I make a nutrition drink every morning that consists of Reliv, juice, almond milk and soft fruit. When I travel I have been packing a hand held mixer and large Tupperware measuring drinking cup. It was a bit awkward to handle (fear of knocking the cup over) and weighed 3 pounds for the setup. When I saw this blender and the fact that it is only 1 pound, I decided to try it. Saving 2 pounds in my suitcase is major and because it is one unit when blending (vs the hand held w cup that I had) it is spill proof and very efficient. It also mixes very well. I took it on my first trip a couple of weeks ago and I'm totally happy with it.