Best travel gadgets/accessories for frequent business traveler?
March 6, 2017 11:14 AM   Subscribe

I'm expecting to do a lot of business travel this year (by plane, with multiple night stays in hotels). I already have nice luggage, frequent flier/traveler accounts with my preferred airlines and hotels, an in-flight wifi subscription, Priority Pass lounge access and a fancy travel credit card. What am I missing? Help me make travel awesomer! Specifics within...

Some things I would love solutions for:
- packing cubes to keep my clothes organized and wrinkle-free in my luggage
- something to manage all of the cords I carry (laptop and phone chargers, earbuds)
- better storage of toiletries, especially makeup, brushes, shower products, etc that I currently just throw in gallon-sized Ziploc baggies to avoid leaks
- something to store receipts in, until I get around to taking photos of them for expense reporting
- travel wallet? I saw a guy in a bar last night that had a fancy one that hides your credit cards until you press a hidden button
- any other magical gadgets, organization and storage solutions, etc that will make living out of a suitcase better.
posted by joan_holloway to Travel & Transportation (21 answers total) 24 users marked this as a favorite
 


something to manage all of the cords I carry (laptop and phone chargers, earbuds)

A friend who does a lot of business travel has one of these gadget organizer things, she swears by it (link goes to the wirecutter's review, which mentions a few similar items as well).
posted by everybody had matching towels at 11:21 AM on March 6, 2017


This travel bag (Sephora - Wanderlust Travel Set) states it's the right size for TSA standards for carry on, and I've never had a problem. The tubes are useful, but the bag itself is the best - way better than a plastic bag.

If you're not going carry-on, then I like this one a lot, the Sephora Weekender, because it lays open and flat on the vanity.
posted by mercredi at 11:44 AM on March 6, 2017


I travel a lot (though it's often bicycle touring or international travel for research) and swear by those Eagle Creak Pack-It cubes. They're expensive and I'm a cheapskate, but I promise they're worth it: lightweight, foldable (in case you don't have enough stuff to fill an entire cube), well-built, and if you get a lighter color you can see what's inside them without opening them up. Plus everything fits into your bags in neat little rectangles, and you always know what's what. I use an older one of these Flip & Tumble bags as a laundry bag, but it's handy to have when I travel in general.

My partner works remotely and has one of the Bubm cable organizers (the Wirecutter's runner up), which I think he bought because it was a little bit smaller? It's surprisingly heavy, and the zipper pulls are seriously overbuilt and noisy. He's pretty happy with it nonetheless, but I suspect it'd be overkill unless you're a programmer or otherwise need to carry a ton of cables. I use a little $1.50 zipper bag I got from Daiso, the local Japanese dollar store, which fits my laptop charger and other little gadgets. What I've found indispensable in cable organization is not so much a specialized case as these Nite Ize reusable twist ties. I also use this Kikkerland cable winder thingy with my MacBook charger cord--the large size works perfectly.

I also have one of those portable batteries, this RAVpower one, which comes in handy especially when I'm using my phone a lot for maps, or am on roaming regularly.
posted by tapir-whorf at 11:48 AM on March 6, 2017 [2 favorites]


I have this toiletry bag, which I like fine, and as long as I take it out of my suitcase, TSA does not require me to have a separate clear bag for liquids (apparently the mesh portion is fine?)

The big trick I've found to be really helpful for both toiletries and charging cables/technology miscellany is to buy a second "travel" set of that stuff and leave it packed all the time. I did that years ago and now I never forget to pack the cord for my phone or hairbrush or whatever, it's all pre-packed and never gets unpacked at home. I've gone as far as to get a second set of makeup, computer charger, and have designated an old pair of eyeglasses as the "backup glasses" that stay packed if something goes wrong with my contact lenses.

Also, if you don't have a USB battery pack, consider getting one. I use that, a USB car charger and a small powerstrip all the time when I travel.
posted by mjcon at 11:51 AM on March 6, 2017 [5 favorites]


I already have nice luggage, frequent flier/traveler accounts with my preferred airlines and hotels, an in-flight wifi subscription, Priority Pass lounge access and a fancy travel credit card. What am I missing?

