Holiday travel is coming! Here are our Top Ten Essentials to have in your luggage when you head out to the airport or on the road. We cover a wide array of items from RFID blocking accessories to TSA approved laptop bags. Are you prepared?
Packing cubes are essential whenever I travel. They are versatile in organizing/compressing clothes, functioning as a travel kit, consolidating souvenirs, and so many more applications. They also act as a 2nd barrier if something spills in your bag, adding just that extra level of protection and peace of mind as well. Eagle Creek offers packing cubes that are just perfect to fit in luggage and hold your belongings.
- A speedthru laptop bag/case will make getting through TSA easier. No fumbling around with your netbook in your carry on or messenger bag, a speedthru laptop makes accessing your electronics so much easier. And it frees your hands up from holding your laptop while in line; easy in, easy out, easy through, and you can get to your shoes, belt, spare change, etc. a lot easier.
- TSA approved travel bottles allow you to bring some of the comforts from home with you, without risk that TSA might toss your amenities. Travelon makes travel bottles sized to TSA security specifications; these bottles hold your shampoo, body wash, or any other liquids you may need from your home bathroom.
- An expandable lightweight luggage carry-on, such as the Lucas Vortex Lite, is easier to carry than most other bags due to its lighter frame, but it can also save you on checked baggage fees! 4 Wheel Spinner luggage is easier to maneuver than other wheeled luggage, making the entire piece high on mobility, low on overall cost to you. Carry more, spend less, and an even lower risk of your checked bag getting separated from you!
- A luggage scale is another way to combat luggage fees, by addressing any weight limits for your airline. The Victorinox Digital Luggage Scale is a good option to use when you want to avoid overweight luggage fees. You can save yourself a few dollars and especially some time by testing your luggage before you leave for the airport, and meeting the necessary guidelines.
- A great anti-theft bag (especially the anti-theft bags made by Travelon) can be invaluable in this day and age. Thieves employ more and more sophisticated methods to take your information or possessions, and you have to travel smart to be prepared for such instances. Gain peace of mind that your personal electronics and items such as wallet and passport are kept safe in a slash-proof, RFID-protected, and securely fastened cross body bag or something similar.
For more information on RFID/Anti-Theft, see Travelon’s video on this anti-theft bag here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGehipX9hF4&feature=share
- An RFID wallet is less visible than an anti-theft bag, but no less important to your safety. It will keep your ID and personal information protected from IR scanners and other devices intended to pick up your info while you are unaware. Definitely a great purchase if you don’t own one yet. It would also make a great gift for someone else!
- Sometimes an electric wall outlet just is not available while you’re out and about, or you have to recharge while on the move and cannot afford to sit still for 2 hours waiting for your device to charge. A mobile charger/battery pack is an invaluable item to carry with you, to get your electronic device charged when you might need it the most. In a pinch, you could reach who you need when you need, and that’s one less worry for you in an emergency! Irv’s Luggage offers a wide variety of tech accessories.
- A waterproof bag for your iPad, cell phone, or any other electronics can handle inclement weather, accidents, spills, nature, the oceans, life and adds one more protective layer for devices necessary to you when you travel. You wouldn’t have to be mindful of what’s in your pockets when caught in a downpour or dropping your phone in the snow, it would all be tucked away and secure in a sealed waterproof container. There are a lot of preventable accidents that can disable one’s electronics while abroad, be ready for some of them and ultimately save yourself the expense and trouble of a replacement.
- Personal organizers work much like the packing cubes, only a more proportionate size for what you need in it. A jewelry organizer would keep your earrings, necklaces, rings, and other assorted accessories together and matched up in one place without risking losing them in a baggie, dropping them somewhere, or breaking while sitting in your suitcase. Toiletry kits are a necessity for keeping your bathroom amenities in one place and packed together tightly, rather than have your shaving kit or hand mirror sliding all over the inside of your luggage and at risk to spilling or breakage. Everything is so much easier to find, keep track of, and travel with peace of mind regardless of how your luggage may shift.
These 10 items are our top picks for what to take on vacation. They’ll make traveling more organized, efficient, smoother, less worrisome, and add to the overall experience for veteran and rookie travelers. You can worry less about certain details and definitely enjoy and focus on where you are, what you’re doing, and the family you’re spending time with. While you can’t always predict what will happen on a trip, these accessories will make sure you’re more prepared and organized for whatever may happen.
Irv's Luggage Travel Blog 