Review: Stash Collapsible Bottle from HydraPak

I know I’m not the only one who travels with a water bottle. We’ve been through a lot of trips in the past where we went and purchased a case of water at the start of our vacation so we would have water on hand the whole time we were there. Not only does this get old, but a bottle of water can be unwieldy and inconvenient, not to mention terrible for the environment. I can’t tell you the amount of places we’ve been that don’t have recycling bins available.

We’ve taken to bringing a reusable bottle with us and it has worked much better, though once it’s empty, you’re basically just walking around with a thing you don’t want to carry that takes up space in your bag. HydraPak has fixed this issue with their Stash bottle. It is a flexible bottle that “stashes” into itself when empty, taking up little space, but then ready to be refilled whenever you need it.

This bottle was made for outdoorsy types who have limited space, but as a traveler, I feel like I have the same issues. Nobody wants to carry around an empty bottle, and the Stash bottle has a fun twist and lock construction that allows the bulk of the bottle to nestle into the top and bottom and take up much less space. It can easily be kept in a jacket pocket or your purse.

I’ve had other “folding” and flat water bottles, but the problem with those were many: cleaning, size, ability to freeze, how to carry, awkward drinkability. Amazingly, the Stash doesn’t have any of these problems. The construction of the bottle gives it stability and doesn’t allow it to collapse while drinking and holding onto the middle of the bottle. It has a large flat bottom, meaning you can actually set it down without all your water leaking out when it flops over, because it doesn’t do that.

The mouth is wide, so you can add ice to it if you want, but you can also freeze it, to keep your water even cooler throughout the day. I added some water to it, popped it in the freezer, then filled the rest with water and voila! Cold water all morning. This is something I’d totally do when out all day, like sightseeing or at a theme park. (Remember, most theme parks will refill your bottle with cold water, and some will even give you ice.) The nice little loop on the top allows me to hang the bottle on my bag or even use a strap that I have to carry it crossbody. And when it’s empty, I can snap it together and toss it back in my bag. The wide mouth also makes it easier to refill at a water fountain if that's your only option.

The top and bottom construction give the middle a hard “case” when compact, so you can’t accidentally “break” your Stash bottle, which was also a problem with those others. Something sharp in your bag jabbing it could totally just puncture your bottle and there goes you trying to be environmentally friendly. Your Stash is in its own case, which actually doesn’t take up more room and is still incredibly lightweight.

So, how does it work? Your Stash comes already compact, so in order to use it, you unscrew the lid and then squeeze the sides of the bottom together. This eliminates a vacuum seal. The bottle then untwists from its case and you’re ready to fill it with your beverage of choice (you can even put hot water in it up to 140°F), screw the lid back on and you’re set. When the bottle is empty, take the lid off, twist slightly while pushing down and then snap the top onto the bottom and replace the lid. Easy!

I love this bottle, but I also worry all the time about washing a bottle of any kind. You can’t put this in the dishwasher, but that’s okay, because HydraPak has that covered too. They sell something called Bottle Bright. They are all-natural tablets that you toss into your bottle, fill with water and swish around. The tablets effervesce to clean your bottle (any bottle, hydration reservoirs or anything else that’s hard to clean), remove stains and odors and give it a shiny clean look. Woot! I love these things and will definitely use them on my stainless steel bottles as well, because those are terrible to clean well.

Do you have little kids or want to share your hydration without sharing germs? HydraPak has these great little cups called Speedcup. They are reusable and flexible, so they can be shoved in your bag without worry. I crushed one of mine down when I was coming back from Vegas and it easily regained its shape. It’s made of the same polyurethane as the Stash, making it highly durable. What I love about these is they nest inside each other and barely take up any room. 

My immediate thought is that when you travel with kids, they always want something, including being thirsty all the time. They can have issues using water bottles, plus they are often sick or germy. Give them their own little cup and keep their germs away from your bottle. 

If you have an active person on your wish list (maybe a dad or a grad) or you need something like this yourself, get one or two before you next trip, camping venture or hiking tour. You won't regret it.

Other Specs

Where to buy: On HydraPak website or Amazon | Bottle Bright: HydraPak or Amazon | Speedcup: HydraPak 

How much: Stash: $18 | Bottle Bright: $8 | Speedcup: $20/pack of 4

Colors: Mojave Orange (shown) | Mammoth Grey | Sequoia Green | Malibu Blue

More Details: 750 ml (also available in 1 liter), 50% lighter than a hard bottle, made of ultra-durable, abrasion resistant TPU & RF welded seams for superior durability and elasticity, 100% BPA & PVC free.

Like what HydraPak is doing? Learn more by following them online: 

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Disclosure: I was provided with the Stash bottle, Bottle Bright and Speedcups for the purposes of this review. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Review: FaceCradle Travel Pillow

Okay, I know there are tons of travel pillows on the market. You know that I don't just bring you any old thing, because I need to believe in it. When I first saw the FaceCradle before the Travel Goods Show I was intrigued, because while I don't have issues sleeping just about anywhere, I'd love to sleep on the plane without getting an ache in my neck, shoulders or back. I can sleep on Eric's shoulder, but that's not comfortable for him, plus I can't just sleep on a stranger when traveling alone. 

