Lifesystems produce a significant range of mostly smaller, but very handy and often essential, items for the traveller, writes Mike Gormley.
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Lifesystems produce a significant range of mostly smaller, but very handy and often essential, items for the traveller ~ some of which I took with me on my most recent international trip, which was to Sweden.
Mountain Factor 50 Sun Protection Cream: As earlier this year I was heading north and into the winter sun, expecting to be out in the elements for long days, this seemed a sensible item to take with me. Although not up in the mountains as such, where the air is thinner and the chances of exposure to higher levels of UV are more of a concern, I was certainly out in exposed conditions.
This Lifesystems cream is formulated for outdoor activity such as general snow sports as well as mountaineering. It is rated as offering eight-hour protection and is able to withstand high levels of activity as well as having UVB and UVA filtration capability. It is easy to apply, a little goes a long way and it has a ‘neutral’ smell so both very easy and pleasant to use. Sun damage to the skin can catch up on you and this can evolve into skin cancer (melanoma) so be wise and protect your exposed skin. I speak from some experience here!
One Touch Thermal Mug: This is a great drinks container from the LIFEVENTURE range. The key point to this mug is that the push-lid is non-directional, meaning you can drink from it at any angle so it does not matter which way you pick it up. It has no handle, which is useful as it is easy to slip into a pocket or pouch and if carried in a mug holder it can be dropped in and retrieved any which way.
Once you have hold of the mug it is a simple matter of finger pressure on the top to pop it open, and the same again to close and secure it. It is easy to check if it is open or not as the inner part of the top rotates freely when open. It is easy to drink from because you do not have to rotate or orientate the mug to find the drinking spout or hole; this 360° access is perfect if using it in confined space or a vehicle. The seal and mechanism are simple to disassemble to clean and really not ‘working parts’; easy enough to give a clean and dishwasher-safe for that deep clean when needed.
One feature I really like is the rubber non-slip base, which makes it safe to perch on a desk or vehicle bonnet and even more secure on that handy rock when outdoors ~ a nice touch. Mine is a ‘tactical black’ and there are four other colours available and its capacity is 350ml or 12 oz. This metal mug is well insulated, using vacuum and a copper coating to keep your brew hot or your cold drink cold. I even used this one in Sweden to prevent my cold drinking water from freezing in the well sub-zero temperatures. All-in-all, a very good and practical mug.
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¤ Lifesystems Insect Repellents Correction: A small error on my part was kindly flagged up by the Lifesystems PR team after publication. Expedition MAX is also acceptable for children and those that are more sensitive to DEET; this 50% DEET repellent has the addition of DermaLOC technology which reduces the DEET absorption by keeping it on the surface of the skin, thereby making it effective as an insect deterrent but less of an issue to the user.
[images © Mike Gormley]
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