1. FIRST AID The Smart Travel package, from ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Medical Kits, goes beyond mere bandages, with electro­lytes, antidiarrheals, field dressings, a thermometer, and more. $40;

2. CAMERA Nikon's new compact 13.5-mega­pixel Coolpix P6000 has an onboard GPS that logs exactly where in the world each photo was taken. $500; LIGHT The battery slot in Gerber's Omnivore can accept a range of sizes, from standards like AA and AAA to camera cells like CR123. $39; PURIFIER The slim, 3.6-ounce SteriPen ºÚÁϳԹÏÍør uses UV light to kill all the nasties lurking in that hostel tap. $100;

3. STUFF SACK Granite Gear's AirVent DryBloc Solid lets you get away with a smaller pack (or more souvenirs) by compressing clothes into a tight bundle while still allowing moisture to escape. $27;

4. PANTS Cloudveil's comfortable Dyno Pant is made from a stretchy, quick-drying nylon twill that resists wrinkles even after it's been stuffed into a pack for a week. $75;
SHIRT An odor-fighting Cocona-and-polyester blend makes Eddie Bauer's Short-Sleeve Trail Shirt both comfortable and practical on the road. $50;

5. PACK With theft-resistant zippers, padded gadget pouches, and a central locking point to secure the main compartment, Eagle Creek's 65-liter Truist is the most traveler-friendly backpack we've seen. Pack, $230; Travel Safe TSA Lock, $9;

6. SHOES Your travel plans should never be restricted by your shoes. Our favorite go-anywhere pair is the Merrell Gemini, which has a Vibram sole for rough roads and a waterproof leather upper that never looks out of place. $125;

7. SAFE The generous padding in Pacsafe's InnerSafe 19L protects pricey electronic equipment against damage, while the stainless-steel mesh prevents slash-and-grabs when the bag is locked to a secure fixture. $100;

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After news reports revealed that our trusty Nalgenes contained a hormone-disrupting toxin called bisphenol-A, or BPA, drinking out of anything suddenly seemed like a high-risk activity. While sipping from polycarbonate clearly won’t kill you, we started wondering where else BPA (or other nasties) might be hiding in our bottles. This is what we found:

Klean Kanteen

Klean Kanteen

Common Bicycle Bottle

WHAT IT IS:High-density polyethylene (HDPE, recycle code 2) or low-density polyethylene (LDPE, recycle code 4).
UPSIDE: These plastic bottles are BPA-free and safe from chemical leaching.
DOWNSIDE: None. Drink up!

Sigg Bottle

WHAT IT IS: Epoxy-lined aluminum.
UPSIDE: Light and durable, like plastic.
DOWNSIDE: Unclear. The liner inside Sigg bottles may contain BPA, though the company won’t confirm or deny it. A similar epoxy liner found in most aluminum cans has been known to leach small amounts of BPA into food, but Sigg says its liner formula is unique and that no BPA was detected during a company-funded study of water stored in its bottles. Still, CEO Steve Wasik says Sigg is “exploring new suppliers” for its liners.

Klean Kanteen
WHAT IT IS: Stainless steel.
UPSIDE: This food-industry-standard steel is basically inert, with no BPA or epoxy liner.
DOWNSIDE: None. Both chromium and nickel are found in stainless steel and are toxic in very high doses, but neither leaches at a higher level than what’s allowed in your faucet water.

Common Consumer Water Bottle

WHAT IT IS: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET, recycle code 1).
UPSIDE: There’s no BPA in PET.
DOWNSIDE: Think twice about storing PET bottles in your trunk this summer. A recent study found they can leach enough antimony, a toxic metal, to violate EPA safe-drinking limits when stored at high temperatures—38 days at 149 degrees, or just 12 days at 158 degrees.

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1. The Shoes Patagonia’s Pau loafers are dress-code-ready and slipper-comfortable, and will help you race through security. $110;

Travel Gear

2. The Read Put down that in-flight catalog. Amazon’s 10.3-ounce Kindle lets you wirelessly download newspapers, mags, blogs, and one of 110,000 books. $400;

3. The Shades The photochromic lenses in Smith’s Capital sunglasses darken for window-seat glare, while the frame’s super-bendy material makes for worry-free stowing. $180;

4. The Bag Ellington’s durable, carry-on-friendly Clark Briefcase has pockets for your laptop and electronics, and a style that works from first-class to bush plane. $400; ellingtonleather.com

5. The Laptop With a 13.3-inch screen, five-hour battery, and three-pound, three-fourths-inch-slim body, Apple’s 1.6-GHz MacBook Air is the most travel-friendly laptop yet. $1,800;

6. The Entertainment Cowon’s 8GB D2 media player fits in a shirt pocket, but its brilliant 2.5-inch color touchscreen makes videos and pictures seem larger. $200;

7. The Wallet Big enough for boarding passes and oversize currency, Mulholland’s leather Passport Case with Ticket Pouch is your key to preflight organization. $110;

8. The Charger Tumi’s Electronics Mobile Power Pack can recharge your phone, iPod, and camera midflight and still have juice to spare. $135;

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