If you follow this column you know that I have reviewed MP Magic Socks and I’m still wearing them!) in the past, so reviewing MP Magic Towels just seemed like a natural for me. And while they are made by the same company, a company I now have a trusting relationship with, I don’t know if the towels have the same odor neutralizing properties as the 5-day Magic Sock. Who would even want to find out? (Umm, maybe me . . . ?) More importantly, these are magic in the way they are woven and the top-quality Egyptian cotton used. Not being stinky when I dry my face is simply a bonus.
See how dry my MP Magic Towel left me . . .

I couldn’t resist that – sorry. When I saw that picture on the MP Magic Towel website I had to ask myself exactly what are they selling here? Further reading clearly showed off their magnificent towels, but for a brief moment . . .

Anyway, I decided the picture was to show how these super absorbent towels are designed to wick away the most moisture and be big enough to reach all the places you don’t want to leave damp. The unique waffle weave also permits faster drying. No more damp towels to greet your morning shower! MP Magic Towels dry so quickly you can use them twice a day and still feel dry. And, at 31” by 59”, they are soft, absorbent, and cuddly enough to make a great blanket for babies and toddlers.

I’m a guy. I know nothing about the quality of cotton. I bought conventional Pima Cotton towels because I like the heavy weight and feel of them even if they take forever to dry and are sometimes scratchy. MP Magic Towels are nothing like that! They are nearly as bulky as my own, bigger in size, but lighter, weighing only about 18 ounces. The waffle weave and the highest quality Egyptian cotton make them an incredibly light, soft, and absorbent water-magnet. Only Giza 86, the top 10% of the finest Egyptian hand-picked, long-staple cotton is used to make these MP Magic Towels. The quality shows. These towels are beautiful!

I was swimming when the MP Magic Towel arrived, so I put it to good use immediately. I couldn’t believe how soft and absorbent it was. The next morning it was dry and smelled nice when I used it after my shower. And the morning after as well.

Then it was time for the real test – I threw it in the laundry. I probably should have read the washing instructions, but I feel that if a garment is sensitive or picky about a normal wash and dry, I don’t want it. Since then, I’ve washed and dried the MP Magic Towel several more times with no apparent change in shape, color, or condition. It looks and feels as soft and absorbent as the day I got it.

Well, you’ve read all the Pros above. Here are the cons.

MP Magic towels:
• Only come in grey.
• Can’t be hung on a hook or nob without leaving an “ugly bump” impression in the towel.
• Cost $27-$37 each depending upon how many purchased.
• Are part of a crowdsourced Kickstarter campaign. (Since all previous Kickstarter campaigns for the company were successful, this could also be a Pro.)

And while it is not their fault, shipping times from Asia fluctuate widely during this pandemic. So, even though they promise “fast delivery”, order these sooner rather than later to insure they will be here by the Holidays.
That being said, when you are really looking for top-quality Egyptian cotton towels, look to MP Magic Towels to transform your bath into a luxury spa experience.

DISCLAIMER: The author sometimes receives products and/or services at no cost for review, with the understanding that he will mention things he does not like about the products as well as the things he does like. Every effort is made to present an unbiased, objective, and fair assessment of their capabilities and value. He does not get paid or receive any revenue from manufacturers or retailers of products reviewed, nor is he paid for this review.
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When I agreed to review another pair of socks here for Travelingboy, I did not know they were from the same people who produced the socks for my last review. Not that it would have stopped me, but they’d have to be different to warrant another attempt. Well, I was surprised but not disappointed by my new MP Magic Socks.

First, these were described as their new merino wool sock that that would be great for hiking but would do double duty as a suitable-for-the-office sock.  One of my most comfortable pairs of socks is Wigwam’s Merino wool blend, so I was definitely interested in trying these “new” socks.  Then I was assured that the size was L-XL, so I knew they’d fit my feet in my size 45 Ecco boots which I wear every day. I decided they were worth a look and I’m glad I did.

I have long complained that sock designers ignore the fact that feet are different shapes. What fits on my left foot, with its big toe on the right, doesn’t always fit on my right foot with the big toe on the opposite side. Yet manufacturers always make the sock toe the same shape, ignoring the differences in anatomy.

Finally, the folks at Magic Socks got it right. My socks came labeled “L” for the left foot and “R” for the right foot, and they fit the designated foot! Why hasn’t anyone done that sooner? No more stretching a “lefty” into a “righty” – thank you! And they are odorless and antibacterial, too.

