More than one way to fight a stink

OBOW has picked up lots of new readers in recent weeks so it’s time to for a little re-posting. Here’s our original post on a travel laundry technique we developed - with a little further development tacked on at the end:

Doing laundry on the road is one of the necessities of light, one-bag travel. You don’t need ten changes of underwear for a ten-day trip; you can get by with three. But, you must use synthetics to successfully wash and dry overnight in the hotel room or hostel. Therein lies the problem: Synthetics get stinky fast. One solution is to pay $18-$35 for high-tech underclothing which has fabric with built-in anti-microbial (and, hence, anti-odor) properties.

I have discovered another, cheaper way: Sink wash your garden-variety synthetic (polyester/nylon) undies using my odor-fighting concoction.

Here’s how you do it. Fill the sink about half way with lukewarm water. Mix in a couple of glugs of clear Softsoap antibacterial handsoap and a couple of spritzes of Febreze Anti-Microbial. Handwash the undies, then rinse them out quickly - not too aggressively. Apparently enough of the anti-bacterial and anti-microbial stuff stays in the fabric to make it perform like the $25 hi-tech variety. My $10 Champions now finish a sweaty day as sweetly as my more-expensive Terramar briefs (with Visaendurance wonder fabric). This formula makes the high-tech fabrics work even better. The anti-microbial fabrics are still preferable for backpackers who may have nothing more than a creek to wash in or who want to stick with a green, biodegradable detergent - which my formula isn’t. But, for the cost-conscious light traveler my method may be just the ticket. This method works equally well for briefs or undershirts. I’ve used it on my ExOfficio Air Strip shirt and microfiber pants too.

I get this stuff through the carryon screeners by filling two 2-ounce hand sanitizer bottle with the soap and a 2-ounce spray bottle (half-full) with the Febreze. This is enough for ten days or so.  I don’t mix it together until it hits the sink.

DISCLAIMER: I cannot guarantee that this method will not harm or shorten the working life of some garments, but I have no reason to believe that the method is detrimental to any fabrics or finishes.

UPDATE: I am more convinced than ever that this is an effective method for washing travel clothing and minimizing your, er, aroma. It also works well in a washing machine using the gentle cycle and an appropriate water level. You’ll have to estimate the amount of soap and Febreze required, but keep in mind it’s not rocket science and it doesn’t take that much soap.

I’ve become aware Win High Performance Sports Detergent which I thought might perform similarly to the Stinkfighter formula. I cannot recommend it. My tests indicated that synthetic clothing was about as smelly after use with Win as with normal detergent. It may do a better job cleaning clothes with heavy embedded odor, but it does not work as well as my formula for the lightpacking traveler. And it’s quite expensive at $6 or $8 for a small bottle. You can find it at sporting goods stores.

Here is yet another way of accomplishing the goal of less smelly clothing recommend by OBOW reader Dan P.:

“I use a similar method. Good to know I am not the only one without $30.00 shorts. However, I do use a different set of ingredients. I use Scent-a-way laundry detergent to wash, then lightly rinse in a sink of water mixed with a cap full of X-O deodorizer. I agree with Brad the method works because the ingredients are not totally removed from the clothing. Scent-a-way is used by bow hunters and is designed to remove human scent and X-O is made for animal use which means both are strong but will not cause skin rashes. The only downside is I have a strong urge to urinate on fire hydrants ;-}.An extra plus is that both ingredients are environmentally friendly.”

I haven’t tested Dan’s formula but it sounds like it would work as well. Let us know what works for you. 

Poor Heathrow

A day in the life of hated Heathrow is the subject of this Times of London story. Read it and you’ll never check another bag as long as you live. Some highlights:

The phrase “Heathrow hassle” has entered the lexicon, and commentators have vied to produce the most colourful put-downs – a “really expensive mall with planes”, “customer service reminiscent of the worst days of nationalised British Rail”, scenes “reminiscent of Nairobi slums”. Heathrow has also been described as an airport “bursting at the seams” and “held together by sticking plaster” – and that came from Tony Douglas before he resigned as BAA’s chief executive last month…

In the Terminal 1 reclaim areas we find the pile of 300 bags sitting unattended in a corner. Richard Wazacz, BAA’s 33-year-old head of logistic operations, admits that Heathrow’s baggage-handling record is “unacceptable” but – unsurprisingly – he insists that the airlines are to blame.

