Five uses for carabiners (besides climbing)

by Laurel Miller on


I’m a big multi-tasker. I’m also tiny, cheap, and a “lite” traveler. Even when I’m going on the road for a couple of months, I somehow manage to cram it all in my backpack. I use a daypack for carrying my essentials (passport, credit cards, cash, documents, sunblock, sunglasses, water, etc..), but it’s only so big. At 5’2″ I don’t like to haul around something the size of a parasitic twin.

This is why I love carabiners. These oval, pear-, or D-shaped metal clips–of the style used by rock and mountain climbers–are handy and versatile, and come in a variety of sizes, gauges, and prices. I never use professional carabiners, which are more weighty and costly than my intended uses (they also have screw, auto-, or triple-locks, rather than straight gates, which I find more handy for light use). I do, however, purchase heavier, stainless carabiners of the sort found at REI or other outdoor stores.

I seem to find a new use on every trip, and admittedly, I sometimes resemble either a pack mule or a bag lady after a day of exploring, shopping, or hiking. But who cares? It’s better than wrecking my back by using a bigger pack or traveling with shoulder bags that don’t don’t compress well (I do, however, keep a canvas tote rolled into the bottom of my big backpack so I can haul souvenirs home).

So what exactly can you do with ‘biners? Read on.

1. Carry your baseball hat or shoes on your backpack
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done this, both on my daypack and large pack. Sometimes I don’t have enough room to pack my running shoes, Chaco’s, or hiking boots, or maybe I need a spare pair of shoes for a day trip (apologies to former seatmates who have endured the stench of my sweaty shoes during flights). I also wear a baseball hat for sun protection if I’m doing any kind of outdoor recreational activity, but once I’m done with it, snap.

2. Clip on some shopping bags
I travel with a nylon shopping bag in a stuff sack (I recommend ChicoBags) so I can cut down on plastic if my daypack is full. But it’s a pain to carry multiple shopping bags, regardless of material–especially if, like me, you’re easily distracted and tend to leave them behind at every stop. Clip ’em on to your day bag and they’ll make it back to your accommodation. I also carry my travel coffee mug this way (obviously, you want to purchase one with a full handle, which can be tough to find for some reason).

[Photo credit: Flickr user chriscom]3. Air-dry your bathing suit
Knot the straps or, if you’re a guy, use that little waistband tie (many boardshorts also have key rings in their pockets). Um, don’t forget a change of clothes.

4. Key ring
I love travel-size tubes of sunblock that come with carabiners on them. Not only does it provide me with an accessible way to reapply when I’m paddling, hiking, riding, or skiing, but I get a free key ring out of it once I’ve refilled the tube to death. When I’m traveling, I snap my hotel keys (card keys are few and far between on the budget traveler trail) to a carabiner, and attach them to my body or within my daypack. Some people prefer to leave keys at the front desk, but the control freak in me likes to hang on to them.

5. Makeshift/emergency zipper
I discovered this one last week when I acquired a few too many ponchos and woolen hats in Chile. My tote bag was overflowing, so I snapped a large ‘biner onto the handles. It helped contain the alpaca within, and kept my souvenirs from scattering throughout the overhead bin on the plane. The same concept applies if you have a zipper break on a bag. It won’t solve things if it’s an item that requires checking, but at least it will help keep your belongings together until you find a replacement.

Got any cool travel uses for carabiners? We want to hear about them!

Gadling gear review: Icon Irix II headlamp

by Kraig Becker on

As we’ve mentioned before, a good headlamp is one of the most useful travel accessories that you can take with you on the road. Whether you’re navigating a dark trail at night or simply reading a book in your tent after sunset, you’ll find a multitude of uses for a headlamp. Despite the fact that the concept of strapping a light to your head seems like a simple and obvious one however, not all headlamps are created equal. Sure, there are a number of companies who release serviceable lights that will do in a pinch, but some are actually designing lights that are unique and innovative, delivering options that make them even more useful beyond providing simple illumination.

