Gear Review: Google Nexus 7

A few months ago, I purchased a Google Nexus 7 tablet to replace the netbook I had been lugging around.  I did it for one reason: to save weight. I like it. It does everything I need.

 Is that enough of a review or do you want more?  All right, I’ll give you more.

Let’s take a step back and start from the beginning.

Like most people, I first set my sights on the Ipad. But after playing with it in the store, I felt it was bigger than I needed and much heavier. Rumors were all over the place about a smaller Ipad but they never seemed to materialize. The Kindle Fire was released but it seemed more a platform for Amazon than a fully functioning tablet It was also without Bluetooth, something I definitely needed.

 And then I started reading about the Google Nexus 7.

Specs: A 7” screen, weight of 12 oz, wi-fi (802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth, 8 or 16 GB HD, 1 GB SDRAM,  microphone, GPS, a standard micro-usb plug, and the ability to load books, music and video direct and not have to go through something like Itunes.

Sounded great.

There were downsides:  no support for flash, limited to 8 or 16 GB of HD, not all Android apps would work on it.  

Yet all the reviews at the time said it was the best of the 7” tablets. So, I plopped down $249 and took one home.

I was happy.  It did everything I wanted. I downloaded apps to take care of just about all my needs: word processing, surfing the net, posting and editing to this site, making and keeping track of travel arrangements, news, streaming radio, etc.

And then  I found one app that changed the game.

For $2, I downloaded Nexus Media Importer.. The app, when paired with a Micro USB OTG to USB 2.0 adapter, less than $2 on Amazon, lets you plug a flash drive or SD card (if you have an SD card reader) into the tablet and read from it thus expanding the HD to basically unlimited amounts depending on how many flash drives you take.  I currently have a 32GB flash drive with books, audio and video attached to mine. (Unfortunately, however, you can’t download to the flash drive as of yet.)

How well does it work?

When paired with my wireless Bluetooth keyboard, I can do almost anything I could on the netbook. (I even find the onscreen keyboard easier and more responsive than the ones on the Ipad. )

Surfing the net is easy with the included Google Chrome browser. Apps for Twitter, Facebook, Google Reader, and more, work fine.

GPS works if you only have one destination and pre-set it. If you need to add a destination after you leave, you’ll have to find a way to connect to the internet first.

The only trouble I’ve had occurs occasionally when I disconnect the USB OTG cord. the Nexus 7 sometimes crashes and needs to be rebooted.  More of a nuisance than a real issue.

Usage time is pretty good. They claim up to 10 hours of web browsing or ereading. I get about 7-8  hours of browsing as long as there’s no audio or video streaming. Being continually connected to wifi uses up battery time.

Overall, I like it.

The Google Nexus 7 is no longer available in the 8 GB version. You can buy it in the following configurations:

16 GB wifi—$199

32 GB  wifi—$249

32 GB wifi and HSPA (ATT or T-Mobile)—$299

(Both the ATT and T-Mobile versions come with unlocked.)

I know some of you are going to ask: Why Android over Apple? Well, I had an Ipod Touch and liked it. I was planning on getting an Iphone 5 so I knew I would continue using Apple products. But, I had never had anything with Android. Everyone I know who used the platform loved it so, I thought, I might as well give it a try.

And that’s the reason I chose Android.

I’m sure there are some of you with specific questions. Feel free to ask as I know I didn’t cover everything.

TSA Lightens Rules on Knives, Bats, Golf Clubs, Etc

By now, most of you have heard that the TSA is changing some of its rules to allow very small knives and some bats, golf clubs and hockey sticks in carry-ons so they can spend time looking for more serious weapons and explosives.

You can read about it, and see photos of what  you can and can’t take, on  The TSA Blog.

How did I learn about it? From our own Reader’s Forum. That’s right, one of our reader’s posted it before I even got a chance to see it on my news feed. So, I’ll give credit where credit is due and link to the lively discussion about this decision:

One Bag, One World Reader’s Forum

By the way, I realized that some of you who read this blog dont’ know we have a Reader’s Forum where anyone can start or take part in any number of interesting discussions related to one bag travel. If you haven’t visited, I hope you will.

Finding Products To Review and the Problems We Encounter

One of the most time consuming parts of running this website is constantly looking for new products to review.