Wazacz takes us into a control room lined with screens showing bags whizzing along miles of subterranean conveyor belts before tipping into baggage chutes. He shows us a map of the belts that looks like tangled spaghetti. We visit a thunderous cavern to watch bags descending an extraordinary helter-skelter that takes them 60 metres down into the bowels of Terminal 1, and from there along a mile-long tunnel to Terminal 4. It is a “stone-age” system, he concedes.

 AND - this just in: Today at Heathrow EVERY flight was delayed or late!

TSA deploys "Behavior Detection Officers"

They’ll be watching your facial expressions and body language. They’re the TSA’s newest semi-secret weapon against possible terrorists and bad guys of all sorts - the Behavior Detection Officers. You may not know them when you see them:

The watcher could be the attendant who hands you the tray for your laptop or the one standing behind the ticket-checker. Or the one next to the curbside baggage attendant…The strategy is based on a time-tested and successful Israeli model, but in the United States, the scrutiny is much less invasive, Ekman said. American officers receive 16 hours of training — far less than their Israeli counterparts — because U.S. officials want to be less intrusive.

Read the entire story from McClatchy Newspapers. 

Stick it in your Ickle Bockle

From the UK comes a new product to help carryon travelers deal with the liquid rule dilemma. The curiously named Ickle Bockles provide a solution for those liquids and gels that you can’t find in the 3oz./100ml trial size or that you want to draw from larger containers. The Ickle Bockle Bank set includes bottles and pots which comply with EU carry-on rules.The set contains 3 x 100ml bottles, 1 x 60ml bottle and 2 x 30ml pots.  The bottles have interchangeable tops so you can pump, spritz, flip or pour. The labels on the bottles and pots can be written on so you won’t confuse your shampoo with your mousse. The ‘flight friendly’ Ickle Bockle Bank costs £10.25 and is available to buy from www.icklebockles.co.uk.

Heathrow is hazardous to your health

 According to a neuropsychologist Heathrow airport is one of the world’s more stressful spots:

Dr Lewis said: “We have measured people in all kinds of situations from riot policemen confronting a stone throwing mob to racing drivers and sky-divers and these are among the highest peaks in heart rate and blood pressure that we have ever seen. The conditions at Heathrow Airport and the stress levels that passengers are routinely subject to poses a very grave danger to the health of travellers at the airport.”

Lewis told that Times of London that his tests showed that passengers’ heart rates often shot to dangerous levels as they endured security checkpoints, congested waiting areas, and rude staff. According to the Times:

Dr Lewis also found that the physiological stress levels recorded exceeded those of Formula 1 racing drivers or free-fall parachutists. Blood pressure rose from an average of 123/81 to peaks of around 170/99.

This is one more reason to chuck the checked bags. Eliminating the possibilty of lost luggage and the baggage carousel hassle should lower your stress level. But you’d better know the carryon rules and master the new liquid regulations or more trouble - and a higher heart rate -  awaits you. 

Keep calm and carry on

British travelers are hit with a wicked double whammy: they must deal with the strictest carryon rule (one bag plus nothing) and their airports and airlines are some of the worst at handling (and best at losing) luggage. It seems the  Brits are turning increasingly to carryon-only - as evidenced by these two stories from UK papers advocating one-bag travel. The Telegraph gives advice on strategy and luggage and a Daily Mail writer says he has finally been driven to go one-bag but bemoans the hated no-personal-item restriction. Bear in mind that the UK allows a slightly larger carryon (22x18x10) than the more typical standard of 45 inches in combined dimensions (often 22z14x9 or thereabouts).

Carrying on for the fairer sex

Stephanie Dickison, editor of the knack shares advice on carryons, purses, and briefcases for female travelers:

The excitement about the impending trip, the packing and preparing and then the actual getting on the plane to leave your life behind and go on an adventure that will no doubt change your outlook and mood is overwhelming, but so worth it.

