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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LIFEVENTURE Magnetic Wireless Power Bank: Power on the move is an essential these days and in fact I find a power bank can be the best option to re-power phones, tablets and other devices at home as it seems to be quicker and more convenient than plugging into the mains.
This 10,000mAh unit is a very convenient size, not all that much larger overall than a credit card and weighs in at only 181g so no great burden when moving about around home or travelling. I frequently use it if out walking and camping overnight to keep my phone powered up. This gadget from Lifesystems has proved to be very durable and can live in my pocket and recharge my phone on the move. Notably for this particular power bank model, when static it also has a wireless ‘MagSafe’ feature, so for compatible phones it is just a case of placing it atop the charging ring. I have a fairly chunky protective cover on my phone, and it works with this.
I always feel wireless charging is a great thing to save the frequent use of the plugs and sockets which must over time become worn. If plugging in a device to charge it, the connector is USB-C type which is pretty standard these days and does seem to last well. We (Jean and I) have been using this one lot and it has proved to be a very handy item.
LIFEVENTURE RFiD Wallet: These days one cannot be too careful with personal electronic information and, importantly, recognising it can be stolen when you are not aware. Travellers tend to be more susceptible to being secretly scanned for card details, so it is no bad thing to have a wallet that will offer protection against those who like to help themselves to personal ID and card info. RFiD stands for Radio Frequency Identification and this wallet offers RfiD skimming protection with its nickel and copper coated polyester fabric.
As a functional wallet this is a good one. In fact it is very similar to the leather one I have had for many years so it was an easy transition. Conveniently sized, it is double folding and has a really good range of pockets and compartments to safely contain a range of cards as well as cash and change. The closure is an elasticated hook and loop fixing so adjusts to the number of items you have inside. It is made from largely recycled materials and is water-resistant. This was proved as I managed to drop mine in a wet and muddy farmyard and it was then driven over by a truck with no ill effects, other than getting somewhat muddy. This wallet has proven its worth in various ways.
[images © Mike Gormley]
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