If you want somebody to pack a massive amount of stuff into a relatively small amount of space, I'm the woman to do it. For many years, I've taken a small measure of pride of just how much stuff I can manage to fit into a smaller space than I ought.
Unfortunately, this tends to bite me on the ankles (and knees and shoulders and back...) when it comes to packing my bags for a trip - because of instead of choosing a smaller bag and less stuff, I end up taking everything and anything I think I might need - and oh yes, I get it to fit.
Some trips I'm better than others. On my last trip to California, for example, I was traveling through a lot of different places and situations over ten days: a fancy dress ball, playing tourist around SF, wine tastings, meandering around Mendocino, some nice dinners out. It was the first time I'd had a full-sized suitcase for my travels in years. And boy, was it heavy, and I only used about 2/3 of the stuff I packed.
If you're like me, then you could use some lessons and ideas about how to pack better. I live by the old rule of "Put out everything you think you want to bring with you, then take away half of it." (And you probably still have too much.) Better yet, stop by onebag.com and get a lot of good ideas and information on how to be a better packer while traveling.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
Luggage tags
All of us worry about lost luggage when we go traveling. Global Bag Tag has created a luggage tag where your name and address are secure away from prying eyes; they also have stickers that you can use to help protect your smaller items such as PDAs and MP3 players.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Review: Tom Bihn's Ego messenger bag
Mmmm, that new-bag smell....
My old Nine West bag had seen better days, but I wasn't ready to give it up. I couldn't find a bag that suited my needs, while simultaneously being something I could carry for both work or play.
It took me a very log time to decide upon which bag I wanted to buy. I researched many a messenger-bag site, looked in Army-Navy stores, you name it. What I was looking for was a bag that was/is:
- well-constructed
- with tons of pockets
- stylish, something I could bring to work that is professional-looking
- but not garish or too teenage looking
- has good safety features (ie. harder-to-slash material, as I like to travel; or metal cording in the strap to prevent same)
I was hoping to get a bag to match the size of my current shoulder bag, which is a very tidy 12.5"x4"x9", but it was hard to find a bag of that size with as many pockets as I'd like (as my old bag had), and with more sense of security.
In the end, I decided upon the Tom Bihn Ego bag, which is sized more like a laptop bag or a smaller messenger bag.
The Ego and its slightly larger SuperEgo are among the most stylish in the Tom Bihn lineup, and the attractive design makes the bag stand out. (The only other bag I seriously considered what Timbuk2's 'small' custom-classic messenger bag, which was the size I wanted, but lacked much in terms of extra pockets.)
Turn-around time to receive the bag was under a week, even choosing the "slow" UPS rate. Customer service at Tom Bihn was (is!) top-notch, answering all my questions. I was thrilled to have the bag arrive!
I must admit, the bag was a little bigger than I thought it would be, and would love to see to see a "Small Ego", as the "Id" isn't really a smaller Ego, it's a design of almost the same size, but different layout. But having extra space - especially in a bag you expect to use while traveling (and thus often need more space at unexpected moments) - isn't exactly a bad thing. The bag has a good heft (nearly 3 lbs empty, almost as much as my camping backpack!), so you can feel how solidly the bag is constructed.
Front view of the Ego bag. I chose black/crimson/steel for mine, with a reflecting strip. That central strip can be changed to a wide variety of other strips. I placed a ruler and CD next to the bag so you have a little bit of comparison for size when viewing this.
You can also change the color of that central strip. I ordered my bag with an alternative cork strip, not installed on the bag in this picture, just so you can see what the strip looks like.
I did change the strip later, and since the strip is backed with Velcro, I found it worked easiest for me to work from the top down to remove the strip. Then I inserted the new strip with the decorative side down, adjusted it into place, and flipped it over under the retainer strips.
It worked quite easily on the first try, and I got it switched out in about three minutes, tops. I love this little bit of customization; I think the cork strip gives the bag a really nice, professional look.
The back side of the bag, with slash pocket, and waist strap visible. As you can see, the exterior pocket is pretty roomy, easily accommodating thicker books. The buckle you can see in the foreground is the 'messenger stabilizer' on the bag's strap, designed to attach to the waist strap to create stabilty-in-action with the bag. You can remove the waist straps if you don't want them.
