April 17, 2013 Recently, we’ve had discussion in our Reader’s Forum about shoes—with one admittedly started by me.
So isn’t it nice that the New York Times has an article today titled Shoes The Pros Wear. In it, they interviewed numerous tour guides in Europe and asked them what they wore.
November 28, 2011
Earlier today, Tom Bihn introduced his new Travel Money Belt. I was sent one a few weeks ago to review.
Made of 1 1/4” heavy nylon webbing, the belt comes with a simple plastic buckle. Inside is a 20” concealed zippered compartment (#3.5 YKK coil zipper with a plastic slider) that can hold up to 15 U.S. bills or a combination of bills and folded paper. It weighs a mere 2.5 ounces. And with no metal parts, it can—technically—be worn through the metal detector. (Unless you get one of those airport security agents who loves to yell “all belts off.” Then it’s best to comply.)
By coincidence, I have been in the market for a similar type of belt. And to be honest, this one sounds like most of the others. But, there is one big difference between this belt and those others.
All of the other belts are “one size fits all.” They only come in one big size. If too big, the manufacturers suggest you cut the belt down to size.
Cut the belt down to size? Even I who doesn’t sew, or knit, or know any of the needle crafts, knows that if you cut the end of a belt like this, it will eventually fray and come loose. It will look terrible.
But the Tom Bihn belt is different. It comes in a range of sizes from XS to XL. No need to cut. (And if XL isn’t big enough, send them an email and they’ll cut one to size.)
For that one reason alone, I suggest this belt over all of the others. I believe it will last longer because modifications were done at the factory and not at home.
It’s available in numerous colors as long as they are all black. Made in the USA. $20
Tom Bihn suppled the belt and photos for review. They’ve seen my photography skills and made sure their own photos were available for use.
October 5, 2011 Flying on an airline that has strict carry-on rules but you don’t want to check luggage or pay fees? A new product to hit the market is the Rufus Roo.
This jacket/poncho has six pockets, comes in six colors all with red zippers except black where you have a choice of red or black zippers, red logos on front and back, and is made of 100% “see-thru” polyester. Yes, that’s right, see-thru. I ordered one in black with black zippers and when held up to the light you can see right through it. All of the other colors have red trim zippers
It’s suggested no more than 10kg (22 lbs) be loaded onto the jacket. They also show someone carrying an Ipad. Sorry, I wouldn’t trust any heavy electronics to these pockets. Clothing, yes, but nothing of real value. It also looks bulky when packed. You won’t be fooling anyone.
The Rufus Roo comes in three sizes: Adult Large ( covering everything from Large to XX-Large), Medium and Child sizes. The large weighs 350 grams (just over 12 ounces.)
$49 for adult sizes/32.50 for kids size. Shipping is a flat $10 for one or more items. The item is shipped from the UK.
The idea is good. Unfortunately, the execution needs work. That being said, if you travel on one of the restrictive airlines and don’t mind looking a little silly to save money, then the Rufus Roo might be the way to go.
For more information, go to the Rufus Roo website. .
Rufus Roo supplied the product for review.
Addendum: Let me clarify my “see-thru” comment. You can’t see into the pockets but if you hold up the jacket in areas where there are no pockets, like the back, you can see thru it with a light in the background. You can’t see through when it’s being worn. (My apologies to Paula S. for not clarifying this before her comment was made.)
April 14, 2011 
What in the wide world of sports is directional clothing? It’s clothing by Paramo with a fabric that actually “pumps” moisture out (from inside out). CoolTools likes it:
Instead of using a membrane they use a “pump liner” that sucks water away from the inside of their shells. So sweat is still expelled in the rain, needle holes don’t matter because water trying to enter via them is pumped back, and if you get soaked under your shell when you fall out of your kayak your baselayers will dry out faster with your Paramo on, sucking water away, than if you took it off.
We all know that most “travel” clothing owes a great deal to outdoor clothing. This fabric tech might be the next big thing. It’s worth a look.
The Halcon jacket (right & below) almost qualifies as a ScottEVest replacement with its large number of pockets. No surprise it’s not cheap.
(Brad)
March 24, 2011 
Athletic clothes maker Under Armour has released “cotton…only better” - Charged Cotton - that promises to wick and dry better than regular cotton. In my search for info on this purported cotton improvement I stumbled across a blog stranger than OBOW - The Undershirt Guy! - see his test results here.
