Well I already ordered the grip buddies w/free shipping. Yes they were a little more in cost than the puppies, but hopefully will last longer. Less then 2 mins. after placing my order I received a call from a company rep who told me these are the new and improved ones and shipped them the same day. He also went on to tell me about the product materials and constuction. That speaks volumes for me as far as customer service goes.
So I'll give them a try on my month or so trip and let you guys know how they hold up.
Mark....