Evan Roth is an artist known for his boundary-pushing work. His latest project is no exception. He's creating a series of metal plates with messages carved in to them that will only show up when going through an X-ray machine.

They're made to be stowed away in your carry-on luggage as a surprise to stressed out TSA employees. Hilarity and/or a full search will surely result!

Roth has yet to test these plates, so if anyone out there has a spare X-ray machine laying around, get at him.

Related Stories:
· Evan Roth [Official Site]
· Airport Screener X-Ray Message Plates [Gizmodo]
· Airport Security coverage [Jaunted]]]> Dan Gould 2008-09-29T10:00:36-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/19/9258/28934

Yesterday, Jaunted went to check out Abercrombie & Kent's newest offerings at New York's Rockefeller Center.

A&K was showcasing their awesome Extreme Adventure trips with displays that replicated some of the many challenging expeditions they offer. These vacations are serious business: Stuff like skiing to the South Pole, traversing Norway by sled dog and white water rafting in New Zealand. As opposed to Abercrombie's usual luxury tours, Extreme Adventures (as the name implies) put your abilities to the test in very demanding environments.

They were also displaying a new line of rugged bags from Tumi's T-Tech line. The Polycarbonate, Hydro and Adventure collections are designed for high performance but are stylish enough for everyday use. Seen in the photo above--behind the camel--are a few pieces from the Hydro series: These bonded polyurethane bags are 98 percent water resistant and will withstand temperatures of 20 degrees below without cracking.

Head over to the T-Tech site for more on the bags; you can also sign up to win a once-in-a-lifetime trek to the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Related Stories:
· A&K Extreme Adventures [Official Site]
· Tumi T-Tech [Official Site]
· Adventure Travel coverage [Jaunted]]]> Dan Gould 2008-09-19T11:05:30-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/12/94659/9218

Timbuk2 bags are awesome. Identifiable by the trademark spiral logo, they come in a rainbow of colors and fresh styles, that will stand out against the sea of lame black bags in airports worldwide.

The company is best known for its messenger and laptop bags, but they've recently introduced a line of luggage for travel ninjas, people who need fast access to pockets to easily pull out laptops and whatnot, so you can fly through security without having a Kanye-like breakdown.

If that seems a bit above your ninja pay grade, Timbuk2 also makes bags for everything from a week long work-cation to a spontaneous two day getaway. They all come with features that'll help zip you past less savvy travelers on your way to travel win.

Related Stories:
· Timbuk2 [Official Site]
· Timbuk2 Travel Suitcases Feature Pockets for Ninjas (OK, Geeks) [Gizmodo]
· Luggage coverage [Jaunted]]]> Dan Gould 2008-09-12T11:30:27-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/27/11242/7637

What's with these Swedish airports? Tuesday, a 78-year-old woman laid down on a baggage belt at Stockholm-Arlanda Airport and was swept down a luggage chute before anyone could stop her.

Thinking the ride was part of check-in procedures, the woman, who was on the way to Germany, quickly surfaced at the airport's baggage handling center, where she was helped back to the terminal by staff.

She escaped unharmed--and even managed to catch her flight!

Related Stories:
· Woman Goes Down Baggage Chute at Airport [AFP, via]
· Don't Check People: Suitcase Dwarf Stuns Airport [Jaunted]

[Photo of ARN: Wikimedia]]]> pbb 2008-08-27T11:03:26-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/31/104650/182

Software glitches at JFK on Wednesday caused monumental baggage hassles for passengers, as workers sorted luggage by hand and suitcases didn't make it on flights leaving Terminal 8. American Airlines was even telling passengers they could elect to take a later flight if their baggage couldn't be found.

Flier Mike Howell had the punch line everyone was thinking:

If they do charge people 15 dollars per bag, they should get it right.

American says many of the flights were international--routes on which the baggage fee isn't charged--but they're having trouble making that message stick. Maybe AA could post it to the airline's blog?

Related Stories:
· Baggage System Breakdown Delays Flights [AP, via Yahoo]
· Baggage System Meltdown at JFK [BT]
· Airport Hell coverage [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-07-31T10:50:02-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/30/83733/2094

The last hi-tech suitcase we looked at can follow you, but we're still waiting to see a live version. What we have seen in real life is the Live Luggage electric-powered suitcase, and after hearing what a UK Times reporter had to say after taking this case on holidays, we've decided to stick with what we've got.

This motor-powered suitcase has quite a few drawbacks, starting from the fact that when it's empty, it already weighs 25 pounds, so you're going to have to pack super light. It's hard to get up and down stairs--and we also think it's ugly. Sure, when you're pulling it on a flat surface the motor makes it really easy, but since the British version costs £700 (almost $1,400) we're really not thinking it's worth it.

Related Stories:
· Live Luggage [Official Site]
· The £700 Motor Suitcase That Drove Me Wild [UK Times]
· The Suitcase You Can't Lose [Jaunted]

[Photo: LiveLuggage] amandak 2008-07-30T09:45:26-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/29/93834/4374

Visions of epic travel don't generally include a hand-me-down pea green hard case. And besides, with some airlines now charging for checked luggage, finding a overhead bin-sized bag is key.

Swiss company Freitag has an elegant solution to the travel bag dilemma. The F37 Renegade bag is part of a collection of luggage that's made out of colorful recycled truck tarps, seat belts and inner tubes. The Renegade is industrial-grade tough, waterproof, meets most size regulations for carry on luggage and even has handles on the bottom to easily get it in and out of the overhead bin.

The coolest feature on the Renegade, though, is its ability to zip apart into two separate bags. The top piece can be used as a day pack and the large bottom compartment can stay back at the hotel.

Since Freitag uses a random collection of truck tarps for the outer skin of the bag, no two are alike; you'll never have to worry about getting this bag mixed up with someone else's. And thanks to its construction from reclaimed materials, the F37 is also a winner from a sustainability perspective.

Related Stories:
· Freitag [Official Site]
· Baggage coverage [Jaunted]
· Travel Gear coverage [Jaunted]]]> Dan Gould 2008-07-29T13:45:25-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/