The back panel of the bag and the bottom of the bag are reinforced with a layer of foam, offering protection to your bag's contents as well as giving the bag some framework.
I compared their straps carefully before finally deciding upon the Q-AM shoulder strap, which is well-padded and quite comfortable. It took me a little bit to figure out how to get the 'Messenger attachement' attached to the waist strap, but now that I've got that figured out, the bag's weight is distributed quite nicely.
I would still like to get an extension strap for the messenger attachment, however, as the bag will fit me quite differently when I wear it over a winter coat.
The side pockets are roomy, with buckles to tighten up as needed or to make the pockets lie flat against the bag, and openings on the bottom corners.
It fits water bottles, soda cans or glass drink bottles easily; since there's 2 straps to adjust, it holds bottles with slimmer necks or a more slender middle quite nicely.
Front view of the bag with flap raised.
If it wasn't for the fact there's zipper pulls hanging off the bag, you might not even realize there were pockets there. The "key strip" on the left is designed to hang inside the larger outer pocket; it's handy enough that I want a whole handful of these!
As you can see, the "hidden" bockets are wide enough to accommodate a CD case. You could probably fit one of the larger iPods in these pockets no problem. The center area between the pockets is designed with tucks to give extra room to these pockets, which is a very nice design detail.
Large outside pocket, which the flap covers.
A couple details to note here: You can see the heavy-duty plastic hook at the top; there's one on either side of the pocket.
I stuck a magazine inside the pocket to show how spacious it is, plus to point out a design feature - the top corner of the pocket is sewn into the bag, which means a little bit more security for items in the pocket, and less chance of water getting into the pocket in bad weather.
Close-up of the interior pocket details. There's 2 larger side pockets, large enough to accommodate small notepads, MP3 players, etc. They have enough give to be able to hold a can of soda! Then on the right are 3 smaller pockets, ideal for holding pens/pencils or other thin items.
This is a view of the zipper on the main compartment. The way the zippers are designed, there's a thin layer of tough material that lies over the zipper, thus helping keep moisture from seeping through the zipper. You can see the easy-pull zipper design as well.
Interior view of seams. As you can see, the seams have been covered with sewn edging; this prevents snagging, fraying, etc.
The main interior zippered pocket is almost as wide as a CD case is tall. This gives you plenty of room to store your laptop or whatever you might be carrying.
Here, you can see the set of two snaps on the back wall of the pocket - these snaps are designed to attach a laptop sleeve. But you can remove them if you want.
Overall, an incredibly well-constructed bag that will last me for a very long time. I'm quite pleased with the purchase, and have already received several compliments on the bag!
My old Nine West bag had seen better days, but I wasn't ready to give it up. I couldn't find a bag that suited my needs, while simultaneously being something I could carry for both work or play.
It took me a very log time to decide upon which bag I wanted to buy. I researched many a messenger-bag site, looked in Army-Navy stores, you name it. What I was looking for was a bag that was/is:
- well-constructed
- with tons of pockets
- stylish, something I could bring to work that is professional-looking
- but not garish or too teenage looking
- has good safety features (ie. harder-to-slash material, as I like to travel; or metal cording in the strap to prevent same)
I was hoping to get a bag to match the size of my current shoulder bag, which is a very tidy 12.5"x4"x9", but it was hard to find a bag of that size with as many pockets as I'd like (as my old bag had), and with more sense of security.
In the end, I decided upon the Tom Bihn Ego bag, which is sized more like a laptop bag or a smaller messenger bag.The Ego and its slightly larger SuperEgo are among the most stylish in the Tom Bihn lineup, and the attractive design makes the bag stand out. (The only other bag I seriously considered what Timbuk2's 'small' custom-classic messenger bag, which was the size I wanted, but lacked much in terms of extra pockets.)
Turn-around time to receive the bag was under a week, even choosing the "slow" UPS rate. Customer service at Tom Bihn was (is!) top-notch, answering all my questions. I was thrilled to have the bag arrive!