Take for example Icon Lights, who offer a whole line of rugged and well built flashlights and headlamps that incorporate design elements not found in similar products. Icon works from the philosophy that technology and design should come together to deliver a great product to the consumer or that product doesn’t go out the door. This approach is more than evident in the Irix II headlamp, which includes several very welcome features that I haven’t seen in similar products.

Featuring five very bright LED lights, the Irix II has no problems providing plenty of illumination no matter where you need it. But it isn’t unusual for a headlamp to incorporate multiple lights, although most change their level of brightness based on how many of those lights are turned on at any given time. Not so with the Irix, which uses all five LED’s at all times, but incorporates a knob that directly controls the level of brightness in each light as needed. As a result, the user can dial up the exact level of illumination necessary in a quick and simple fashion. The feature is so handy, you’ll wonder why it hasn’t been used in other lights before.

The unique design elements of the Irix II extends to the included headband as well, or rather the plastic housing that holds the lamp in place. That specially designed bracket makes it simple to adjust the angle of the light, as you would expect, but it also allows you to completely detach the headlamp itself. This feature not only makes it simple to change the battery, but adds a level of versatility to the use of the light that isn’t found in other headlamps. The detachable light makes it very easy to illuminate hard to reach places.

The Irix II is powered by a single AA battery, which has a run time of up to 100 hours, depending on the brightness levels used. That’s excellent battery life out of any headlamp, and because it uses such a common battery type, you’ll never have to worry about finding spares while traveling on extended trips. Even better, the battery housing is easy to open, even while wearing gloves, making it a snap to replace a dead cell in cold or inclement weather. When closed, that housing is also tightly sealed with an O-ring, which helps to keep moisture out, protecting the Irix from rain or accidental immersion in water.

Somehow Icon managed to blend all of these options and design elements into one great package and still deliver it at an affordable price. The Irix II sells for just $29.95, which makes it far more affordable than the last headlamp we reviewed, and a great option for travelers. It is a sturdy, lightweight, and comfortable headlamp that will see you through a multitude of adventures and prove useful in a variety of situations.

iPhoneography: Make your iPhone travel pictures spectacular

by Jen Pollack Bianco on

It’s been said that a picture is worth a thousand words and this is particularly true when it comes to your travel snapshots. Whether you’re back from a business trip or the family vacation from hell, you can regale your friends and family with stories of cool restaurants or the holiday romance you had… but everyone wants to see your pictures. With today’s technology, you can’t claim you didn’t have a camera with you (assuming you have a smart phone) when you stumbled across that supermodel in the Galapagos. So what if your photography skills are non-existent? There are apps for that!

If you’re reading this on Gadling, it’s likely that you (or someone traveling with you) are going to have an iDevice with them. Truly, the iPhone/iPod Touch has the potential to become the must-have travel gadget. Its camera is so stealth and so versatile that you no longer have an excuse for your photos to be anything less than awesome, even if your vacation is a total bust.

If you haven’t yet checked out the exploding world of iPhoneography, here are a few user-friendly apps that are worth investing in and playing with. Whether you work with one or all of them, it’s not an exaggeration to say that these apps are pretty much guaranteed to improve your travel photos.

Camera + $0.99
If you’re looking to improve your photo game in a single app, Camera+ is a great way to go. This is the app of choice for non-photographers or people who don’t care about the technical side of shooting, but who want to make their images look better. Not only is it user friendly, it’s intuitive and almost impossible to mess up — and it also gives you control over the strength of its filters and effects.

From an operational standpoint, the interface on Camera + makes sense and the lingo they use is understandable while the icons are self-explanatory. One can use Camera+ for both image capture and editing, even if they’ve been shot directly on your iPhone’s camera.