L & R socks may sound like a minor thing, but this is especially useful when the socks are designed to be worn more than once between washing.  Yes, much to my surprise, this heavier gauged hiking sock is another five day sock. But I was not surprised it worked as well as the last pair I tested! I wore these socks a full five days. Two of the days, after working outside stacking firewood and raking leaves, they were damp with sweat when I removed them. Each time I thought I could not possibly wear them in the morning, and each time they were dry, pliant, and odor-free when I dressed the next day. After five days they looked as if they had been worn once, and smelled that way too.

My new Magic Socks also have special ribbing for cushioning, and separate, more open weaving to make them more breathable. They are still only in black and grey, but the other two of my three “cons” in my original review – too thin a material and too small a size – have been addressed. They listened to me! I hope you do too. Just give these socks a try. I think you’ll like them.

MP Magic 37.5 Tech Merino Wool Socks: Stay Warm & Dry

DISCLAIMER: While Richard Frisbie sometimes receives products and/or services at no cost for review, every effort is made to present an unbiased, objective and fair assessment of their capabilities and value. He does not get paid or receive any revenue from manufacturers or retailers of products reviewed, nor is he paid for this review.

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I’m not a geeky guy. I don’t use much electronic gear, just the basics: camera, smartphone, e-reader and laptop. So I was surprised when I received two headsets in the mail for review. At first I thought “Two? What do I need them for? Do I have two heads?” Then I wondered why anyone thought I needed headsets at all. I’ve never owned a pair before, but learned a lot about them in the weeks I’ve had them. Now I can’t imagine not owning at least one, even though I still feel like a nerd wearing it.

The fact that they are wireless is cool. Both Mixcder E7 & Mixcder E10 connect to my phone via Bluetooth. They played audio files and music easily. I switched back and forth comparing their usability, function, comfort, etc., but there is an included cable to hard wire them if the battery is low. There is also a charging cable and instruction booklet. To complete the package, the Mixcder E10 even has an airplane adapter. Both sport a protective travel case.

Pros:

• Both E7 & E10 are stylish and comfortable to wear – after many hours in them my ears still felt great.
• Both seem well-made, fold flat, and come with a handy carrying case.
• Both played music with stereo hi-fi clarity, with the E10 slightly better. I heard new things in songs I thought I knew well.
• Both have on/off buttons, noise cancelling buttons, volume control/track-changing buttons, power & recharge outlets, and indicator lights on the headset.
• Both are adjustable to fit most head sizes.
• Both cancel out low frequency noise very well.
• Both have microphones that allowed me to easily talk on the phone.
• Both can be hard wired to play music when the battery is low.
• Both charge quickly and last at least all day, but the E10 at 1.5 hour initial charge (1 hour thereafter) charges about 1/3 faster than the E7.
• Only the E7 has large function buttons and splits them between ear pieces.
• Only the E10 has an airplane adapter that when hardwired makes them easy to use on inflight entertainment. (I can’t wait to use that feature!)
• Only the E10 labels the earpieces left & right.
• Only the E10 has the new 2x faster Bluetooth 5.0 which has 8x the bandwidth for lower power usage and better, more stable sound transmission.

Cons:

• Both E7 & E10 volume controls are piggybacked on the next & last track buttons making each difficult to use. That is, until I figured out that a quick press was volume changing, and a long press was track changing. But, because the buttons have the same shape and feel, I have to remember which is which. Triangular buttons facing away from each other would eliminate the guesswork.
• Both barely muted the higher frequency sounds. Again, the E10 was slightly better at it.
• Both mics don’t work when used hardwired – they work only on Bluetooth.
• Side-by-side, the E7 is visually the clunkier, older model – not as sleek as E10 – but still pretty on its own.
• The E10 has smaller function buttons all located on the right earpiece, meaning sometimes I clicked two at once. It would definitely be better to be right-handed and small fingered for this one.
• The E7 uses the older Bluetooth 4.2, which is slower and less likely to insure that the sound is synchronized with a visual performance.

Anecdotal:

On two recent and very noisy train trips I got to compare both the E7 & E10 Mixcder headsets. I imagined my fellow passengers thought I was too fussy when I kept changing them out, but as the noises changed between stops and announcements, I got to evaluate their performance. I could hear train announcements, but they were muted. Ditto loud fellow passengers, but I could block the low background roar from the train just by clicking the ANC switch. It felt comfortingly like putting my pillow over my heard in the morning to mute my radio alarm clock. When I played music through them the background noise was further muted, making for a relaxing two hour train ride. Now I’m looking for a vibration canceling device to nullify the experience of riding in a train altogether! (Can you hear me Mixcder folks?) At home I’ll have to get a Bluetooth adapter for my laptop and TV to really make the best use of Mixcder headsets.

