Tom Bihn Synapse coming soon - we hope...

Hello! Yes, we're still here!

I have been following the progress of Tom Bihn's backpack design (the Synapse) for quite some while now. It seems to be their longest design-time project ever, and one hopes that means it will be an absolute stunner which reinvents the backpack and challenges normal backpack design.

That's the thing I really appreciate about Tom Bihn - he's an original thinker. A real designer.

Looking forward to seeing the release of the Synapse!

travelling light: travel gadget secret

For travelling light, its really important to plan well and shop well. However, that doesn't mean walking into every travel store or every travel department of each store and buying all the latest travel gadgets.

I'm going to let you in on a big secret.

Listen very carefully...

You don't need most of that stuff.

I have my favourite little travel gadgets to take with me. I have slowly accumulated them over time, and they have become part my tried and tested travel kit. But, I can walk into most travel goods places these days and walk out again without purchasing anything.

Sure, the camera attachments that let you use a bottle as your camera stand for taking a photo are pretty nifty. But you know what? I don't actually need one.

Those chemical handwarmers which are like little plastic pillows filled with gel look rather clever, but I don't need them for travelling either.

I love looking at outdoor and adventure store catalogues. They're quite fun. I enjoy looking at the weights of all the products and seeing how heavy they are. I enjoy looking at all the latest must-have gadgets and then... turning the page.

Once in a while I'll come across a new product that actually looks like it might work for me. Then I'll weigh it up against what I've already got, I'll consider its multi-functionality, I'll consider its weight and size. If its an item of clothing I'd want to see how easily crushable it is, whether its quick dry, and whether it goes with my existing travel wardrobe. If it is no better, or not appreciably better than what I already have, then I won't buy it.

Life isn't about how much stuff we can accumulate. I think one of the most paradoxical things about travelling light is that it takes most people a lot of effort, and a lot of products (to work your way through and then discard as not being good enough or light enough or whatever enough) to get to the point where you can travel really light. It also usually costs a lot of money.

For some, the act of travelling light becomes just another exercise in consumerism. You CAN go lighter! You DO NEED to spend another huge wad of cash on the LATEST thing. You DO NEED the smallest/lightest/coolest/niftiest doodad, because if you DON'T your trip won't be any good!

UTTER RUBBISH.

That said, I do espouse the principles of travelling light. But I need to remind myself that I do not constantly need more stuff.

Space: the final frontier

No, not those ultra-expensive trips being offered by the Russian Space Agency to the super-rich, but a two-day (one night) trip to the central western NSW town of Bathurst next week. It would have been a longer stay, but we have another commitment on the weekend that can’t be missed. We’re staying the night on a farmstay, so there will probably be a later blog post about that – especially the reaction of the kids when they actually get there. At the moment they’re really looking forward to it. But, given their usual response to live animals the farm experience might well be a disaster…!

Anyway, we got a call today from Yvette’s dad. He’s seen a telescope for sale at a garage sale, and he’s going to make an offer on it for us (it is unpriced at the moment). I love space, and the idea of owning a telescope is one that I’ve had since I was quite young, though I’ve always put it of as a bit of an indulgence. To be honest, I think many of them simply become unloved white elephants. However, if we successfully acquire this telescope we shall use it with gusto.

Yvette suggested taking it with us to Bathurst. I can’t think why that sounded so remarkable – what a great suggestion! A telescope is an ideal holiday instrument to have with kids around. Despite the fact that we know so much, the mystique of space has still a powerful hold over human imaginations. On a clear night, with very dark country night skies, it is an interesting way to pass the time with your kids – thoughtful as well as relaxing (if a teensy bit cold…). So if we get it, it will make the trip with us to Bathurst because the sky will be much clearer (weather permitting) than the light-polluted skies of Sydney. I shall have to see if we can find something really special like Jupiter or Saturn: but even the moon is fascinating with a closer view.

One of The Bookworm’s abiding interests is planets and space. When she was in kindergarten she (with some help) constructed a model of the solar system out of painted polystyrene balls and we suspended it from an old curtain rod slung across her room. So, as part of an earlier holiday to western NSW, we did a number of “space” themed activities. We visited the Anglo-Australian Observatory at Siding Spring, Coonabarabran, and the Radio Telescope dishes at Narrabri. And we did the drives out of Coonabarabran following the World’s Largest Virtual Solar System Drive(see tomorrow's post for details).