Global Entry!
posted by mama casserole at 11:53 AM on March 6, 2017 [6 favorites]


I'll also mention how nice it is to have a Kindle (if you leave it on airplane mode, ebooks checked out from the library never expire).

Conversely, I have those fancy Bose QuietComfort 25 headphones, which I didn't buy for travel but expected to be able to use in travel situations. It turns out that if you put any pressure on the earcups (say, while leaning your head against your shoulder to nap on the plane), they completely stop working. I'm sure the Bose earbuds are a much better deal, but I'd read a lot of reviews of the non-replaceable, rechargeable battery failing after a year or so, and considering Bose's laughable 30-day warranty (or maybe it's 90, which is still laughable considering the price tag) I didn't want to risk it.
posted by tapir-whorf at 12:00 PM on March 6, 2017 [1 favorite]


If you ever plan on swimming on a trip, a wet bag is really nice.

Also, these F'lint lint rollers are great because they have a cover! And they're very packable.

Some carry-on bags are TSA checkpoint-friendly, which means you don't have to take your laptop out. My husband has the Timbuk2 Command (which he also uses daily for work).

Noise-cancelling headphones or earbuds are pricey, but IMHO they're worth it. Bose QuietComfort are the original and the nicest. They have over-ear and earbuds. It's amazing how much nicer the plane is when you don't have all that engine noise!

Speaking of headphones, if you have trouble sleeping in hotels, I highly recommend Sleepphones (I use them at home too!). They're super comfortable (and double as an eye mask) and are great for listening white noise or a podcast when you're trying to fall asleep.
posted by radioamy at 12:01 PM on March 6, 2017 [1 favorite]


If you do get a USB battery pack (or if you're in the market for a new one) the big thing is to get one with a higher input current so it will recharge faster. Most of them these days will say they have one or two 2.4A outputs (so they'll provide faster charging to devices) but will themselves only charge at 1A (so they have to be plugged in overnight). When I bought mine, this was the smallest one I could find with 2A input. It's 6000mAh, I've never needed it so much I completely drained it between charges, and it fully charges in about 2.5 hours. If you need quick turnaround, you don't want to be waiting for your battery pack to recharge.

For receipts and random foreign currency I have a little Baggallini pouch they don't seem to make anymore, with five zippers (a black one on one edge, and two different colors on each side). Before I had that I just used the front pocket of my rolling bag.

For chargers and cables I just use the smallest Pack-It cube. All the organizers with elastic and lots of pockets are way too heavy.
posted by fedward at 12:54 PM on March 6, 2017 [3 favorites]


I used to travel a lot for work, and there were two things that really rocked my world. First, the idea of packing cubes. Second, not having to spend a bunch of money on packing cubes. Seriously, do not buy packing cubes. Instead, go to your local grocery store and buy the largest Ziploc bags they carry, 2.5 gallon. These are the perfect size for a day's worth of clothes (for me: shirt, undershirt, pants, socks, boxers, and maybe a sweater). They're like $3 for a dozen, compared to $35 for three packing cubes. All of the benefits of packing cubes, most notably keeping your outfits separate (in case you're staying in different hotels one night to the next - you don't have to unpack a bunch of stuff, just pull out the one bag), plus one additional benefit that might not be applicable to you. I have OCD, and I don't let my clean clothes come in contact with my dirty clothes. Ziploc bags seal them off from one another. Again, all of this for $3.

While you're at the grocery, pick up a couple of those produce bag ties. These will be your cord solutions. Wind each cord up into as tight a circle as possible, then tie a bag tie around it. I can fit all of my cords except a laptop charger in a Ziploc sandwich bag this way, which is a handy way to carry them. When you need to use the cord, just leave the tie tied around one end, so that you can re-tie it later. (I'm actually playing with the tie on my headphone cord right now.) Wrap your earbuds so that they don't get tangled.