Sometimes a company will contact us. Other times, I’ll hear about a product and contact the manufacturer to see if they’re interested in having us do a review.

I’m going to focus in on those companies we contact because let’s face it, if someone contacts us, they want us to do something.

When I reach out, the responses usually fall into three categories:

1) I never get a response or get a polite no. They aren’t interested. That’s fine, their marketing strategy may only include big name websites or none at all.

2) Companies who have us do reviews. We develop a good relationship with them and they trust us to do honest reviews in the future. 

3) Companies who are eager for us to do a review and then flake out.

I have no problems with companies who fall into categories #1 and #2. It’s category #3 that perplexes me.

Years ago, I worked in both journalism and public relations (not at the same time.). I heard from fellow journalists how PR people were horrible and got in the way. I never had any trouble with them. When I switched sides, I understood what the journalists wanted, tried to give it to them, yet still felt animosity and disdain from that group. We were all seen as this evil bunch who couldn’t be trusted and got in the way.

Fast forward a few years to when I started editing this website. At first, most of the people I contacted fell into groups 1 & 2. But lately, a few have fallen into group #3 and I just don’t understand it.

Let me give you a couple of cases:

I read about a new backup battery supply for small electronics. It was lightweight, packed an amazing amount of power, and was very inexpensive. So I contacted the company and they responded with a letter saying they would love for us to do a review and would even include other products they thought would be of interest to our readers.

A couple of weeks went by and I hadn’t received anything. I wrote asking and the response was: “We’ve run out of samples to give out for review and should have some the following week.” That was over a month ago. I’m not holding my breath believing I’m actually going to see something sent to us.

The second one is about a company whose product we did review. They were very happy with the review and suggested some other products we might be interested in. I did find one, a messenger bag, and sent an email requesting one. 

A week went by and no response. I wrote again thinking the first email didn’t make it but also included a technical question about their website. I got a response from someone in their tech department about the website issue but heard nothing else about an additional review. And I doubt I will.

There is a third story currently brewing but I’m not sure how it’s going to play out so I won’t mention it—for now.

I’d much rather these companies be honest  and tell us they can’t supply the product than just ignore me altogether.

I haven’t mentioned the names of the companies I discussed earlier nor do I plan to. I wrote this because I thought some of you might like to know a little of what goes on behind the scenes at OBOW.

True Waste; This Brought Tears To My Eyes.

Technically, this has nothing to do directly with travel. However, it does take place in Scotland, we have readers who live in Scotland, and some of you may travel there. So, in a “Six Degrees of Separation” sort of way, it fits with this website.

Someone at the Chivas factory in Scotland hit the wrong button or opened the wrong valve and instead of sending wastewater into the drains, sent thousands of gallons of scotch there instead.

This factory makes Chivas, Ballantine, and Glenlivet—not exactly the cheap stuff!!!

Luckily, Chivas Brothers said this will not affect supply and there will be plenty of scotch for all to enjoy.

Personally, I think the culprit responsible should be tarred and feathered, drawn and quartered, or forced to fly in the middle seat on a long Ryanair flight. Preferably all at the same time.

After writing the above, I think it’s time to pour myself a “wee dram.”

How to Earn Millions of FF Miles

Ask any frequent flier, especially those trying to maintain elite status, and they’ll tell you anything is fair game when it comes to earning miles.

End of the year mileage runs,  use of mileage earing credit cards for every penny spent, and taking advantage of every bonus offer including miles.

But one inventive fellow came up with an idea that got him nearly 4 million FF miles.

Brad Wilson, author of the new book, “Do More, Spend Less,” saw, a few years ago,  that the U.S. Mint was trying to get one dollar coins in circulation. To do so, they were offering to sell coins direct to consumers at face value, include free shipping and accept credit cards.

Wilson starting buying coins using his American Express Rewards Card that gave him one bonus point for every dollar spent. He would buy the coins, deposit them in his bank account, and then pay his credit card bill with the money deposited in that account. He was essentially using the coins he bought to pay off his credit card bill for the coins.

Over the course of eight months, he bought $3 million dollars in coins earning him 3 million points. He then transferred those points into his airline FF account.  AMEX converted each point into 1.25 FF. So, he now had just  3.75 million FF miles.

