making travel easy

Overview

If the thought of packing for a trip fills you with dread, you're not alone. Preparing for varied weather conditions and activities can be a major chore. Happily, the travel industry has created plenty of items that can simplify your travel experience and make your trip as pain-free as possible.

Luggage

Your luggage itself is just as important to the ease of your trip as what you pack inside. Toss your old suitcases and upgrade to bags with wheels. Pick luggage with spinner wheels, which rotate in all directions and give you better control. Padded interiors and hardshell exteriors protect your belongings. Each piece should weigh under 10 pounds when empty so it won't be backbreaking when full. Roll-up jewelry bags and toiletry cases protect the items inside but take up less room than bulky bags.

Carry-On Bag

Even if you're not traveling by plane, keeping one smaller bag with you makes it easy to get to your travel documents and money. Rather than bringing a purse, pack a cross-body bag with multiple zippered or clasped compartments to keep everything safe. A travel wallet works well — it is larger than a traditional wallet and has places for a passport, money, credit cards and tickets. Keep your travel wallet in a designated compartment so you can get to it in seconds. Tuck your cell phone, medications, MP3 player and a water bottle and snacks in the other compartments.

Comfort Items

Spare a few inches in your carry-on bag for items that enhance your comfort. Unless you're in the driver's seat on a car trip, bring an inflatable pillow for any type of journey. This type of pillow inflates with just a few breaths. Pick a U-shaped pillow, which sits securely around your neck and doesn't slip. Bring a satin eye mask and noise-canceling earphones as well as a zip-up fleece jacket. You can ball it up as an extra pillow, wear it, or unzip it and use as it as a blanket.

Extras

A few extra items can simplify your travels. Pick up colorful luggage tags to make it easier to spot your bag in a sea of gray and black. If, like many travelers, you're hauling around a phone, laptop, MP3 players, camera and a few other electronics, a portable charging station can save you from dead devices and tangled cords. This type of device usually comes in a case that not only holds many of your devices during travel, but once you plug in the central charger, all the attached devices get the juice. Stock up on travel-sized toiletries before you leave home; they take up far less space than full-sized options, and you can restock your supply using the free versions provided in your hotel bathroom.