Archive for September, 2008

by Dorothy Yamich

If you would like to know what travel accessories are available to make your trip easier, more comfortable, and safer, here are some great products. These items should be available at most luggage and travel accessories stores.

What are compression bags and how much space can they save you when you pack your luggage?

If you use space saving clear plastic compression bags when packing your clothes, you can save up to a whopping 80% more space in your luggage. They can be used over and over again for many years of very easy packing.

How does a non-slip security wallet work?

One accessory you should purchase is the non-slip security travel wallet. It is about the same size as a regular wallet but has non-slip rubber on one side which will catch on the inside of your pocket if it accidentally slips out of your pocket, or if pickpocket tries to pick your pocket. Always put your wallet inside your front pocket. Under no circumstances should you ever carry your wallet in a back pocket. Professional thieves have called it “the sucker pocket”.

Here’s a neat trick! You can convert your wallet into a non-slip one by putting a few wide rubber bands around it. Another solution that will help with the pickpocket problem is a chain-equipped travel wallet which you can attach to your belt.

The secret waist wallet is a wallet which can compliment a non-slip travel wallet. It fits under your shirt or blouse, but it’s still easily accessible. It is not a good idea to lift up your shirt or blouse to open this wallet in public as you can never be sure who is watching, like a possible pickpocket, or robber. It’s best to open it discretely where no one can see what your doing, like in a public washroom stall.

Leather money belts that have concealed, zippered pockets on the inner sides of them, are excellent security travel products. You can hide small foldable documents, paper money, or a key in the secure, zippered pocket.

There are stay-up, elastic security socks that have a concealed, zippered pocket on the inside of each one of a pair of these socks. These socks would be extremely difficult for a pickpocket to get at.

Another unique accessory is the RFID blocking passport document holder. This radio frequency identification holder helps to protect your passport and other documents that can be electronically compromised from snooping data-stealing hackers.

A unique combination and key accessible combo luggage lock makes it possible for a custom’s official to unlock your checked luggage for inspection by using a special skeleton key, then lock your luggage up again. You can then dial the combination and open your luggage when you arrive at your destination. This can save you a lot of time and money replacing regular locks that custom’s agents would usually have to break to gain entry to check your luggage. Another plus with combo locks is that you don’t have any keys to worry about replacing or losing.

You can carry a battery-operated, personal security alarm that emits a loud, shrill sound that can help scare off a mugger or robber. Another product that is less costly and will produce the same effect is a referee’s sports whistle, which you can hide under your shirt or blouse, attached to a string, and hung around your neck.

A battery-operated hotel room intruder alarm is a great hotel room safety device. There are two types of these alarms. One alarm hangs on the room’s door knob. Any slight movement of the door knob or door will trigger the alarm. Another alarm is the doorstop kind which you can push under the door’s bottom edge. If someone tries to open the door, the alarm will go off.

For women travelers, they can get an innovative security purse that has a steel cable sewn right into the strap. This will stop a thief who tries to cut through the strap and take off with their purse.

Easy is the word for the pocket pillow that is approximately 6″ x 4″ x 1″. It inflates to about 19″ x 15″, and is handy to carry with you. It makes a comfortable pillow to rest your head upon.

Make sure that you protect your eyes when traveling in sunny climates by wearing sunglasses that carry both a UVA as well as a UVB certified protection label.

A neat little book light that clamps on to the edge of your book will enable you to conveniently read in dim light or in total darkness. It also allows you to read in the dark and not disturb your sleeping travel companion.

If you prefer wearing backpack you should check out a steel-mesh equipped backpack. These backpacks have steel mesh sewn into the sides and bottom, the most vulnerable places where a thief can slash it with a knife. When this happens, everything tumbles out, and the thief and his cohorts will grab anything of valuable and run in different directions.

You should keep in mind that you will probably need adaptor plugs and converters if you are traveling to certain countries.

One large travel accessories store, Magellan’s, has an award-winning catalogue that has everything for travelers from adaptor and connector plugs to secret security wallets. You can order a catalogue online, at Magellans.com

Tilley Endurables is a legendary manufacturer of sun-protective travel clothing and accessories. They created the world-famous Tilley Hat and specialize in making stylish, comfortable, and practical outdoor hats and travel clothing. Most of the fabrics that they use in manufacturing their hats and clothing carry a certified UPF 50 rating label, which is the highest rating for sun protection available. You can order their sun-protective clothing and accessories catalogue on their website, at Tilleys.com.

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