TravelTeq TripTravelTeq began a couple of years ago when a group of Dutch friends thought that they could design a better carry-on trolley than anything else around. Sounds like a late night in an Amsterdam coffee house. The Trip is the end result. Say no more.
With its angled profile and aluminium finish, the Trip has a hi-tech air about it – and it doesn’t disappoint. Certainly not if pockets, slide-out bits and tech-spec is your bag, so to speak.
First surprise is that the Trip is actually comfortably within cabin luggage dimensions: it looks bigger. This offers perhaps, a certain smug delight in apparently being able to gazump the carry-on cops sternly patrolling check-in these days.
A nice touch is its so-called mobile office kangaroo, a fold-out panel with easy access to your laptop, papers and so on. And need somewhere to work? Hey presto, you can sit on the Trip. Just pop a release on top and gas-spring operated legs stretch out to stabilise it for sitting. The slide-out top’s even padded to protect your assets. A quick kick and they’re back in for wheeling.
Of course, you might also need to sit down when you check out the price. However, if you’re a super-frequent flyer who wants to show some separation from the pack with what is claimed to be the best carry-on available, the Trip has good looks and smarts.
CostTrip Cabin Luggage, €595 from Travelteq.com. Trip Sound model with integrated, removable sound system, for another €55.
Aerobed PakmatAerobed is a well-known name in inflatable mattresses and this is their latest piece of puff, the eco-friendly Pakmat. Eco-friendly how? Well the mattress itself is made from phthalate-free polyester material and it comes with a hand pump – so no messy electrics or batteries to balance in the environmental equation. On the other hand, or more specifically, under your other hand, that does mean a bit of elbow grease is required.
The purpose-built pump is pretty efficient though, with Aerobed claiming a 60-second inflation time, whereas a couple of minutes is probably more accurate. Still quick enough for an airbed, and your self-righteous sweat will be positively green.
Moreover, the Pakmat packs itself up very neatly and you actually store it inside the pump cylinder, so it saves space and keeps the two parts together with a carry handle. Inflates to 2m long and about 12cm high.
CostAerobed Pakmat, $99 (€73) from amazon.com.
Rare Earth Magnet Bottle MountThis is possibly the ultimate replacement for the bike bottle cage. It combines a small, super-strong magnetic mount for your bike, called the edge16 (because it just weighs a featherlight 16g). This is made from a carbon fibre composite encasing a powerful magnet and bolts onto your standard rail points. The companion s24 bottle – currently only available in 700mls (24oz) – has a complementary magnet set into a slot. These snap together neatly to hold your water bottle rigidly in place. A little slide and a lift and it's free. The bottle groove sucks it back onto the wedge-shaped mount without a glance, from whence even the most gnarly runs won't eject it. Which may be more than can be said for you, unfortunately. Perhaps the magnet saddle will be next.
This comes from specialist cycling innovation outfit, Vincero Design in Boulder, Colorado. The mount’s finish has an interesting weave pattern on it and everything fits together perfectly. Even the bottle itself has been speced free of BPAs and other scary abbreviations, with a medical grade silicon mouth valve, and it’s dishwasher-safe. Other sized bottles are in the pipeline.
CostVincero edge16 + s24 bottle system, $46.95 (€35) from vincero-design.com
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