As you contemplate gifts for the traveler on your list, here are a few of my faves that I’ve discovered over the last year:
SteriPEN Journey with LCD – This is the latest version of the SteriPEN and it includes an LCD screen that indicates the time left for before your water is purified. Just like the other SteriPEN versions, the Journey with LCD kills viruses, bacteria, giardia, pathogens that cause diarrhea, hepatitis AND household germs such as E. coli, staph and strep. I’ve taken a SteriPEN with me to India twice and never had an issue consuming tap water (other than the fact that it still tastes bad) but I can’t wait to hit the road with this new version because it is too cool for school.
Zadro UV Disinfection Light – This little gadget uses UV light to kill 99.9% of germs and bacteria you might encounter in your travels. Great for skimming over a bed or pillow at your accommodation or the headrest of a public bus. It’s also small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. It does have a preset “on time” of just 10 seconds, which means you have to hit the on button numerous times to cover a large space. Otherwise, it’s a handy travel item.
Power Monkey – A friend recommended this little guy to me after I complained about recharging issues with some travel gadget or another. While you’re on the road, you simply plug your electronic device into the the Power Monkey to charge it back up. It stores enough power for 40 hours of iPod use and 96 hours of standby use for your cell phone. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been on the road (in an airport with no power plug in sight or in a car) and the juice is running low on my phone or iPod. Now I can just plug it into the Power Monkey without having to worry about getting to a power plug. It comes with power adaptors good for 150 countries. I have found that it’s a bit delicate, however. Careful removing your electronic device from the USB connector…
Digital Foci PhotoSafe – After having lost hundreds of pictures at the beginning of my India trip this year (including those taken in Delhi and Varanasi), I knew I had to get a backup system. Photo Safe’s Digital Foci is an easy to use system for which you can just plug in your camera, using a USB cord and it automatically uploads your photos. Get in to the habit of using it daily so you don’t loose your photos like I did!
Travel Well!
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