This mug was actually marketing swag from one of the law firms I work with. It is constructed with dual aluminum walls separated by a vaccum partition. It is the same tech used for Swell bottles. It keeps its contents hot (or cold) by minimizing heat transfer to or from the contents of the mug. The only complaint that I have is that it occasionally works a little too well. I mean this in the sense that sometimes I have to wait a little bit longer than I would like to for the coffee to cool down to a drinkable temperature, and it has resulted in a scalded tongue on more than one occasion.

The only downside (in my opinion) is that the mug cannot be used to warm up my hand. This isn’t always a desired characteristic. But on chilly mornings, it can certainly be nice to use a traditional mug full of hot coffee to keep my paws toasty. I have to credit Britt for bringing these. She packed the kitchen box. I probably would not have even thought to bring these. But I’m sure glad that she did!

This speaker is a collaboration that Burton did with Braven. It was made during the early days of bluetooth speakers, and as such is pretty basic. It has four buttons: Power, Play, Up, Down. I have used it almost every day since the day I bought it (over 7 years ago), and it is still going strong! It has been with me on three different continents, so it is only fitting that I have it with me now. It holds a charge for several days, and can be used as a backup phone charger if needed. The sound is pretty decent for its size, and it is basically bulletproof.

For the month of April I have given myself an objective: to write a little something each day about an item that I brought with me into “isolation,” while we weather the effects of this pandemic. Some of the items are essentials; others, less so. I have not planned out the whole month yet, but I have a solid mental list. Some of the items are brand specific. Other items, not at all. That is the gist of it. With this explanation out of the way, let’s get to it!

James Folding Blade Pocket Knife. This gem was found in the toe of my Christmas stocking last year (thanks Britt!). Since then it has basically sat in the valet tray on my nightstand, except for the occasional use breaking down Amazon boxes and the like. That was, of course, until I decamped to the Catskills two weeks ago. Since the day we arrived, this piece has lived clipped into the corner of my back pocket and used multiple times per day. It is dangerously sharp. I have used it to cut everything from wood to aluminum cans. Though I haven’t resorted to whittling yet, I have found that the clip works as a bottle opener in a pinch. This is hands-down my favorite blade I have ever owned (except for sentimental reasons, maybe the buck knife that my dad gave me in preparation of our first hunting outing)  😉