This app lets you shoot and be in the moment and fix any mistakes (exposure being the most common one) after the fact. You can download it now and even try to correct that shot you took long before you read this post. It’s easy also easy to share your creations on Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr. As a warning: this app has a reputation for being addictive.
AutoStitch Panorama $1.99
AutoStitch Panorama enables your humble iPhone to capture the broadest scenic landscapes and then turn them into modern day postcards. Basically, the clever app lets you take a series of shots with your limited point and shoot lens and then stitches them together into a panorama. If that technology is not cool enough, it also lets you control how seamlessly you want them blended. Here’s a tip: sometimes an imperfect melding of pictures is the best way to go. You can achieve some really cool and artsy images with just a bit of experimentation.

toonPAINT $1.99
If you’ve ever fancied yourself the creative type but just never got around to submitting your portfolio to get into Art School, toonPAINT could be the resolution to all of that angst. It can turn any of the photos taken and/or stored in your iDevice into an illustrated image that you can then color-in as you please. Turn that airport shuttle into a comic or the beach sand into something no one has seen before.

Iris Photo Suite $1.99
Iris Photo Suite is definitely the most advanced of the bunch here, but the key is that it allows you access to over 70 photo effects and then gives you the ability to layer and blend them. This is what turns snapshots into really memorable images. Check out what can happen when you add Iris to the equation after using other apps.

Instagram Free!
A work of art is nothing without its audience. And if you’re itching to share your images with the world via any portal of social media, you should definitely have Instagram in your arsenal. You can take a picture in the app, or add some cool (but limited) filters to an existing photo, caption it and release it to the world via Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr. Instagram also has its own feed and you can check out what the world wide community of Instagramers is up to. Use location hashtags and who knows? Your photos might be big in Japan, even if you’ve never been there.

Gadling gear review: Brunton Restore solar charger

by Kraig Becker on

Lets face it. When we travel today, we tend to bring more gadgets along then ever before. Depending on where we’re going, and what we’re doing, it is not uncommon to bring iPods, cell phones, digital cameras, e-book readers, laptops, and more. And while all those gadgets often make travel more convenient and enjoyable, they also require plenty of power to keep them running. That’s not much of a problem when you have easy access to power outlets to charge your gear, but when you’re off the beaten path, it can be a bit of a drag when you run out of juice.

That’s where the Restore solar charger from Brunton comes in handy. The device integrates two solar panels, and a lithium polymer battery, into a small, lightweight body that allows you to keep your gadgets charged no matter where you go. This simple, yet versatile, system has the potential to become a favorite with travelers who visit remote destinations or need power while on the run.

The first thing I noticed when I took the Restore out of the box was how solid and rugged it feels. Its tough, rubberized shell not only gives you the impression that it can take plenty of punishment, it also helps to make the Restore water resistant as well. Two USB ports, one standard 2.0 and one micro-USB, are integrated into either side of the device, while an included charging cable lines one end of the body, always available when you need it.The Restore’s built in battery stores power for you until you’re ready to charge one of your indispensable gadgets. There are multiple ways to build that initial charge before you set out on a trip however, including via a USB port on your computer or with an included DC car adapter. The dual solar panels are also an option of course, and Brunton sells an AC wall adapter separately as well. Using either the USB port or the car adapter took a little more than an hour to fully charge the Restore in my tests, but using the sun was a bit less predictable. The small solar panels took about ten hours to charge the device under good, bright conditions. Cloud cover can, and will, impact the charging time however, so some planning and patience may be required to get the most out of the device.

Once the Restore is fully charged however, it’s ready to pass that energy back to your other devices. To do that, you simply plug your gadgets into one of the built-in USB ports, and turn the Restore on. After that, it’s all automatic, as your iPod, cell phone, or digital camera will begin charging, only stopping once its battery is full. When its done, the Restore will automatically shut itself off, conserving its power for later.