Final Evaluation:

At around $60 the E7 is a reasonably functional alternative. But the E10, with faster and more stable Bluetooth connectivity, faster charging, modestly better sound quality and noise cancellation, along with its slimmer design, make it the clear winner. For about $90 it’s a steal! I don’t know how I ever lived without one.

Special offers:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZHB8FSM?ref=myi_title_dp

Type code: MIXCDER10 10% off discount

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VSM81KS?ref=myi_title_dp

Type code: MIXCDERE7 10% off discount

DISCLAIMER: These are some of the products Richard Frisbie receives at no cost for review. Nevertheless, every effort was made to present an unbiased, objective and fair assessment of the capabilities and value.  Richard does not receive any revenue from manufacturers or a retailer of products reviewed, nor is he paid for this review.

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Zendure A3 Portable Charger, the #1 rated power bank three years in a row, is one of the most durable and stylish external batteries available. It’s also one of the smallest and lightest power banks with 10000mAh capacity and charge-through capability. It automatically turns on, detects a compatible device and determines the best charging power to deliver at maximum speed (up to 2.1A). Then, it automatically stops charging when it is done. In addition, it’s rated to hold 95% of its charge for six months when unplugged.

PROS:

• The Zendure A3 Portable Charger is the TECH Advisor Winner 2014-2017.
• The A3 is one of the most compact and lightweight external batteries for its capacity.
• It’s about the size of a deck of cards, and stylish with a solid weight and feel.
• The A3 can charge two devices at once, even while charging itself.
• Unused, it will hold its charge for more than six months.

CONS:

• Zendure A3 Portable Charger does not include an Apple Lightning Cable.
• It took 2 hrs to recharge my smartphone, but I only got three and a half charges with a fully charged, four “dot” A3.
• It took six hours to recharge my A3 on an outlet, but I got only a half charge in that time through my computer.
• It will charge my phone, kindle, tablet and camera, but I think my laptop is too much to ask of it.

Anecdotal:  I was using an app on my phone as a GPS to navigate around New York City when my phone battery died. About an hour later, my cheap “lipstick” portable charger ran out of juice before a full recharge, and my phone died a second time. Lost downtown, I missed my connection. I swore I’d never get stuck like that again. The Zendure A3 Portable Charger would have gotten me safely to my destination and let me make calls, too. Then, during recent storm-related power failures the Zendure A3 kept my phone charged and working during the emergency. Now I don’t feel safe without it.

Final Evaluation: The Zendure A3 Portable Charger is small enough to fit in your pocket and charge your cell phone on the go. It’s more reliable then cheap “lipstick” chargers, and has more power that “holds” longer. At $37.95, the A3 is towards the high end in price comparisons, but has some of the features of more expensive chargers, and a visible (car driving over it video) durability. And it can charge two devices at once. Use it for any handheld device that can be recharged with the (supplied) rugged, metallic-looking USB cable, but maybe not your laptop. Fortunately, its strength and compact size make it one of an arsenal of tools you’ll want on hand to keep your hand-held electronics running in any emergency, and especially when traveling.

Zendure A3 Portable Charger on Amazon

DISCLAIMER: This Zendure A3 was one of the products Richard Frisbie sometimes receives at no cost for review. Nevertheless, every effort was made to present an unbiased, objective and fair assessment of the capabilities and value.  Richard does not receive any revenue from manufacturers or a retailer of products reviewed, nor is he paid for this review.

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PROS:

• MP Magic socks are attractive-looking, light-weight business, or dress socks, in conservative colors.
• The large size MP Magic Sock was big enough to comfortably fit my size 11.5 feet.
• The socks did not smell at all funky after three days, and at day five still smelled better than my normal socks after one day.
• After several washings they still looked as crisp as new.
• With airline’s smaller overhead storage and extra baggage fees, being able to eliminate a week’s worth of fresh socks while packing a carryon bag will free up valuable space for other necessities.

CONS:

• The material in MP Magic Socks is too thin for me to comfortably wear in my everyday athletic (hiking) shoes.
• After several washings they had to stretch a bit to fit my feet.
• The rather drab colors are not what I normally wear.

Final Evaluation: I would prefer MP Magic Socks to be thicker, to act more as a cushion for my feet because I am on them all day. That said, these socks are promoted as five day socks, meaning they don’t have to be washed between five separate wearings. Putting aside the eww! factor, that really is true. And while no one suggests regularly wearing socks for five days without washing, sometimes you have an emergency when all you have are the clothes on your back. (I’m thinking lost luggage, or an unexpected overnight.) With these socks at least your feet will be comfortable and odor-free until (and even after) you can get replacements. For someone with serious foot odor, being able to take shoes off in public is no longer a worry. From a business traveler’s perspective, even in non-emergency use these socks are easily packed. Wearing one pair and packing another would free up valuable suitcase space while leaving you confident that they’ll continue to look and smell great.

