August 2021

---

As road trip season continues, our travel news column concentrates on "tips" this time out. Here we recommend a handful of products that you might want to have on hand for your next travel adventure whether you're going camping in your home state or heading to an overseas destination. And since it's important to stay hydrated no matter where you're going we begin with some pH balanced water that comes in awesome reusable bottles.

PATH Water

PATH Water is 100% responsibly and locally-sourced purified water (reverse osmosis filtered) that comes in a refillable aluminum bottle. That means you're not creating plastic empties every time you drink a bottle, and the aluminum container also keeps your water cold for much longer than a plastic bottle could. PATH Water bottles are BPA-free and have industry-leading thicker walls to make them extremely durable and have a wide mouth opening so you can do some serious swigging. And when the time comes that you don't want to refill your bottle anymore, all PATH Water bottles can go to the recycle bin. PATH Water has three varieties available: Still, Alkaline and Sparkling that come in 20.3 or 25 ounce bottles (Sparkling in 20.3 ounce only.) All are pH balanced and all have electrolytes added for taste. PATH Water can be found in retail outlets across the country, including at convenience stores like ampm, or you can order online here:

My Medic First Aid Kit

While we're on the subject of staying hydrated and following safety protocols while you're on the road, it's always a good idea to have a first aid kit with you when you travel as things do happen. We're not talking about a basic kit with a few bandages and burn balm in it, but rather a well-stocked kit that'll have you prepared for all kinds of minor injuries and painful situations. My Medic makes a wide variety of first aid kits and their My FAK (My First Aid Kit) has, as you would expect, a wide variety of bandages, sterile pads and gauze pads along with antiseptic towelettes, alcohol prep pads and meds like ibuprofen, acetaminophen and Diotame for relief of traveler's diarrhea. But there's a lot more! Also included are disposable gloves, insect bite pain reliever towelettes, packs of "super sanitizer," tubes of liquid skin and a "super skin" bandage, a finger splint, burn and scald emergency care, a survival rescue blanket and a whistle that can clip onto your belt or backpack, hydrocortisone cream, sunscreen lotion, lip balm, white petroleum skin protectant, oral pain relief packets for sore mouth and toothache and triple antibiotic. And that's still not all! There's a wound closure strip, a flashlight with "pupil gauge," a digital thermometer for taking body temperature, a compression bandage, bandage tape, tweezers, sterile saline topical solution and a CPR shield for mouth to mouth resuscitation for use by those who have CPR training. All of this comes in a small soft side pack that's about the size of half a loaf of bread so it won't take up too much space when attached to your gear (with a Velcro strap) or carried separately. Now won't you feel better having this with you, doctor? My Medic also makes larger kits and specialty kits and sells supplies separately. See their entire line here:

Starlette Galleria Jewelry

Named after founder Olivia Starling, Starlette Galleria is a small, mom-owned company that makes luxury jewelry for women that is fabulous and fabulously affordable. There are lots of reasons to occasionally swap out your engagement ring or other piece of cherished jewelry for a piece from Starlette Galleria, not the least of which is when you're traveling and concerned that you might lose your jewelry or worse, be robbed, in some faraway land. Starlette Galleria's 1.5 carat princess cut solitaire ring, for example, features simulated diamond made of AAA cubic zirconia (that actually sparkles more than a diamond does) set in 925 sterling silver plated with rhodium. It will never tarnish or turn your finger green, though your friends might turn green with envy! They don't have to know that you only paid a little over $100 for the piece. Starlette Galleria offers 50 different rings in all, plus bracelets, necklaces and earrings, including brilliant round cut studs that perfectly match the aforementioned solitaire. See the complete Starlette Galleria line here.

Candles from Malicious Women Company

Just who are the malicious women who run this company? The company offers a bunch of descriptors, including "a tribe of likeminded, kick ass women standing together" and "a group of empowered women who are motivated, determined and ready to slay the day." Not in the rather lengthy list of Malicious Women Company attributes is a sense of humor, but clearly the ladies operate in many cases with a wink and a nod. Examples are the funny and often snarky sayings that they imprint on their candle labels, like "Congrats on Your First Wedding," "Colorful Hair, Don't Care!," "Every Great Mom Says the "F" Word" and "Sorry For What I Said When We Were Trying to Park the Camper." Candles are made of soy and come in cute little tins and there are over 100 sayings to choose from, so if you don't want an "I Wet My Plants!" candle, just browse. There are candles featuring the signs of the zodiac, candles celebrating female empowerment and plenty of candles that drop the F bomb. Of course there are a wide variety of scents available too. Travelers who camp or those who spend time outdoors even if it's in the back yard should check out Malicious Women Company's citronella-infused candles to keep bugs at bay, and also on offer are small "fire starters" that'll get your campfire or fire pit going (not for indoor use.) Monthly subscription boxes are available too and if you sign up for these you'll receive an exclusive candle in each shipment that is not otherwise available. And for sure you'll have lots of fun viewing all the varieties that the Malicious Women Company sells here.

Share this article

---