When I mentioned two weeks ago that I was trashing my worn-out socks that had served me on 100+ hikes, a few readers said, “Return them; Darn Tough Vermont has a lifetime warranty!” They do indeed, making them a rare breed in today’s fast fashion environment. They’re part of an elite club that fully stands behind what they make forever, without pages of legalese wiggle room. There are more luggage companies than clothing ones in that club, but here are 14 brands that make travel products guaranteed for life, plus a few honorable mentions that guarantee some, but not all items they sell.

Real Data on Holiday Flight Bookings

There’s a lot of b.s. info out there on the ideal time to book a flight when most of the time the answer is simpler: be flexible and you’ll find a good deal. Google Flights crunched the numbers though to provide data you can bank on for holiday period deals. Apparently 39 to 51 days out is best, depending on the destination, so you’ve still got time to work out those Christmas plans. The day you book doesn’t matter much, but the lowest fares are usually on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday.

Airbnb Ban in NYC Achieves… Almost Nothing

It has been two years now since NYC made Airbnb rentals so restrictive that the move was essentially a ban. The only people popping Champagne over the results now are hotel owners and that neighbor down the hall who doesn’t have to yell, “Turn down that infernal racket!” Rent prices have gone up at the same clip as before, hitting new records, and vacancy levels are still in the low single digits. Hotels have taken advantage of the lower competition and have raised room rates 7% though. “The average rate for a New York City hotel room rose to $283 a night in July.” Average! See the details here.

A Rough Week in the Himalayas

The important news often gets buried, so in case you missed it, terrible floods are ravaging northern India. But that’s not the main story. Nepal has a new government now after anti-corruption protesters violently brought down the former one, with 72 people killed and scores of buildings burned, including Parliament, former prime ministers’ homes, and a year-old Hilton hotel. There’s a new interim prime minister in place that the protestors approved of though, so at least it is ending peacefully and a cleaner government will enter. What sparked it all? The government shut down social media to suppress dissent and that lit up a powder keg.

A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.