While testing the Restore, I charged multiple devices, including an iPod Nano, iPhone, and a rechargeable headlamp. The process was simple and straight forward, and all of the devices charged without a hitch. It took about two hours to charge the iPod, and I was able to get nearly three full charges out of the Restore without refreshing its internal charge as well. Both the iPhone and headlamp took longer to power up, and consequently couldn’t be recharged as often. Also, in case you’re wondering, the Restore will charge an iPad as well, although it is a very slow process and it is debatable whether or not it is an efficient way to use the precious power.

It is clear that Brunton put a lot of thought into the design of the Restore as well. The device has a flip-top lid that when closed, serves to protect both solar panels from harm, but when opened, provides maximum exposure to the sun. Handles on either end of the device allow it to be fastened to the outside of a backpack, so it can recharge all day long, while four LED-lights display the level of charge currently available on the Restore’s battery. Over all, it is a simple, well built, device that makes on the go charging a breeze.

Other than the slow charging time via the solar panels, the only other knock I have on the Restore isn’t with the device itself, but the included instruction manual. It is scant on the details to say the least, and it was only through trial and error that I figured out that the included charging cable needed to be unplugged from both ports on the device before you can begin charging your gadgets. While the Restore is a simple device to use, a bit more direction for the first time user would be welcome. That said, once you have used it once or twice, the simplicity of it shines through, and you won’t need to look at the manual again anyway.

As someone who travels light and regularly visits remote places, the best recommendation I can give to any piece of gear is that it will accompany me on future adventures. The Brunton Restore meets that criteria without a doubt, and I envision it earning a permanent place in my pack. (MSRP: $120)

Travel sizes and the 3-1-1 rule: new study suggests shift in consumer behavior

by McLean Robbins on

The TSA‘s 3-1-1 rule has been in place for only five years, but it may have forever changed travel behavior.

The rule limits passengers to one quart sized zippered bag and liquid or gel items of no more than 3.4 ounces in all carry-on luggage.

Prior to the 3-1-1 rule’s implementation, 18% of the respondents considered themselves to “not at all” purchase travel sizes prior to the 3-1-1 rule, 59% did “sometimes,” and 23% considered themselves regular users.

Slightly over 40% of the survey respondents currently use travel-sized products 41% one to four times per year, 34% use them five to eight times, 14% use them nine to 12 times and 11% use them more than once per month.

As might be expected, the “regular” users of travel-sized items reported little shift in behavior and the regular and occasional users reported upticks in usage.

What was of particular interest was that their usage was fairly evenly split amongst purchasing branded travel sized items, and transferring their existing large sizes into empty travel sized containers. One could surmise that there were different factors that went into the choice to convert existing large sizes into empty bottles:
* Expense of purchasing a new item when the larger bottle already existed.
* Environment concerns about the additional waste in packaging.
* Reaction to being “told what to do” by someone (e.g. the government).
* Favorite brand or product not existing in a travel size.
* Or any number of other factors.

Looking into the future, the respondents forecasted their future usage of travel sizes if and when the 3-1-1 rule is lifted.

The most interesting group was the group that did not use travel sizes at all prior to the 3-1-1 rule being put into place. Within this group, while only 50% said that they would no longer purchase travel sizes, a significant 29% said they would purchase fewer than what they were doing, and 15% said they would use the same amount or more of the travel sizes due to their convenience. Additionally, 7% said that they would use them for travel and for regular use as they are now “part of my life.”

Combined, this represents a change in habit for half of these prior “non-users.”

For the group that only sometimes used travel sizes prior to the 3-1-1 rule, the results showed that only 3% would no longer purchase travel sizes, 49% would purchase fewer, but 30% would use the same or more, and an additional 18% would use the same or more including both travel and non travel usage.

It was interesting to note that compared to airplane travel, nearly all of the other modes of transportation showed a more significant future usage of travel sizes, including every other method scoring stronger than airplane travel when it came to determining that travel sizes had become “part of my life.”

One of the most common complaint was that the respondents’ favorite brand did not come in a travel size.

Need to purchase a travel-sized item yourself? Our favorite retailers include Minimus.biz (the organization that conducted the survey) and 3floz.com.