Magellan's new Vinni Bag for wine transport

Here is another product I'm taking with me to Italy to product-test - the Vinni Bag from Magellan's. According to the Magellan's website, the Vinni Bag is "an air cushioned ride for your prized vintage. More secure than bubble wrap, the inflatable (and reusable) Vinni Bag seals fine wine, spirits, or other fragile or large items in an air-filled chamber, protecting it from the rigors of travel. Made of PVC, it inflates with just a couple of breaths, safely securing the bottle inside, and has a clear panel on the front for easy inspection by airport security. " I look forward to trying out this made-in-the-USA product! Check back to see for my review of this product.

Meals on the Go in Italy, Part II

Here is the mug. The handles fold down for easy packing (and you can stuff socks or other things inside the mug, too). I already know that wine tastes fine out of titanium :-)

Meals on the Go in Italy

Here is the Rick Steves picnic set of utensils - 2 forks, 2 spoons, 2 knives, and a corkscrew - all carry-on compliant. I intend to use this set to have some picnic lunches and some quiet dinners in my room while traveling in Italy this December. This set is available at http://www.ricksteves.com/. I'll let you know how it works.

I'm also going to bring my Snow Peak titanium mug that I use for backpacking. Should be great for wine. Here is the link: http://www.rei.com/product/708072

Sea to Summit TSA compliant Pocket Soaps

Sea to Summit has come up with a very clever solution to the new 3-oz rule, where all your carry-on liquids have to fit in a quart-sized zip-lock baggy and be in containers 3 oz. or smaller. They have developed little containers of dry soaps - hand soap, laundry soap, conditioning shampoo, shaving soap, and body wash. The soap is in the form of 50 separate "leaves" in each "pocket," so you can use them as you need them. They are also phospate-free and paraben-free and biodegradable.

I'm going to try the laundry soap, hand soap, and conditioning shampoo on my December 2009 Italy adventure, and I'll let you know how well they work for me. Here is the link, though they are also available at REI and other retailers: http://www.seatosummit.com/products/display/84

I'm also going to use the Rick Steves travel clothesline to line-dry my laundry: http://travelstore.ricksteves.com/catalog/index.cfm?fuseaction=product&theParentId=150&id=27 This item can be ordered directly through http://www.ricksteves.com/ or you can find it at most specialty travel stores.

I'm getting so excited! I leave Dec. 2 and arrive in Florence on Dec. 3. I have 3 nights in Lucca, 3 nights in Florence, 2 in San Gimignano, 2 in Orvieto, and 1 in Rome. On the agenda: sightseeing, wine tastings, a private cooking class, a private Chianti tour, Orvieto Underground tour, and some holiday shopping, not to mention the consumption of lots of great food and wine. I'm going to try to update this blog while I'm over there, so keep an eye out for that!