So I’m hoping we’ve acquired a telescope rather cheaply, and am looking forward to spending part of one night next week gazing up at the splendour of the Milky Way – weather permitting, of course. And I know the kids will be fighting each other for a turn at looking through it. We miss out on so much of the night sky in the city that it is a real treat to see it in full darkness.

Quick travel tip - keeping your bag shut

Today we went to the Sydney Royal Easter Show. It was a lot of fun, but it reminded me of a travel tip that I'd like to share. When in crowds its always good to keep your bag shut in such a way that others can't help themselves if they so desire. Crowds seem to me to be just the sorts of places light-fingered people might like to acquire new possessions by unscrupulous means...

The backpack that I usually carry on such occasions has a zip with no cover over it, so the zipper pulls are on show for all to see. To discourage likely thieves, we put old split rings (ours are actually curtain rings) on the zipper pulls. Its not going to STOP anyone, but it is likely to slow them down. It does make life a little harder for someone wanting to help themselves, and sometimes that can make all the difference.

It does also slow you down when you try to open your own bag, but that's a small price to pay. You can either slip the ring off one of the zipper pulls, or pull the zipper apart between the pulls so that it sort of bulges open enough to get in to get what you want.

Its cheap, light and easy, and looks much less like overkill than putting a lock on your bag for such a day!

Our kids also used their bottle bags today - lovely to offload their water bottles and the weight they entail to them, rather than us having to carry them! Towards the end of the day The Bookworm said to me "I'd forgotten I was even wearing my bottle bag." Ah, the usefulness of good (though admittedly not very attractive) design!

Another travel cot option: the PeaPod by KidCo

I just learnt about a new travel cot option today: The PeaPod. I've not seen one of these in person because they aren't available here in Australia, but they look like an excellent idea.

They are a tent-style fold out cot, which is completely zip-up-able, so can keep out the little biting insects. They come with either a pump/blow up air mattress (and its pump), or a self inflating mattress, depending on the model you choose. I'd probably go with the self inflating one - it looks a little more sturdy. A cot-size fitted sheet would probably fit perfectly, and teamed with a cot sheet and blanket (if needed) your kid will be ready for some ZZZZs!

The PeaPod P102 model (which is the one that I think looks the best) weighs only 4.5lb/2kg, which is an excellent, light weight. The models with more features such as a sleeping bag are a bit heavier. They easily pack up into a disc shape, and have their own carry bag for storage and carrying. From the video sequences on the website, it looks like it is VERY quick and easy to both put up and down - definitely one for the dummies or even just the tired parents who have grumpy kids that need a sleep NOW!!

Open dimensions:
47"L x 30"W x 19"H / 121.92cm x 76.2cm x 45.72cm
Storage bag dimensions:
14"L x 5"W x 14"H / 35.56cm x 12.7cm x 35.56cm

Going by the length of the opened out cot, you could easily fit a child who is up to 2-3 years of age in there (as long as they are not exceptionally tall!) with room for them to move.

The side (door) zips down, so provides easy access for you to get to your crying baby, or for tucking your kid in, or for the older child to get out to go to the toilet by themself.

All the sides have mesh "windows" for good cross flow of air, but if you needed to close it up a bit (so the child can't see out so well and be distracted by the rest of the world) you could easily throw a sheet over it to block the view a bit. The fabric is also apparently good for UV protection - not sure if that is just the main fabric or the window mesh as well.

From the type of construction that it is, I cannot imagine that you would have any trouble getting this onto a plane as part of your carry-on luggage. (Of course I can't guarantee that - because who knows whether the powers-that-be would agree with me!) But to me it seems like there is nothing in its construction (such as chunky metal poles) that could be construed as a weapon, so you should be able to take it in cabin with you, if you are travelling the one-bag way with cabin luggage only. However, I don't recommend you try to use it during the flight itself...!



There are a few different models at different price points, so you can choose what suits your needs and budget.