I must admit, the bag was a little bigger than I thought it would be, and would love to see to see a "Small Ego", as the "Id" isn't really a smaller Ego, it's a design of almost the same size, but different layout. But having extra space - especially in a bag you expect to use while traveling (and thus often need more space at unexpected moments) - isn't exactly a bad thing. The bag has a good heft (nearly 3 lbs empty, almost as much as my camping backpack!), so you can feel how solidly the bag is constructed.
Front view of the Ego bag. I chose black/crimson/steel for mine, with a reflecting strip. That central strip can be changed to a wide variety of other strips. I placed a ruler and CD next to the bag so you have a little bit of comparison for size when viewing this.
You can also change the color of that central strip. I ordered my bag with an alternative cork strip, not installed on the bag in this picture, just so you can see what the strip looks like.
I did change the strip later, and since the strip is backed with Velcro, I found it worked easiest for me to work from the top down to remove the strip. Then I inserted the new strip with the decorative side down, adjusted it into place, and flipped it over under the retainer strips.
It worked quite easily on the first try, and I got it switched out in about three minutes, tops. I love this little bit of customization; I think the cork strip gives the bag a really nice, professional look.
The back side of the bag, with slash pocket, and waist strap visible. As you can see, the exterior pocket is pretty roomy, easily accommodating thicker books. The buckle you can see in the foreground is the 'messenger stabilizer' on the bag's strap, designed to attach to the waist strap to create stabilty-in-action with the bag. You can remove the waist straps if you don't want them.
The back panel of the bag and the bottom of the bag are reinforced with a layer of foam, offering protection to your bag's contents as well as giving the bag some framework.
I compared their straps carefully before finally deciding upon the Q-AM shoulder strap, which is well-padded and quite comfortable. It took me a little bit to figure out how to get the 'Messenger attachement' attached to the waist strap, but now that I've got that figured out, the bag's weight is distributed quite nicely.
I would still like to get an extension strap for the messenger attachment, however, as the bag will fit me quite differently when I wear it over a winter coat.
The side pockets are roomy, with buckles to tighten up as needed or to make the pockets lie flat against the bag, and openings on the bottom corners.
It fits water bottles, soda cans or glass drink bottles easily; since there's 2 straps to adjust, it holds bottles with slimmer necks or a more slender middle quite nicely.
Front view of the bag with flap raised.
If it wasn't for the fact there's zipper pulls hanging off the bag, you might not even realize there were pockets there. The "key strip" on the left is designed to hang inside the larger outer pocket; it's handy enough that I want a whole handful of these!
As you can see, the "hidden" bockets are wide enough to accommodate a CD case. You could probably fit one of the larger iPods in these pockets no problem. The center area between the pockets is designed with tucks to give extra room to these pockets, which is a very nice design detail.
Large outside pocket, which the flap covers.
A couple details to note here: You can see the heavy-duty plastic hook at the top; there's one on either side of the pocket.
I stuck a magazine inside the pocket to show how spacious it is, plus to point out a design feature - the top corner of the pocket is sewn into the bag, which means a little bit more security for items in the pocket, and less chance of water getting into the pocket in bad weather.
Close-up of the interior pocket details. There's 2 larger side pockets, large enough to accommodate small notepads, MP3 players, etc. They have enough give to be able to hold a can of soda! Then on the right are 3 smaller pockets, ideal for holding pens/pencils or other thin items.
This is a view of the zipper on the main compartment. The way the zippers are designed, there's a thin layer of tough material that lies over the zipper, thus helping keep moisture from seeping through the zipper. You can see the easy-pull zipper design as well.
Interior view of seams. As you can see, the seams have been covered with sewn edging; this prevents snagging, fraying, etc.
The main interior zippered pocket is almost as wide as a CD case is tall. This gives you plenty of room to store your laptop or whatever you might be carrying.Here, you can see the set of two snaps on the back wall of the pocket - these snaps are designed to attach a laptop sleeve. But you can remove them if you want.
