5 tried and tested travel accessories from my latest trip

For those who haven’t seen my ‘tried and tested’ posts on A
Luxury Travel Blog before, this is an ongoing series where I give a
brief overview of products I have trialled on my travels. On my trip to
the ILTM international luxury travel conference in Shanghai this year, I
road-tested a few new products, details of which can be found below.


Travel wallet from TUMI


TUMI is world
renowned for its quality luggage but also boasts other items in its
range such as toiletry bags, passport cases and travel wallets. This
large Ticon zip-around leather travel wallet (measuring 10.25 cm x 20.5
cm x 4.25 cm) is the perfect solution for carrying passports, money and
other essentials. For the security conscious, features include Tumi ID
Lock™ - a proprietary technology designed to protect personal data
encoded on most IDs, credit cards and passports. Any pocket lined with
the signature red TICON-patterned lining offers this advanced
technology. The ideal travel companion, the wallet comes with no less
than five interior compartments, an ID Lock zip pocket, open pockets and
16 card slots.

Bag and tripod from Manfrotto


Finding a bag that’s not too big but carries my essential photography
kit (camera body and lens, spare lens and battery, filters, data cards
and one or two other bits and pieces) is not so easy but I found the
medium-sized Advanced Tri Backpack from Manfrotto
to be just right for my needs. It comfortably fits with standard
carry-on luggage requirements (though cheque the specific details with
your particular airline), meaning that you don’t have to be put any of
your treasured equipment in the hold and risk it being mis-handled or –
worse still – lost.  A lot of thought has clearly been put into this bag
– you can easily swing it around from a backpack position to access the
items you need, without having to take it off your back.

There are straps so that you can externally carry a compact tripod.
Again, finding a tripod that’s rigid enough (avoid the many cheaper
makes – they invariably don’t give the same rigidity which is essential
for long exposure photography) yet still portable can be a challenge,
but Manfrotto’s compact lightweight tripod for travel photography
(MKBFRA4-BH) is the ideal companion for this bag and is not too weighty
for someone who’s regularly on the move. It measures just 40 cm long
once in the closed position so won’t take up too much space either.


Bag from Toghal


This really sturdy cotton tote bag from Toghal
was great for carrying the various brochures and flyers I gathered from
the ILTM conference that I attended. Strong and thick, it can take a
substantial amount of weight without causing any apparent strain on the
seams. You could equally use it for shopping at a market perhaps or,
with its interpretation of Mbuti designs from the Congo, it wouldn’t
look out of place in Africa either. The design has been screen printed
so the bag can go in the washing machine at a low temperature.

Luxury candles from The Sitota Collection


Like to have something to soothe and relax you when you get to your destination? Inspired by a love of travel The Sitota Collection
has an excellent range of luxury candles. Go for the the Petit
Excursion Candle Quartet – small and compact, these make the perfect
travel companion and yet still have a burn time of 18+ hours.  It also
gives you the opportunity to try them all out before buying one of the
larger ones with a burn time of 55+ hours. Our recommendation: the
Aigyptos scented candle with notes of amber, sandalwood, musk and
vanilla, smoothed out and balanced by jasmine, lavender and orange.
Infused with essential oils including copaiba, balsam, orange and
lavandin.

SHAG shoe bag


Got a stinky pair of trainers that you’d prefer to keep away from
your main clothes?  Or perhaps you’d just like to carry a pair of flat
shoes with you when you’re out in high heels if you know you’re going to
have a long walk home afterwards? The slightly unfortunately named SHAG
(that’s ‘shoe-bag’, in case you’re wondering) is the ideal solution,
keeping your clothes and belongings neatly separated from whatever your
shoes having been coming into contact all day. It comes with a
convenient carry handle and is made from a water-resistant polyester so
can be wiped clean easily if you’ve been traipsing through mud.

- A Luxury Travel Blog

TLS Professional Slim Backpack

Like
all products in the favored TLS series, there are a number of popular
uses for those traveling frequently with laptop computers. What I
appreciate most is the standard of solid padding, but beyond that, I had
never tested one of their gear items.
The fully padded and lockable laptop compartment of the TLS Professional Slim Backpack
became a great way to protect my computer from eager thieves’ fingers.
Positioned at the bottom for better load balancing, the compartment is
protected and well-placed.


There are contoured backpack
straps for those that like to wear it as a backpack. While I am the
last person to use them (yes, I am looking at you traveler with the big backpack
that swings it around knocking people over unknowingly in the process),
it is certainly an option. I found it easy to simply swing this bag
over my rollaboard bag, which looks more professional and businesslike,
in my opinion. The side handle (in addition to a top handle) make this
easily possible, and since the zipper opens from the side and the top,
it is easy to access the latpop in a jiffy.


Surprisingly, there is limited storage space for other items when a
laptop is carried. Perhaps, just enough for a few magazines, charging
cables, and some books. But, for many, that is the highlight of this
bag, as it is not bulky. Another great feature is the mesh padding on
the back that allows the skin to “breathe” even when the bag is flush
against you. No sweaty backs here when running through the airport.


Those with smaller laptops may find that the compartment is too large
to secure a computer without it moving around. However, my ThinkPad is
just over 15 inches and fits well.


For me, this bag complements my normal carry-on rolling bag well. It is available from Ebags for just over $100 or on Amazon.