All in all, this looks like a really good product, which would be perfect for road or plane trips. Just whip it out, put it up indoors or out, and its kiddie sleep time. Sweet dreams!

Kids and cameras

When The Bookworm was six (almost seven) we got her a cheap digital camera and memory card for Christmas. This was in preparation for our last overseas trip - thinking that it would be nice for her to be involved in recording what she saw, from her perspective.

On our return from the trip, as I was sorting through the photos, it turns out that she'd taken about 900 photos in all - in just three weeks. We were amazed! Now, she's no brilliant photographer, and she definitely improved as the holiday progressed, but from time to time she took some amazing photographs. 

What also impressed us were the subjects of some of her pictures. She frequently took photos of things that we adults would never have thought of taking - goldfish in the ponds at the Real Alcazar, the tile patterns on the Alhambra walls, the chandeliers at Versailles - and it really demonstrated the point of view of children. They have not been taught "how to see" or "what to see" or "what to photograph". So they just take photos of things that are of interest to them. Sure, the composition isn't always fabulous, but sometimes the photos are really striking anyway.

She took a photo - accidentally, I think - of the white gravel approaches to the gates at Versailles. The top 10% of the photo is the Chateau and approaching tourists crammed in at an odd angle, and the rest of the picture is the gravel. But it is an amazing picture to look at because the perspective makes it look as if the Chateau is warped in shape.

She took a photo looking down from the Tower of Belem, Lisbon, at the pavement and people below. She set the angle diagonally across the picture and thereby created a very strong image using the white pavement edging as a dominant visual element. This photo is so good that it has been entered in the Photography competition at the upcoming Sydney Royal Easter Show. We're looking forward to seeing how she goes - even just being selected for exhibition would be great.

We wondered if she would be too young to manage looking after a camera - after all, kids don't always look after their belongings particularly vigilantly - but we thought it would be a good way to teach her to be responsible for something valuable (though not too valuable, in case she did lose or break it...). But we gave her lessons in how to hold it securely so you don't accidentally drop it, and showed her how to keep it stowed under her clothing when not using it to make it more inconspicuous. Naturally, we also showed her how to use the basic functions as well. 

And she succeeded admirably! Since coming home, she hasn't really used it - so I don't think she's yet hooked on photography (that's OK, she doesn't have to be) - but she does have the skills to use it confidently should she ever want to.

Favourite travel items: CD Audio books for car travel

A couple of years ago we did a week-long trip to the central west of New South Wales which involved long stretches of driving between Sydney, Narrabri, Coonabarabran and Dubbo. To entertain the kids (and ourselves!) we purchased the CD Audio book set of most of the stories by Roald Dahl: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, Danny the Champion of the World, The Witches etc.

What a great investment they were! They helped pass the time really well, and the narrations were fantastic, including many different voices for the characters.

If you can get hold of decent audio book CDs then I would thoroughly recommend them for long car trips.

Favourite travel items (not!): money belts

Money belts are a practical, possibly essential item when travelling. Yvette and I took different varieties of money belts on our most recent trip.

I had one of those that hang from your neck and tuck underneath your clothing. I chose this variety because I was doing all of the driving and did not want the discomfort of having a money belt wrapped around my waist all the time. The one I chose was spacious enough for 2 passports, tickets (e.g. train tickets), cash and a few other bits and pieces without being too bulky.

Yvette had a waist money belt, and she was able to fit much the same sorts of contents in it. We each had our own passport plus one of the kids' ones so that if something happened to one money belt we didn't lose all four at once!

Problems emerged within days of setting out. The cord on my money pouch had a toggle thingy with a small spring inside it so that the length of the cord could be adjusted. The spring snagged on the cord and almost shredded it completely through - before we'd even reached a destination. We had to take the toggle off and tied a knot in the cord at the required length to make do.

Yvette's developed a hole, caused by wear from the corners of the passports within a week of use. Luckily she can sew - because no matter how much she kept closing up the hole the passports would soon open a new one. Money fell out at one stage - luckily we probably only lost a few euro coins, but it was annoying all the same. The passports seemed to be putting too much pressure on the fabric seams and they kept separating.