The only problem is travel gear.

If you can’t find suitable luggage that is comfortable and stylish, then it will forever be a problem and detract from your trip.

See her recommendations here. Click on the photo at right to learn more about the Helen Rae luggage she touts.

Luggage advice from Lornitropia

“Then I went to Portland and took my Red Oxx Air Boss & Tom Bihn Brain Cell combination which worked as well as last time. Both did what I expected, and everything went fine. I’m finding that the more I use the Air Boss, the more I like it. Things fit well and the more I use the bag the more I realize the thought that went into not only the design but the precision of the dimensions.” - read it all at Lornitropia

Rollin' & tumblin'

I’m not a fan of rolling bags for reasons mentioned elsewhere. But, if you must roll this old article from Slate is good for establishing criteria with which to evaluate the accursed conveyances. Some of the models in the article are out of date, but the author’s points are excellent:

“A good bag rolls smoothly on a wide wheelbase, with a sturdy, comfortably situated handle to guide it. A bad bag rocks drunkenly on its wheels, with a hard-to-grip, poorly angled handle. It’s always finding ways to bump into your legs.”

“With a careful eye, you can suss out which bags are well-crafted and which will soon be plagued with sticking zippers and mangled handles.”

His winner is the Tumi Vestry which is no longer produced. If style is important to you and money is no object, check out the $495 (now on sale $369 as of 8-12-07) for  20” Tumi Ducati (right). It’s 20” x 13.75”x 9”, comfortably under maximum legal carry-on dimensisons. I like bags that are a little undersized if they are rigid like this one - less stuffing required to get in the overheard. And you certainly wouldn’t want to scuff up this beauty. This is the bag for beautiful people: If the bag fits, roll it.

Note: Alert OBOW reader Stephen R. points out that while it looks like the tow handle is for right-handers only, the handle actually pivots for comfortable use with either hand. 

We’ll have a review in coming weeks of a less-expensive Tough Traveler rolling carryon with removable wheels. 

Snakes (almost) on a plane

Who needs in-flight movies when a comedian like this want to get on board:

A man was stopped at Cairo’s airport just moments before he boarded a Saudi Arabia-bound plane with carry-on bags filled with live snakes, as well as a few baby crocodiles and chameleons.

Security officials became suspicious of the 22-year-old Saudi man’s bags when the X-ray machine at the departure gate gave odd readings. Police said they opened the bags and found a large number of reptiles, including at least one cobra, squirming to escape. - AP via Washington Post

“Squirming to escape” might well have described his fellow passengers if he had made it on the plane. 

Guest posters welcome

OBOW welcomes comments, suggestions, and even guest posts or reviews. If you want to contribute please e-mail your submissions to us. If we can use them we’ll format them, put them up and credit them to you. If you have photos you can attach them to the e-mail message. We welcome releases from manufacturers about new products or changes - even tips for our readers, but please don’t review your own products!

Why does American-made matter?

If you wanted to wear nothing but made-in-the-USA clothing you’d have a hard time filling up a closet. And you’d go broke paying for it. How about USA-made electronics? Forget it. But luggage is a different matter. The serious traveler can buy high-quality, high-value, handmade luggage that is made right here. Why does it matter? There are several reasons and they have nothing to do with xenophobia or parochialism. If you care about your neighbors and fellow citizens having good jobs, made-in-the USA means something. Ditto if you don’t want to support sweatshops staffed by children, inmates, or overworked/underpaid women. Maybe you want a bag that won’t fall apart. Or maybe you have a complaint and would like to speak to the owner/designer. 

OBOW will always support the quality USA luggage companies. We’ll be putting together a page devoted just to them. Please suggest any companies that should be on the list. Here are four good ones to start with: MEI, Red Oxx, Tom Bihn, and Tough Traveler. Another worth checking out might be Bailey Works, though they are more about messenger bags than luggage per se. Tumi and Boyt are US luggage companies on the higher end of the price scale.

