July 9, 2011 I guarantee that if you wear this shirt, you will, in no doubt, drive the TSA people at the checkpoints absolutely crazy, will probably cause you to have the most vile groping, and possible even get you thrown out of the airport. But I love it…..
4th Amendment Metallic T-shirts
(Frank II)
July 8, 2011 I want to thank Monte for bringing this essay to our attention. It’s written by a very respectable foreign correspondent and I agree with what he says 100%.
Is high security backfiring in the U.S.
(Frank II)
July 8, 2011 I think some people in France have been watcing too many westerns.
The Great French Train Robbery
I guess pickpocketing is not so much of a worry anymore.
(Frank II)
July 1, 2011 Every now and then, we’ll bring you updates to all things TSA. No, not every individual incident where someone complains but more general issues effecting all of us.
First, the Electronic Privacy Information Center is claiming they have documents received through the Freedom of Information Act stating the Department of Homeland Security and TSA lied about studies relating to radiation exposure from body scanners. No news organization has picked up on this—at least none that I know of—and I am not familiar with EPIC. You be the judge.
http://epic.org/privacy/airtravel/backscatter/epic_v_dhs_radiation.html
Second, for a long time airports were allowed to petition the TSA to hire their own airport security personnel rather than have TSA. In late 2010, more and more airports were filing to do just that. In response, John Pistole, head of TSA, said he was putting a stop to it and no new airports would be allowed to get rid of TSA.
Well, that has now been reversed—sort of. Airports can again apply but they must now prove, to TSA, why private screening would provide “a clear and substantial advantage to TSA’s security operations.” Good luck with that one.
http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/06/24/6933905-no-more-tsa-screeners-airports-again-allowed-to-apply-to-opt-out
(Frank II)
June 28, 2011 Would you be willing to pay a $100-150 annual fee and go through a background check in return for expedited, risk based screening at major U.S. airports?
The U.S. Travel Association, which is lobbying TSA to start a trusted traveler program similar to the one operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, surveyed 1000 travelers and asked that same question.
The responses to “very/somewhat likely” were:
All travelers—45%
Frequent Leisure Travelers—61%
Frequesnt Business Travelers—75%
An earlier survey also showed that with less hassle at the airport, respondents said they would take up to 2-3 more trips per year.
(Frank II)
June 22, 2011 The Transportation Security Administration says they may start testing a Trusted Traveler Program this fall.
Geared towards business and frequent fliers who are willing to go through pre-travel background security screening that will allow them to speed through airport security checkpoints. (Although no word was given on what that would entail.)
The testing will take place at a few U.S. airports and with selected U.S. airlines.
(Frank II)
June 16, 2011 
I know, I know — netbooks are so ‘09 and most of the world has moved on to tablets and iPhone-type devices for mobility. But for those who love a larger keyboard and the in-between size of the netbook Google offers Chromebook — 3G/wifi netbooks that run only online apps through the Google Chrome OS/browser. Is this yesterday or tomorrow? You decide. It would seem more practical for domestic travelers given the vagaries of international wifi and 3G coverage and charges.
(Brad)
June 14, 2011 If you think there’s any hope of airline fees going away, think again.
In 2010, U.S. airlines made:
$3.4 billion in baggage fees (up 25% from the previous year.)
$2.7 billion in reservation change fees.
$958 million in net profits
Where do you think those profits came from? You do the math.
(Frank II)
Frank@OBOW
Perhaps Conan O’Brian has a better perspective:
June 12, 2011 Back in the days when I first traveled, there was no internet, cameras took film, pocket sized phones were only seen in science fiction or Dick Tracy, and any electrical item taken overseas needed a voltage converter.
But that was then and this is now. Who doesn’t take some type of smaller electronic device: cell phone, mp3 player, digital camera, etc?
With each item comes a charger. To light travelers, carrying one charger for each electronic gadget is too much weight.
Fortunately, multi-chargers—evices that could recharge numerous devices at the same time—were developed.
One of the first devices I heard of was the Chargepod.
This dual-voltage (meaning it can be used in most of the world without a converter) device can charge up to six smaller small gadgets at once using their Chargepod’s own proprietary adapters. (These are different from electrical plug adapters which you will also need if you take the Chargepod outside of North America.)
This has been my first choice as a travel charger for awhile. In fact, I use it at home rather than have a bunch of individual chargers plugged in all over the place.
The Chargepod is made by Callpod which also makes the Fueltank Uno and Fueltank Duo.
Fueltanks are portable lithium ion battery powered portable chargers that can recharge a smaller gadget multiple times before it needs to be recharged. (They use the same adapters as the Chargepod). The Uno (on the left in the above photo) comes with its own A/C power adapter and can recharge one gadget many times. The Duo (in the center of the above photo) comes with the same power adapter and can recharge a single item twice as long or two gadgets at once. The Fueltank can also be recharged through the Chargepod.
