Well, I’m impressed (and a little bit surprised) to see Tumi moving away from their core black and grey look towards a more youthful oriented and hipper design. In their own words: “The digital camouflage print is applied to ballistic nylon creating the ultimate statement in utilitarian style… With the intent to disguise or blend with the natural surroundings, this camouflage print instead will attract some attention and be easily identifiable among the sea of black bags.”

They seemed to have pulled off the digital-camo quite well here– and with the sturdy build quality (and lifetime warranty) of Tumi products to boot. No word on price and availability yet though.

Picture and Info Via Selectism

Knock Knock Pack This! Pad: Read JS Review | Buy It ($6.99, shown as 1)
Spazzy packers like me need this to ensure that one end of the ocean is as comfortable as the next. Additionally, it keeps that nasty “Oh no, I feel like I forgot something super important” sensation pleasantly out of your gut.

Mimobot: Read JS Review | Buy It ($49.95 – $109.95, shown as 2)
There is no worse place to deal with computer problems than half way across the Atlantic, so we like to travel with our most important info safely backed up on a flash drive… and for some reason, having that flash drive in the form of a three-eyed teddy bear helps us feel even safer.

Comer-Calder Laptop Cases: Read JS Review | Buy It (2090 – 2240 pounds, shown as 7)
Speaking of computer problems, they’re a lot less likely to happen if you keep your baby safe and sound in one of Comer-Calder’s leather and carbon fiber computer cases. Elegant, buttery soft, and, okay, totally expensive, these cases will keep your laptop in pristine condition.

BOOQ Folee Bag: Read JS Review | Buy It ($199 – $204, shown as 4)
Mike Luce and readers alike swooned over this do-it-all briefcase. Easy access, portability, functionality, sleek lines – the Folee bag has it all.

WANT Les Essentiels de la Vie iPod Case: Read JS Review | Buy It ($175-$225, shown as 5)
Premium leather covers the hard shell interior of the WANT Essentials iPod case, keeping your music pumping, your electronics safe, and your vanity appeased.

FlyRight: Read JS Review | Buy It ($19.95, shown as 3)
This homeopathic remedy for jet lag works like a charm in the quest to take the edge off long hauls. A carefully concocted mix of herbs gives the solution its reportedly potent bite – but unlike everything else we swing back in hopes of smoother travels, this remedy leaves no hangover in its wake.

Sick of carrying a zip-lock bag with you everywhere you fly now? I know I am– I’ve been flying several times a week lately and my “reusable” zip-lock bag full of different sized plastic bottles looks like it belongs in the garbage– tattered edges, broken closures, tears, leaks and the like. The harsh and undeniable reality is that we’re probably going to have to get used to carrying these pathetic plastic bags in our purses, backpacks, laptop bags and other carry ons for the rest of our travel lives– replacing them every single time they get ruined from the daily wear and tear of travel. Although not as good as a chartering a private jet, the travel experts at Tumi just introduced the Carry On Essentials Kit, and I’m first in line for a sample. The super-durable 1-quart sized clear plastic carrier is made of rugged vinyl with a heat sealed PVC zipper. The kit also comes with 4 clear 2oz leak resistant plastic travel bottles so you don’t have to empty your shampoo bottle out into some random vial you find in your bathroom, very nice!

By now you all know the drill– my picks ‘From the Vaults’ of our travel goodies! Should be something here for everyone on your list. Bon Voyage!

• Inside Out Guidebooks: The Inside Out Guide Book series from Rand McNally is pretty much the Swiss Army knife of travel guides…Continue Reading

• Tumi: Ultra Slim Power Adaptors: We love our Tumi Adaptors– when we travel you're hard pressed to find us leave home without them. They just introduced an ‘ultra-slim' design, even more compact than before… Continue Reading

• Tom Bihn: The Arechtype: When the MacBook Pro's came out, our friends over at Tom Bihn were the first to the scene with a stylish, functional and properly-sized laptop case… Continue Reading

• OHSO Travel Toothbrush:The OHSO travel tooth brushes made quite the rumble when I posted them back in May– but unfortunately they weren't even out yet… Continue Reading

• Tom Bihn: Super Ego Bag: I've been heavily testing a bag I received from Tom Bihn a few months ago– they call it the Super Ego… Continue Reading

• Chrome Bags: If you are in the market for a serious, hard-core messenger bag, then look no further than Chrome Bags… Continue Reading

We love our Tumi Adaptors– when we travel you’re hard pressed to find us leave home without them. They just introduced an ‘ultra-slim’ design, even more compact than before. The Ultra Slim Universal Power Adaptor Kit comes with a 120-watt AC/DC power adaptor, an auto/airplane connector, retractable cable, and half a dozen adaptor tips to fit into every cell phone, laptop and accessory you can imagine. This is easily the nicest adaptor set we’ve ever seen. Nice holiday gift idea for a jet-setting friend?

