Have bidet, will travel

By JUDI DASH

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 13, 2000

It's easier to enjoy being a girl on the go with a batch of new products designed to enhance women's comfort. Items may be available in area stores. Prices do not include shipping.

HAT ON A ROLL: Found: the perfect sun hat. It's elegant and lightweight, and it really does roll up for packing, then come popping back up like new. The Roll-Up Travel Hat is made of a synthetic fiber that looks like finely woven straw. Its wide brim can be flipped up for a stylish look or turned down for more coverage. The hat, available in black, navy or natural, has replaced my usual baseball cap for sun protection at home and away. Trust me, you'll love this one.

Roll-Up Travel Hat (MH831) is $29 from Magellan's, (800) 962-4943; Web site: http://www.magellans.com. COOL TOP: The Supplex Travel Shirt is so lightweight and folds up to such a compact size that four of them occupy less space and weigh less than one regular cotton shirt, making them great for travel. But the real beauty of this cottonlike nylon shirt is the wicking treatment that makes it light and airy in the hottest, most humid climates. The nylon material drip-dries quickly after washing -- or a rain drenching. Tailored with an open-neck collar, six breast pockets with Velcro closures and undercover mesh ventilation at the back, the shirt is rugged enough for the hiking trail but stylish enough for a day in the city. Available in white, banana, blue, stone and terra cotta.

Long Supplex Travel Shirt (2523) is $49; shirt-sleeve version (2765), $44, from TravelSmith, (800) 950-1600; Web site: http://www.travelsmith.com.

DREAMY WRAP: First there was Dream Sack, a featherweight, silky sleep shirt that worked as a sleeping bag liner or sheet substitute in hotels with questionable housekeeping standards. Now the manufacturer has created the Dream Wrap out of the same luscious material. The 60-inch by 44-inch rectangle of silk can be used as a shawl, scarf, sarong, cover-up or lightweight blanket and comes in its own silk shoulder pouch. The Dream Wrap is available in a variety of subtle patterns in red, black, charcoal, olive or silver. Combine two for an outfit.

Dream Wrap (item WR110) is $45 from DreamSacks Inc., (800) 670-7661; Web site: http://www.dreamsack.com.

HAIR SPONGE: The Essential Hair Dryer is a lightweight, high-absorbency towel that takes up so little space it's worth packing along no matter how limited your luggage -- even for a weekend away or a trip to the gym. Made of a soft, cottonlike microfiber, the 13-inch by 32-inch towel is designed to be wrapped around the hair after washing to speed the drying process. The manufacturer says the towel absorbs six times faster than the average towel, thanks to tiny filaments that work like sponges; whether or not that's hype, the towel does soak up a surprising amount of moisture while remaining soft and comfortable.

Essential Hair Dryer is $16 at luggage stores. To find a store, contact the distributor, Confirm International, (877) 794-0357; Web site: http://www.confirmintl.com.

SANITARY AIDE: Whether out for a day hike or dealing with public restrooms on the road, hygiene is often a concern for the traveling woman. Toto, a manufacturer of toilets, has introduced a battery-operated, 5-inch by 21/2-inch by 13/4-inch portable plastic bidet that takes some of the worry out of the challenge. Fill the 8-ounce canister with water, extend the 4-inch-long nozzle, push a button, and a spray of water issues forth. (You'll have to supply your own towel or toilet paper.) The bidet operates on one AA battery (included) and comes with a carry strap and leatherette sack.

Toto Portable Bidet Washlet (item HW300) is $128. For the closest store, call the manufacturer, (800) 350-8686; Web site: http://www.totousa.com/offers/residential/portable.html.

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