Precious Cargo EPISODE 5

Bringing Back Memories:

Our Favorite Souvenirs

Bringing Back Memories:

July, 1969

The world witnessed one of the most remarkable moments in human history

Zero Halliburton celebrates this towering achievement, the Apollo 11 mission to the moon, on its 50th anniversary, and reflects on our role to support the mission with a five-part series: Precious Cargo.

T Plus 195 hours, 18 minutes, 21 seconds:

Apollo 11 Arrives Home

At 12:50 p.m. EDT on July 24, 1969, 195 hours, 18 minutes, and 21 seconds after their history-making mission began, it was over. The crew of Apollo 11, their Command Module, and nearly 50 pounds of precious lunar cargo were safely back home. For billions of people on earth anxiously watching the Apollo 11 mission unfold, the successful recovery of the crew of Apollo 11 signaled the end of one of the most exciting events in human history. For countless NASA scientists and their partners, however, the mission was just getting started.

The Zero Halliburton cases returned by Apollo 11 contained the first of nearly 2,200 individual samples collected by six Apollo missions. This priceless material has provided institutions around the world with decades of research opportunities, revealing extraordinary insights about the origins of the solar system, the moon, and our own planet. Precious cargo, indeed. Made possible by Apollo 11, more than 20,000 companies and universities, and Zero Halliburton.

Souvenirs:

Precious Cargo, the Earthbound Edition

The lunar samples Apollo 11 delivered tell a story much bigger than the history of the moon. They are a physical reminder of the crew’s journey, the place they visited, and their unprecedented experiences.

Every year, millions of travelers return home with reminders of their own journeys (aka souvenirs). Whether it’s a snow globe from an airport gift shop, or a hand-painted platter from a street market in Athens, these objects tell the stories of faraway experiences and adventures, to be shared back home. Why do we do it? How do we do it? We have questions, so we asked a few of our favorite travel writers, bloggers, and vloggers to share their expertise, treasures, and experiences.

Filled with Memories: Angela Carson’s Shell Bowl Filled with Memories: Angela Carson’s Shell Bowl

Filled with Memories: Angela Carson’s Shell Bowl

A bowl made of shells, bartered for on a beach in the Kiribati Republic, tells the story of a lifetime of love and happiness between a mother and her daughter. In 2001, Angela Carson had a young daughter and a fledgling travel channel, WanderwithAngela. While exploring a remote island in Micronesia, they happened upon a woman selling objects made from recycled beach material. Many years and countless trips later, a glance at that simple bowl brings memories of adventures shared hand in hand with the little girl who is still Angela’s favorite travel companion.

Tasty Memories: Trevor James’s Spices and Teas Tasty Memories: Trevor James’s Spices and Teas

Tasty Memories: Trevor James’s Spices and Teas

Trevor James, known to millions as The Food Ranger, travels throughout Asia experiencing the street food of the countries he visits. He travels to eat, so it’s no surprise that when he looks for souvenirs, his favorites are found in spice stalls and outdoor markets. Masala from India, tea from China, and maple syrup from Canada all remind James, with their flavors and aromas, of exchanges with friendly merchants and amazing meals prepared by local cooks and chefs. If a shared meal is the best way to understand people and their culture, there’s no better way to remember those experiences than by bringing the flavors and essence of those meals back home.

Wearable Memories: Siya Zarrabi’s Ring Wearable Memories: Siya Zarrabi’s Ring

Wearable Memories: Siya Zarrabi’s Ring

Siya Zarrabi has traveled to over 50 countries with partner and wife Kristen Sarah, sharing his experiences on Instagram, and the popular adventure, travel, and lifestyle channel and website Hopscotch the Globe. Captivated by the beauty of Pakistan and its people during a recent trip, he discovered his favorite souvenir while exploring a bazaar: a ring, crafted from silver, and set with a dramatic black stone. Mined in Pakistan, it’s the ultimate authentic souvenir, created from the very elements of the place he’s come to appreciate and admire.

