Review: Lewis N. Clark Travel Products

I found out earlier this year, around March, that we would be given the opportunity to live in Europe because of my career. My wife and I were so excited to hear this. Initially I was told we would be going to Italy and would need to arrive there within the first 2 weeks of November. That was a long way off but it did give plenty of time to prepare.

My wife and I aren’t necessarily new to traveling, as we have been through almost every state in the Continental US. We are, though, new to overseas travel. Neither of us had been out of the country before other than when Jackie was a few months old when her father was stationed in Germany. She was too young to remember any of it.

So neither of us were quite sure what we were in for. I can confidently say that if it weren’t for some of the products offered by Lewis N. Clark, we would have been in some serious trouble.

The last time we flew was from PIT (Pittsburgh, PA) to SFO (San Francisco, CA) 2011. At the time we only had one child who was around 18 months old. The flight was only a few hours total and we were only going through a 3 hour time change.

This time we had a 6 year old, a 14 month old, and way more bags than we had hands to carry. The flight would be roughly 8.5 hours and making a total time change of 9 hours. I am sure you can understand the overwhelming feeling of anxiety my wife and I both felt. It’s one thing to make a flight on your own but to add kids into the mix, including one that can’t take care of herself, and way too many bags, I thought my world was ending.

Like I said, Lewis N Clark proved to really help out. One of the most useful products I was able to try was their Folding Luggage Cart ($37.49). 

I have to admit that I was a little annoyed at first by the weight limit of 55 pounds. Any more it’s difficult to find a bag that doesn’t already have built in wheels, so I wasn't sure what I could haul with this. Then I realized just what I needed a cart like this for! My daughter’s car seat!!

Without the cart, we would have likely lost something along the way or even just abandoned something out of sheer frustration. This thing really was a lifesaver.

The only thing that I didn’t like about it was that the bungees used to secure the load were not quite strong enough. Using a heavier bungee would allow a more stable load. There were more than a few times in which I would have to stop our luggage train to adjust. But even with that one problem it still saved us a HUGE headache, and it may have been because of the unwieldy shape of the carseat itself.

We were also offered a little more peace of mind with the luggage locks that were provided. The No-Fuss Keycard Lock ($12.49) seemed like a really cool idea.  The lock operated very smoothly though with a nice spring action to the shackle when the card was inserted accompanied by a satisfying click to know you did it right. That said, I honestly found it more frustrating to have to dig out my keys or my wallet to get the card out to unlock it.

The second lock was the Large-Dial Cable Lock ($13.99). I honestly loved this one. It took a bit to figure out how to set the combination but a few sore fingers later the code was set and I was ready to roll. I even reset the code a few different times when I couldn’t decide on a number.

The dials are nice and chunky with a smooth operation. They, as well, had that satisfying click to know that the digit was locked in. The flexible cable shackle made it easy to twist the lock into whatever position I needed to fit the angle at which I was working from. I am confident that the lock is well built and will likely last us the rest of my Army career.

The next piece was something that I had specifically requested. It’s not from their travel line but it seemed like a great idea. The ElectrolightBackpack ($31.49) is able to be stuffed into a very tiny sack that is permanently attached to the bag so it can’t be lost. It folds up into a tiny little ball that’s about half the size of a baseball. I thought this would be great for carrying whatever snacks and such we picked up at the airport while we waiting for our boarding call.

After opening the bag up I realized that I was mistake. The bag is very tiny and would not have suited our needs. We did, however, take the bag with us on a beach trip shortly before we left sunny California. We used it to carry some of my daughter’s sand toys.

The material on the bag was very easy to clean but due to the thickness of the material used I don’t think it would last very long. And I wouldn't try carrying any real weight in it. But for a lightweight, compact backpack that you carry with you in your pocket? It was great. I am sure that I can find more uses for it. But it just didn’t work out for what we needed at the airport.

Next up, we have the Electrolight Large Expandable PackingCube ($24.99). This is a great organizer to throw into your bag to keep small items from being lost in a sea of socks and t-shirts. 

I wouldn’t, however, use this for toiletry items unless you put them into a separate plastic zipper bag. The mesh material on the cube would let your deodorant, cologne, and body wash mingle with your clothes. No one likes to open their bag to find their pants dripping wet with Old Spice and tiny white specs on their underwear from their de-stinker stick.

Lastly, the Microbead Neck Pillow ($17.49) proved to be invaluable on a red-eye flight when you are stuck in the middle row with 2 children sleeping peacefully on either side of you (or so you might think because you slept most of the flight).

All of these products and many, MANY more can be found at their website listed below. Don’t forget to check out their social media pages to stay connected and get the most up to date information on all their new products.

Thanks, Lewis N. Clark, for making our trip go more smoothly!

You can also check out the review my fellow RCHReview writer, Aurora, did for their Outdoor Gear line of products.



http://www.lewisnclark.com/
Lewis N. Clark on Facebook
https://twitter.com/LewisNClarkGear
http://www.pinterest.com/lewisnclarkgear/