Friday, December 18th at noon*. All you have to do is place an order and choose “UPS Ground” shipping. We’ll automatically upgrade you to UPS 3-Day select, so you’ll get your presents in plenty of time!

Visit our website to see what we’ve got available this holiday season! www.TravelEssentials.com

*Offer excludes wheeled luggage.

Photon II Microlight

With the holidays fast approaching, it seems that everyone is in search of the perfect gift. Here at Travel Essentials we like to to find cool gadgets and practical gifts (but not so practical they won’t love them!) Every holiday season we compile a list of our favorite gifts to share with our customers – here are some more items off that list.

Photon II Microlights – This nifty little key-chain light may be small, but the light it emits is anything but! These powerful little lights are strong, long lasting and even have an on-switch for prolonged use. A great stocking stuffer, everyone loves a Photon Microlight! Click here to check out the available colors (including red, which preserves night vision!)

GoToob

GoToobs – I know we’ve touted the virtues of the GoToob before, but that’s only because we love them so much (and so do our customers!) These amazing, squeezable travel bottles are easy-to-use, easy-to-fill, easy-to-clean, and they’re all carry-on friendly. Click here to read our full review. And click here to visit our site and pick some up!

The 40 Blinks Eye Shade – From Bucky, this eye shade is both fashionable and comfortable. In snazzy colors and patterns, you’re sure to find a style to fit everyone. And the silky, contoured mask does an incredible job of blocking out the light – so you can catch some z’s, whether you’re on a plane or just sharing a bed with a late-night reader. Click here to see the colors and patterns available.

Travel Scrabble

Travel Scrabble – This classic game can be a little delicate to play, usually requiring a steady flat surface and gentle players. But, if you want to play on the go, this excellent travel version will accommodate your needs. The tiles snap into the squares on the board, keeping them safe and secure. And the whole thing zips up into its own tidy case, so you can throw it in your back-pack and finish the game later. Click here to pick one up now.

Anne McAlpin Coast & Cruise Purse – This handy hand-bag is deftly designed to hold everything you need whether you’re in a foreign land or down the road at your local mall. Stylish and functional, this purse-style bag converts quickly and easily to a small backpack using hidden loops on the bottom of the bag. An organizer panel in the front of the bag will help you organize your glasses, phone, camera, pens, cards, and more – so you’ll always know where to find what you’re looking for! The adjustable strap can be worn over-the-shoulder, across-the-body, or as a backpack. A handy external slip pocket is an easy place to stash stuff accessibly or to free your hands. Click here to learn more.

No Jet Lag – These homeopathic pills are a scientifically proven remedy to relieve the symptoms of jet lag, from fatigue to nausea. One package of pills contains 32 jet lag tablets, good for 50 hours of flying time. Click here to buy some today!

With the holidays fast approaching and shopping to be done, we went through our favorite and best selling items and picked out a handful of products that we think make great gifts, and they’re all under $50!

GorillaPod

GorillaPods – These amazing, flexible tripods are great for travel photography. You can hook them to fences, posts, set them on flat or uneven surfaces. Set your timer and you can be in every picture, even if you’re traveling alone! And, they come with an easy detachable clip that you can leave on your camera instead of having to screw the tripod on each time you want to take a photo.

Ogon RFID Protective Wallets – These chic and modish wallets make a great addition to any purse or pocket, and while they look great, the main appeal of these Ogon aluminum wallets is that they block RFID (radio frequency identification) signals that some newer ID and credit cards contain. That way, there can be no electronic identity theft.

Thermasilk Long Underwear - These silk undergarments have long been a favorite at Travel Essentials. See our recent blog post for more information on these Mens and Women’s tops and bottoms!

Balanzza Digital Luggage Scale

The Balanzza Digital Luggage Scale - A useful piece of technology, the Balanza Digital Scale is easy-to-use, easy-to-read and helps travelers to avoid overweight-baggage fees.

First Class Sleeper – Everyone knows that airplane seats aren’t always the most comfortable places to sit – and the discomfort gets even worse when you’ve got a long flight ahead of you. Thus, the First Class Sleeper was born. Easy to inflate and deflate, the sleeper cushions your entire body, providing comfort, even on the stiffest airline seats.

