If there is one packing list item that I truly despise, it would be my luggage scale. Being an over-packer this scale is often one of my most valuable items, helping save us from countless overweight checked bag fees. But at the same time it is one of the least effective and most frustrating.
How many times have you been in the same situation where you have to try and find a suitable connection point on a big, bulky piece of luggage? I know when I weighed my massive duffel bag
it was more of a challenge getting the scale attached correctly, and the weight would invariably bounce around as the bag wobbled through the air. Even with Angie's much smaller backpack we still had issues getting the rather simple weighting system to register properly even in the best conditions.I had mostly resigned myself to knowing this was the "best" way to weigh a bag on the go, but it wasn't until a friend of mine recently told me about the Kickstarter for the new smart-scale called Weighitz that I started to change my mind.
Weighitz for Travelers (and Everyone Else Too)
Weighitz is a new smart-scale focused on being the ultimate tool to use just about anywhere- in the house, in your office, or abroad. This must-have packing list item is capable of extreme precision all the way to weighing large, bulky items up to 90 pounds.
The technology works by sycning to a blue-tooth enabled device to read and chart weights, and multiple Weighitz can combine together to weigh objects much larger than their individual load limit. All you have to do is find a suitable balancing item to place your weight on, be it a bowl, piece of plastic, a pillow, or whatever you like, and off you go.
I really like this concept because as a traveler you never know when you're going to need to check a weight on the fly. There is the most common use of weighing luggage, to making a meal in a hostel kitchen, or even on a random shopping trip when you need to measure the weight of something to see if it will fit in your suitcase for the trip home. The functionality could come in quite handy over the current tether-based scales that I've endured in my quest to pack it all in while traveling over the years.
I'll be really interested in keeping an eye on the development of Weighitz, and if you are interested in backing the campaign the Kickstarter can be found here. With a projected MSRP of $30 for one and a discounted bundle for a three pack the scale does have a bit of a price tag on it, but as with most things in life if I don't go in a fit of rage every time I use it, like I do with my current scale, the extra few dollars are more than worth it.