Sunday, September 21, 2014

Gear Review: Perfect Hot Weather Shirts

With temperatures in the high 80s, and the humidity soaring above 80%, I walked around Hanoi, Siem Reap, Luang Prabang and Bangkok in perfect comfort. It wasn't because I was so well acclimatized to the hot, rainy season in Southeast Asia. (I wasn't.) I was wearing shirts that allowed me to briskly race around these towns without becoming a damp mess. Of course, I hadn't checked luggage on this month-long journey, necessitating frequently washing my clothes. Again, these shirts dried quickly and didn't wrinkled when packed in my small backpack. 

I only carried two of these Travex shirts manufactured by Eddie Bauer: One was the Adventurer Convertible shirt that allowed me to roll up the sleeves, thanks to the button tab. (I did find that the sleeves kept on unrolling despite the tab, but this was a mildly irritating problem that didn't detract from the comfort of wearing this shirt.) The second was sleeveless, referred to as the Gingham Sleeveless Camp shirt. 

They come in an array of colors and paired so well with pants, skirts and shorts that some Westerners I met on my travels wanted to order the exact same shirts. The Adventurer and the Gingham come with a sunscreen factor of 50+, are constructed of a soft, polyester/nylon fabric that easily wicks away sweat, and both have venting in the back to reduce the sweat factor. But the real surprise was the hidden zippered pocket; so hidden that it took me three days to stumble upon it.  It's perfect for some bills, credit cards or a hotel key. 

Now that I'm home, I'm still turning to both these shirts when it's hot here in New York City -- it was a humid 80 degrees F today. Because when you find high performance shirts that not only function well but also look appealing, you don't want to leave them in the drawer. 










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Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Shoes That Make Carry-On-Only Packing Easy

Most women love shoes. I'm not one of those women -- one reason why I have no trouble traveling for a month, as I recently did in Southeast Asia, with only one carry-on bag. But it also means I have to be very picky when selecting the two pairs of shoes I choose to bring on my trips.

Both pairs -- I wear the bulkier of the two on the plane -- have to multi task. One has to look good with a dress but also be comfortable for long strolls on the beach or all-day walks on city streets. And, it should also serve as a light sports shoe for cycling or low-key hiking trips. The Chaco ZX2 Yampa sandal that I blogged about recently fits the bill.

The bulkier shoe should be lightweight, comfortable for longer walks or hikes, provide good traction on the trail, be ultra breathable because my feet hate being in closed shoes to begin with, dry quickly when wet should I go kayaking, and not suffer from odor problems with daily use. The Chaco Outcross Lace shoe met all these criteria. I wore this shoe with or without socks and never ended up with blisters nor did my feet get sweaty. The foot bed cushioned my foot so well that arch fatigue was a thing of the past. They slipped on and off easily because this model doesn't rely on a traditional lacing system. And, though I have huge (for my 5'2" height) size 9 feet, these shoes didn't exaggerate the silhouette of my feet.

Now that I'm back in New York, I continue to wear these shoes. In fact, there're comfortably on my feet now as we speak.





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Monday, September 8, 2014

Avoiding Accidents + Injuries on Vacation

What's a vacation without more than a few surprises? But my idea of the unexpected includes mountain biking through a pine forest and coming upon a hamlet where I can do a wine tasting in a small cellar. Or hiking to a craggy peak where I discover a farmer selling fresh sheep and goat's milk cheese. Or kayaking to an island where I find an expansive and little-visited botanical garden. When I travel, surprises should not include a visit to an emergency room or several days laid up because of illness or injury.

I just returned from a month in SE Asia and had no illness or injury to show for it -- unlike almost all the Westerners I encountered who, at the very least, ended up with traveler's belly. Is it because I'm lucky? No. Actually, I'm the model of caution whether I'm on my home turf in NYC or traveling far afield.

But many vacationers leave common sense at home. Do you also suffer from
vacation mind? Find out more in this article I recently wrote on the subject.



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Thursday, September 4, 2014

Thailand In Pictures

Bangkok and Chiang Mai are both cities that embrace the ancient and the contemporary. Ramshackle wood huts teeter on stilts beside tree-lined canals. And a forest is home to a unique Buddhist temple built around massive tunnels. Down many an alleyway can be found avant garde art galleries exhibiting the works of both emerging and established Thai and international artists. Both cities embrace coffee connoisseurs who can find a cafe that suits their taste in creamy lattes, delectable pastries or playful interiors. I recently spent one week in Thailand and this one-minute YouTube video slideshow is a window into some of my discoveries, both serene and dramatic.




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