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Thursday, September 30, 2010

Jambo!

Jambo!‎ That’s the word for "hello" in Swahili. We were hello’d and welcomed in Kenya, enjoying a short trip ‎there recently. We had one question about one of our travel items – a hand-crank lantern. We were asked why we were carrying ‎one in our carry-all vest.

"Well that’s because there are blackouts." ‎

‎“Who told you this?” responded the security screener.

Our response: The tourist guide we read.

“Oh, ‎ok.”

We arrived and our B-n-B was in a brown-out area. And the generator was about to be switched ‎off. We definitely find carrying this item useful. Freeplay’s website provides a lot of information on ‎the benefits. It’s fairly lightweight too.‎

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Friday, September 17, 2010

More on the Carry-All Vest and International Travel

Well we had no problems with our carry-all vest, known as the SCOTT eVEST™, until Frankfurt airport this year. Apparently the security folks there ‎hadn’t previously seen a tube inflator for our inflatable 1st Class Sleeper®seat. The security personnel were efficient and soon ‎‎“cleared” the vest and the inflator. The first-class sleeper was probably stored in the wrong place – in ‎the back-side pocket.‎

We’re still big believers in the carry-all vest. With flights limited to one carry-on (all of our flights to ‎Europe and the Middle East) were overbooked this year, it really lets us bring things to make an ‎otherwise cramped flight more enjoyable. (I can’t possibly watch the same set of films flight after ‎flight!)

Another advantage to the carry-all vest is that the pockets are inside so it makes it very difficult to ‎pickpocket. We’ve heard a few too many stories of pickpockets and in some cases that can become ‎easier when everyone is fixated on security and bags are emptied of their contents. In that regard, ‎maybe airports could design some larger spaces in the baggage screening areas.‎

The only issue we have with the carry-all vest is that in warm climates you get really warm wearing it.‎

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