Ways to lighten the load
Gear that makes life easier gets gold stars. If it’s also lightweight, more stars. If it fulfills more than one function, even more stars. Here are some of the newer “making life easier” items:
Find it
Misplaced stuff is a vacation hazard. Enter the waterproof Bluetooth Pro Style Tracker from Tile. It’s a small device you can hook onto a key ring or luggage clip and slim enough to stash in a wallet or a pouch affixed to the back of a cellphone case.
At 1 1⁄2 inches square, it is slightly heftier than some competitors, but its 200-foot range and alarm up to 98 decibels (can be turned down using app controls) make the trade-off acceptable.
The device uses bluetooth to communicate with its companion app on your smartphone or tablet and is compatible with newer iOS and Android devices but does not work with computers or PCs. Info: Tile Pro Style costs $35 for one, $60 for a pack of two; www.thetileapp.com.
Swallow it
A drink of water and your pill dispenser are a match made in travel heaven. Asobu blesses the union with the all-in-one Pill Organizer Bottle.
This plastic pill dispenser has seven snap-open compartments and slides snugly into (and out of ) a niche on the outside of a widemouth, 20-ounce plastic water bottle that’s BPA-free. The bottle’s screwon top doubles as a cup.
Tiny plastic pegs built into the bottle keep it from rolling around while you are removing pills or refilling compartments.
The Asobu Pill Organizer Bottle is transparent, but the pill compartments are on the small side so you can’t load them with multiple large capsules. There’s no divider for pills taken at different times of the day. Info: Asobu Pill Organizer Bottle costs $12.99; www.asobubottle.com.
Use it
The Adventure Mate, a five-inone multi-tool, is designed for campers, back-country RVers and others who want a razor-sharp hatchet, tough-toothed saw, pointed spade/ shovel, heavy-duty hammer and a hook/puller for yanking out tent stakes or lifting hot pots off a fire.
It’s made of rust-resistant carbon-rolled steel. All five tools lock onto a hollow solid metal handle. It’s not Swiss Army Knife size, but it’s small enough for backpacking. The parts stash neatly into a nylon canvas holster with a belt loop. Disassembled and stashed, it’s 13-by-7-by-1 1⁄2 inches and weighs about 4 pounds. Info: Adventure Mate 5-in-1 Outdoor Multi-Tool costs $149 in a textured stone-washed finish; a premium version, with a polished silvery finish, costs $169; www.adventuremate.com.
Pack it
Eagle Creek, a pioneer in packing cubes, stays ahead of the game with even lighter, more durable variations that have more features. The newest innovations: sleek Specter Tech Compression Cubes.
These rip-stop nylon double-zippered organizers have translucent tops so you can see inside. An integrated external zipper lets you compress contents as you zip around the perimeter. Savvy users roll their clothes individually for efficiency.
For dressier duds, button-down shirts and delicate apparel that benefit from careful folding, choose the Pack-It Specter Tech Structured Compression Cube, which has a semi-rigid plastic board around which shirts and other apparel can be folded flat.
All are water- and stain-resistant, have self-repairing double zippers, and webbed handles at the top and bottom.