While in Spain we encountered very hot weather. Yvette found that her money belt became irritating against her skin, making her itchy and sweaty. It was heavenly relief to take it off when we got back to our room! My money pouch wasn't so bad in terms of irritating skin, but it is more annoying to access when you need to, and it does hang like a lump around your neck. If you let it hang loose under your top layer it tended to swing back and forth, so I found that I had to tuck it into the waistband of my pants to keep it still.

Personally, both the money belt and the money pouch needed a better design. They are safer than having a more easily accessible wallet or handbag, and they are designed to carry slightly larger items like passports, but they were not a huge success. We will be investigating alternatives for the next trip.

5 top items for travelling kids

These are our top 5 suggestions for what to take for your travelling kids. Some are for fun, some are for comfort, some are for safety.

1. A hat. Protect your kid's precious skin from the sun by taking a hat for them to wear. This doesn't just apply to sunny places, as UV rays can make it through clouds.


2. Sunscreen. Hats don't cover everything, so use sunscreen also.


3. A special (small) toy. Travelling can be unsettling for kids. They don't have their usual routine, they don't have their usual surroundings, and sometimes apart from their family, they don't even have their usual language. By taking a small special toy, the child will be able to take with them something that is special and familiar. (You'll need to keep a good watch on it though, because it would be disastrous to lose their favourite toy.)


4. A small bag for them to carry at least some of their own stuff. Even small kids can have a light backpack with a piece of warm clothing, a snack or a small drink. Kids love to be helpers, so why not encourage them to help with carrying a few small things. As they get older, they can carry a bit more. We're not trying to make them packhorses, just to share a little of the load. NB: This is for day tripping, not as their actual luggage.


5. A surprise pack for the journey. This is a parcel of things that the parents put together as a surprise for the child. It could include a couple of reading or picture books that you'll know that they love, a sticker book, a colouring book, some coloured pencils, a small quiet game etc. The idea is to present it to your child at the beginning of the journey (plane, car, train etc) so that they can keep themselves occupied with new and exciting things as you travel. It does not need to be expensive to put together - you can pick up a lot of these sorts of things at discount shops. It could be parcelled up in a special cloth bag, or even just a paper bag with their name written on it in large happy letters!

If the kids are happy, it means that you can all be enjoying travel with kids!

favourite travel items: collapsible bottles

On our last trip we took with us two collapsible water bottles. The ones we took were 1 litre Flexi-Bottles from Kathmandu (shown right), because that's our local outdoor gear shop. For people not in Australia, you'll probably find Platypus brand much easier to find.

We LOVED these bottles. Why? Oh, I'm so glad you asked!

• they collapse and roll up really small when empty
• they can be partially collapsed as the water is drunk, taking up less space in your pack
• they weigh only 27g/1oz (Kathmandu ones)
• they can be filled even with boiling water
• even though they flatten when empty, the gusseted base means they can stand up when full
• ours had a sports pop-top you can drink straight out of
• they're made of strong, durable plastic.

How did we use them?
We used them to carry extra water around with us each day, as a backup for when our individual water bottles were empty. Because they're strong, we could just put them in the backpack with all our other stuff. We also left them in the car if we knew we'd be coming back to it through the day.

We boiled water each night and poured it straight in to let it cool down. On a previous trip, we didn't take bottles that we could pour boiling water into, which meant that we had to pour it into our bowls and let it cool down like that. Pouring it straight into the bottles meant that we didn't have to worry about it spilling (especially as it could easily scald). We could leave the bottles out overnight to cool, or if we had a fridge, we could put them in there so that we had chilled water.

The water tasted fine, and didn't have a plasticy flavour at all. We had no problem with leaks, and I've even heard of people filling them up with hot water, putting some fabric around them, and using them as makeshift hot water bottles to keep themselves warm! Not a bad idea!

I highly recommend collapsible water bottles (Platypus brand shown left) for travelling with kids. It just meant that we didn't have to worry about running out of water on our daily tripping about, and when we didn't need them, they could be rolled up so wonderfully small. We saved money because we didn't have to buy bottled water. There's nothing like saving money, worry and effort for enjoying travel with kids!

Of course, you don't have to only use them for travel - they can be used any time!