Overall, an incredibly well-constructed bag that will last me for a very long time. I'm quite pleased with the purchase, and have already received several compliments on the bag!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Virgin America
Virgin America has launched, with pricing to compete with JetBlue and Southwest, but amenities like you'd expect on top-end airlines - starting, for example, with a video screen at every seat, and coast-to-coast business class for under $400.
The downside? So far, they only serve a handful of locations - San Francisco, LAX, Washington DC, NYC, and Las Vegas.
The downside? So far, they only serve a handful of locations - San Francisco, LAX, Washington DC, NYC, and Las Vegas.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Bristol Ren Faire - Wisconsin
One of the FantastikalsBristol Renaissance Faire opened last weekend for their 20th anniversary run. This year's theme is "Feast of Fooles", and everyday is a colorful party the Renaissance way.
A-E Shapera plays Jane the Phoole, just one of the many marvelous denizens of the street that you will meet during your day at Bristol Ren Faire. The fabulous and funny Ms. Shapera is also the Official Municipal Jester of the City of Milwaukee, and recently traveled to England to be the first-ever female contestant in the International Jester Tournament, the top event of the Muncaster Castle Festival of Fools. See her daily at Bristol at many different events!
The midday full-cast show at the Cheshire Chase Action Stage in the heart of the FairegroundsLocated on the Wisconsin side of the IL/WI border, Bristol is a great way to spend a summer Saturday or Sunday. It's very kid-friendly, with plenty to do, see and explore for the whole family. Patrons are not only welcomed but encouraged to come in costume - you can even rent courtly garments for the day right on-site, or buy your own.
Bristol Buskin Frolic dances the Maypole near the front gateSunday, July 8, 2007
The Police rock Wrigley Field, 7/5 & 7/6/07
The Police, final encore, 7/5/07, Wrigley Field, ChicagoGrowing up, The Police were one of my favorite bands. Sure, I enjoy Sting's solo career, but man, The Police. When they did their Synchronicity tour, my mother thought I was too young to go to the show. Twenty-four years later, I finally got to see them live this weekend at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
They still rock.
The show was awesome. (Expensive, yes, but fantastic.)
They still rock.
The show was awesome. (Expensive, yes, but fantastic.)
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Evanston fireworks
If you ever find yourself in Chicago for Independence Day festivities, I would really recommend skipping the wildly overcrowded downtown celebrations and heading out, instead, to more suburban displays.
My favorite? Evanston on July 4th, located on the North Shore about 30-45 minutes via Metra, driving or L trains north of Chicago. If you live (or are visiting) in the city, take the Metra or L up to the Davis Street station, and then head to the lake shore, about 5-6 blocks east, stopping along the way at Whole Foods to pick up some picnic fixins. Their celebration feels more small-town-suburbia than big-city; and I usually like the fireworks display better than the Chicago ones.
The best part? You can sit on the beach and watch. Or join the families around the small lake in the park. Unlike downtown Chicago, everybody can hear the band and music played for the displays. And although it's crowded, it is nowhere near as busy as the million-plus people who head down to the Loop on July 3rd. It's great for families, because there's room for kids to play while you wait for 9:30pm to roll around.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
35 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago
Love this building. It was featured in Batman Begins, but I loved this design even before it became a handy place for Batman to perch and look over his city.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Baha'i House of Worship
While it's my random Chicagoland picture of the day, I thought I'd also give a little bit of info about the Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, about 12 miles north of Chicago. (Visit the Bahai website for information about the Bahá'í religion).
There are only seven Bahá'í Houses of Worship currently; but there are currently over 120 sites worldwide for future projects. Each House of Worship has a central dome and nine sides, with an entrance on each side "to welcome visitors from all directions", although each is a very distinctive piece of architecture. The Wilmette location was completed in 1953 and is the oldest surviving Bahá'í structure. (The first, built in Ashkhabad in 1908, was destroyed in 1962 after undergoing damage in an earthquake). It took nearly 13 years for the outer ornamentation of the building to be finished, but 32 years of construction before it was dedicated for use.
The Wilmette location is faced with an ornate white concrete which seems to change colors throughout the day, and is worth a visit if you're in the area.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
