Travel Gear


Tokyo Street View Allows You to Explore Japan from Anywhere

Have you always wanted to visit Tokyo? I have, but I haven’t made it there yet. Thanks to the new site Tokyo Street View,  I have a good idea of what I’m missing. Through a series of videos taken in and around the city, I’m being treated to an insider’s view of different iconic locations through the seasons.


You Will Love the Plantronics Backbeat Pro+ Wireless, Noise Cancelling Headphones

The original Backbeat Pro was a thing of beauty. These over-the-ear headphones were comfortable, got a whopping 100 meters of wireless range, offered active noise cancellation, delivered outrageously good battery life of up to 24 hours AND sounded amazing. Now Plantronics has delivered the Backbeat Pro+ Wireless, Noise Cancelling Headphones with HI-FI USB Adapter.


LuminAID PackLite 16 Will Enlighten Your Travels

I first saw LuminAID’s products on Shark Tank. I was impressed by the presentation, the product, and the ways it can be of real use in an emergency. I didn’t order one but was thrilled to get a review sample. I was sent the LuminAID PackLite 16. It’s “the new and improved version of our original LuminAID solar light!”   From the company: “The new PackLite 16 has double the LEDs (2X the wattage), is made out of a thicker, more durable TPU (PVC-free) material, and has an additional flashing setting for emergencies. The PackLite 16 provides up to 16 hours…


NoiseHush i7 Noise Cancelling Headphones are Perfect for the Solitary Type

The NoiseHush i7 Aviator Active Noise Canceling Headphones provide extremely comfortable silence whether you’re on an airplane or trying to get work done in a noisy office. The i7 comes with a flat cable with 3.5mm connector to plug in to your media player to listen to your favorite tunes without added background noise. The i7 headphones retail for $99.99.



The Scosche goBAT 6000 Has Power to Move You

If you are on the move and rely heavily on your phone or tablet the way we at Gear Diary do, you know how important having an external battery is. The Scosche goBAT 6000 Portable Wall Charger & Back-Up Battery is a great option for power on the go and at home. It’s well worth the $54.99 it costs. Here’s what the company has to say about the goBAT 6000: “For anyone in need of extra power, the goBAT 6000 provides an innovative solution to the dreaded low battery warning. The goBAT 6000 is a powerful portable cellphone charger and…


aLLreLi Dual USB Charger Review: Travel Ready USB Power

If I’m not careful, the number of cables and chargers by my bedside table can quickly spin out of control. My power strip gets overstuffed, and the various charging cables start to twine together like some kind of electronic rat king. I’ve been working hard to keep things streamlined, and the aLLreLi Dual USB charger is a huge help!


The Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC Hard Drive-Fast, Secure, Portable

The 1TB Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC is quite a nice portable hard drive. It’s a portable storage solution that’s also rugged and comes with some neat security features. It has shock protection, water resistance, and dust resistance. It has a built-in USB 3.0 cable for easy connectivity and can use NFC technology to unlock decryption and it’s available for $129.99.



The Tilley TH5 HEMP Hat Is the Best Damn Travel Hat Ever

I’m not sure why it has taken me this long to write this review but, having just returned from two weeks in Israel and Greece I felt the need to share my thoughts on my Tilley TH5 HEMP Hat. This $84 hat is, by far, the best damn travel hat EVER. I’ve had it for years and still love it.


The WaterField Indy Bag: I Reviewed It, and I Still Use It!

I’m coming toward the end of a two-week trip. I spent the first week in Israel with side trips into the West Bank cities of Ramallah and Rawabi. This week saw me in Greece with Raina. Through it all some key items have come in rather handy. Chief among them the Waterfield Indy Bag Judie reviewed some time ago.


Oh, How Our Tech Has Changed #RabbisInIsrael

I’m currently in Israel on a rabbinic mission with seventeen other rabbis. We spent some time on top of the second tallest building in Tel Aviv taking pictures, getting a sense of geography and strategic concerns. In the process, I came to a realization …


HomingPIN: Keep Honest People Honest by Identifying Your Gear

Most smartphones include a way for owners to send a message to anyone who might find their device when it’s lost, but there are plenty of items that don’t have that capability. Let’s say you left your laptop bag in a cab, could an honest person figure out an easy way to return it to you? With HomingPIN, they could.


Timbuk2 Teams Up with Bianchi for Limited Edition Pack, Announces Giveaway

With May being National Bike Month, and record high temperatures in full effect, this means a lot of folks are commuting and heading to work on their fixies, or whichever two bikes they see fit. The commuting aspect is easy, but unlike having a passenger seat to throw your bag or purse onto, you’ll need a means of putting your gear as well as extra clothes into something. So it only makes sense that Timbuk2, who’s infamous for making quality bags teamed up with Bianchi to celebrate their 130th anniversary. Not only introducing the beautiful Limited Edition Prospect Pack, the…



Booq Cobra Squeeze Backpack Review: A Most Excellent Gear Bag

My criteria for a backpack that I’ll use for longer than during the review period (and that I’ll continue to enjoy carrying) is pretty basic: it needs to be light when empty, durable, good-looking, well-organized, and it must be comfortable to wear when it is inevitably overloaded. The booq Cobra squeeze meets all of my needs and then some.



Hit the Hardware Store for Carseat Toting Needs!

We recently took a vacation and after some debate decided it was safer to bring our own carseat rather than rent one of dubious quality along with our car. You can buy special carts to transport car seats, but a friend of ours filled us in on a much cheaper and more versatile tip: a hand truck!


All In With Apple? You Need a Twelve South PlugBug World

My workflow is pretty much all Apple these days. I have an iPhone 6 Plus, an iPad Air 2, and a MacBook Pro. (I returned my 2015 MacBook but that’s another post.) For someone like me the Twelve South PlugBug World is an indispensable accessory. I charged my computer AND an iOS device at the same time. PlugBug World is a number of accessories in one. On the one hand it is a standalone 2.1-Amp USB wall charger for your iOS device. “Fast charge for your iPad: PlugBug World packs 2.1-Amp of charging power, which is enough to charge your iPad…