I’m only sorry I didn’t think of it. By the way, in case you were thinking of trying it, the dollar coin circulation program is no longer offered.

For the full story, and more money making ideas from Brad Wilson, check out this article in Daily Finance.

(Full disclosure: If you purchase his book from the link above, this website gets a small commission but there is no extra cost to you.)

Hotel Chains or Spy Organizations

I’m well aware that decent hotels go out of their way to make my stay more enjoyable. They want to know if I have a particular preference when it comes to pillows, view, smoking or non-smoking, low or high floor, etc. And those are things I don’t mind sharing with the hotel.

But now according to this CNN Report, some hotels are going above and beyond simple information gathering.

They are going through your trash, making note of items you brought with you, writing down details of conversations you have with hotel employees and even search  the internet. They scour Facebook, Twitter, websites, and just about anywhere they can to gather information on you.

They claim it’s to make your stay at their hotel better. I think it borderlines on the “creepy.”

If I’m a repeat customer, I don’t mind them keeping records of my like and dislikes pertaining to my stay—pillow preference, which newspaper I like delivered, any food preferences I have, etc. This is information I choose to share with the hotel.

But to do an online search about me, my likes, dislikes, interests, and my family, well, that, in my estimation, is invading my privacy. If I walked into a hotel room and found a gift for me that was chosen because of something the hotel found out about me online, I would seriously think about checking out and never staying there again. I would wonder if they are recording my phone calls, tracking what websites I go to  while using their internet connection, or even have hidden microphones in the room. (Dont’ laugh, one well known hotel in NYC did put hidden mics in some rooms.)

What about you? Would you find it flattering or scary for a hotel to spend time online finding out about you?

Name Change For The International Herald Tribune

I started traveling before the days of the internet and 24 hour international English language news was non-existent. If we wanted news in English, we had two choices: bring along a shortwave radio and try to pick up the BBC, or buy a copy of the International Herald Tribune.

Published for over 125 years, the International Herald Tribune, or IHT as it is referred to by many of its readers, was a constant in my travel life. Every morning on my way to breakfast, I would stop and pick up a copy. It was my information link to the world. Regardless of where I was, or what language was being spoken, the IHT helped me to feel connected to the rest of the world and in my own language.

By the time I started reading it, the paper was co-run by the New York Times and the Washington Post. The writing and reporting were excellent.

Ten years ago, the New York Times took over full ownership and very little changed.

At least with the paper. With the advancement of wifi and smartphones, newer travelers don’t rely on the paper as much as they do technology. They might be more apt to read their hometown newspaper on a tablet while outside the U.S. than they are picking up an actual international newspaper.

And the folks at the New York Times area realizing it. But they’re not doing away with the paper, just making some changes.

The big change, starting this fall, is with the name. No longer will this “journal international” be called the IHT. Instead, it’s new name will be the  International New York Times. The owners say the name change will help promote their core product, the New York Times.

Call me overly nostalgic, but for me, it will always be the International Herald Tribune.

Anyone else have fond memories of the IHT?

Gear Review: Lat 56 Traveller Bag

Last April, I did a review of a garment bag from Scottish bag maker Lat 56. The have just introduced a new line of bags and have sent me three for review. I’ll do about one a month just to space them out.

The first to be reviewed is the Lat 56 Traveller Bag. It is a part of their new Urban Warrior collection.

Measuring 11” x 9.8” x 3.9”  (28cm x 25cm x 10cm) and weighing 1.1 lbs (520g), the Traveller Bag is designed to fit the Apple Ipad but will hold a netbook up to 10.2” as well as smaller sized tablets or e-readers.

The outside of the bag is made of EVA foam (sort of a rubbery plastic) and 600d nylon.

Inside the main compartment of the bag are two smaller, zippered pockets and one snap closing cellphone pocket. (Note, my Iphone5 in a hugging case wouldn’t fit.) There is also the main Ipad/Netbook compartment that has a snap closure and red velvet lined memory foam on the front, back and bottom to protect your device.

Inside the front cover of the bag is a mesh lined zipper compartment.

The rear of the bag has a compartment with a hideaway zipper pull.

A detachable padded shoulder strap is included. There is also a grab handle at the top of the bag.

The zippers are not lockable but the zipper pulls have numerous holes allowing them to be clipped together. They are also lined to resist water.

