Product Reviews

PRODUCT REVIEW: WALLAROO HATS

I love my Wallaroo hat!

Tropical Travel Girl at Sandals Emerald Bay, Exuma, Bahamas, in her fedora from Wallaroo Hats.

I’ve always loved hats, and especially like wearing them on tropical trips. Sun protection is a big factor for me, as I have had a basal cell cancer on my nose. I always wear sunscreen but when I am outdoors in a sunny climate, you will rarely see me without a visor or hat!

Traveling with a hat means either wearing it on the plane or, better yet, being able to pack it without worrying that it will be misshapen when my luggage is opened.

My Wallaroo hat ticks all the boxes:

• Its UPF 50+ fabric blocks 97.5% of ultraviolet rays, according to the Australian Radiation Protection Agency.

• It is packable (a soft taco fold is recommended).

• It is adjustable, thanks to an inner drawstring that allows you to fit the hat to your head.

• It is stylish. (Mine is the Caroline in Sky Blue, but it is also available in Beige and Ivory.)

I received my Wallaroo hat shortly before leaving for a trip to Sandals Emerald Bay in the Exumas, part of the Out Islands of the Bahamas. I wore it throughout the week, and my husband took this photo of me as we were leaving our oceanview suite for dinner.

Tropical Travel Girl in her Caroline fedora from Wallaroo Hat Company, taken at Sandals Emerald Bay, Exuma, Bahamas.

I love their mission, which is to help eliminate the threat of skin cancer through information and prevention. Wallaroo hats are tested and rated according to the UV radiation blocking capabilities of materials used in the construction of each hat.

ABOUT WALLAROO HAT COMPANY

Based in Boulder, CO, it was founded in 1999. Stephanie Carter, President and Co-Founder, says, “I was inspired by visits to my husband’s family in Australia, where the threat of skin cancer has long been understood. Back in my home state of Colorado, so much of our life was spent outdoors, yet the trend toward daily SPF and UPF clothing had yet to take hold. Our vision was to create functional, fashionable hats that are comfortable, packable, and effortless to wear—and to bring on all your travels. More than two decades later, we’re still innovating in our field by developing custom fabrics and everyday designs that make sun protection even more stylish.”

Wallaroo Hats are available for the whole family! Check out their website today (https://wallaroohats.com)…
Women’s hats are available in several looks and categorie: Wide Brim, Fedora, Bucket, Cowboy, Visors, Petite, Unisex
Men’s hats include: Fedora, Wide Brim, Unisex
Bucket and Wide Brim hats are available for Kids.

PRODUCT REVIEW: MORNING GLAMOUR SATIN PILLOWCASES

Morning Glamour Travel Set

I have slept on satin pillowcases for many years, and have traveled with them for years as well. I often give them as gifts, too, to my travel-loving friends and family members. Sleeping on satin keeps my fine hair from tangling and, as a “side sleeper,” it keeps me from waking up with facial creases that take hours to go away. Another benefit I’ve noticed is that the facial moisturizer I put on at night isn’t transferred to the pillowcase, since satin pillowcases aren’t absorbent like a cotton one. I am sold on sleeping on satin!

Morning Glamour sent me a two-pack of satin pillowcases to try. One difference I saw immediately is that, instead of having an open end, the pillowcase is designed with a stay-put pocket flap. I hadn’t seen that before! Their pillowcases come in singles, doubles and travel sets, which come with a zip-top clear bag that you can store your pillowcase in or use as a make-up bag. The pillowcases come in several colors and patterns. Most are standard-size pillowcases but king-size is available in several colors, too.

•  100% satin charmeuse polyester

•  Fits standard pillow 20″ x 26″


•  Made in the USA

•  Free shipping on all U.S. orders

PRODUCT REVIEW: RHEOS FLOATING SUNGLASSES – POLARIZED, UV AND ANTI-SCRATCH – GREAT FOR WATER SPORTS AND TOURING

I have blue eyes, very sensitive to bright light, and I never leave home without sunglasses. I always travel with an extra pair, just in case one pair breaks or (heaven forbid!) is lost. When I read about the new-to-the-market Rheos floating sunglasses, I was intrigued, and anxious to try them out!

I had two trips to tropical climates coming up — first, a Greek Isles cruise to several sunny islands in the Aegean Sea, soon to be followed by a road trip through the Florida Keys, where I’d be taking part in water sports like deep sea fishing and scuba diving. I actually let my husband, Stephen, wear them on our travels through Greece, as his old sunglasses didn’t get packed.