The joys of the Paris Pass

The time has come to sing the praises of that most wonderful of inventions, the Paris Pass. I know that many cities have similar passes, but it is the only one we've actually purchased. We looked into the Lisbon Pass, but quite frankly it is unnecessary. There are no queueing issues in any location in Lisbon - even the most popular sites.

But the Paris Pass is a different matter. We purchased the 4 day pass, which included 4 day public transport passes as well. We purchased 2 adult and 2 children's passes, though naturally the children's passes were much cheaper as they have free entry to all the museums. We got theirs for the transport pass.

Paris Pass is not cheap - initially. However, it provides you entry to dozens of places in and around Paris, and includes all of the most popular museums and places of interest EXCEPT the Eiffel Tower. Once you have visited a few of the sights you have made your money's worth back. If you are only going to visit one or two sights, you might not consider the Pass worthwhile, though there are 2-day passes as well. We used our Paris Pass to get into: the Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay, Versailles, the Musee du Moyen Age, the Sainte Chapelle, Musee de l'Orangerie, and took the free Seine River cruise that came included with the pass.

In terms of value for money, we definitely got our money's worth.

In terms of saving time, the Pass proved to be priceless.

Everywhere you visit in Paris has a queue. Some of them are long. Most of them are not popular with adults, and even less so with children. The longest we queued was about half an hour to go through the Palais de Justice security prior to entering the Sainte Chapelle. We could have queued for much longer. We simply walked in to the Musee d'Orsay, while the regular ticket line snaked out into the plaza in front of the museum. We got preferential entry into the Musee de l'Orangerie (where the queues were much shorter, but in the rain) - and they seem to limit the number of people in the gallery at any one time. And we didn't join any lines at the Louvre - again we simply walked in.

But the real benefit was seen at Versailles. The day we visited was very hot and sunny. Thousands of people visit Versailles. There is no limit to the number of people who can enter the Palace at any one time (unlike the Schonbrunn in Vienna, or the Alhambra in Granada). Our Paris Pass enabled us to join a very short queue - we were inside in about 10 minutes. The real ticket queue was tragically long. It wended its way up and down the forecourt and was at least 4 hours long. None of it was sheltered from the baking sun. I shudder to think what a waste of time that would have been, and what a ridiculous thing to do - either with or without children.

If only for that one experience, I would have still purchased the Paris Pass. We - all of us - had a fantastic time at Versailles. The Bookworm went nuts with her camera, photographing all the shiny, glittery things she could see (and there's a lot of that sort of thing!). Just to think... we could have spent all that time in a monotonous line with bored, whingey kids.

A word of caution about the transport tickets that come with the pass... Yvette was the custodian of the transport tickets in a pocket of her well designed travel pants. Unbeknownst to us - until it really mattered - the tiny magnetic pocket closures had demagnetised the tickets so they no longer worked at the Metro stations. We were stuck - several times - on railway platforms. And to prove that the Parisians are not as arrogant as their stereotype suggests, we got unsolicited instructions on how to get through the barricade without a functioning ticket from a very helpful woman. Owners of Scottevest with its myriad pockets, some with magnetic closures - beware - this applies to you too!

In short, the Paris Pass was one of the best investments we made for our holiday. We pre-purchased them via the internet from the comfort of our own home and they arrived not long afterwards in the mail. We simply took them with us, and they saved us both time and money wherever we went.

more on bottle bags

I have been corresponding with the nice people at Sea to Summit about bottle bags (see earlier post) that hang from your shoulder on a strap rather than clipping onto your (in many cases non-existent) belt. They were so very kind to point out to me that Nalgene has a range of bottle bags already in existence.

Never having seen them in any Australian store that stocks Nalgene products, I headed over to Amazon to check them out, and see if there were any reviews. There are 4 different Nalgene styles with straps that you can see on the Nalgene website.

A look on Amazon showed that of the four that I could see on the Nalgene website, only one, the Nalgene 32oz Bottle Carrier with Big Pocket, is listed. Of the two reviews, one said it was no good for jogging - well I wouldn't have expected that as it would bounce around terribly. And the other said that it was bulky and not easy to use.

