5 Hot Travel Items
We scoured the 2016 International Travel Goods Show for items to ease the pain of travelling.
According to the Travel Goods Association, sales of luggage and other travel gear hit an estimated record of $36.1 billion. And that’s just in the U.S. That’s a lot of baggage. (And we’re not talking the emotional kind.) Here are some items Metro Weekly found at the Travel Goods Show, held last week in Las Vegas, you might want to… er… tote along.
Maxlite 4 Softside Collection by Travelpro
The Travelpro brand is popular among airline crew — and for good reason: It offers luggage with functional design and high durability.
The new Maxlite 4 Softside Collection ($59.49 to $179.99) offers 11 different pieces including spinner and rollaboard carry-on and check-in bags, garment bags and totes. The bags are made with polyester fabric (available in blue, black and purple) with water- and stain-resistant coating.
Later this year, Travelpro will introduce its Maxlite 4 Hardside Collection. The bags will feature a unique scratch-resistant shell treatment called Chromashift that changes color as both light and viewing angles shift.
ORGO Lite
Winner of this year’s Product Innovation Award, the ORGO Lite ($39.99) is a reimagining of the traditional toiletry kit.
Its flat design makes for easy access to your items. In addition, it expands over any standard sink basin to provide its own built in counter space.
Travelan
“Don’t drink the water” is a phrase most travelers have heard at least once. Unfortunately, the sad truth is that partaking in the tap water — or even eating poorly-prepared food — in many destinations puts travelers at risk for illness.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Montezuma’s Revenge” (aka the trots from hell) is the most predictable travel-related illness. Attack rates range from 30-to-70% of travelers, depending on the destination and season. Recently introduced to the U.S. market, Travelan ($29.95/30 caplets) is a “colostrum dietary supplement” designed to maintain digestive health. The web site cleverly calls it “travel insurance for your belly,” but it also notes that, like most supplements, its claims have not been endorsed or approved by the FDA. So you might want to do more research before automatically popping these pills. Still, if it genuinely works, not a bad insurance to have.
Cabeau Evolution Cool Neck Pillow
Sure, a neck pillow often looks silly. But the comfort they provide more than outweighs their ghastly style. And with Cabeau’s new Evolution Cool neck pillow ($59.99), you get the latest in memory foam comfort and elements such as cooling air circulation vents.
The pillow cover, available in four different color combos, is fashioned out of a moisture wicking fabric and is removable. It weighs just 12.6 oz. and comes with a travel bag that allows the pillow to compact down to half its size for quick and convenient packing.
Velocity 17.3″ Backpack Duffel by Solo
A recent trend among many travelers is to forego traditional carry-on luggage and instead deploy a backpack, which offers an appealing grab and go mobility.
The Velocity 17.3″ Backpack Duffel by Solo ($69.99) is a great traveler’s backpack. It includes a fully padded 17.3″ laptop compartment; an internal iPad/ tablet pocket; separate compartment for shoes, front access to main compartment, and large side zippered pockets. In addition, its sleek black and gray polyester fabric has a water-resistance coating.
[polldaddy poll=9355460]
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