Stephen on the beautiful Greek island of Santorini.

And in Mykonos, another port on our cruise in the Greek islands.

He wore them in Athens, Greece, too…pictured next to a 50 Euro note.

I took them to the Florida Keys and was able to test them out in the environments I mentioned, fishing and scuba diving.

We both give Rheos sunglasses two big thumbs up, and for the following reasons:

• They are amazingly LIGHTWEIGHT, so light that you can hardly feel they are on your face! They are 30% lighter than sunglasses molded in polycarbonate, according to Rheos, since they are made from an ultra lightweight TPX® material, which also happens to be virtually indestructible. (You mean I could sit on them and they won’t break?) I didn’t try that but it’s nice to know they’re designed to be extra-durable. They also FLOAT, although I didn’t try out that feature either.

• They offer 100% UV (“Ultraviolet”) protection. Sometimes we don’t think about UV rays being harmful to our eyes like they can be to our skin, but UV rays can actually be up to twice as damaging when reflected off surfaces such as water. This is especially important to my sensitive to light blue-eyed self, but also important to my brown-eyed husband.

• Polarized lenses. A polarizing film that blocks the horizontal rays has been added, which means NO GLARE. That means no squinting and I like that!

• Scratch resistant. A scratch resistant coating has also been added, which, for me, is a must. A great, hard-sided case is included to store the sunglasses in but, if you’re like me, they don’t always get put back in the original case.

• Comfort. Partially due to being so lightweight, but also due to having nose and ear pads (non-obtrusive ones), these sunglasses are very comfortable on my face. As I’ve already mentioned, I can hardly feel them, which is not the case with so many other pairs of sunglasses I have owned.

• Stylish looks (and lots of choices!). I admit it. As a “girl,” I was torn between two styles. It was between the Bahias Tortoise Deep Sea (that I ended up ordering) or the Anhingas Tortoise Marine. I finally took the plunge and made a choice and am happy with it, but think I would also like the other style. There are also another four styles to choose from, and then you can choose from several colors of lenses and the glasses themselves.

Take a look on their site and find a pair that’s to your liking. Happy shopping!

Click on the link below to be taken to the wide array of Rheos sunglasses:

Floating Sunglasses

You might also be interested in reading the company’s story (Rheos Gear – Our Story), which was interesting to me since we had recently traveled in Greece: “Rheos is the Greek word for river current. A river is constantly flowing, constantly changing, and most importantly, it carves its own path.” And their tagline is from Heraclitus, an ancient Greek philosopher: “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.”

PRODUCT REVIEW: EAGLE CREEK PACK-IT SPECTER™ STARTER SET

I have used the Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter™ Starter Set on several trips and love it! I feel so much more organized now and think that’s what helped me be able to go all carry-on for a 9-night Mediterranean cruise last August! I had already used the lightweight packing organizers a few times before, so I had somewhat perfected my rolling of clothing items and folding items for the garment folder.

I give the set a big thumbs up!

Watch the short video below to get an idea of how to pack and also visit the Eagle Creek website.  Eagle Creek also has lots of other great packing organizers in other sizes and for specialized uses, such as for toiletries and shoes, as well as compression sacs, tablet and laptop sleeves, and luggage.

What it Includes:
•    Pack-It™ Specter Garment Folder Medium
•    Pack-It™ Specter Cube
•    Pack-It™ Specter Half Cube

Relax and enjoy your trip with these ultra-light translucent packing organizers. The Pack-It Specter™ Starter Set will help you organize and compress the contents of your travel bag. Finally, everything you need is right where you want it.

Product Specs
Capacity: Holds 8-12 shirts and pants (folder), 650 cu in (cube), 300 cu in (half cube) | 10.5 L (cube), 5 L (half cube)
Weight: 8 oz (folder), 1 oz (cube), 0.6 oz (half cube) | 254 g (folder), 27 g (cube), 18 g (half cube)
Fabric: 30D Silnylon Ripstop
Dimensions: 18 x 12 in (folder), 14 x 10 x 3 in (cube), 10 x 7 x 3 in (half cube) | 42 x 30 cm (folder), 36 x 25.4 x 8 cm (cube), 24.5 x 18 x 8 cm (half cube)

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