Year of the liquid ban

Although restrictions on liquids have become a fact of life for airlines and travelers, it’s difficult to know if these measures are deterring attacks.

“The trouble with terrorism is it’s not like safety,” said Kenneth Button, a professor at George Mason University’s School of Public Policy. “Safety is a technical problem.”

If some part of an airplane is malfunctioning, it can be repaired, Button said, but averting terrorism is not that simple. “Every time you stop one attempt, they change tactics,” he said.

Security measures such as the TSA’s ban on liquids are partly cosmetic, according to Button. They keep travelers aware of dangers and encourage them to be vigilant, but they also serve to make people generally more confident about flying. - from a Reuters story looking bag on the year-old liquid ban

10 ways to afford Europe

The IHT has ten ways to beat the Pound/Euro exchange nightmare. Another tip: Get more out of your travel dollar by going one bag, thus avoiding wasted time chasing checked bags. The light traveler, who carries everything on his back or shoulder, can walk the extra block for cheaper hotel and can use the least expensive methods of public transportation. Light costs less.

NPR on the worst travel summer ever

“Particularly worrisome is the spike in the number of chronically late flights — those that are late 70 percent or 80 percent (or even 100) percent of the time. Every airline has at least a few of these flights on their schedules. Passenger-rights groups are pushing for regulations that would require the airlines to “label” these flights as chronically late so consumers can avoid them — or at least know what they are getting into when they book a ticket….

As troubling as the latest figures on flight delays may be, they don’t tell the whole story. The delay statistics don’t include diverted flights, or flights that are held on the tarmac for hours, then return to the gate. Last year, more than 16,000 flights were diverted to other airports, and one in 20 flights was canceled.” - National Public Radio

Planning ahead with weather history

We’ve mentioned this one before, but it remains a great tool: Weather Underground’s weather history database. Plug in a date range and location and it will spit out 11 years’ worth of weather data - highs, lows, precipitation, sun…

Here’s an example: a weekly history for London in January. This is a terrific way to know what to pack and what to expect.

TSA tweaks carryon inspections

The TSA has quietly changed its carryon inspection rules to require DVD players and large video games to be removed from luggage for separate inspection.  No news of these changes appears on the TSA web site, but USA Today has reported on the change:

Small electronic items, such as cellphones, MP3 players, iPods and portable video game systems do not have to be removed from passenger’s carrying cases.

“Everything seems to be running smoothly,” United Airlines spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said Sunday of the change, which went into effect Saturday. Elaine Sanchez, spokeswoman at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, also reported no problems even though, she said, Sundays are among the busiest days of the week.

Tom's capacious cube

I used to think packing cubes were gimmicky, so I was a little stunned at what would fit in one packing cube and how useful they can be. The Tom Bihn Large Cube is made expressly for the Aeronaut carryon (see review) but, at 13.5 x 13.5 x 4.25, it will fit in almost any bag. And it holds a lot. Here’s what I got in one cube: two pairs of medium-weight pants, one long-sleeved dress shirt,  one heavy wool shirt/jacket, and one t-shirt. If you pack purposefully you can fill up every square centimeter of the cube. The mesh and  ripstop nylon zippered cube provides compression when fully packed, putting more clothing in less space. Plus a tightly-packed cube lends more shape and structure to a soft-sided bag than a mere pile of folded clothes can. My next project: develop a wrinkle-reducing bundle packing method for the cube.

Nice points: smooth zippers wrap around three sides for easy packing, mesh panels allow ventilation, well-made - just like the Aeronaut, reasonably priced at $18. There are a couple of other sizes and varieties available direct from tombihn.com.

BTW - here’s an account of Aeronaut packing by a convinced cube user. 

Your luggage in 3-D

We reported months ago about the new $350,000 three-dimensional carry-on luggage scanners. Here’s what the COBRA machines “see” and here’s a story from Cleveland that reveals a little more about what they do. The story says these scanners - similar to CAT medical scanners - will allow travelers to leave liquids and electronics in their carryons for screening, thus speeding up the security process. I’m doubting the TSA will modifiy their practices much even when these machines are in use.

Airport security goes green