Merino Wool

It came in the mail. Gear, gadgets and reading material for travelers

Courtesy Library of Congress, via Flickr Commons


All sorts of cool and curious things show up in the mail at Stuck at the Airport headquarters here in Seattle.

Much of it gets adopted and used in our travels. Or shared with our readers.

Here’s a round-up of some recent arrivals I’ll be testing out or bringing along on an upcoming 10 -day trip that will take me to London, Singapore and Hong Kong with just a carry-on bag.

One t-shirt, 10 days?

Clothing made of Merino wool is touted as being super soft and comfortable, lightweight, wrinkle-resistant and magically able to keep you warm in the cold and cool in the heat.

And it’s supposed to be stink-resistant.

The folks at Unbound Merino say their t-shirts, socks, briefs and hoodies can be worn for weeks or months at a time. I’m going to test out one of their shirts – at least for a few days.

More stuff from my BuzzBOX

From my recent BuzzBOX delivery, I’m tucking a handful of Handzies Soap + Water Wipes into my purse, backpack and carry-on bag. Made with natural castile soap, water and essential oils, they smell way better than hand sanitizers and will certainly come in … handy.

Books – about Paris, Japan, and life

E-books and audio books are great, but I still like carrying at least one turn-the-pages book.

I’m a museum fan, so delighted that Running Press sent along The Little(r) Museums of Paris, An Illustrated Guide to the City’s Hidden Gems by Emma Jacobs. The book is due out in June and includes many off-beat spots I’m looking forward to exploring on my next visit.

There’s also new book by travel writer and journalist Pico Iyer – Autumn Light: Season of Fire and Farewells- that Publishers Weekly describes as “an engrossing narrative, a moving meditation on loss, and an evocative, lyrical portrait of Japanese society.”  I will also pack tissues.