I asked FaceCradle to demo their product for me and took one home to try it. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to take pics of it when I used it on the plane, because the lights were out and I didn't want to be "that person", plus I'd had a long day and didn't use it with the strap. I just wanted to chill out for an hour with my eyes closed. Luckily, the FaceCradle can be used pretty much anywhere, including the car and the train, so I wandered out to my car with it to give it a go. 

Unlike other travel pillows, FaceCradle has a unique two-part system, so you don't just shove it behind your head and hope for the best. You'll see they have two spring loaded buttons. You push these to adjust the FaceCradle the way you like it and it snaps into place when you release the buttons. 

There are two buckles that fit into the ports on either side. This allows you to keep the strap from your body, so it doesn't choke you and you don't get tangled up in it. 

This strap is easily adjustable as well, so you aren't struggling to get it fixed while you're cramped in that tiny airplane seat. Nothing's worse than flailing around and practically hitting your seatmates. Also, when you're tired, you want to fuss about as little as possible before getting to sleep. I'm no expert like the lovelies who helped show me all the great way to use this at the show, but within 5 minutes, I was able to adjust it quickly to my liking. 

In the car, I used the strap around the headrest to secure my FaceCradle. On the plane, you'll use the winged seatback instead. FaceCradle knows that people want as little confrontation as possible, so you aren't looping your strap around your seat and possibly in the way of the person sitting behind you. This would be inconvenient as well, so it's not designed that way. The majority of airplane seats have a winged headrest. If they don't, then the flight is probably super short and you won't have time to get to sleep anyway.

Above you'll see how I adjusted the strap to get my FaceCradle into position for deep sleep.   

You flip it open as much as possible, brace it against your chest and then lean forward. This lets you just rely on FaceCradle to hold your body, gives you the ability to breathe better, because the massage table-like surface opens your sinuses, and doesn't hurt your back or neck, because you aren't sitting at a weird angle. Adjust the strap to your liking, so if you want to lean more forward or less forward, it's up to you. 

Not only is this sleep position more natural, but you don't have to recline your seat...and if the person in front of you chooses to recline theirs, you aren't in the way and getting smacked in the face. Since the strap is around your headrest and not the whole chair, it also has more stability and decreases the chance of you getting jostled when someone behind you gets up and tries to gain their balance by holding onto the back of your chair.

Maybe you don't even want to sleep, but you want to relax more than you're able to in the small space you have on the plane. You can still use your FaceCradle in this mode and read a book or play a game on your phone/tablet. 

That's just one way to use it. Are you a side sleeper? I am sometimes. I was able to adjust the FaceCradle to work for me there, too. Make the strap shorter, bring the halves a bit closer together and put your ear in the hole. The bottom half fits against your shoulder and gives you more stability. Of course, you can keep it the same as you had it to begin with and just turn your head, but I find that I end up with a crick in my neck when I sleep that way. 

I often just snooze when I'm traveling. FaceCradle is great in that way as well. Detach the strap and slide the pillow around your neck, slightly open, lean your cheek on it and just relax. I used mine this way on the way home from Vegas. The flight was short, but when I arrived, my neck and back didn't hurt and I was more refreshed than normal. The cover of FaceCradle is soft and feels very nice against your skin. The inside is made of hypoallergenic memory foam, so it's not picking up all the funky airborne germs when you travel to make your allergies worse or make you sick. (Yay!) And when you're finished using it? Remove the cover and toss it in the washer and dryer so it's clean for your next trip.

FaceCradle is not super lightweight and it can be bulky, so you probably aren't taking it with you on short flights. The inventor acknowledges this. In fact, he designed it so he and his team could sleep on those many-houred flights from Australia to just about anywhere not in Australia. Ever tried to sleep on a Transatlantic flight? Well, it can suck. 

Unless you have a large carry-on with extra space, this thing isn't going to fit in it, but FaceCradle has a solution for that, too. Keep the strap on it and use it as a shoulder strap...or slip the small section over the handle of your wheeled bag and you're good to go. Once you see what a good sleep you can get using FaceCradle, you'll not feel like it's an obligation to carry it with you. The strap is a plus, because almost all neck pillows you buy at the airport (because you realized you either don't have one or you left yours at home) are unwieldy and can't really be attached to anything. Above I've fixed it like a crossbody, which is definitely how I will carry it through the airport for my next long flight. 

I have a friend who has a husband who is very tall. He uses a FaceCradle in order to stay in his seat and be able to actually sleep on the plane. Because it's so versatile, you can adjust it to suit you, that way you aren't flopping into the aisle or onto your neighbor. If you have someone in your life who's a frequent traveler or has a lot of issues sleeping when the do travel, this makes a fantastic gift. Mother's Day, Graduation and Father's Day are fast approaching.

