by We are in what Amazon calls their Prime Days. They are running sales on a number of items exclusively for those with Amazon Prime. However, this includes those who signup for a free 30-day free trial as well as those who sign up for an Amazon Prime for Young Adult (18-24) membership which includes a 6-month free trial. The latter might be ideal if you have a kid off to college or even the military.
To be clear, I am an Amazon affiliate and receive commissions on items you purchase.
My plan is that any commissions or bounties that I earn this year will be earmarked as donations for the Virginia militia clause lawsuit. It will eventually go to the Virginia Supreme Court and appellate litigation isn’t cheap.
The items below are some that I’ve either used in the field or travel or items that I discovered after cruising through the Amazon site which I think are both useful and well-priced.
For Travel
The background noise on planes is annoying. It is especially annoying on long flights. I found these Soundcore Anker Life Q20 noise canceling headphones invaluable. They allowed me to sleep while on a 16 hour flight to South Africa, I could listen to a podcast using Bluetooth, or I could watch a movie without disturbing my seatmates. The battery life is long enough that if I charge them before I leave the US, they will last through the flight to Johannesburg and back. There are more expensive headphones such as those from Bose or Sony but these have worked for me.
Two things I have bought to go with these are a hardshell case and the Avantree Relay Bluetooth dongle that plugs into the plane seatback. The dongle allows me to avoid have to use a cord connection. You can find more expensive cases but this one has worked well for me and is only about $8. I put one of those giveaway carabiners on it and clip it to my backpack or to the seat.
I see that Anker now makes noise canceling earbuds. I have not tried them but for under $30 they seem like a deal. They would be less obtrusive than the headphones. One interesting feature is they have AI powered instant foreign language translation. That is pretty cool. I wonder if Afrikaans is one of those languages.
I bought this 26″ Amazon Basics suitcase a year or so ago and it has survived a number of trips. When the majority of suitcases coming down the baggage carousel are black, an orange suitcase stands out. It has allowed me to find my suitcase rather quickly and then go. As the name says, Basics. It doesn’t have integrated TSA locks but for the price I can live with it.
We all travel with an assortment of electronics nowadays from our phones to our iPads to Kindles. Keeping track of all the cords, chargers, adaptors, etc. is a headache. I found this medium size organizer ideal. It allows me to carry all my cords, adaptors, chargers, and even a powerbank in one case. It is under $10 during Prime Days and is worth every penny.
And speaking of power banks, I have found this Dark Energy Poseidon Pro Indestructible Portable Charger just right. It has enough juice to keep my electronics alive, it is rugged, and it doesn’t weigh a ton. I have other power banks but they are like bricks. The Dark Energy Poseidon fits nicely in the case above.
For Shooting, Hunting, the Outdoors, and EDC
Can you ever have enough flashflights? This little OLight imini 2 flashlight for your keychain is ideal. I have an older version but this looks be easier to recharge.
If you want something just a bit larger and more powerful, this OLight I3T EOS 180 Lumens Dual-Output is ideal. It can even be clipped to your hat brim when you need to use both hands. I bought one a year or so ago and it is part of my EDC. It uses only one AAA battery. If you think about it, we have come so far in flashlights. I still remember my old red Eveready flashlight that took 2 D-cells and put out a dim light compared to even the keychain light above. I hear they are considered “retro” and sell for a good price on EBay.
The next item isn’t cheap but then again neither are hearing aids. I have this set of ISOtunes Sport Caliber BT in-the-ear electronic plugs. They allow amplified sound of your surroundings but have a 25 NRR. I have used them at the range and they work well. Just as importantly, they are comfortable. I have tried others that have cords like those from Axil but I can never work the controls easily. Short of having custom made electronic plugs, these are a very reasonable and workable alternative.
We all need another knife. Well, kinda. That said this Cold Steel SRK Compact is a good buy at around $26. It is over 50% off its MSRP. I always keep a knife or two in the car and at this price I think the Cold Steel SRK Compact would work well. As my younger daughter would say, the handle has “grippage”.
I intend to update this as I find more items of interest.
