Here are some products worthy of consideration that promise to make your journeys more fun, more convenient and less stressful.
Green Goo
Green Goo is fun to say, but this brand of easily transportable beauty and first-aid salve is smoother than silk and oh-so-soothing for mild burns, chapped skin, scrapes, chaffing, poison ivy, bee stings, cold sores, dry lips and cracked hands and feet. Green Goo’s consistency is created by using natural oils and herbs like jojoba, sunflower, beeswax, plantain and sage. Several varieties and scents come in handy travel-sized tins with a convenient list of uses on the lid. (Solar Goo has a 30 SPF rating.) The tins can be tucked away in the pocket of your ski jacket, your purse or a travel-sized cosmetic bag, and they need not be included in your TSA-approved liquids bag. Green Goo products are also available in sticks.
For a limited time, coupons for 25 percent off are available by using the code SAGE25 at greengoohelps.com.
Camp Travel Edition
Have fun while on vacation or camping, take a break from the electronic devices and learn something, too, when you play Camp Travel Edition. The board game is a sort of Candy-Land-meets-Trivial Pursuit competition, with four sets of questions for different ages (4 and up; youngest players work from pictures). All of the multiple choice questions are nature-oriented and related to the 50 states. The board, game pieces and question cards come in a handy, re-sealable bag. It’s small enough to pop in a backpack or a carry-on; large enough for easy play.
The game was created in 2005 by Michigander, nature-lover and father of two, Tim Paczesny, after realizing that lots of kids (and adults) are woefully ignorant about the world around us. $20. Visit ducationoutdoors.net/
RejuvaSocks
Don’t tell Kelsey Minarik that she’s too young to worry about getting blood clots. The Los Angeles-based entrepreneur was only 22 years old when she suffered deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after a long plane flight. DVT occurs when the blood in the legs begins to pool and the cells begin to clump together during a long period of immobility. A clot on the vessel wall can form, causing the blood flow to slow even more and possibly break off and travel to the lungs or the brain. DVT can occur even in healthy, athletic people. A recommended treatment for DVT risk is to wear compression stockings, which force the blood into the larger vessels and help prevent pooling and clotting. Unfortunately, compression stockings are generally — well — ugly. Minarik was unable to find any fashionably fit for everyday wear, so she designed and produced her own line.
Called Rejuva, the socks are tightest around the ankle and loosen as they go to the knee and also are appropriate for pregnant women, busy professionals, athletes (distance runners say the stockings help their legs recover after long runs), and anyone who sits or stands for long stretches. Lots of colors, patterns, sizes and lengths. $10-$40. Visit shoprejuva.com.
HomingPIN
Losing luggage, a laptop, tablet, cell phone, passport, wallet or any other valuable possession is every traveler’s nightmare and a real risk when traveling.
I once lost a cell phone when going through security at the Dublin airport because security personnel removed it from the bin without telling us. We were able to retrieve it on our way home, but it was a stressful event. It would have been less so if the phone had had a HomingPIN sticker on it. Owners who buy the kit receive baggage loops with tags, key rings and stickers with a unique number.
This allows the finder (assuming he/she is honest and willing) to go to a website, enter the number, which activates a text message to the owner. (Finders have no access to owner information.) All HomingPIN packs come with a 12-month subscription. After that: $8.00 a year, which covers up to 30 items. Packs are $10 and $20, depending on the number of stickers etc. Visit homingpin.com/what-is-homingpin.
E’Louise Ondash is a freelance writer living in North County. Tell her about your travels at eondash @coastnewsgroup.com
