The Ultimate Travel Gadgets...............

[Foliage]

Truckosaurus said:

2) Foldable rucksack - basically a normal rucksack without any padding so can fold up into the size of a small paperback. Perfect when you want to travel with a single bag on a flight but need a smaller bag once you arrive.

I usually take a couple of 'gym sacks' as I travel with just a carry on rucksack, I put my shoes in them and then use them for taking stuff to the beach etc.

[fizz47]

Pretty much travelling flying every other week these are my must packed travel items:

Choice of cabin luggage:

http://www.selfridges.com/en/rimowa-salsa-cabin-mu...

Admitedley not worth the price but at the same time still love it - I went for the twin telescopic handles as it easily allows me to slide my laptop bag onto it.

Earplane plugs:

These dont drown out noise but pretty much cut out unpleasant feeling/ pain i get in my ears when there is change in air pressure you get during ascent and descent- These have been amazing and have made my flying expereince so much better.....

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Earplanes-Adult-Years-Pack...


Travel Adaptors

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Skross-USB-Charger-Blackbe...


Cable tidys -

Having a whole bunce of cables for charging i find this great way to keep everything together and tidy:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cocoon-CPG51BK-Grid-It-Org...


Earphones

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-II-Precision-Is...

These are not so expensive that if they get damaged or forgotton on the plane i wont be disappointed but good enough that they drown out noise around me and are good for the tablet / phone / in-flight entertainment


Travel pillow

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pillow-Travel-Winner-Briti...

When flying economy I always take this and by far have found it the most comfortable pillow and I have tried a whole bunch of different ones


Packing Cubes:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/eBags-Packing-Cubes-3pc-Au...

Really made a difference to how I travel and made packing a whole bunch more easier and quicker. Keep work shirts in 1 cube - Evening shirts in another cube etc etc. When I arrive at the hotel and need a certain item I dont have to dig around my suticase looking for it and messing up previosuly folded and ironed shirts.



None of these are really gagdgets but have made travelling much more convienient and efficient for me..

Edited by fizz47 on Monday 15th December 13:49

[Gingerbread Man]

My girlfriend was bought that J travelling pillow. She really rates it. Meant to be the best at what they do.

[shakotan]

Asterix said:

Gingerbread Man said:

A small thing, but I have an adapter for using your own headphones with a planes audio/ entertainment system.





Never travel without my leatherman multi tool in the luggage somewhere.
I have one of those USB power banks but don't tend to use all that often. I guess it's saved for camping.
I also always tend to bright my old maglite. Habit.

Edited by Gingerbread Man on Saturday 13th December 12:52

The airplane adapter is a vital bit of my travelling kit.

Is there any reason for them having the 2-pin system or just to be annoying

I've never been on a flight (and I've been on a fair few) where normal single 3.5mm jack don't work, and indeed the provided in-flight earphones only had single jacks.

[sneijder]

Supermarket carrier bags.

Wrap toiletry bag up 'just in case', dirty washing in on the way back.

Someone needs to reinvent them as 'travel sacks' and cash in.

[deckster]

Passport.

Credit card.

Anything else is strictly optional.

[anonymous-user]

HotJambalaya said:

REALIST123 said:

YankeePorker said:

Noise cancelling headphones for pleasant flights! I have a set of Sony on-ear that my wife bought me, but on American Airlines business class they hand out the Bose QuietComfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones that are a much more comfortable and effective around ear design. I will eventually crack and buy my own pair.......

I've had some Plane Quiets for a few years, the wife has some Sony. We're planning on replacing both and are moving towards Bose QC20i in ear headphones.

Anyone got practical experience of them?

I've bought the Bose QuietComfort 15's twice (and left one pair on a bloody easyjet flight...

I've heard good things about the QC20s and think I'll get a pair, the problem with the 15s is that they're so bulky you can't sleep on your side.

I think we'll try them too. I fancy trying in ear this time, I found the over ear difficult to sleep in and also uncomfortable after a few hours. Don't bother with them on short flights but we have four 10-12 hours flights in Feb.

[CAPP0]

deckster said:

Passport.

Credit card.

Anything else is strictly optional.

Folding toothbrush?

[/Reacher]

[Taffer]

shirt said:

my recommendation would be very simple:

http://www.thenorthface.co.uk/tnf-uk-en/base-camp-...

I highly rate the Mountain Equipment duffle bags - similar, almost indestructible construction as TNF bags, but they have an internal 'wet' compartment which is handy for separating wet and dirty laundry from the rest of your luggage.

They're also usually on discount at Cotswold Outdoor, so a bargain compared to TNF offerings. Had mine since 2006 - has survived numerous airports and ships and nothing has broken or ripped on it yet!

[YankeePorker]

AndrewCrown said:

Simon
I know this is a bit boring but I really rate the Skross travel adaptor in black. It has two USB plugs on it so you can charge the lap top, phone and ipad all at the same time...
They seem to do all sorts of models but I got mine on a BA flight.

Thanks for that - nice little stocking filler for the wife!

[feef]

Some bits and pieces I've used for different kinds of trips

Leatherman : normally lives in my hold luggage but always handy to have.

Mophie pack : A phone case that contains a battery enough for another charge. Also, as it charges via a USB connector rather than the Apple Lightning connector, it's one less kind of cable I need to carry.

Pacsafe : A steel mesh bag, originally designed for going over rucksacks and luggage when back-packing to deter thieves. I'd use when I'm motorcycle touring it as somewhere to stick my bike leathers when I parked up somewhere. Shorts and t-shirt under the leathers, flip-flops under the seat or in a bum-bag and when I got to my destination I'd stash the whole lot in the PacSafe and wander round in comfy clothes when my mates were either carrying or wearing heavy leathers all day.