Other Specs

Where to buy: On FaceCradle website

How much: $49.50

Colors: Black | Violet | Royal Blue | Gray (shown)

More Details: Plush velour cover, soft feel harness, 5+ ways to adjust sleeping positions, including using as a table napper.

Loving FaceCradle's innovation? Learn more and new ways to use it by following them online: 

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Disclosure: I was provided with the FaceCradle for the purposes of this review. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Review: Lewis N Clark Secura Satchel

Depending on where I go, I feel like different purses can make the experience better or worse. I often carry a smaller bag with me when I travel, but winter trips call for a handbag that can carry a bit more (in my opinion). If I'm looking for a larger bag, it needs to do a lot. On my last trip to Vegas, I took Lewis N. Clark's Secura Satchel as my personal size item on the plane, because it had room for everything I needed and kept it all organized and secure.

The Secura Satchel can be worn as a shoulder bag or a crossbody, which I love, because I like to have my hands free, especially at the airport when you need to have several things on hand, and it can be hard to juggle those things and your bag and your carry-on.

If you're intending to keep your items away from prying eyes and sticky fingers, the Secura is for you. Not only do all the zippers lock, but it also has RFID-blocking technology so you're safe from regular thieves and electronic ones.

The front of the bag has two large zipper pockets. Use these for your items you want to access easily. When I flew to Vegas, I used one entirely for snacks. I enjoy handy snacks. Here you can see that it fits my large battery backup and cords, but there's also this nifty pocket that's specific for your room key. As I said before, I'm good at losing my key card among my other cards and then having to shuffle through my bag to find it to get into my room. This slot is specifically in a whole different place than your regular card slots.

The other zipper pocket on the front has a slot for a pen and for one of your electronics or whatever else you want to put in there. It fit my point-and-shoot camera perfectly. I like that there's a bit more room in there, so I was able to fit my house/car keys and a my lip balm in the space in front of the pockets. Because the pockets don't entirely zip open, your items are safe from falling out, even if you forget to zip it back up.

The inside of the Satchel is large, but not too large. It has a lot of pockets in order to keep you organized, so you can find everything you need when you need it. My bluetooth keyboard fit inside perfectly. I didn't have to wrestle it in or out because the top zipper is almost as wide as the bag is and you aren't going to have issues seeing inside or getting your hands in to access your stuff. So, I had my keyboard in there, my makeup bag of personal items and that polka dot notebook you see on top.

The one side of the bag has two large slash pockets that you can use for your electronics or pretty much anything you want to keep separate from everything else in your bag. The two pockets take up the whole side of the bag. I used one for makeup items and the other to hold my sunglasses and protect them from getting scratched.

The other side side has two large slash pockets, perfect size for a bigger smartphone or your passport, and RFID-blocking pockets for your credit cards and ID. This side also has a large zipper pocket that takes up most of the side of the bag. I as able to easily slide my iPad mini in there with it's bulky case. 

Here you can see just how much stuff I was able to get into my Secura Satchel, while still having room inside to add more things if I needed to.

The hardware on this bag is nice and sturdy, but also good looking. You can tell by the accents how well the bag is made. The strap is wide and thick, but easily adjustable and it distributes weight of the bag on your shoulder, so you don't feel like your arm is being weighed down and making you hate life after walking around all day with a sore shoulder.

In the picture up top can see how the front zippers "lock". Here you can see how the top zipper locks. These are pretty easy to work open and closed if you know what you're doing, but there's no way a pickpocket is going to take the time to do this, and if they try, you're going to notice. Chances are that they will leave you alone and go after someone vulnerable.

The strap and body of the bag are slash-proof, so no snatching your purse off your arm, especially if you're wearing it crossbody. See that awesome buckle? Flip the little latch to be able to open the clasp and detach the strap, then you can wrap it around a pole or chair. Like this: 

If you're sitting at a cafe and you're worried about your purse getting nabbed, use this security feature and all your stuff is about as safe as it can be. Nobody's going to be trying to run away with a whole chair or table. If they do, it'd be pretty funny...and difficult to get very far.

So, if you're looking for a bigger bag that fits everything you need to take along with you, the Secura Satchel could be it. It's large, but not too large and it's fairly lightweight, so the majority of heft is going to be from what you put into it. I found it quite comfortable to walk around with and it fit nicely against my body, so it wasn't in my way ever. This might be the perfect gift for your mom, since Mother's Day is right around the corner.

Additional info:

Where can I buy it? On the Lewis N Clark Website or Amazon

How much is it? $89.99

What colours does it come in?  black | lake (shown)

Other specs: 12" x 12.5" x 4.5", Durable nylon exterior with water-resistant PU coating, tested to cut-resistant EN388 standards 

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Disclaimer: I was provided with the Secura RFID-Blocking Anti-Theft Satchel for the purposes of this review, but all opinions are 100% my own.