I was able to fit my Nexus 7 (in a padded cache) and wireless bluetooth keyboard into the memory foam lined compartment. The snap hook closure is attached to a thick elastic band so I could pull it out to snap. I was also able to put my Kindle in the front compartment at the same time. A portable charger would also fit in the front compartment.

For the true onebagger, this would probably not be a good choice because it holds it’s shape very well and would take up too much room in your carry-on. However, for those of you who travel with one bag and a personal item, and are looking for a sturdy, well designed shoulder/messenger bag, then this should be considered.

The company that makes the bag refers to it as a “man bag” and I can see why. With it’s tough looking, high tech appearance, it would fit in many different scenarios from leisure travel to executive use. No one is going to refer to this as a “murse.”

The addition of the memory foam at the bottom of the tablet compartment adds an additional layer of protection against thieves who may slice the bottom of bags.

Lat 56 Traveller Bag is currently on sale for $119/£79. Made in China.

Gear Review: Briggs & Riley Exchange 20 Duffle

Okay, admit it, how many of you thought, after reading: “Gear Review: Briggs & Riley” that I had gone over to the dark side; the side of wheels, extendable handles, and excess weight? Relax, I haven’t. It’s just the opposite. Briggs & Riley, the stalwart of quality wheeled luggage, has come to play in our ballpark. And the game’s about to change.

The Briggs & Riley Exchange 20 is a convertible duffle designed for the adventure/leisure traveler. At 20” x 12” x 8” (50.8cm x 30.4 cm x 20.3 cm) and weighing in in at just under 2.4 pounds (1.1 kg), the bag is slightly smaller than maximum legal carry-on and definitely in the light weight category.

Made of 1000d nylon on the outside and lined with 420d nylon, the Exchange 20 has one main compartment on the inside and two smaller pockets on the outside. There is also a small pocket on the inside. All zippers are YKK and the main compartment zipper is lockable. Non-metal  zipper pulls are included.

The bag is expandable one inch (8-9”) keeping it well within the carry on limits of many U.S. and international airlines.

There is a padded handle on top and one on the side. While there are no compressions straps on the inside of the bag, there are four on the outside. There is also a permanently attached luggage tag. A shoulder strap, including a padded, moisture wicking shoulder pad, is included. More on this later.

On the bottom of the bag is the compartment holding the backpack straps. Unlike all other convertible bags where the wearer unzips an opening, pulls out the backpack straps, and clips them to a couple of external d-rings, the Exchange 20 is somewhat unique.

The entire back panel unzips and is folded down to reveal the permanently attached backpack straps. The folded down panel is held in place by an elastic band. In this position, the panel offers extra lumbar support and has moisture wicking mesh. There is also an adjustable sternum strap to help take pressure off the shoulders.

For packing, I easily fit an Eagle Creek 18” Specter Folder inside.

The Exchange 20 does exactly as its intended. It’s a well designed bag for the leisure/adventure traveler who isn’t looking for a lot of bells & whistles but instead wants quality, durability, simplicity and light weight.

There isn’t much I don’t like about this bag. If I could change anything, it would be regarding the shoulder strap.

By itself, the shoulder strap and pad are fine. However, instead of offering a “D” ring and clip like most other bags, allowing you to put different shoulder straps on, the Exchange 20 employs a quick release speed buckle meaning only their shoulder strap can be used.

On the whole, this is a terrific bag. If you’re a leisure traveler who doesn’t want a bag that looks as if it belongs in a boardroom, and has honed your packing down to just what you need, then I suggest you consider this bag.

Earlier I stated that this bag may be a game changer. Let me explain. Whenever I walked into a luggage store, I always had a hard time finding a lightweight, non-wheeled, convertible bag. They just didn’t carry them. We had to either order online or go to an outdoor retailer. But now, one of the main bag manufacturers is letting people know there is an alternative to wheels and you can get it at your local luggage store. To do so means they believe the one bag market is growing.

And we’ll be there to help them along.

The Briggs & Riley Exchange 20 convertible duffle is available in slate (pictured), amber (beige), and lava (red) although I’ve been told the lava is being discontinued. Like all Briggs & Riley bags, this one comes with a lifetime warranty. The bag is made in Vietnam.