View the MP Magic Socks product page here

DISCLAIMER: While Richard Frisbie sometimes receives products and/or services at no cost for review, every effort is made to present an unbiased, objective and fair assessment of their capabilities and value. He does not get paid or receive any revenue from manufacturers or retailers of products reviewed, nor is he paid for this review. Was this review helpful? Please rate it in the comment section below.

The post MP Magic Socks – The World’s Best Socks appeared first on Traveling Archive.

This book is the result of the luxury of a salary, an editor’s carte blanche directive to “cover the state”, and a company automobile with a credit card! Sam McManis put that good fortune to good use, and the result is a thoroughly readable collection of craziness.

To paraphrase Frank Lloyd Wright: If you tip the world on its side all the loose things will end up in California. Sam McManis seeks out the “loose things” in the deserts and hills and streets of California, and explores them with a facile intelligence and general good humor. I liked this book!

OK, some things annoyed me: References to Frank Norris, shiny ink, the conceit of writing the LA noir piece in a noir voice, and a few points of even lesser consequence. Who cares? This is not a book to be read in one sitting, as I did. It was written to be read weekly – each 1200-1500 word epistle savored like the memory of your first kiss, or lingered over like your first glass of wine in the evening. They are that good.

Some entries will give you a Jack Webb “Just the facts, ma’am” take on a subject, while others will draw on a richly filigreed history to tell the tale. Some are couched in whimsy while others are more ironic. And through them all runs a thread of nostalgia, sometimes so thick as to be a rope, connecting the lurid, tawdry, brilliant, sublime, and fading memories of the past.

From Ronald Reagan and the show “Twenty Mule Team Borax”, to the tacky “Hollywood Stars” celebrity tour; and from an unrepentant fact-checking of Scientology, to a man’s 40 year obsession with building an underground garden.  It’s all here – every “shit-house crazy” idea, brilliant composition, and lofty dream are chronicled in the wry voice of a skilled observer who drops pop culture references like beads of sweat in a hot California summer.

From the irreverence of his comments about a visit to “PSYCHIATRY An Industry of Death Museum”, McManis first said that the title was “poorly punctuated”, then went on to add: “A museum dedicated to maligning, possibly slandering, an entire healing profession? Count me in.”

He also knows how to turn a phrase. Referencing the Mechanic’s Institute Library, one of the most venerable of San Francisco’s cultural centers, he says “(its) a solid and stolid presence in a city that purports to cherish its history but too often dismisses it as blithely as a techie’s finger swipe on a smartphone.”

I especially liked the selections on food. One piece was a paean to Pan Am Airlines’ Golden Age. In March of 2015 Sam McManis had the incredible good fortune to partake of a typical meal in First Class in a refurbished and perfectly recreated 1970s era 747 airplane, replete with all the Mad-men-esque accoutrements and politically incorrect language. Champagne, shrimp, chateaubriand, and brandy; period uniforms, including hairdos, even the music and the in-flight magazines stuck to the theme of the last elegant era of flight. It read like an incredibly nostalgic and delicious experience.

The book is littered with frequent references and quotes by authors and famous people. It is a reminder of how many literary greats and not so greats wrote screenplays for the film studios at some point in their careers, and how many famous people lived in California. It’s a veritable who’s-who of notable people of the 20^th century: Mark Twain, Nathaniel West, Gertrude Stein, Jack London, William Saroyan, L. Ron Hubbard, Hopalong Cassidy, Charlton Heston, Orson Welles, Charlie Chaplin, Arnold Schwarzenegger . . . whew! It’s an already seemingly endless list, and I’m just getting started!

All of them and more are found between the covers of Sam McManis’ “On the Road” tour of the “Golden State”. You’ll need to read this book to see how these legendary people and so many others fit into the history of wonderful craziness that is our left coast – California.

“Crossing California – A Cultural Topography of a State of Wonder and Weirdness” by Sam McManis.
Published by Craven Street Books, an imprint of Linden Publishing, Inc.
6” x 9”  295 pages with index and b&w photos Paperback $14.95

DISCLAIMER: While Richard Frisbie sometimes receives products and/or services for review, every effort is made to present an unbiased, objective and fair assessment of their capabilities and value.  Please rate this review in the comment section below.