The Fueltank is great for very long flights where a plug may not be available. I have gotten three full charges from the Uno for my Ipod Touch.
One caveat…..the adapters have been known to fail. I’ve had to replace a couple. And at $10 each, it can add up.
Recently, I got a Lenmar ACUSB4 multi charger.
This dual voltage charger will charge 4 devices at once via USB. So, the same chord you would use to charge via a laptop would be used with this charger. The Lenmar does come with 4 interchangeable electric adapter plugs so it can be used almost anywhere in the world.
One surprise is that by using a USB/mini-usb cord I was able to recharge the above mentioned Fueltanks.
The Lenmar charger with plugs and 4 usb chords weighs a couple of ounces less than the Chargepod and its adapters.
One problem I had was my digital camera. Neither of these two would charge the camera’s battery without bringing along the battery charger.
But then I heard about and got the Lenmar PPUClip.
The PPUClip does just what it says: it clips onto a camera battery and is plugged directly into a USB port. (There is a fold down USB plug on the clip but it’s not seen in the above photo.) This works great.
To get an idea of the size of these, here’s a side by side photo of many of the above devices.
Now, a few notes:
1) These devices will not charge a laptop or netbook. They will, I’ve been told, charge an Ipad.
2) If you bring a laptop or netbook with your while traveling, you probably don’t need any of these, except the PPUclip, because you can charge via the computer.
3) Gomadic and IGo are two other companies that have multi-chargers. I’ve used Gomadic products and they are just as good as the ones I mentioned above. (In fact, when Gomadic redesigned it’s own AA battery powered portable charger because the original wouldn’t work with Apple products, they sent me a new one at no charge.) Be aware, all of these companies used to make adapters for Apple…..however…..Apple has cracked down and won’t allow then anymore. To charge an Ipod or Iphone, they suggest using the Apple supplied USB cord and a female USB connector.
4) Lenmar is soon coming out with a six device charger that looks a lot like the Chargepod. It will use it’s own proprietary adaptors.
5) The devices I’ve charged with the two major chargers mentioned above are an Ipod touch, Palm TX, Blackberry Bold, Fueltank Uno and Duo, and 1st Generation Kindle. My Canon digital camera battery charged easily with the PPUClip.
So, if you’re traveling without a computer, or even if you are but want a separate charger, there are numerous multi-chargers available that will help you lessen your load and lighten your travels.
“half a league, half a league, half a league onward……”
(Frank II)
Frank@OBOW
As Cindy H noted in the comment section, many devices are now dual voltage. How do you know? Look at the power information. If it says 110 or 120/240v you are good to go. No converters. Almost all newer small electronics these days are dual voltage.
June 9, 2011 I’ve heard of a lot of different ways crooks have come up with to steal from people and their bags. But this one tops the list:
Contortionist steals from airport bus
(Frank II)
June 8, 2011 IATA, the International Air Transport Association, has unveiled a new airport security checkpoint plan that, according to them will reduce time, limit searches, and, as the head of the organization stated, restore dignity.
No longer “one size fits all, the program is based on intelligence and risk profiling, not racial profiling, and includes technology that is mostly available today. It would mean no more stripping, unpacking or groping.
IATA’s new security checkpoint.
Personally, I like it.
(Frank II)
June 2, 2011 One of the most frequent questions found on “generic” travel boards is how do I phone home cheaply from overseas.
USA Today has put together an article on just how to do it:
How to Phone Home Cheaply From Overseas
(Frank II)
June 1, 2011 I can only imagine what happened. One day, the designers at Ebags decided to come up with a convertible bag that had the best features of its near competitors while improvings all the downsides.
The result: The Ebags Motherlode TLS Weekender Convertible.
The basics: The bag is 22 x 14 s 9. With shoulder strap and waist belt, it weighs just over 4 lbs. The bag is 3300 cu in and expanble. It’s made of 840 denier twisted polyester.
Now for the details. I could start listing them but ebags has done such a good job making a promotional video for this bag, wouldn’t you rather watch that then read my prose?
So, sit back, watch the video, and then come back to get my take on it:
Now for the extras….the bag is expandable but that would make it too big for carry-on.
The orange interior is bright but will allow you to see everything you’ve packed.
For those who are worried about thieves breaking into your locked bag using the moveable zipper method, Ebags has place small rings allowing you to lock the zippers in one place making it more difficult for a thief to hid their tracks. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, search Youtube for videos on opening up a locked suitcase.)
The laptop pocket is convenient and fuctional. The adustable sling fits most size laptops and having it in it’s own pocket makes the laptop easy to remove for security. I’ve tried both my 15” laptop and netbook in the sleeve and fit with no problems.
