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Best Products Ever!

Amex Platinum – Best Kept Secret in the Military

July 27, 2017 by Casey

I am absolutely kicking myself for not getting an American Express Platinum card sooner. Why is this card so awesome? It gives you a boat load of benefits that are perfectly suited for military that travel, but the hefty $550 annual fee is WAIVED for active duty military due to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. So you get all the benefits with no fees!

Here are some of the benefits this card offers:

  • Free access to many airport lounges (Delta Sky Club, Amex Centurion)
  • $15 in Uber credit each month, with $20 in December
  • $200 per year in airline fees covered for free (food on flights, baggage charges, change fees, etc)
  • $100 credit for TSA Precheck application (allows spouse to apply for free)
  • Immediate Gold status with Starwood Preferred Guest and Hilton Honors
  • Complimentary access to more than a million Boingo wifi hotspots

Now here is the other cool program they offer that I am using this weekend. It’s called Fine Hotels and Resorts. We are PCS’ing shortly and will be staying at hotels along the way. I was able to book the Four Seasons in Atlanta for $219 for one night. But guess what comes with that one night stay?

  • $100 food and drink credit
  • Free breakfast for two in the morning ($64)
  • Early checkin at noon (if space permits)
  • Complimentary room upgrade (if available)
  • Late checkout at 4PM

Couple Caveats

First, this is a ‘charge card’ so you have to pay the balance in full each month. Honestly, that is why I’m more comfortable recommending this card to fellow military. From reading other posts on this site, you can probably tell I’m anti-credit card. Being forced to pay off the card each month ensures you will not build up a large balance.

Make sure to apply for the SCRA benefits right away. It can take up to 60 days to process. Once applied to your account, you are good for the life of your account and will not see annual fees on any statements.

Filed Under: Best Products Ever!

The Best Portable Phone Charger

June 23, 2016 by Casey

Have you every been on a long plane ride and had your phone die? Or had to search for plugs in airport only to find half of them don’t work? It’s happened to me many times and is very annoying!

I now have a Jackery Giant portable phone charger and am able to charge my phone and iPad almost anywhere.

Jackery Giant Portable Charger

Why You Need a Jackery in the Military

The Giant is around $20 and can fully charge an iPhone 6 four times, a Galaxy S6 three times, and iPad Air once.

We use it for the following:

  • Deployments – ideal when you are unsure of foreign electricity outlets
  • Long car rides
  • Traveling through airports
  • Vacation – put one in your backpack before going into Disney World

They have several other sizes available if the Giant is too big for you.

Filed Under: Best Products Ever!

The Best Water Bottle

June 22, 2016 by Casey

Carrying a water bottle to PT, on flights, a deployment, or even around the office is a great way to keep fresh water at your fingertips. In this post I will compare three water bottles I’ve owned over the past 10 years in the military and show why I feel the Hydro Flask is the best ever!

Water Bottles Compared

Nalgene 32 Oz
The Nalgene Wide Mouth was my first water bottle. This water bottle is tough, lightweight, and BPA free. What I did not like was how fast water would warm up while exposed to heat. Water is fairly gross when warmed up to a certain temperature. Also, the Nalgene ages quickly, meaning the bottle will become very faded and somewhat cracked over a couple years.

camelbak eddy

The CamelBak Eddy was my water bottle of choice for many years. It’s smaller than the Nalgene. I think it’s best selling feature is the flip-up drinking spout. I’ve seen A LOT of military using the CamelBak Eddy. This water bottle feels fairly strong.

My current water bottle and favorite so far is the 32 oz Hydro Flask.

What I Like About the Hydro Flask

hydro flask

This water bottle keeps water cold for a VERY long time. Ice can easily last in it overnight, and often times to about 24 hours. The Hydro Flask is durable and leak free.

Their company provides great support as well. I dropped my Hydro Flask in an airport recently and cracked the lid. It still didn’t leak, but I used the company’s warranty form to see if I could get a replacement lid. They sent me a new lid for free, no questions asked!

The other thing I’ve seen people doing in the military is engraving them and giving them away as gifts. A company in Las Vegas called Lazer Ladies engraves Hydro Flasks. I’ve heard the cost is around $30.

engraved hydro flask

How about you? What is your favorite water bottle?

Filed Under: Best Products Ever!

7 Ways to Watch US TV Overseas

July 18, 2015 by Casey

1. Netflix

Netflix has a lot of great content. They ship to APO addresses, although it does take a bit longer to receive the discs in the mail.