Petzl Head Lamps – Petzl head lamps are perfect personal lighting, whether you’re riding your bike home at night, taking a walk in the woods, spelunking, or even reading after your friends or family have gone to sleep in the hotel room. Different styles offer variety in size and lighting power, but all of them live up to Petzl’s excellent standard of quality.

Petzl e+Lite Head Lamp

Visit www.TravelEssentials.com for more great gift ideas!

3 Ounce GoToob

And they’re now in stock! The amazing, fabulous, handy GoToob has added a 3 ounce sized bottle to its repertoire, joining the best-selling 1.25 and 2 ounce sizes on shelves this week. Made from silicone, GoToobs are pliable and “squeezable”, making it a breeze to squeeze out whatever liquid or gel you’re traveling with. The bottles have leak-proof valves and a rubber seal in the cap to make sure it won’t leak in your luggage. And the 2 ounce bottles have a suction cup built into the side so they can easily be stuck to the shower wall or bathroom mirror. The bottle’s collar has a built-in labeling system that allows you to choose from conditioner, shampoo, sunblock, lotion or soap. And, when you fill the bottle the large opening is easy to fill and makes it easy to clean the bottles. And hey, the silicone is food-grade and bpa free, so you can even use them for something edible!

All three sizes of GoToob are TSA approved and carry-on friendly, so you can fill them with whatever you need on your next trip, slip them in your quart baggie and slip them into your carry-on luggage. Easy-to-fill, mess-free, environmentally friendly, simple to clean, and completely handy, we don’t know how people traveled before the GoToob!

Visit www.TravelEssentials.com to check out our entire selection of GoToobs!

Now through December 24th, Briggs & Riley is offering our customers a spectacular deal. Order any bag that costs $350 or more and automatically get $100 off the purchase price. Any bag you buy that is priced between $249 and $349 will receive an automatic $50 discount.  Plus, here at Travel Essentials, we offer you free shipping on any wheeled bag, making this an even more incredible deal!

Not only is this an amazing deal, but it’s a deal on an amazing product. Briggs & Riley make high-quality bags that will last you a lifetime, and they’re not scared to guarantee that with their “Simple As That” Lifetime Warranty, that ensures that they will repair your bag for life, no matter how the damage occurred, even if it was the airline’s fault.

U420XW Wide-Body Expandable Carry-On

One of our favorite new bags from Briggs & Riley is the U420XW 20″ Wide-Body Expandable Carry-On. Specifically designed to fit into more overhead compartments than 22″ bags, the U420XW adds a little bit of width to the bag to also offer maximum packing space in your carry-on.

The standard carry-on rule for domestic flights is that uprights need to be shorter than 22″. However, 22″ bags will not fit in some overhead compartments, meaning you will have to gate-check your bag, anyway. International flights and airlines have varying policies on carry-on luggage, many of which requiring bags to be 20″ or shorter, which the U420XW 20″ Wide-Body Expandable Carry-On accomplishes. Of course, you should always check with your airline before hand to make sure that you’re following their specific rules and guidelines.

Visit www.TravelEssentials.com to see all of our Briggs & Riley Bags.

Are you planning on heading south for the winter? Taking a vacation on a tropical beach? Or spending some time “down under” to escape the cold? If so, you’ll need to protect yourself from the sun. A lot of people rely on sun block to keep them from turning pink, but if you’re going to spend a lot of time outdoors, that doesn’t always provide the protection you need.

Adventure Hat

Sunday Afternoons specializes in clothes and hats that will keep your skin out of harm’s way. Most of their shirts are rated at an UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) of 40 or more. Most of their hats have the even higher rating of UPF 50+.

Our favorite Sunday Afternoons Hat is probably the Adventure Hat. Designed for both men and women, the Adventure Hat comes in a variety of colors.  As we’ve noted on our website, “The fabric of this hat, dermatologist approved, will block all UVA/UVB rays anywhere; in the desert, tropics, high altitudes, or offshore. Weighing only 3 oz., it makes it easy to pack in your suitcase or gear bags. This is a traveling necessity you don’t want to be without.”