Now for the negatives. The bag is heavy at just over 4 lbs. The D rings are made of plastic and the ones for the backpack straps are exposed and could be torn off if you checked—gate or regular.
While I prefer a nylon bag, the polyester used seems durable. It may also, believe it or not, be overdesigned. Just too many features.
All in all, for the money, you can’t beat this bag. It retails for $100 but I’ve never seen it not on sale for $90. Wait a few weeks, or join their email list and you’ll get discounts down to $80 or even less. If you buy it through Ebates,, you’ll get free shipping and a 6% rebate.
According to a conversation I had with Ebags PR guy, this bag is Ebags #1 seller of all the thousands of bags they have for sale.
If you’re looking for an inexpensive but feature full bag, you can’t beat this one.
May 31, 2011 Some of you may have noticed ads around the website. Those are not bought ad but what’s commonly known as “click throughs.” That means we get some kind of credit when someone clicks on one of the banners/ads to go to that company’s website (How we get credit and what we get differs per company. That’s Brad’s area and I leave it up to him.)
So…..the next time you plan to shop at Magellans, or Amazon, or Campmor, or any of the other companies you see on the website, rather than go direct, why not click through here first. It will help us to remain alive.
Thanks.
(Frank II)
May 31, 2011 Since my local PBS station is now letting us know that their every other month “Begathon” is about to begin—you know, where they ask for money—I thought i might be time to ask some of you to help support us.
While you may not realize it, OBOW does cost to keep going and I can honestly say neither Brad nor I makes any real money from the site. We do it because we care about the subject.
We do have numerous OBOW T-shirts and hats for sale. Think about getting one for yourself, your family, your friends. They’re great conversation starters.
Click on the item you want and you’ll be taken to a new page to choose the model you want to see it on, size (adults and kids) and color.
(Frank II)
May 30, 2011 Google has added flight schedule searching to, well, Google. All you have to do is type “Flights” and then the two airports you want to fly between. So it would be something like “Flights JFK to LAX” or Flights New York to Los Angeles.”
You just get a listing of flights—airports, times, airlines and flight numbers. No booking capability or prices.
(Frank II)
Frank@OBOW
Oops….I should have mentioned it only shows current nonstop flights. City pairs with no nonstops between them will not show up at all. Nor will future planned nonstop flights.
May 29, 2011 I like packing cubes. They help keep me organized, they make it easy to pack my bag and they help to add structure to the lightest weight ones. With my new found fondness of clear cubes, they also help me to easily find what I’m looking for as well as helping security personnel find what they are looking for without pawing everything I own.
One of the best clear packing cubes I’ve found is the Tom Bihn Clear Quarter Packing Cube. This two sided cube is made of Dyneema Ripstop Nylon, has #5 YKK zippers, is PVC free and comes in 4 colors. It measures 7.8” x 6.7” x 3” and weighs 4.2 ozs. There is also a carry handle/doorknob loop should you wish to hang the bag. $30 and made in the USA.
One side could be used as a non-3-1-1 toiletry kit:
While the other side could be for your laundry kit:
Or one side could be used for your miscellaneous electronics and chargers:
While the other side could be used for all those small items you take but are never sure where to put:
I know that some of you are saying you can use ziploc bags for the same things. This is true. The only downside is that they won’t help to shape a bag and they force you to take more bags offering a greater chance of forgetting one.
I have one and I’m going to have to get another. They’re just too useful.
(Frank II)
Tom Bihn supplied the Clear Quarter Packing Cube for review.
21 Comments | in Gear Reviews, Packing, Tolietries | Email Article | Share Article | Print Article | Permalink May 20, 2011 OBOW reader Assaf sent us the following review of the MEI Executive Overnighter:
I got the bag a few days ago, haven’t got a chance to use it.
first impressions:
the bag arrived on time.
the build quality is excellent, better then i expected, judging from online photos. yet, it is not on par with the red oxx air boss - the zippers, for example, are
coil, not chain zippers as in the air boss. they are certainly heavy duty YKK, tough.
the shoulder strap is the same as seen on older photos of the MEI EO, not Terra grip.
the inside color is now all khaki, not the (ugly) yellow and khaki. i’m glad because that old inside color mix was a real turn off for me, it looked somewhat un-professional IMHO.
the side handles are more sturdy then the older pics implied.
the back straps are well padded and comfortable.
things i would like to improve:
1) the top carry handle - i hope the way it’s attached to the bag is strong enough.
2) the compression straps on the two outer pockets, are on the outer wall, not toward the inside of the bag as in the air boss.
i think this is less convenient to close the bag while packing. i prefer the red oxx approach where the bag once packed, is sort of a big bundle, covered by the outer flaps.
coffee brown rocks! ;-)
I hope this review would be helpful, as there isn’t really a lot of info on this bag.
Thanks, Assaf.
(Frank II)