They are a little more substantial than mine, which has good and bad points. I do particularly like how lightweight mine are, and kids do like to carry as little as possible generally! However, theirs are more likely to be able to take a beating! One thing I do notice about them is that the strap attaches to only one side. That seems to me like it would make the thing hang a little funny, with weight going to one side. One thing about my design was because the straps went to both sides, it hung evenly.

Then I found another bottle bag - not Nalgene brand: Mesh 22 oz. Water Bottle Holder And there were once again two reviews, one of which found it terrible for jogging (well, yeah!) and the other which loved it. This one looks like it has the straps going from the top of each side, which will make it hang more evenly. It looks as though it would be much lighter than the Nalgene one too (Amazon says 1 oz as compared to about 6 oz for the Nalgene carrier). The shoulder strap isn't padded, which is a minus.

Then, there was another one that looked pretty good too, the Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Water Bottle Shoulder Sling (27-Ounce Bottles). You're supposed to use it with a Klean Kanteen bottle (forgive me for never having heard of them...) but as one of the 31 reviewers for this product said, they'd been using other bottles in it quite successfully. Its a little heavier than the mesh one above (at 1.6 oz), and again doesn't have padding on the shoulder strap. The Amazon reviews are quite mixed, and actually a lot of people seemed to be reviewing the bottle, not the sling itself. Many found it very difficult to insert the prescribed bottle in the sling.

So, for all you people who don't have the skills to make your own, there are some shoulder bag style bottle bags already on the market. However, it seems they still may have a way to go before they are as good as we might hope.

Of the three reviewed above, my personal recommendation would be for the Mesh 22 oz. Water Bottle Holder.

kids travelling with a (small) friend

Particularly for small children, travelling to unknown places can be rather disconcerting and unsettling. Despite the fact that we espouse the idea of travelling light, we believe that favourite soft toys and blankies are really important.

If your child is going to be in new surroundings their best soft toy friend or blankie from home can be a real comfort. It provides familiarity when all around seems alien.

We have a few rules:

• the child may take only one “friend” and it must be small.
• the owner is responsible for that friend at all times.
• when leaving a plane, car, train, hotel or other accommodation, the child MUST be able to tell you where Bunny/Blankie/Dolly is at that moment, and preferably be able to SHOW you that it is in the luggage.
• if we are heading out on a day trip, Bunny must stay at the hotel, to look after the bags. Bags can get very lonely... If it is a long drive in a hire car, Bunny may come, but has to stay in the car.

So far Bunny (below, aged 3 - still slightly pink - now nearly 8, and no longer pink) has been to 11 countries apart from Australia and is still with us.

Our top ten reasons to travel with kids

'Sisters' Batalha, Portugal.

I think that we could probably say that our kids are our very favourite travel items! There are many reasons why we choose to travel with our kids rather than leaving them at home with carers. 

1. They are part of our family and we love to be with them.
2. We love to create shared memories to make our family strong.
3. They are cheaper to take when they are little, and in some places such as some hotels and museums, they are free!
4. They are such sponges for information, and what better way to learn about the world than by experiencing some of it?
5. While they may not remember everything they saw or did, all the experiences will add to their knowledge base and be something to build other information on.
6. They see the world differently to us, which can add to the richness of our experience.
7. In many parts of the world, kids are more highly valued than in our culture, adding to the richness their of experience.
8. Its always great to have your most special people with you when you experience amazing things.
9. They can get you through customs quicker - customs officials often like to get families through quickly.
10. Its great to be able to show your kids that the world is bigger than your own backyard - it broadens their horizons.

favourite travel items: bottle bags

We've been on hot summer holidays before where we need to drink a lot of water. It felt like the whole time we were being nagged by kids for a drink, and it also was a pain having to lug around about 4 bottles of water. This time we decided it would be different: the kids could carry their own drink bottles.

I decided to make a little bottle bag pouch for each of them that they could carry over their shoulders and across their bodies. That way, they could have a drink when they wanted to, and we would only have to carry our own water. I used the same quick dry fabric as I made them each a pair of pants from. That way, if the water spilled it would dry pretty quickly.

I made a fabric tube a little bigger than the size of the bottle, and put a bottom on it. I then added a thin shoulder strap made from some fabric tape. Bottle bags, Mark I.