That only leaves the price. As we know, you pay for quality. And Briggs & Riley bags are not cheap. The Exchange 20 retails for ………..$155.  Blink, go ahead, blink. You’re not seeing things. It really is an affordable, mid-priced, lightweight bag.

Oh, one other thing, some of you are business travelers who would like to travel with a Briggs & Riley bag but don’t want wheels. Sure, the Exchange 20 is nice, but let’s face it, it’s not for the boardroom.

Well, I have good news. I have been told that later this month, a line of “executive style” lightweight bags from Briggs & Riley will be introduced to the market….and……we’ll probably get some for review soon after. I have no other information on that so we’ll just have to wait and see.

Briggs & Riley, welcome to the world of the “onebagger.”

(Briggs & Riley provided the Exchange 20 for review. )

AA and USAir to Merge

According to both the Wall Street Journal, and the Associated Press, the boards of American Airlines and USAir voted today to merge the two companies into what would become the world’s largest airline. 

Initial reports say the airlines will keep the “American” name.

In recent years we’ve seen Delta and Northwest, United and Continental, and Southwest and Airtran merge. With this new merger, the big four mega airlines  would control 87% of the U.S. airline industry.

We can expect an official announcement and more details on Thursday.

Gear Review: Discovery Trekking Towels

It’s not often that a Canadian company contacts us to do a review, so when Discovery Trekking asked me about doing a review of their special travel/backpack towels, I agreed. After all, we have lots of Canadian readers yet never seem to find great products from their country.

The Ultra Fast-Dry Towel was the first one I tried. Available in four sizes and numerous colors, these towels are treated with a special type of silver to prevent odors.  They weigh anywhere from 0.88 oz (25g) to 10.6 oz (300g) with a price range of $12.95-$29.95 Canadian.

The Extreme Ultra-Light Towel was the other one sent to me. Available in two sizes and two colors (charcoal and navy), the towels weight 1.3oz/38g and 2.8oz/80g with costs of $14.95 and $19.95 CAN. This towel also contains silver but has a completely different weave from it’s larger sister.

I put both of these towels to the test by taking a shower. The Ultra Fast Dry Towel seemed to get saturated very quickly and it felt as if I never got fully dry even though I was using the largest size. I took the shower just before bed and the towel was completely dry by the morning. I could definitely see using this towel as a combination beach towel as it offers some UV protection, swimsuit cover-up, and airplane blanket. It’s light weight and takes up little space. If heading for a tropical vacation where you want to bring a lightweight, multi-purpose beach towel, then this is one to consider.

The Extreme Ulta Light Towel, on the other hand, was wonderful. While I had the larger of the two sizes offered—but still smaller than the Ultra Fast Dry Towel—it exceeded my expectations. Not only did I feel completely dried off after using this towel, it felt as if it could absorb much more. After the shower, I hung this towel up to dry and within 2 hours it was completely dry.

I’m going to start taking the Ultra-Light Towel with me to help dry my clothes after hand washing in the room. I think this towel will be able to hold quite a bit of moisture.

The material for both towels is made in the USA with completion in either Canada or Mexico.

Discovery Trekking Outfitters supplied the towels for review. The photos are courtesy of their website.

Gear Review: Original Taxi Wallet

A few weeks ago, some of our readers wrote in the forum  how they liked traveling with their Original Taxi Wallet from Alicia Klein. 

Knowing how much all of your love to hear about products that make travel easier and/or lighter, I contacted Alicia Klein, the company not the person, and they were happy to send  a wallet to review. (They also pointed out that their slogan is “One World, One Wallet.” Sound familiar?)

The Original Taxi Wallet comes in numerous designs and colors but are basically 4” x 3 1/2” x 0.5” when folded. The one I was sent was from the Canyon collection in Espresso (Dark Brown.) They come in either leather, suede or recycled fabric depending on which line you choose.

The Original Taxi Wallet is shipped in a cloth case cover inside a classy looking metal box. (Good for gift giving.)

The front flap has a snap closure and opens to reveal a two part pocket in the main body of the wallet good for coins and credit/debit cards. This pocket is gusseted and held in plaice when snapped shut so the coins won’t jingle around and make noise in your pocket or purse. The flap itself also has a small pocket for smaller, thinner receipts or ticket stubs.