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Author and Canadian Travel writer, Dave Hunter, along with his wife, Kathy, is a snowbird, leaving Canada to winter in sunny Florida each year. These annual trips made the need for such a guidebook obvious. Using their talent and expertise, they compiled this informative bible of Florida roadways. You will not find a more comprehensive guide to the state.

At first the book is daunting. It begins with several pages of “how to use this book” practical information in an attempt to demystify the complex contents. Don’t think you can just open this book and figure out what is going on, do your homework! A few minutes studying the instructions will help to bring the book into focus. Then, slowly at first, as you use it you’ll see how cross-referencing the different sections makes sense.

Visual aids abound throughout the book. The pages in each section are color-coded, with different roads having different colors, as does the city map section and the resources section.  The 100 page “white section” contains “mile-by-mile travelogs of roadside adventures, stories, special reports and sights”, with side-bars of info, small maps, illustrations and plenty of interesting historical and geographical tidbits to keep the conversation flowing on your drive.

Did you know that Kissimmee, which means heaven’s place in the local Indian language, was once called “Cow Town”? Or that Orlando was named after a soldier killed during an Indian attack? Those are tiny asides in the voluminous wealth of information you’ll pick up in the white pages. There are also personal accounts and assessments of the services and attractions at each exit, with refreshing observations about the people you’ll meet there. In addition, the top of each page tells you the highway it covers and the page number(s) of the corresponding map.

Then, when you flip to the map there is a discussion of highway congestion and alternate routes around it. This information should eliminate the frustration and aggravation that long-distance driving on unfamiliar roads can engender. I loved the maps! They illustrate the main waterways, rest areas, attractions, and list the gas, food, and lodging options at each exit. There are even warnings about where radar traps are usually set up.

In addition, this book serves as an evacuation guide in case of natural catastrophe, such as a hurricane. It even tells you which side of the road services are located on, and offers parallel routes in case of congestion. It contains all the information you hope to never need!

My only critique, besides the fact that my eyes crossed when I first looked at this imposing and complex compendium, was the interchangeable use of spellings, such as “travelog” and “travelogue”, or “toll route”, “tollroute”, and “toll-route”, which only a pedant would obsess over. As soon as I learned the logic of the, at first, formidable layout, I overlooked the spellings and became comfortable with the process of diving into the depths of this marvelous reference book. I can’t wait to go to Florida and use it!

Along Florida’s Expressways 4^th edition by Dave Hunter – $24.95 US, $29.95 Canada. 202 pages, spiral bound, color, 6”x9” with a laminated, fold-over cover opening up to a full color Florida Road map showing the highways included. Go to www.FLonline.info for more information.

DISCLAIMER: While Richard Frisbie sometimes receives products and/or services for review, every effort is made to present an unbiased, objective and fair assessment of their capabilities and value. Please rate this review in the comment section below.

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The Zendure Passport is the world’s first global travel adapter with an auto resetting fuse. The Passport is approximately a 2.5 inch cube with four “press and slide” buttons that pop-up individual plugs able to connect to power outlets in more than 150 countries. It also accepts any compatible international plug, and offers four USB ports to either power or charge your devices. It comes with a handy black cloth carrying bag.

Pros

• One Zendure Passport gives you more USB ports (4) than any other travel adapter.
• It seems well-made after repeated usage.
• The compact, one piece size is easy to pack and insures you’ll never lose individual plugs.
• Passport’s first ever auto-resetting fuse allows it to easily recover from power overloads within a few minutes, without having the expense and inconvenience of having to replace the fuse or the entire adapter.
• It is truly international, offering the same configuration of outlets as it does plugs.

Cons:

• It’s about the size of a baseball and weighs 5.6 oz. As luggage shrinks to fit in tinier overhead bins and under increasingly smaller seats, size and weight become more of a factor.
• You can only plug one device at a time into the power outlet, and it can’t be grounded, only two-pronged.
• No USB-C port for speedier charging of the latest generation phones/tablets.
• It is an adapter, not a power converter.
• At $50, it’s pricey, clocking in at up to 2.5x the cost of similar products.

Final Evaluation: The Zendure Passport is a sleekly designed and quite usable tool for travel professionals and frequent international travelers. While the price seems high, the resetting fuse feature won’t leave you scrambling for a new fuse or adapter on the road, saving considerable expense and aggravation.  The Passport can charge and/or power up to five devices at one time using one outlet, without having any removable pieces to lose. If it could be redesigned to accept a USA grounded, three-pronged plug, it would be perfect.

ZENDURE PASSPORT POWER ADAPTER

DISCLAIMER: While Richard Frisbie sometimes receives products and/or services for review, every effort is made to present an unbiased, objective and fair assessment of their capabilities and value. Please rate this review in the comment section below.

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