Nthing a portable battery. I use one from Monoprice that doesn't seem to be on their website anymore, but they have ones starting from $5, so there's no excuse not to carry one. Then you can laugh at everyone huddled around the two outlets at your gate while you relax in comfort. Also get a USB car charger (if you're traveling with a co-worker, make sure it has two USB ports, because your co-worker won't have brought one and you'll look very prepared indeed when you can charge both phones), and carry an AUX cable just in case. Most rental cars now have USB ports built in, but don't take chances.

If you can afford noise-cancelling headphones, get them. Planes are really loud, especially if you sit near the engine. Plus nothing sends a "don't talk to me" vibe better than a giant pair of headphones over your ears.

For toiletries, I carry two bags: one for liquids and one for everything else. For liquids, I use this bag from CVS. The key thing is that it's three-dimensional. It's not just a fancy Ziploc bag. Having some depth allows you to maximize the volume of the bag to fit more in. Your second bag can be whatever. I'm a dude, so I just use one of those leather dopp kits. In the past... you know those bags that bedsheets come in of the same material as the sheets? I've used those before. Whatever works. The dry stuff doesn't matter. Just don't ever mix liquid and dry. If you're putting deodorant in your TSA liquid bag, you're doing it wrong.

After four years of traveling, I still don't have a good solution for receipts. I used to not carry a wallet (I had a card case on my phone), and so I brought an old wallet to use for receipts - I'd just put them in the billfold portion. More recently, I've just been stuffing them, as someone else said, in the front pocket of my bag. That's not very helpful if I'm going to lunch and my bag is at the hotel though. The best solution here is the one that stays with you. If you have something you carry around all the time, somehow find a way to make it hold receipts. Better yet, don't carry receipts around. Know your company's policy for receipts and figure out how you can get away with not holding on to receipts. My company does not require receipts for expenses under $25 (an Applebee's-class dinner), and they let you submit a copy of the line item from your credit card statement if you don't have the actual receipt.

You absolutely do not need to buy a travel wallet. I've been all over the country, and nowhere have I felt that I needed to hide my credit cards. Quite the contrary; I'd be kind of irritated if I couldn't easily get to my cards. This fancy wallet seems like a thing for guys in bars to show off to impress other people in bars.

A Kindle is indeed useful if you read a lot. If you read ebooks, they're right there. If you're like me and read magazine articles, blog posts, etc., download Pocket, and make sure to sync it at home while you have a wifi connection. This will allow you to read as much as you want, while leaving the battery on your phone fresh for things like navigation and checking email. You can also do offline audio books through Audible, and save music offline with Spotify.

If you don't already have a good carry-on bag, look for one with four-way rollers. It makes a difference in tight airport spaces.

Unless you're going somewhere for more than a week at a time, always do carry-on only. Unless you change your clothes three times a day or wear eight layers, a week's worth of clothing and toiletries will fit in a carry-on bag. There's no reason to wait at baggage claim. That said, if the airline offers true gate-checking (i.e., you pick your bag up on the jetbridge after deplaning), do that. It's like checking a bag for free. Making you claim it at baggage claim is not really gate-checking, and should be avoided.

Sit as close to the front of the plane as possible. If you're traveling with a carry-on and sitting at the front of the plane, you'll be out of the airport before the people in the back of the plane have even stood up. Don't ever sit at the back of the plane.

You said you've signed up for frequent flyer and rewards memberships with your preferred airlines and hotels. Don't stop there. Sign up for every airline and every hotel conglomerate, as well as hotels.com. There's no reason not to; it's free, and they'll give you stuff. There will come a time when you'll have to use a non-preferred airline or hotel, and you might as well get points with them as well. Don't forget to sign up for all the car rental companies as well.

Speaking of: splurge on your car rental. Get as much car as your company will pay for. Try to get uncommon cars, like a Prius or a BMW, just to say you have.

Know as much about the airports you're passing through as possible. Look up terminal maps before you leave, and make notes of any restaurants or shops you'd like to check out. Sites like Flightstats and FlightAware will tell you what gates you're departing from and arriving at. You can then use that info to find food near your gate, find the way between gates at your connection, and then find the way to baggage claim (if necessary) or the rental car counter. FlightAware will also show you your planned flight path, so you know what you're looking at out your window. There's also an app called Flyover Country that was featured on the Blue a while ago that will literally tell you what you can see out the window, but I've never had much luck with it. You'll get to know your seat preferences soon enough, but in the meantime, check out the SeatGuru app for advice. When you're driving, GasBuddy will give you the best gas prices to refill your tank.

