It's finally happened. We no longer have to leave air-conditioned comfort when heading for the Great Outdoors -- now we can take it with us! And forget breathing stale recycled air, now we can travel the globe in our own little bubble of purified air. Personal Environment Zones (or "PEZ") are changing the way we venture into the vast world of pollen, pollution and the unwashed masses. This week, DLT hit the road to exotic Bagdad -- Arizona, that is -- for some serious field-testing of the latest in PEZ gadgetry.

Let’s face it, there’s nothing worse than the communal dragon breath of an airplane cabin. Two technologies — ionic propulsion and corona discharge -- can help clear the air in such enclosed situations, whether it be plane, car, or a cowboy Karaoke bar (for the sake of science, we tested them all). These technologies will zap air impurities such as smoke and dust -- even viruses and bacteria -- and deliver you clean air in exchange.

You don’t have to scale the walls of Rattlesnake Canyon, as we did, to take advantage of these Personal Environment Zones. The rising incidence of allergies and asthma are a clue that our bodies don’t take kindly to what we’re breathing. So give your sinuses a break, slip on a PEZ and breathe easier, where ever your personal bubble may take you.

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