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Travelite Packing Tips

June 2000:

Hello Traveliters!

The traditional first day of summer, Memorial Day, has come and gone. And from the looks of things people are gearing up for their summer plans. While some places haven't really gotten hot yet, other places are sitting well into the 90s (F) this weekend. Whew!

Just a few short items before the June tip:

...A reader informed me that the Travelite FAQ was mentioned in the May 29 issue of People magazine. Ironically, their column about Web sites does not seem to be available online. If you find a copy of People with Caroline Kennedy on the cover, look for a mention of the FAQ in it! If you see the Travelite FAQ mentioned elsewhere, do let me know.

..."The Trip Planner," my column dedicated to travel tips for folks visiting Disneyland and other family-friendly parks, made its debut on May 24th at Al Lutz's Disneyland Information Guide. If you haven't visited D-I-G in a while, you will be startled to see all of the new columnists and features he has put up on his site. Expect to see a monthly column from me there.

...A big heartfelt thanks goes out to the folks at Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door for adding the Travelite FAQ up at their links page. I am already beginning to see traffic from there.

...Don't forget to vote for your favorite kind of travelite carry-on. Make your vote count. And now, onto our tip (well this month, it's tips, plural!) June's Travelite Tip helps you prepare for the hot summer weather with some cool ideas.

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SUNBLOCK
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Go ahead and change your regular hand lotion in your toiletry kit with sunblock now before you forget. If you can't find sample bottles of sunblock, either fill a travel-sized bottle with sunblock, or use a store-bought full-size bottle (since many sunblock brands come in four-ounce sizes, anyway). By the time you slather your face, neck, arms and feet, you end up using quite a bit.

Don't pick just any sunblock, though. Get it with as high a sun protection factor (SPF) as you can (36 or 45). There truly IS no such thing as a healthy tan, and the one of the worst souvenirs you can bring home is a sunburn.

By the way, Did you know that sunblock you buy in the US is made with different ingredients from those in Europe? Only recently has the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) started recommending the use of avobenzone, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide in sunblock, which Europe and Australia has used for a while. Check your ingredients list for any of these. You want at least one, because these are inhibit dangerous UVA rays. Most American sunblock lotions only protect against UVB, but UVA only minimally. Unfortunately, scientific research seems to be bearing out that wearing UVB-protective sunblock has not curbed skin cancer rates because we haven't been protecting against UVA. Yikes!

For a very detailed article on sun care, read "Sun Basics"at Paula Begoun's Cosmetics Cop Web site. She has the best advice about cosmetics anywhere.

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"FACE" STICKS
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While you're browsing the sunscreen/sunblock shelves in your drug store, note the various sunblock "sticks" that look like oversized tubes of Chapstick. These have become quite popular in the last few years and are easy to find. Just streak it on your nose, cheeks and other spots, and rub it in. It works just like lip balm, but for your whole face. It's less messier than carrying sunblock.

My recommendation however, is a slight twist on these sticks. A while ago, I came across a face stick by Blistex in which its labeling and color scheme looked identical to its lip balm sibling. Checking the ingredients (not to mention trying them both out), I figured out that they were made of the same thing! The face stick is just bigger.

So now, I don't even bother with face sticks. I put my sunblock on my face in the morning, then carry a blue tube of Blistex Ultra Protection lip balm in my pocket. If I'm out in the sun and need more protection, I get some lip balm on my fingertip, then run my finger over my nose. It's not too greasy, and works wonderfully. Better yet, this product has a flip-top lid so I don't even have to worry about losing the lid! Although not quite fragrance-free, it doesn't smell mediciney or like make-up, so men can feel comfortable using this as well.

Take a look at the Blistex Ultra Protection (SPF 30) so you can recognize it the next time you go to shopping. While there, look at the tinted Blistex Lip Tone that I like so much for traveling (SPF 15).

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MISTER
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When it gets hot... I mean *REALLY* hot, a little spritz of water can actually cool your skin's temperature! If you have any travel-size spray bottles (for example, from sample hair spray), hold onto it. If you can afford the space, pack it with you. Refresh your lotioned face with water spritzes during your flight, then tuck it in your day pack and spritz your face and neck when it gets real hot.

If you have the packing space, take a serious mister with you, like the Misty Mate. I have the original 16-ounce pump bottle that I take on driving trips, and it works great!

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HYDRATE WITHOUT A BOTTLE
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Unless I have a water bottle or big mug with me at my desk, it's real hard to get in my 64 ounces a day to stay properly hydrated. Imagine how much tougher it is when you're traveling! It's a very good habit to keep a water bottle with you, but if you're like me, you won't be diligent if the bottle is out of the way in your daypack. Half the time, I don't even want to be lugging a bottle with me, anyway.

The solution? I have now changed my daypack from a regular style, to a Camelbak personal hydration pack.

Camelbak brand is the original inventor, but you'll find them by Cascade Designs (who make the Platypus line), Gregory and others. If you've ever seen bicyclists wearing a tiny "backpack," chances are they had a hydration system. Next time, look for the telltale sign -- an "IV tube" extending out of the pack and over the shoulder (or under the armpit) and clipped near their collar bone.

Regardless of brand, they all basically do the same thing. There is a plastic bladder (that looks like an IV drip pouch) of varying capacity (Camelbak has sizes from 40 ounces up to 100) that you fill with water, then close with screw-on lips or caps. On the other end is a tube-like hose that extends about two to three feet. The end of the hose usually has a little rubber grip of some sort that controls the water flow (in the case of Camelbak, the mouthpiece has a slit that opens up when you bite down on it). The whole thing is encased in some sort of a pack, be it a full-sized daypack or a tight neoprene shell. Most are carried like backpacks, but some are worn around the waist.

Someone at Camelbak in the last year or two got real clever, when they realized that not all of its fans are bicyclists. With my Camelbak Cloud Walker, I have a small daypack with *SEVENTY* ounces of water I can carry. It distributes the weight really well and I can barely feel it! Unless I'm horribly tight for space, I take my Camelbak on all my trips now.

Not quite ready to plunk down the big bucks (hovering between $40 and $80) for one of these? Camelbak finally has a solution this year, in its "Un-Bottle", selling at REI for $26. It's basically the bladder, nicely covered in Cordura, and given its own tether handle so you can just plop it right into your regular daypack. Just leave a little room in your daypack zipper opening for the tube. You can clip the tube onto your daypack shoulder strap with a big paperclip like I do, or with the clip Camelbak sells. The Un-Bottles also fold down completely flat and pack into nothing! The fact that they are very low maintenance and easy to clean just adds icing to the cake.

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Well, that's about it for the June tip... or tips, as it turned out. Stay tuned; there will be more coming down the pipe over the summer. In the meantime, have a wonderful June. Keep sending me email and let me know how your packing adventures are going!!

Happy travels,

-- Lani

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