New items for viewing bears on the Naknek River in Alaska

I follow many influencers on Instagram -- they obtain new products, use them, abuse them, wear them, and then give their opinions on how, what, why and where you can and whether you should purchase. Think of me as your Half Past First Cast influencer – except no one pays me to post about their products. I pay for them with my own precious money and then tell you what I really think.

As we prepare to return to Alaska this week, I’m excited to test a few items that I think will make our trip a little more smooth, efficient and practical. Here are some that excite me most.

Color coordinated hat clip holder for travel

Hat Clip Holder – Rather than smushing your hat inside your bag, with this you can just clip the hat then affix it to your bag to keep from losing or have it fall off; hands free. This is a must for a hand talker (Yes Pete, I know you hate when I talk with my hands -- you think it’s a distraction). It’s also good for situations like the beach where you may want to take off your hat on a windy day. This is the perfect failsafe idea. They come in a variety of colors, so you can be extra-fashionable.

Tactical colored horizontal pouch for travel

Tactical Molle Horizontal Compact Admin Pouch – Continuing with the hands-free concept, I purchased this to attach to my backpack to hold my phone, money, passport, lip balm, etc. When I get to the counter at the airport, I don’t have to take my backpack off, fumble for my items (which should be in the same place all the time, but I like to change things up and forget where I put them), wait to get them back to put them away and struggle to put my backpack back on. This pouch attaches with snapping straps to the strap on your backpack. It comes with a shoulder strap as well, in order to use as a cross body attachment if you drop your backpack off once you get to your destination. It comes in “tactical” colors -- no pink or blue -- but I like that the black blends in with my backpack. One more benefit: It doesn’t count as an extra carry-on. Finally, it has a lifetime warranty.

Hydaway Collapsible Water Bottle and Case – I refuse to purchase a water when at the airport and my outside backpack pocket that most use for their water bottle carries my camera sticks and the HPFC banner. I drink a lot of water, so I purchased the largest capacity Hydaway. It’s a 25 oz flip top lid -- but the most important feature is that it’s COLLAPSABLE to 1.5 inches. As a result, it fits in a case that hangs on my backpack. It’s watertight, made of food grade silicone, dishwasher safe, fits in most vehicle cup holders (when expanded) and it comes with a one year guarantee. The case is sold separately and both bottle and case come in different colors. It’s so important to stay hydrated but the ability to be hands-free once I take the last sip is what sold me. I will get back to you on leakage, whether it keeps the liquid hot or cold, and if you get that silicone taste when drinking.

USA Gear Flex ARMOR X DSLR SLR Camera Case – I am very careful to protect my most valuable tools and my Nikon D3500 camera is number one on my list. The majority of my pictures are taken from a boat, and elements like water and sun make protecting it tough. I recently bought a second identical camera to be more efficient -- I don’t have to change my lenses back and forth. It will require that I reorganize my camera backpack to hold everything. This item is a neoprene case that cushions the camera from bumps and scratches. It’s also waterproof. If I just want to take the camera to dinner (it really does take better pictures than our phone), I can place the camera in the case and put it in a smaller purse, handbag or backpack without worrying about damage. The outside pocket holds memory cards, spare batteries and lens filters. The case comes with a three year manufacturer warranty.

Orange cross body phone lanyard and wrist strap that looks like a dog leash

Phone Lanyard Crossbody and Wrist Strap – I constantly have my phone in my hand (waiting for you to contact me to book a trip, of course), but on the rare occasions I set it down I have to remember where I put it. Not all pockets are meant to have items in them, especially in women’s apparel. I have so much on my mind all the time I am constantly leaving things places, or thinking I have left things places (this drives Pete crazy) so I needed to find something to avoid these stresses. I think I’ve found the perfect solution in this detachable crossbody phone lanyard. The only con I can think of is it kind of looks like a dog leash. It probably doesn’t help that I purchased it in my favorite color, orange. The lanyard has worked wonders, kept me from setting and forgetting, and dropping my phone. It is long enough that when you sit for a meal or when you want to tuck it away you can fit it in a large pocket. It has a pad that you put through the charging hole of your phone case, then put your phone cover back on and connect the lanyard. They also offer a wrist strap with the same connections when you need that extra protection against theft or a great way to help handle your phone when doing a workout like hiking, jogging or just when you need your hands free.

The MILEPOST – While the items listed above excite me, I have no doubt that this book will be the most useful purchase for our trip. It’s a best-selling travel guide that provides mile by mile descriptions of more than 15,000 miles of roads across Alaska, Yukon, Northwest territories, British Columbia and Alberta. It’s updated yearly and we will use it to make sure we don’t miss a thing when driving from Anchorage to Homer and Homer to Seward and back to our starting point of Anchorage. In Alaska, the mileposts are often used to navigate the vast highway system and help us identify our exact location and every detail and things to see so we don’t miss a beat (You read that right, Pete -- sightseeing and lots of it). It’s the perfect guidebook for my FOMO personality.

The MILEPOST provides exceptional information on accommodations, camping, fishing, gas stops, restaurants, attractions and services. The traveling section answers FAQs. It maps out suggested itineraries, has more than 690 photos and describes numerous special attractions that might not be immediately obvious.

Why not just use Google? The MILEPOST offers extensive and detailed information specifically tailored to Alaska when you may not have internet access!! It’s the most comprehensive resource available and while it’s kind of big, it’s remarkably user-friendly and convenient.

We look forward to doing a lot of Live Facebook videos, posting pictures and short videos which will have these items in them. Let us know if you purchase any of these items and how you liked them.

If you’d like to see Alaska up close or in person, contact me at fishmore@halfpastfirstcast.com and I can fill you in on the details. We love our “family” at Bear Trail Lodge, and there are endless things to do in the country’s largest and wildest state.