Souvenir Savvy:

Travel Experts Share Their Tips for Bringing Back Precious Cargo, and Memories, in One Piece

1. For Ultimate Souvenir Protection, Think Like a Lobster 1. For Ultimate Souvenir Protection, Think Like a Lobster

1. For Ultimate Souvenir Protection, Think Like a Lobster

How to transport fragile treasures collected when you’re traveling? The Apollo 11 mission answered this question with help from Zero Halliburton. After years of travel, and an assist from nature, Angela Carson (WanderwithAngela) has a solution for earthbound travelers: Look to the lobster. Their hard shell exterior protects the delicate (and delicious, but that’s another series) contents inside. Whether it's a ceramic teapot or an unframed watercolor, think durable travel cases like Zero Halliburton aluminum luggage for maximum protection. Layer up the defense with a cardboard tube or sheets, and your treasure will be ready to hit the road. Literally.

2. Keep the Important Stuff Close 2. Keep the Important Stuff Close

2. Keep the Important Stuff Close

So, you’ve found the perfect treasure during your trip, and want to bring home, but it’s fragile, and you’ve got airports, baggage handlers, valets, cabs, and thousands of miles of travel ahead of you. Now what? After logging years of travel, and tens of thousands of miles on the road, Trevor James (The Food Ranger) has one simple, non-negotiable rule: Take it with you, and don’t let it out of your sight. If it’s important and you want your precious cargo to arrive in one piece, take a cue from travel pro Trevor James, and do what the crew of Apollo 11 did: Avoid checking precious cargo; carry it on-board your flight.

3. A Place for Everything, and Everything in Its Place 3. A Place for Everything, and Everything in Its Place

3. A Place for Everything, and Everything in Its Place

Careful packing. The often overlooked, unsexy answer to the question, “How do I keep breakable stuff from having a bad travel experience?” Thanks to lessons learned as a veteran of trips to more than 50 countries, travel and adventure pro Siya Zarrabi (Hopscotch the Globe) isn’t afraid to go there. To keep items safe and secure, Siya says everything should have a dedicated place, with delicate objects carefully separated, wrapped, and stowed. And – pro tip – a little insurance doesn’t hurt. He’ll tuck objects inside shoes for added protection, and he always travels with an extra hard sunglass case for those fragile, unexpected discoveries he encounters when he’s out exploring.

Precious Cargo: Scroll through the Entire Series Precious Cargo: Scroll through the Entire Series

Precious Cargo: Scroll through the Entire Series

From the towering Saturn V rocket to the Zero Halliburton lunar sample collection cases, nothing about the Apollo 11 mission was routine. Our five-part series, Precious Cargo, examines the extraordinary effort to create the equipment that would be required to not only land the first humans on the moon, but return with the first lunar samples.

Click the next frame to see all the episodes.

Go to Precious Cargo home

Episode 1: Apollo 11’s Mission to the Moon, and Our Mission to Bring the Moon Back Episode 1: Apollo 11’s Mission to the Moon, and Our Mission to Bring the Moon Back

Episode 1: Apollo 11’s Mission to the Moon, and Our Mission to Bring the Moon Back

The Apollo 11 mission was “landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.” But NASA had an additional mission, just as important, and just as ambitious: Apollo 11 would return with the first samples ever collected from another planetary body.

Launch Episode 1

Episode 2: Why Making a Travel Case Really Is Rocket Science Episode 2: Why Making a Travel Case Really Is Rocket Science

Episode 2: Why Making a Travel Case Really Is Rocket Science

The story of NASA’s monumental effort to develop the equipment to collect, protect, and transport the most precious cargo in human history.

Launch Episode 2

Episode 3: The Essential Apollo 11 Gear Guide Episode 3: The Essential Apollo 11 Gear Guide

Episode 3: The Essential Apollo 11 Gear Guide

From Omega chronographs and Hasselblad cameras to Zero Halliburton aluminum tech cases, only the highest-quality, most dependable equipment was good enough to go to the moon.

Launch Episode 3

Announcing

The Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Limited-Edition Case

Zero Halliburton is proud to have been a part of the historic journey of Apollo 11. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of this monumental achievement, we’ve created a limited-edition aluminum tech case, inspired by the containers that brought the most precious cargo in history back from the moon.

The Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Limited-Edition Case. The Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Limited-Edition Case.
The Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Limited-Edition Case.

The Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Limited-Edition Case.

The Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Limited-Edition Case shares the same DNA as the containers that brought the first lunar samples back. Tastefully engraved with the official NASA Apollo 11 50th anniversary logo, these cases are durable, secure, flawlessly crafted, and provide ultimate protection for your most precious cargo.

Shop Now
Photo credit: Apollo mission photos courtesy of NASA