As soon as you get through security, buy a bottle of water. Airplanes are dry as hell. If you ever read the front page of Yahoo!, you'll see this about once a month as a "beauty secret from flight attendants".

Finally, invest in a comfortable pair of shoes. You'll do a lot of walking in airports, and you'll want to be comfortable. Wow, this turned out to be longer than I expected.
posted by kevinbelt at 1:33 PM on March 6, 2017 [9 favorites]


I use the Lug Flip-Top Toiletry Case. It's one of the best toiletry cases I've ever owned, and I spent a very long time looking for one. Most of them are made too simply, with just one big pocket where you're supposed to dump all your stuff. That makes the manufacturer's job easy, but not yours. To be really usable, you need to be find and assess what you've actually got in there, and, ideally, it shouldn't have all sunk to the bottom.

So the truly good ones need to be made with a variety of slots and pockets, which this has. Even better it comes in two pieces that zip together/apart, depending on whether you need to size up or down, separate it for fitting in a suitcase and so on.
posted by Violet Blue at 1:52 PM on March 6, 2017


* For clothes and shoes: Flight 001's Spacepak system
* For makeup: Lay-n-Go Cosmo in your desired size(s)
* For toiletries: Arcteryx's Index dopp kit or REI's 3-1-1 bag
* For cable organization: Knomo's Elektronista (for my iPad Pro) or Incase's Sling Sleeve (for my Surface Pro)

Other recommendations:
* Sockwell socks or Insignia tights
* Cole Haan StudioGrand packable ballet flats
* Tom Bihn's large and small Travel Trays
* Kenu AirFrame phone mount
* Annual travel insurance (trip delay/interruption/cancellation, medical evacuation, accidental death)
posted by evoque at 1:57 PM on March 6, 2017 [2 favorites]


I stay in a lot of hotels and used to forget little things. Now one of the first things I do is grab 2 (usually white) face cloths or hand towels from the bathroom. The first one I lay right next to the table next to my bed and the second lays on the counter right next to the sink.

I put any and all miscellaneous LOOSE items on those white towels. Other than clothing and shoes, if I take ANYTHING out of my suitcase or purse, they are placed on these white towels - makes things like a ring, jewelry, watch, coins, mascara - anything! - really easy to see and find against a white background.

Since I've started doing this, I haven't left anything behind in a hotel by accident.
posted by HeyAllie at 2:13 PM on March 6, 2017 [9 favorites]


Oooh, one thing I forgot to add: save space in your 3-1-1 bag by not taking stuff you are going to end up throwing away at your destination. For example, travel-size toothpaste will only last you maybe two days. Travel size body wash lasts me about three. Most of my trips were three or four days. I didn't waste space packing toothpaste or body wash. Just stop at a CVS or something near your hotel and pick up something from the travel bin, then throw it away before you leave. Also a good excuse to pick up some snacks for the hotel.
posted by kevinbelt at 2:40 PM on March 6, 2017


If you do international Travel, you may want a VPN like Astrill to use Netflix etc.

I am still looking for a decent solution for international roaming. I am considering google FI project. But it has some disadvantages for my personal needs. https://fi.google.com/about/
posted by yoyo_nyc at 2:43 PM on March 6, 2017 [1 favorite]


I travel a bunch for work (am writing this from Mumbai actually). For me the only essentials are global entry, noise cancelling headphones (I have etymotic in ear ones) and a solid carry-on bag. For me at least everything else is superfluous.

Wrt to maximizing points my advice is to be thoughtful with respect to how you want to maximize them given your employer's travel policy. For example my firm has a pretty luxe travel policy, but absent specific timing issues I have very little control over what alliances I fly, same with hotels - so I just don't worry about that and tend to focus on maximizing credit card points. A few business class trips to Asia and the 5x amex points really adds up. I mean of course be in the loyalty programs but it might not be with it to try to machine that.
posted by JPD at 5:29 PM on March 6, 2017


Everything that kevinbelt said above, plus:

- extra set of travel items (makeup, toiletries, etc) so you never have to repack these. I even have all my chargers that I need as an extra travel set.

