Real Shopping
Cool Travel Gear • Cookware & Gadgets • RFT Marketplace
What's shopping have to do with being a real food traveler? Well, a gal's gotta do something between meals!
No, really, realfoodtraveler is all about everything authentic in the travel experience. And we believe that shopping can be a very authentic experience. Like the regional and artisan foods we love, we favor goods that are handcrafted and made by the locals. We love quirky places that are original and places that, like independent restaurants, bakeries, and other food businesses, represent someone's dream. That's what we bring you in Real Shopping.
As always, dear readers, if you know of a shop, market, or artisan who produces items we should know about, let us know. Perhaps we'll pay them a visit and they'll end up in our favorites in Real Shopping.
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Cocoons Over Rx Sunglasses: Seeing Clearly
I was concerned. Either my eyes would be protected from the sun with sunglasses, but the world would be blurry, or I’d be able to see clearly, but would be blinded by snow.
TravelSmith’s Anorack Rain Jacket Saved My Life — Three Times!
In Canada’s Yukon, weather is unpredictable. Despite it being mid-August, TravelSmith’s Anorack Rain Jacket saved my life, not once, but three times!
LL Bean’s Ridge Runner Day Pack
As a travel editor, I schlep luggage through airports all over the world. To save money and time, I prefer to carry on a small roll-aboard and a “personal item.”
TravelSmith Clothing: Fashionable, Comfortable, Smart
Spain is known for fashion. The locals typically look put together even when their clothing is casual. Tourists stick out in their shorts, baggy pants, and running shoes.
TravelSmith Beats the Heat Test
Shreveport, Louisiana where temperatures are soaring into the 90s. The question: what to wear to look professional and not die from the heat? TravelSmith to the rescue!
High Sierra AT505: A Versatile Workhorse
With escalating fees being charged by airlines for luggage, we found a bag that will do it all — it’s large enough allow you to pack enough stuff, small enough to carry on, and it’s stylish and easy to use.
Borch Maps: Heavy-Duty Direction
I love maps. They ground me as much as help me find my way. Borch maps, durable, water-repellant, and durable can help with trip planning as well as directing your travel on the road.
Write On: Tough Pens for Tough Conditions
On a trip to the Yukon where the temperature can drop as low as -20° or even -30° F., I realized not all of the pens I normally use would work.
LL Bean Mountain Fleece Vest: Cozy and Good Looking
Weather on the Sechelt Peninsula in British Columbia is rarely extreme temperature-wise, but it can be exceedingly fickle. A comfortable, well-fitted vest is a definite plus in one’s wardrobe.
PacSafe’s CamSafe 200: Big, Rainproof, Theft-proof!
In planning a scouting trip to Spain for realfoodtraveler.com, we’d read horror stories about pickpockets and thieves slashing and grabbing bags, especially in popular tourist areas like La Rambla in Barcelona.
PacSafe MetroSafe Shoulder Bag: Worry-free Convenience
Everyone said be careful on Las Ramblas in Barcelona… pickpockets everywhere. “They will slash your bag and leave you with just a strap around your neck,” people warned us.
More Travel Products RFT Likes
A sampling of some of our favorite things to bring along.