Women's Passport Shirt

If you want to protect more than just your head (and most of us probably do), we’d recommend a shirt as well. For men, the Sunday Afternoons Island Breeze Shirt has UPF 40 rated protection and also manages to be soft, moisture-wicking and well-ventilated. And, for the ladies, the Sunday Afternoons Passport Shirt provides the same comfort and UPF 40 protection. Both shirts come in a variety of flattering colors.

Thermasilk Women's Top

Thermasilk Long Underwear make a great companion for winter travels. The simple, silk long sleeve shirts and pants (in both men’s and women’s) make an incredible base layer, providing a natural insulation against the cold of winter climes. The natural silk is also odor-resistant and quickly wicks moisture away from your skin when you’re working up a sweat, helping to keep you dry and fresh.

There are two things we really love about the Thermasilk long underwear. The first is that it’s so incredibly thin – but still manages to provide surprising warmth when you’re out in the cold. The second is that the natural silk still breathes. So, while it keeps you warm out in the cold weather, you won’t start sweating as soon as you step inside. The silk works with your body to keep you comfortable as you go in and out of shops, or restaurants. Perfect as a base layer for winter travel or a good winter pajama, we think everyone should have at least one pair!

Visit TravelEssentials.com to check it out!

City Bagg

The Baggallini City Bagg ($74.95) may look like any other purse, but there’s definitely more to this bag than meets the eye. The City Bagg is specifically designed for safe, organized travel, and will keep your belongings secure but still easily accessible. The bag features a spacious main pocket that houses a detachable ID wallet and two interior zippered pockets that tuck away smaller belongings. The front of the City Bagg has several zippered pockets and a handy cell phone pouch with a magnetic closure. But there’s a whole other dimension to the City Bagg, and it’s hidden beneath the front of the purse. If you tuck your fingers into the handy magnetic closure and lift the front panel up, you will uncover a small zippered pocket and an ID slot, as well as an organizational panel with card slots, room for pens or lipstick, and several other zippered and slip pockets. The City Bagg is perfect for travel, hiding your important items and giving you easy access to others—all the while innocently pretending to be just another stylish fashion accessory.

City Bag Inside

by Nancy Bestor

There I was, a 38-year-old mother of two, listening to my 24-year-old, extremely buffed Costa Rican surfing instructor tell me to lie on my surfboard, and when he said go, I was to “glide” to my knees, “pop up” onto my feet and catch a small wave. I know I should have been focusing on form and balance, but the only thing running through my mind, as my 24-year-old, extremely tanned and buffed, Costa Rican surfing instructor stood six-pack deep in the water right behind me, holding my surfboard, was “Does my butt look big in this swimsuit?”

Recently our family traveled the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, stopping in every sleepy beach town that caught our fancy, soaking up the sun and its rays. Playa Samara was the spot for our surfing lessons, and Jesse’s Surf School (www.samarasurfschool.com) was just the ticket. Jesse and his daughter Sunrise, who are originally from Southern California, along with their patient instructors, work very well with beginners and children (as well as advanced surfers), so they were an excellent fit for our family. A one-hour private surfing lesson was $40 each, and Emily and Sarah (ages 11 and 9) each had a private half hour lesson for $40 total. The price included one hour of board rental after the lesson.

Read the rest of this entry »

Irresistible Zippy

Ex Officio’s line of Irresistible sweaters and winter accessories is one of our favorite fall clothing lines. Warm, soft, fashionable, clean, comfortable, and did we mention soft? Nothing perks up a crisp fall morning like being wrapped in an Irresistibly soft scarf, or pulling a warm, fleecy Irresistible beanie over your head, or zipping up an Irresistible Sweater as you head out the door.

We offer three Irresistible sweaters at TravelEssentials.com:  The luxurious Irresistible Turtle, the sporty Irresistible 1/4 Zip Sweater, and the fashion-forward Irresistible Zippy, which zips up all the way. All three are made from an overwhelmingly soft Chenille Feather Fleece (as are the hat and scarf.)

The feather fleece is not only soft, but light-weight and quick-drying, making it a perfect travel companion. So, if whether you’re traveling in snowy climes or just trying to stay warm as the seasons grow colder, the Irresistible Line will handle the cold with style, comfort and grace.

Visit www.TravelEssentials.com to see all the colors and styles available.