Three or four credit cards wil fit snuggly in the rear section of the lower pocket leaving the larger front section for coins.

There are two currency pockets in the main section with the slightly larger rear one good for non-U.S. notes.

When fully closed, there is an additional open pocket good for business cards or perhaps a mass transit pass.

The wallet has a rounded bottom making it easy to slide in and out of my front pants pocket. It held everything I needed to carry without getting too bulky.

I never made a big deal about my travel wallets but I have to say I like the Original Taxi Wallet for it’s design and compactness. It seems to be made of good material and quality workmanship.  It’s now my main travel wallet.

The Original Taxi Wallet sells for $49 or $59 depending on the style you order. Not sure where it’s made as I couldn’t find that information anywhere on the wallet or in any of the material that it comes with.

 For a limited time if your order an Original Taxi Wallet direct from Alicia Klein., they’ll give you a 25% discount off the retail price. Just use the coupon code “ONEWORLD” at checkout. One coupon per customer and for only one wallet. The offer expires Febrary 28, 2013. (Coupon requires website registration. After registering under “my account”, please enter the coupon code at the bottom of your cart before checking out.”)

(Except for the receipt of the wallet for review, OBOW receives no compensation from any wallets sold. Alicia Klein is offereing the discount to One Bag, One World readers as a nice gesture. It had no effect on how I reviewed the wallet.)

Comprehensive Airline Fees Guide

Our friends at Airfare Watch Dog , who have compiled guides to individual airlines fees in the past, have now published a downloadable Comprehensive Airlines Fees Guide. It  covers booking fees, change fees and luggage fees. Only the major North American airlines are listed right now, but I have a feeling they’ll expand this in the near future. You’ll need pdf to read it.

Comprehensive Airline Fees Guide

A Cure For Jet Lag?

Anyone that flies over several time zones as I am known to do, can, on occasion, suffer from jet lag. And every one who has suffered more than once has come up with his or her own way to cure the problem. (Sometimes I think there are as many cures to jet lag as there are travelers.)

Now, a psychologist from Australia has come up with a computer program that is supposed to help you “prevent” jet lag. It’s called Jet Lag Rooster.

It’s simple to use. Go to the website, plug in a few bits of information, and it gives you a detailed plan on what to do in terms of sleep and light.

Does it work? I don’t know. I’m writing this at 3:30 in the morning. Of course, I haven’t really tried the program, either.

The website is free and an iphone app is in development.

What do you go to prevent, or cure, jet lag?

Why I Like British Television

Room 101 is a British comedy TV series where three celebrities are invited to discuss their pet peeves and then try to persuade the host to banish them to Room 101—named after the torture room in the George Orwell novel, 1984. Supposedly, that was also the number of a meeting room at the BBC where Orwell sat through numerous, tedious meetings.

Last week’s show had a subject near and dear to many of us:

If you don’t want to watch the whole show, you can fast forward to 11:25 for the important section and then continue watching to see if it was banished or not. (Or just fast forward to 19:20)

Newly Designed Tom Bihn 3D Organizer Cubes

When Tom Bihn sent the new Aeronaut and Tri-Star in Dyneema for review, they also sent a couple of newly designed 3D Organizer Cubes.

Tom Bihn originally designed his 3D Clear Organizer Cube to act as a toiletries kit and pass muster as a 3-1-1 bag. The sides are made of clear urethane so security, and you, can easily see what is inside.

The two news items are a 3D Mesh Organizer Cube with breathable mesh replacing the urethane of the original cube, and a 3D Dyneema/Nylon Organizer Cube that is not see-though but extremely light weight.

Each Cube has a hide-away hanger and measures 7” x 4.3” x 2” /180mm x 110mm x 50mm.

The 3D clear cube weighs 3.5 oz/100g and costs $22.

The 3D Mesh cube weighs 2.43 oz/69G and costs $22.

The 3D Dyneema/Nylon cube weighs 1.73 oz/49g and costs $26.

I use one clear cube for misc. items and the mesh one for my cables and plugs.

Best Ways To Carry Money While Traveling

As anyone who reads my reviews or thoughts knows, I’m a big proponent of security while traveling. One of the basics is to protect the money I’m carrying. That’s why I thought a recently published USA Today article on the “Best Ways To Carry Money While Traveling” would be interesting to our readers.