(Brad)
Frank@OBOW
Frank@OBOW
Maria reports that the new UA Charged Cotton fabric does dry faster than regular cotton (though not five times faster - surprise, surprise) and she has pictures to prove it. The UA shirt is on the right. From the darkness of the fabric you can see that the cotton shirt on the left (all cotton, of similar weight and color) is still wet while the UA shirt is largely dry. This is instant research — she heard about it last night, bought it this morning, and tested it today. An OBOW gold star for Maria!
I’ll leave it to Maria to provide further comments below.
(Brad)
February 16, 2011 
OBOW Forum poster DM has correctly identified a key challenge for the light traveler: jeans that will dry overnight.
Except for 1 or 2 pairs of actual blue jeans that I have seen that include coolmax (but are still over 60% cotton), nothing even comes close to what I would consider a “Holy Grail” of sorts for travel pants. Blue jeans allow you to blend in many corners of the world, are comfortable and fashionable, but are just too heavy and slow-drying for the common lightweight traveler. - OBOW Forum
Ozone’s $139 Tilleys might be an option for some. I’d be looking to spend a bit less. Travelsmith has a Coolmax offering for $69 a pair.
(Brad)
February 3, 2011 In a clear case of sexual discrimination, ExOfficio has released a collection of lacy travel underwear for women only. Just the thought that the likes of Monte and other sensitive OBOW males won’t be able to enjoy wearing pretty travel underwear is enough to make my blood boil.
(Brad)
January 15, 2011 This Washington Post article will break no new ground for OBOW readers. The writer says she only travels carry-on, but…
MMMMM….R-R-RIGHTHonestly, though? Packing light is a giant pain. It requires tough decisions and a willingness to sacrifice both vanity and dignity (see black pants, above). Carrying on is not for the weak.
Which is why, when getting ready for a long-awaited trip to France several months ago, I found myself wavering. It was just a 10-day vacation, but try as I might, I couldn’t fit everything I needed into my regulation 20-inch roll-aboard. City clothes, country clothes, guidebooks, hiking shoes, laptop - none of these things was expendable. Yet I was committed to flying with the proverbial one personal item and one carry-on. What to do with all my extra baggage?
Reader, I wore it.
Now, she’s a member of the Scottevest cult. I’ll bet we could teach her a few other ways to cut the weight.
(Brad)
January 9, 2011 Here’s a picture of Heather’s sub-13 pound kit (read the details here):
;)
I love looking at others’ packing photos on OBOW, so I’m sending a belated re-creation of my 14-day, 12.5lb. Germany/Czech Republic trip (hoping that other readers will send theirs). Included are the clothes I wore on the plane, except for my 3-in-1 coat. Also, the camera isn’t there because I’m using it to take the photo! - Heather
November 21, 2010 We all know that the secret to light travel is not the right bag. The secret is the right amount and kind of clothes and tech gear. Developing your own travel uniform is one way to simplify and minimize. For a middle-aged guy it might be traveling with two identical pairs of khakis and two travel oxfords, plus underwear (possibly including undershirts that double as t-shirts) and a jacket. Add a scarf, tie, swimsuit or pair of shorts and you have a sub 12-pound outfit that will take you around the world, and through most climates — provided you do a little laundry every other night. The key to the uniform is that each piece work with every other piece. Exciting? No. Efficient? Yes. Surprises? Few. Please share your uniform suggestions.
(Brad)
November 5, 2010 
(Brad)
August 19, 2010 
A comment by Jonathan in the “Three Things I Can’t Live Without” thread reminded me that Marmot makes a longer version of their excellent Precip - the Traveler. I can see putting this over a wool sport coat and being very comfy in the winter. Might be long enough to keep your bottom dry on a wet bench too. Now I know what I want for Christmas.
July 8, 2010 
I’m always on the lookout for a better pair of travel pants, so this post by Kevin at Practical Hacks (no slacker) is of interest:
These slacks are lightweight and loaded with comfort; I wore them on several verywarm days during our trip and they remained cool and comfortable.
Normally $89, they’re on sale as of this writing for $79. See them here at the Orvis website – Orvis microfiber travel pants. — full post here
July 6, 2010 The first no-bag travel trench was greeted with some derision and skepticism. The latest from ScotteVest is being taken a good bit more seriously. Read more about it at the SeV blog or discuss in it on the OBOW Forum.