Anish Kapoor’s Sky Mirror exhibition opens tomorrow Tuesday, September 19th at Rockefeller Center. Our friends over at Tumi sponsored the exhibition and just launched a ‘Tumi Quiz‘, which can be played either by SMS, web browser on a cell phone (WAP) or on the Tumi site. Seventy prizes will be awarded including lots of great luggage, Tumi gear and a luxury vacation to the Caribbean. The sculpture will be up from September 19th through the 27th of October, 2006. This looks to be an absolutely gorgeous sculpture (23 tons and 35 feet in diameter), go check it out if you’re in NYC!

This beautiful masterpiece is a part of the original Jack Spade Warren Street collection. In my never ending search for the perfect messenger bag, I think I have determined just having one wont do the trick. I recently added this classy bag, The Field Bag in waxwear to my esteemed messenger bag collection. It has a few separate interior pockets, exterior pocket and adjustable shoulder strap. It’s extremely basic but the craftsmanship is top notch. It’s available in a few other colors materials, my second favorite being the chocolate suede.

More Messenger Bags I Love: Tom Bihn’s Super Ego, Tumi Flow Messenger Bag

I’m leaving on Monday morning for the next couple of weeks to Asia. I’ll be hunting around Taipei for a day and then on to Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. I’m planning on hunting for everything from restaurants, stores to shops and studios off the beaten path. As always when I travel, if you have tips, must see stores, obscure but great places, restaurants, art galleries, clubs, you want to setup a meeting, show me your studio, or anything else– drop me a line!

This trip wouldn’t be possible without the air travel support of Malaysia Airlines, the luggage from Tumi and photo equipment from Pentax. Stay tuned for more from the other-side of the world next week.

Be sure to check the site on Monday, I’ve got a very, very special surprise coming. My team and I are packing our bags, Asia here we come!

Crummy Brothers Cookies
Tumi Adaptors
a9 maps
Hotel Alternatives
Copenhagen Sneaker Shopping
Berlin: Monsieur Vuong
Seat Guru
Chocolate Sneakers

I’m all about the gadgets and gizmos that make my life easier. With all the international travel I’ve been doing lately I’ve unfortunately never had a great electric travel adaptor, until now. My bag always seems to get cluttered with all sort of lousy adapters I buy in the airport, bad. I think that has all changed, and i’m pleased to finally have found a great solution: Tumi’s Electric Adaptor kit. The electric adaptor has 4 of the most common adapter configurations in one smart design. This has me covered for 150 countries around the world. I opted for the whole USB Cellphone/PDA kit and I’ve got all my bases covered– USB charging for my phone, and adapters for all the gadgets. Excellent product!

It’s no secret that I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect bag for some time now. I’ve tested so many it’s hard to keep track of them. I’ve seen a lot of great bags lately, but the Tumi Flow Messenger Bag was worthy of a solid mention. The bag is simple, and built like all the Tumi products I’ve ever seen– made extremely well! It’s got all the basic messenger bag features, ballistic nylon, pen and card slots, a removable padded computer sleeve, and lots of well placed pockets. One of my favorite features is the magnetic flap closure– that means NO velcro, just magnets to keep it closed. The attention to detail is amazing, it has an exquisite patterned ‘flow lining’, custom zipper pulls, etc. Of course, since it’s a Tumi product is comes with the ‘Tracer Protection‘, a heavy duty tag inside with an ‘if found call’ tracking system. If you’ve been hunting for a top quality messenger bag for the day to carry your laptop, papers, and some small accessories– this is the one!

I’ve always liked Tumi’s products, they’re clearly dedicated to bringing solid design and functionality to the table in everything they manufacture. They recently introduced their first collection of swiss-made watches. Ten styles are available, ranging from $700-$1400. What makes these watches interesting to me, other than the sleek design, is that they’re all equipped with the Tumi Tracer recovery program (like all Tumi luggage), ensuring the return of the lost watch to its owner.