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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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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The post Zendure A3 Portable Charger 10000mAh Ultra-Durable for iPhone, iPad, Android and More appeared first on Traveling Archive.

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.

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.

The post Along Florida’s Expressways 4th Edition by Dave Hunter appeared first on Traveling Archive.

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.

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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