Top Shows: Futurama, 30 Rock, How I Met your Mother, The Wonder Years (yeah that’s right!), Breaking Bad, Lost

How I Met Your Mother

2. Hulu

During the first part of my deployment, Hulu was blocked and required a VPN service. But towards the end, they opened it up and I could access it from a military base. So give Hulu a shot! Like Netflix, they have a lot of great content. The interface is very slick.

Top Shows: The Office, Family Guy, Southpark, Tosh.0, Desperate Housewives, Modern Family

The Office

3. Amazon Instant Video

Amazon has really improved their service over the last two years. Viewing shows over Prime used to be very clunky. But I logged into Amazon Prime with my PS3 the other day and was surprised how nice it was. My son and I watched Spongebob for a few hours!

Top Shows for free with Prime: Spongebob Square Pants, The West Wing, Arrested Development, Dora the Explorer, Dinosaur Train

Top Shows for Purchase: Breaking Bad

Spongebob Squarepants

4. iTunes

Of course iTunes doesn’t have anything for free. But they do have the best selection. If you can’t find your favorite TV show for “free” on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime, then iTunes is probably your best bet.

They’re also one of the best options for overseas military, since they don’t block you from downloading while connected to an overseas IP address (that’s my experience).

iTunes

5. HBO Go

HBO Go only works if you subscribe through your cable provider. In addition, they only support certain cable providers, such as Comcast and Cox. If you’re lucky enough to have this working, then congrats! HBO has some of the best shows on television!

Top Shows: The Wire, True Blood, Sopranos

HBO Go

6. Slingbox

If you deploy overseas but still have cable back in the states, then you can hook up a Slingbox and stream all of your channels to your laptop. I would love to hear some feedback from someone who has this working. I haven’t personally used it, but wish I had tried it during my last deployment.

Slingbox

7. Streaming from network TV web sites

NBC, ABC, CBS, TNT

This was how I watched Survivor every week while deployed. Just be careful when browsing to the episode. Sometime they show you who gets kicked off!

Tell us which solutions are working for you in the comments!

Filed Under: Best Products Ever!, Deployment

Skype: Receive Calls While Deployed

April 18, 2012 by Casey

Skype for MilitarySkype is awesome. Walk through any barracks lucky enough to have internet access while deployed, and you’ll hear that familiar “boo bee boop” ring tone.

Beyond using the free version of Skype, I recommend setting up a Skype phone number. That gives you a US based phone number, that rings when you are logged into Skype. Why is that great?

1. Your loved ones can call you from a cell phone while out and about

Due to the time zone difference, my wife was usually doing something outside the house when we talked on Skype. I didn’t have to wait until she was home, and could talk to her while at a friend’s house.

2. Relatives can call you without using a computer

I gave my Dad the phone number and he called me several times when he knew I was off work.

Do you have any tips on using Skype while deployed or overseas?

Filed Under: Best Products Ever!, Deployment

The Best Military Boots

March 15, 2012 by Casey

Best Military Boots

These are my 6-year old Rocky S2V boots. They’ve been to seven countries and twelve states. They are the best military boots available, hands down.

I’ve worn these on the back porch of the squadron on Friday, drinking beer after a week’s hard work. I’ve worn them while training Airmen, while briefing Colonels and 3-Star Generals.

They’re dusty. Touching Iraqi soil for the first time – no big deal. Yeah right, I was scared. Back and forth to the chow hall. Wandering around the BX. In the barracks with friends. Talking to my kids on skype.

At the airport – saying goodbye to my wife. Too many times. At a homecoming coming down the ladder, smiling. At a new unit introducing myself. At a farewell lunch saying some parting words.

Standing tall at my promotion. At a retirement shaking hands.

I was lucky enough to score these for free at my first unit. Right now I’m on my third pair in 14 years!

Why These Boots Rock

Rocky boots are comfortable from the start, but also last a long time. That’s a tough combination to find.

The boots issued before a deployment (Bates?) are tough, but hurt your feet and take a few months to break in.

Oakley and Nike boots are as comfortable as shoes, but fall apart within a year. I saw a friend’s Oakley’s fall apart within nine months of light use. If you search the internet, you’ll find the same theme.

nike military boots

The only thing bad about Rocky’s is that they’ll hit your wallet a bit harder than the other boots. It’s hard to find them under $180. Given how long they last while remaining comfortable – I think it’s worth it!

More Discussion

Read others’ opinions on boots at:

  • Shadow Spear – Who Makes the Best Combat Boots?
  • Military Photos – Best All Around Combat Boot

 A review from a soldier:

Filed Under: Best Products Ever!

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