- way more underwear (and other basics like tees/innerwear/socks) than you need so you are not stuck if doing several trips in a month and haven't had time/energy to do laundry

- I'm a lady, and have 5 dresses that work trans-seasonal (add Uniqlo heat tech layers of underwear and tights), look professional for work, and don't wrinkle. They're all black/navy/brown, and I accessorise with jewellery and scarves. I have a pair of pants that are stretchy and comfortable but work-appropriate. Same with a blazer. These get packed EVERY time.

- a travel handbag that works for plane, work, and dinner.

- plane outfit x2 - these are a set of pants/tee/jacket/shoes that ONLY get worn for plane travel. The uniform makes packing easy, and travel comfy.

- the Tripit app is amazing - I pay for the pro version. It's even warned me about flight cancellations before the airline does.

- I use regular ziplock bags for receipts, write on the bag with a Sharpie for the category it is.

- apples and bananas in bag all the time for refreshing snacks. Electrolytes for plane dehydration. A really luxe moisturiser to prevent plane skin dryness and ageing.

- 4 wheel luggage that glides like a dream.
posted by shazzam! at 6:31 PM on March 6, 2017


"extra set of travel items (makeup, toiletries, etc)"

Yes! I feel dumb for having forgotten this. You keep your travel toiletry bag packed in your suitcase all the time. That way, you're not running around the morning you leave trying to remember everything you have to pack.
posted by kevinbelt at 4:17 AM on March 7, 2017


If your company has you submit receipts electronically, take a picture of every receipt as soon as you get it (to keep them organized, you can take the pics in a scanner app that will upload them to something like Dropbox). This is the only way I've found to not lose receipts on work trips.
posted by lunasol at 6:34 AM on March 7, 2017


Get a packable daypack or their packable duffel. If you are buying something extra or want to explore the city, you have a bag and it doesnt take any space.

Get a nalgene for water , fill it up once you get past security. Beats paying $6 for bottle of water. Platypus bottle if you are worried about space. If you like flavoured , carry mio or grocery store equivalent.

Keep electronics , medicines in your bag permanently. That way you wont forget your international charger and your allergy medicine next go around. On that if you rent a car , keep a vent mount(kenu airframe) along with car usb charger and cable: Use your phone for navigation and tunes. Makes the journey always better.

Tripit has been suggested previously and its great for organization. If you are doing expense reports, use concur app on your phone, take a pic of receipts which makes it easier. Keep a ziploc bag for your receipts so you can dump it rather than trying to find your various receipts.

Avoid checking in as much as possible.You can get to the airport later, leave airport earlier and you dont have to deal with lost baggages and broken items.
posted by radsqd at 8:17 AM on March 7, 2017


An ultralight compression sack complements packing cubes well. You can smoosh down a sweater or jacket into a third of the space, use it as a shopping bag, attach it to the outside of your bag if you buy more stuff than your luggage allows, and throw your dirty clothes in it as a laundry bag separator. Smaller than you think.

Cool Tools has some nice reviews on travel specific things. Onebag for insights on packing less.

Disposable foam earplugs are essential for sleep, noise cancelling headphones are great, fancy earplugs are also nice for flights and concerts.

For receipts, kindle, moleskine, pens, tickets, I like this International Arrivals zippered nylon pouch.

Some people like to pack a dedicated rubber clothesline so you can do laundry in the hotel room at night. Personally I prefer to carry paracord and some safety pins - have many uses and 1/4 the weight. Paired with single use packs of Woollite mean you can pack fewer clothes if you're on a long trip.

Power bank(s) and extra iphone/microusb phone chargers and a combo outlet splitter/usb charger/surge protector make can life easier. Buy short phone charger cables in bulk even for the platform you don't carry - give them away like candy and you'll make instant friends.

Learn how to exercise in your hotel room without equipment so you can avoid the salesperson 15.
posted by enfa at 12:31 PM on March 7, 2017


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