SOURCE: SCOTTEVEST (HT - MICHAEL ON THE FORUM AND ENGADGET)
June 17, 2010 
You can’t order yet but you can sign up to be notified when it becomes available: the Suitcase Coat. (Thanks to Brett for the tip)
May 20, 2010 OBOW poster KLW has a nice post on his packing and preparation for an upcoming trek here.
May 16, 2010 He’s French and goes by “Eric the fool.” Nothing that follows could surprise you. Here’s what his jacket holds:
Quoth le fou:
“The weight is 15 kg of clothes, including 12 kg of objects : it seems heavy but actually I do not feel it when walking (I walk a lot) because it is placed all around the body and there are not many “forces” (physics law…) (except if I must climb many stairs), and also I’m used to this (maybe a little muscled now…).
Apart from friends, family, colleagues (and now TV viewers…), nobody knows that I carry all this, I mean that in the street or in public transportation, nobody notices me, hopefully ! (I’m not a clown and I have no time to waste on explanations for people in the street, I prefer to do this once for all : websites are made for this !).
The count of 1300 items can be verified on my site since I provide Excel (.xls) lists. My aim is not to tell all the world about my life, but if I tell some things, at least I don’t want to be considered as a liar… The average weight is very small (about 10 grams), simply because there are many small things that weight nearly nothing (like paperclips, pins, cards, sheets of paper, wires, elastic bands, handkerchiefs and so on) but such items are not here only to increase the count, there is only what’s necessary.” - Eric’s website, which has lists and lots more info
Frank@OBOW
Most of Eric’s site info dates back to 2003 or 2004. Who knows if he’s still fooling around in this wa? Maybe the burden became too great.
April 24, 2010 
REAL WORLD, REAL RAIN
The Aqua0 travel trench coat seems to do exactly what it was designed to do - keep you dry, weigh very little, and look a lot better with a business suit or sport coat than most lightweight raincoats would. The below-the-knee length is great. It’s just blousy enough at the bottom to keep your trousers dry almost all the way to the cuffs in a moderate rain shower. I was in a steady drizzle with the Aqua0 for about 15 minutes and only my shoes got really wet. With its polyester fabric the Aqua0 will never be mistaken for a Burberry but looks reasonably good. The coat comes folded in a separate storage pouch that’s about 10x14 inches. The folding creases linger, but I’m not sure who’ll care in the midst of deluge. The coat weighs about 11 ounces - more than a waist-length performance-style raincoat, but well worth it if you’re a business traveler who goes carry-on only. The Aqua0 is also useful as a just-in-case for the car or briefcase.
The Aqua0 is vented across the back with mesh lining above the vent and two velcro patches to close the overlapping vent more or less tightly. I used the Aqua0 on a 65-degree spring day with a nylon travel shirt and cotton undershirt underneath. It was more comfortable than I expected and it did keep me completely dry. It’s probably a good three-season coat in most climates. It would surely get a little warm and sticky above 70-75 degrees F. It seems ideal for climates like England and Scotland where it’s ususally cool, rains a lot, and often rains sideways. I could have used it in London a couple of winters ago. Being windproof, it would make a warm winter alternative with only a little light layering. And the length means you can sit without getting wet.
The coat has two handwarmer-type pockets and no interior pockets. The pockets are not vented so they might tend to hold water in a real downpout. There are no interior pockets.
Color choices are khaki and black for men’s and women’s - plus red, yellow, and blue for women’s only.
The Aqua0 is $69.99 and is made in China.
Frank@OBOW
OBOW Forum thread about the Aqua0 here.
April 13, 2010 
These Alex Olson Coolmax jeans are meant for the skater and snowboarder crowd, but those at the younger end of the OBOW spectrum may be able to employ them advantageously. Here are several other types of Coolmax jeans from Quicksilver.
Travelsmith has the only square Coolmax jeans I know of.
April 7, 2010 The colors are neutral, the cut is simple, and the fabric appears to be wrinkle-free and quick-drying. And the wearer is touted by his own people as an inspirational fashion plate. Could this be just what you’re looking for, light traveler?
OLD FART, BAD OLD FART!The trademark suit sported by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il is now in fashion worldwide thanks to his greatness, Pyongyang’s official website said Wednesday.
Uriminzokkiri, quoting an article in communist party newspaper Rodong Sinmun, said the modest-looking suits have gripped people’s imagination and become a global vogue.
“The reason is that the august image of the Great General, who is always wearing the modest suit while working, leaves a deep impression on people’s mind in the world,” it said. - AFP
Frank@OBOW
KimJVest travel coat:
Six days late…