My number one suggestion is to always wear a moneybelt. So many people either use them incorrectly, wear them incorrectly, or have used only one type and don’t like it. You can find an article I wrote on the subject here.

Besides the information found in these two articles, what other ways have you found to secure your belongings?

Bye Bye to Nude-O-Scope

The TSA has announced that all body imaging machines, that show nude pictures of the people going through them, will be removed by June of this year.

That’s when the Congressionall rule goes into effect mandating all scanners be the non-imaging Automated Target Recognition software that only shows a generic outline of the body.

Rapiscan, the makers of the body imaging machines to be removed said they would not be able to convert theirs by this June. In response, the TSA has cancelled its contract with the company.

TSA believes that using the newer technology machines will speed up security lines.

Air France Offers Discounts to Carry-On Only Fliers

Air France has seen much of its short and medium haul business lost to competitors such as budget airlines and high-speed trains. To win these customers back, they are doing something unheard of in the airline business.

Anyone traveling with carry-on bags only, which is about 40% of their customers, can opt for new “Mini” fares that are about 20 Euros less than the cheapest economy fares. You won’t get frequent flier mileage, but you will get the same service as everyone else.

In an age where add on fees are keeping the airlines afloat, this seems to go in the opposite direction. I guess having any type or revenue from a seat is better than flying an empty seat.

I’m not complaining. I’m happy any time we onebaggers are rewarded for traveling the way we do.

Are you listening Spirit?

Ebags Is Moving In The Right Direction

As most everyone here knows, I try to keep my eye on trends in the one bag world especially when it comes to luggage. There is definitely a move towards smaller and lighter weight bags.

One of the most popular bags among onebaggers is the Ebags Mother Lode TLS Weekender Convertible. It’s well built, has lots of bells and whistles and is very durable. About the only complaint many had was its heavier weight. It’s no wonder that this bag is the number one selling item at Ebags.

A few months ago, Ebags came out with the junior version of the above mentioned bag. It was exactly the same as its larger sibling except for length which was reduced to 19.5 inches. The weight was still high for a smaller bag at 3 lbs, 5 oz.

And now Ebags has added yet an additional bag to its repertoire. Or should I say a redesigned one. The new Ebags Weekender ETech 2.0 Convertible. is a move further into the world of lighter weight bags. Made of a lightweight nylon, as compared to the heavier polyester used in the TLS Motherlode bags, the Etech 2.0 is 22 x 14 x 9, has less bells and whistles than the Motherlode series and is not expandable. But it weighs in at 2 lbs, 12 oz. Definitely a step in the right direction.

The one thing I haven’t mentioned, and is the key to these bags, is their cost. Considering that Ebags always has a sale going on, each of the three bags can be had for under $80. As of today’s writing, the TLS Motherlode is $80, the TLS Motherlode Junior is $72 and the Etech 2.0 is $64. And that includes free shipping, free returns and a lifetime warranty. (Prices and sales change daily at Ebags so don’t hold me to those prices.)

I’m not here to push anyone to buy any of these bags. What I want to show is that good quality, convertible style, carry-on bags are available and you don’t have to spend a fortune to get one.

Does that mean you should never buy a more expensive, better built bag? Of course not. Always try to get the best you can afford. The higher price bags have better workmanship and will, more than likely, withstand the rigors of travel than some of the lesser priced bags—but not necessarily. Let’s face it, just because a bag has a lifetime warranty doesn’t mean much when that same bag has a malfunction, or worse, falls apart, in the middle of a trip.

For those of you outside the U.S.A, I realize that getting one of the above bags is nearly impossible due to ridiculous shipping costs. I’m always on the lookout for affordable, carry-on size bags available in other countries. If you see any we haven’t discussed, especially those that are following the trend of lighter, smaller bags, please let me know. I’ll do my best to find out about them.

Addendum: After posting this article, it was pointed out to me that the new Etech bag doesn’t have connections for a shoulder strap. I’m truly surprised they would leave out such a simple item that would add versatility to the bag. I can only think of one other convertible, the Rick Steves Basic Back Door Bag, that doesn’t  have shoulder strap attachments.

(All photos courtesy of Ebags.)