On their first use, it became apparent that the strap was a terrible design. It was the right length, but because it was so thin, it cut into their necks and was terribly uncomfortable. Hmm, a redesign was needed - and quickly!

Not having much to work with in our hotel room in Paris, I decided to use a pair of the airline socks that we'd been given on the plane. I wrapped them around the strap, and with some string I'd brought with me, I tied them on sausage-like, to create a little padding on the strap. Bottle bags, Mark II.

Next day this was evaluated as being better, but the strap kept making its way out of the sock wrapping. Further redesign was needed...

I pulled out my extremely valuable needle (valuable because I had managed to get it through airport checks!). I undid the ties, and re-wrapped the socks lengthways along the strap. I then stitched along the length of the sock to make it into a long tube. This was Mark III (see photo). It worked well for the rest of the holiday, and the bags turned out to be some of the best things we took with us.

Next holidays, I will revise the design to make it less make-shift and more professional looking, while still having a well-padded shoulder strap.

We have since used the bottle bags for day trips to the art gallery, and even just up to the shops. Not just useful for holidays!

Wish list: For the sake of those who don't have sewing skills, if anyone knows of somewhere you can purchase these sort of bottle bags, please let us all know in the comments section! And if you manufacture them yourself, I'd be pleased to evaluate such a product. I *have* seen ones that clip onto belts, but most kids I know don't wear a belt to clip one onto. I think a shoulder bag style bottle bag is much more preferable for kids.

favourite travel items: Asus Eee PC netbook

Oh how we love our tiny netbook computer! We love it because:

• it weighs very little (especially compared to my usual laptop) - at 1.2kg it doesn't take up too much of our weight limit
  
• the physical size (with a 7 inch screen) means it doesn't take up loads of valuable bag space. 
• it can be put into a daypack and taken on excursions rather than being left in hotel rooms or cars.
  
• it even fits into hotel room safes
• it can be recharged quickly, and with different power strengths (240 volt, 220 volt, 110 volt) without a power adaptor, though you may need a different plug for the socket
  
• it has an SD card slot so we could download the photos taken each day onto it, thus keeping the camera card relatively empty
• you can take advantage of free wi-fi zones as you travel. Some airports (e.g. Hong Kong) have it, as do some parks, hotels, cafes etc. You can use this to check your email, search the web for directions, opening times for sights etc.
  
• you can write your travel diary straight into it without carrying a relatively heavy book
  
• you can download and store travel guides, phrase books and other useful information to access directly instead of lugging a whole heap of paper (and I adore my paper travel guides)
  
• it came with free gaming software for the kids - useful if stuck somewhere boring

More recent models have been released onto the market with larger memory and larger screens, and therefore larger keyboards (better for fingers and typing!), but one assumes they are also heavier. We are very happy with ours.

Travels with your kitchen scales

Travelling around the shops before you go, that is - don't take them on holidays with you!

In our quest to travel to France, Spain and Portugal with cabin luggage only (and 2 children in tow) we needed to plan ahead. The first rule is to know the weight limit set by your airline. These vary enormously, but are usually around 7 kilograms, which includes the weight of the bag itself.

To maximise our 7kg limit, we travelled around to various stores with our kitchen scales in hand, and we weighed EVERYTHING. We set up a spreadsheet listing the 4 bags, their contents, and the individual weight of every item in every bag to ensure we complied (yes, it's a bit obsessive but it worked for us).

One of the criteria we used to choose our luggage was weight (along with size, practicality etc.). Once we had our bags, we knew how much weight remained for us to fill with our belongings.

In taking our kitchen scales everywhere from adventure stores to supermarkets we encountered many quizzical looks from staff and other customers. We just smiled and ignored them - sometimes explaining if they actually asked what we were up to. We found out that the cups in K-Mart weigh at least 2 grams more than those from the adventure store, for example. Eight grams (total from 4 cups) counts when you need to travel light! But K-Mart had the lightest weight umbrellas for the size of the canopy.

When we did eventually check in at the airport, we found that the bags were pretty much exactly the weight we had calculated. One was slightly overweight, but one was under. Both were allowed, probably because we had no checked in luggage.

