My buddy Jim Martin writes "Mobile Computing," and he's got a lot of good travel tips. Haven't heard of him yet? Check out some of his offerings. You can sign up for his newsletter, too.

I think I'm about to step on his toes... I'm birding in Bangor, Maine, with my wife, Judy, as I type this, and I have some neat products to tell you about.

Slice, Dice, and Split Your MP3 Player

The first is Griffin's SmartShare, a really useful headphone splitter. While we're on the plane, it lets both of us listen to podcasts on the same MP3 player. The idea isn't new; I've had one from Radio Shack for years. The coolness of the $15 SmartShare is that each listener has their own volume control.

But I'm worried that you're still using the cheapo headphones that came with your MP3 player. Pal, you need some better gear. Check out what PC World reviewer Richard Baguley has to say about a dozen headphones. He reviewed over-the-ear and in-the-ear models, and gives you the scoop about noise-canceling headphones. Read "Music to Your Ears" for more than you ever thought you'd need to know. Also read "Great In-Ear Headphones" for a look at music maven Eric Dahl's favorites. One more: Shure's new E500PTH has a nifty Push-to-Hear feature I got a glimpse of at January's CES. Read more about it in Agam Shah's June "Digital Gear."

Dig This: Turns out that peeling potatoes is way more entertaining than peeling eggs. Be sure to turn down your sound before you watch this, though.

Packing a Notebook and Camera

When I have to fly, I end up stuffing a daypack with my notebook, camera, and lenses--all bubble-wrapped--plus snacks, books, and heaven knows what else.

A PR buddy laughed when I told him about this and suggested I try a daypack from LowePro. I'm a sucker for these things, so I agreed.

He sent me a Rolling CompuTrekker AW. The heavily padded, $170 daypack has room for five camera lenses, two SLRs, a 12-inch notebook, and lots of cables and accessories. Despite the 12-inch spec, my 13-inch ThinkPad made it in. It was a tight fit, though, especially annoying every time I had to take it out for the airport security people.

With all the equipment, I was happy about the CompuTrekker's telescoping handle and rolling wheels--sure made it easier to walk through the airport. Once I was at the hotel and dropped off my notebook, I used the CompuTrekker as a daypack.

The downside was that my notebook went in a pocket at the front of the daypack, occasionally causing it to tip over. The solution, and it's definitely a workaround, was laying the pack flat on its back unless I was holding it.

Dig This: Blowing things up--it's a guy thing, I know. That's why I couldn't resist watching the whole, uh, thing.

Waterproof Traveling

A few weeks ago I wrote a "Hassle-Free PC" column about the hassles of dropping my digital camera into the ocean. I followed it up with "Tips & Tweaks: Water + Camera = Trouble."

Back then I didn't know about LowePro's waterproof daypacks. Now I do, and I had a chance to try one--the DryZone 100. The pack has lots of compartments for cameras and lenses, and the dividers are Velcro-attached so they're easily rearranged or removed. The inner flap has a weird-looking, heavy, waterproof zipper that's not especially easy to open or close--but I'm not complaining, because that's how it keeps the water out. Plus, I like being able to attach a tripod onto the pack and then sling the whole kit and caboodle onto my back.

I wasn't foolish enough to put my Nikon or its lenses in to test the DryZone's skills at keeping things dry. Instead, I stuffed it with newspaper, took it in the backyard, grabbed the hose, and drenched it. Everything inside stayed dry.

Of course, the DryZone isn't cheap. It's over $200, even discounted. An alternative is the Pelican 1510 waterproof camera case, which runs about $160.

Dig This: If you love your kitten, you'll get her one of these terrific--and terrifically expensive--cat toys.

More Travel Tips

My buddy Jim Martin has a slew of articles you'll want to check out.

• "Travel Tips, Part 1" has tips on planning your trip, including the scoop on a great travel search engine, hints on finding a good hotel, and suggestions for choosing a GPS gadget.
• "Travel Tips, Part 2" tells you how to pack your gear to keep it from getting damaged--or lost--during your trip.
• "Going Away for Awhile?" tells you about some useful online bill services and a few companies that will forward your snail mail to you while you're on an extended trip.

Steve Bass writes PC World's monthly "Hassle-Free PC" column and is the author of PC Annoyances, 2nd Edition: How to Fix the Most Annoying Things About Your Personal Computer, available from O'Reilly. He also writes PC World's daily Tips & Tweaks blog. Sign up to have Steve's newsletter e-mailed to you each week. Comments or questions? Send Steve e-mail.