Power adapter : in addition to the usual plug adaptor, I often take a 4-way socket which has 2 USB sockets built in. Saves me having to carry mains-USB plugs too.

Speakers : Got a couple of light-weight speakers that extend to improve the sound, and clip together when closed to make them easier to carry. Wired rather than bluetooth, it saves a bit of weight. If I have my iPad with me as well as my iPhone, I'll run the Tango audio app which means the iPad operates as a media center/player plugged into the speakers, and my iPhone is the remote.

Headtorch : Petzl rechargeable LED headtorch, uses a MicroUSB cable to charge the battery.

[YankeePorker]

feef said:

Leatherman : normally lives in my hold luggage but always handy to have.

If only there was an easy solution to this! I take my Victorinox multi-tool in the hold luggage for holidays, but for work I'm always hand luggage only. As someone who lives with a tiny classic Swiss Army knife in my pocket on my door key, this whole travelling without a knife thing pisses me off no end, even if it's only for the mundane things like cutting a nail or fiddling with my ecig.

The only solution that I've found is travelling to a regular destination once with hold baggage and leaving a knife with a colleague so that it's there waiting for me next time. The person who comes up with a mini tool with scissors, screwdriver and some semblance of a blade that is acceptable onboard an aeroplane will deservedly make a fortune.

[feef]

YankeePorker said:

feef said:

Leatherman : normally lives in my hold luggage but always handy to have.

If only there was an easy solution to this! I take my Victorinox multi-tool in the hold luggage for holidays, but for work I'm always hand luggage only. As someone who lives with a tiny classic Swiss Army knife in my pocket on my door key, this whole travelling without a knife thing pisses me off no end, even if it's only for the mundane things like cutting a nail or fiddling with my ecig.

The only solution that I've found is travelling to a regular destination once with hold baggage and leaving a knife with a colleague so that it's there waiting for me next time. The person who comes up with a mini tool with scissors, screwdriver and some semblance of a blade that is acceptable onboard an aeroplane will deservedly make a fortune.

Composite and ceramic one that doesn't set of metal detectors so you can keep it in a pocket while you walk through security?

[lambysdad]

Plastic bottle opener / corkscrew...nothing worse than trying to open a bottle of wine with a teaspoon!!

[RizzoTheRat]

Not a fancy gadget but I usually travel with a basic (£1.99 from Wilkinsons I think) 4 way mains adaptor. Most hotels seem to have a shortage of plugs and on holiday with the Mrs we've usually got 2 phones, 2 cameras and maybe a laptop to charge.

Another vote for hiking trousers, I usually live in Craghopper Kiwi's but also have some lighter weight Karrimor ones which I can wash in the sink when I go to bed and they'll be dry by the morning.

Can't remember the brand but I got myself a small wheelie suitcase that's the right size to take as hand luggage. Means if I'm just going somewhere for a weekend I don't need to bother with hold luggage, and it's a soft skinned one so if an airline has slightly smaller requirements it can compress down a bit.

After a bike trip in the Alps a few years ago I have a photo of the most picturesque postcard perfect village you could imagine...but I have no idea where it is (somewhere between Davos and Andematt I think). I've since bought a Canon SX260 which has built in GPS so can geotag photos.

[randlemarcus]

feef said:

YankeePorker said:

feef said:

Leatherman : normally lives in my hold luggage but always handy to have.

If only there was an easy solution to this! I take my Victorinox multi-tool in the hold luggage for holidays, but for work I'm always hand luggage only. As someone who lives with a tiny classic Swiss Army knife in my pocket on my door key, this whole travelling without a knife thing pisses me off no end, even if it's only for the mundane things like cutting a nail or fiddling with my ecig.

The only solution that I've found is travelling to a regular destination once with hold baggage and leaving a knife with a colleague so that it's there waiting for me next time. The person who comes up with a mini tool with scissors, screwdriver and some semblance of a blade that is acceptable onboard an aeroplane will deservedly make a fortune.

Composite and ceramic one that doesn't set of metal detectors so you can keep it in a pocket while you walk through security?

I suspect that a) the detectors will happily detect an object like that, and that you might have an interview without coffee afterwards. Sadly, the gents with Stanley Knives messed that up for the rest of us permanently, and I suspect you will never be able to walk a Leatherman through security again, regardless of how many things you take off it to make it acceptable.

[Foliage]

TSA (and the rest would follow suit) were supposed to be relaxing the rules on knives and things like the victorinox classic would have been acceptable, some knife manufacturers even designed the now sell knives that are to the TSA approved spec but alas it never happened and the rule change never happened.

I wouldn't bother trying to get a ceramic knife through as they have a steel blank inside the handle usually.

There are some approved tools (key ring tools that don't have a knife) BUT they will likely be confiscated anyway due to the varying rules of the various airports so I wouldn't bother.

If I need a SAK while I'm on holiday, I buy one and mail it home if I think its worth it.

[YankeePorker]

Foliage said:

TSA (and the rest would follow suit) were supposed to be relaxing the rules on knives and things like the victorinox classic would have been acceptable, some knife manufacturers even designed the now sell knives that are to the TSA approved spec but alas it never happened and the rule change never happened.

Yeah, I also heard that that TSA were supposed to be relaxing the rules on small knives, but funnily enough as they make money out of selling everything that they confiscate on eBay it never happened. Cynical, moi?

Supposedly in Europe everything confiscated is destroyed which seems more morally straight to me.

[irocfan]

YankeePorker said:

Supposedly in Europe everything confiscated is destroyed which seems more morally straight to me.

[GetCarter]

These are fantastic on a plane... plugged into phone or tablet, you can actually hear what people are saying in the quietest of movies:

http://www.boots.com/en/Sennheiser-PXC-250-II-Nois...