So what can be packed into 4 x 7kg bags? A surprising amount, actually! Apart from clothing, toiletries and camera, a few of the surprising items included:

• two car booster seats for the kids
• a laptop computer (one of the tiny netbooks with a 7 inch screen)
• plates, cups and plastic cutlery (cheap enough to be confiscated at customs if they had a problem with it)
• nappies (diapers)
• a swimming bubble flotation device
• battery charger (for camera batteries)
• books and games to occupy the kids

It is amazing what can be achieved with a lot of forethought and planning - and a reliable set of kitchen scales!

Make friends with adventure stores

Until we started travelling, we really didn't go into adventure stores (e.g. Kathmandu, Snowgum, Paddy Palin). Now we can't go past without going inside to check out the new gadgets they stock. Adventure stores are designed for adventure holidays (backpacking, bushwalking, cross-country skiing etc.) - but they carry a phenomenal array of things which are useful for your more hotel-and-hire-car type of world traveller.

Because we have travelled with cabin luggage only, they were an invaluable source for micro-sized and feather-weight equipment.

You have to know when to shop. The regular prices can be very high, and the sale prices very reasonable. We do not purchase other than during sales. Of our luggage (two cabin-sized bags) one cost about two-thirds the original price, and we got the other at half price. A substantial saving.

If they have a membership club or scheme, consider joining - it may be worthwhile for additional discounts, particularly if you have a large shopping list.

So, what did we get from adventure stores? 

• Micro-sized super-absorbent towels; 
• 1 litre plastic roll-up bottles that can take boiling water (for carrying additional fresh drinking water); 
• quick-dry clothing - shirts and pants in particular; 
• our luggage; 
• quick-dry breathable thermal tops; 
• lightweight drinking mugs; 
• fold-away backpacks; 
• elastic pegless laundry clothes-line.
  

Shop carefully, as there are many excellent products - and bargains - to be had. Be careful not to get swept up in the excitement of the array of gadgets available: not all of it is useful for all types of holidays (however fun they might be!).

favourite travel items: T2 portacot

When we took our first overseas trip with a very young child, we booked accommodation that supplied us with a cot for our infant. For our next trip we decided that we would have much more flexibility if we took our cot with us, as we would not need to find places that could supply one.

However, the portacot we owned weighed about 15kg. Not great for transporting anywhere, let alone halfway round the globe. So we looked into lighter portacots. In our online searching, we found the Phil and Ted's T2 portacot. On the websites, it said it weighed only 2.5kg. Not quite believing this, we were pleased to find that the baby-goods shop at our local shopping mall stocked them, and we checked it out. It really did weigh only 2.5kg, and it was fantastic.

We duly purchased one, and we have loved it ever since. Family members have also borrowed it to take it away on holidays with them.

Why do we love the Phil and Ted's T2 Portacot so much?
- it is lightweight and compact.
- it is like a small tent (even has tent peg holes so that you can peg it down on a beach etc.) and while it takes a little while to get up to speed on putting it together, it it easy enough.
- the sides are mesh which allows for breathability and the top zips up so that it is mozzie-proof.
- the mattress is a self-inflating thin one, but is quite thick enough for comfort and warmth. It is easy to slip a cot mattress-size fitted sheet over it.
- it has its own bag for neat packaway, and for travelling. There's no reason the whole bag couldn't be checked in on its own, as check-in luggage for air travel.

The only downside that we have found is that it can be a little difficult to put it all back in the bag. The main section of the tent is quite thick when folded up, and it can be difficult to get the mattress roll in with it. But with a little practice, this too can be mastered.

But for its weight and compactness, this portacot cannot be beaten!

There is a newer model that has been released, the Phil and Ted's Traveller. We haven't seen or tried it, but apparently its a bit heavier (3.6kg). The side has a zip this time which is an improvement, and the whole thing is supposedly more sturdy. One feature that others haven't liked about it is that the mattress has to be inserted into a sleeve in the base, meaning it can no longer be fitted with a sheet or blanket. It would be interesting to see the new model to evaluate it, but we're still very happy with our T2, and would recommend it to anyone.

favourite travel items

On our travels we have come up with an ever growing list of favourite travel items. These are things we have tried and loved and now wouldn't leave home without.

We will occasionally post "Favourite Travel Items" so that you can see what we love, and why.