10 Items That Make Traveling SO Much Easier

Traveling can be exciting, rewarding…and challenging. If you make the right purchases before you head to the airport—or for the hills—you can make your adventure more exciting and rewarding…and less challenging. 1. Travel Press Coffee Maker Believe it or not, some hotels do not offer coffee in their rooms. The nerve. If you find yourself in just such a two-star resort, or a cabin or tent on the mountainside miles from civilization, Bodum has your caffeine fix covered. Just bring along your favorite coffee grounds or loose leaf tea and this sturdy, stainless steel travel press coffee maker. It’s a French press and thermos, so you can brew, press and drink your 12 oz morning brew all in one. The vacuum seal keeps the drink hot for hours while the outside remains cool to the touch. Want one? Order it here. 9. Philip Stein Sleep Bracelet If you are excited or anxious about your trip, or if you’re suffering jet lag, strap on this bracelet 15 minutes before bedtime and you’ll be rewarded with a better night’s sleep. It works by tapping into Natural Frequency Technology, the synergistic conclusion of two seemingly unconnected scientific discoveries decades apart. It seems the earth emits the same frequency as the human brain when in a state of calm and relaxation. The small disc inserted into each Philip Stein bracelet acts like an antenna that channels and harnesses the natural frequencies of the planet with the wearer. The sleep bracelet, for example, helps you fall asleep faster and sleep deeper. Perfect for a long flight or for your first night away. Click here to learn more or to order. 3. Collapsible Water Bottle “You can’t bring that bottle of water on the plane,” airport security will say. Even if you just bought it! When you fly, liquid beverages, including water, are not allowed through security. It doesn’t matter if the bottle is unopened. You’ve gotta chug it or dump it. But what if you could bring a collapsible water bottle with you? It weighs close to nothing when empty, and you can fill it from any water fountain once you’re past the security gate and bring 18 oz of cool, clean free water onto the plane for your flight. You can also fill it on the plane with bottled water the flight attendants serve. Filled, it weighs only a little over a pound. Order yours here. 4. Portable Power Bank It looks giant, but it fits snugly in one hand, and it will give you a huge piece of mind. If your device dies, you’re stuck. If you’re lucky, you’ll find a place to charge it…but then you are anchored to that place. That’s if you’re lucky enough to find a place in which to plug it. What if there is no place to plug in and charge up? Or what if there’s no power? Without your phone, you’re back in 1971, baby. Who you gonna call for help? Oh wait, your phone battery is dead; you can’t call anybody. Be the independent, prepared-like-a-Boy Scout traveler you are: pack your own power that will keep you moving forward. Get one by clicking here. 5. Paper Shower If you like to be clean and feel fresh (and c’mon, who doesn’t?), these little packs are worth bringing whenever you hit the road. Or the sky. Each package contains a combination of a refreshing wet towelette and a matching soft, dry towelette. You get twelve oversized 10″X12″ dual wet and dry towelette packs in each order. Unlike other wipes, these face and body cleaners do not contain smelly alcohol. They revive you after long bike rides, runs, hikes and even golf outings. Keep a pair in your glove box and be sure to pack some for your next trip. Learn more or order by clicking here. 6. The Scrubba™ Wash Bag Did you ever go on vacation and dirty your favorite shirt on Day One..and you forgot to bring your washing machine? No prob with the Scrubba™ wash bag. It’s like a washing machine in a bag that you can carry in your pocket. Here’s how it works. Add water, cleaning liquid and the dirty garments. Shake, shake, shake (plus four more simple steps) and your clothes come out clean! What’s the trick? The bag has a flexible internal washboard that provides a machine quality wash in just minutes. It’s portable and that makes it perfect for camping and traveling…especially with kids. You can have clean clothes anywhere you find yourself. Of course, you’ll have to account for drying time. There’s no bag for that. There’s the Scrubba™ travel towel! Click here to learn more or to order. 7. GRID Mini Foam Roller If you use Trigger Point Therapy after your workouts, traveling can throw a monkey wrench in your routine (and your muscles). But it does not have to. You can continue working out in local gyms, running, or doing floor work and still be able to repair your muscles afterwards. The GRID Mini Foam Roller by TriggerPoint is small enough to pack and carry without being cumbersome. And it works just as good, if not better, than its bigger brother. Because of its size, the mini is able to pinpoint target areas more effectively, whether you’re on the road, on a ship or in a tent. Pick up this travel size foam roller and bring it with you. Click to learn more or to order. 8. Vinnibag This reusable, inflatable travel bag lets you safely transport valuable cargo: like the bottle of French wine you’re bringing back from your European adventure. It has insulated air chambers that you inflate as needed, which makes it compact when not in use. In the main compartment, you can secure anything you don’t want to break or leak. This includes gourmet goodies, camera lenses, medications, or valuable souvenirs. You won’t have to worry about airport security breaking what’s safe inside, or about your luggage being tossed around. The padded cushion of air will protect your precious items. Thinking “outside the bag,” the Vinnibag also makes a clever and thoughtful gift for any traveler or wine lover. Get your bag here. 9. Rolo It’s like a portable rollup closet—for the minimalist traveler. Meaning, if you don’t want to bring your entire closet for a four-day getaway, Rolo is for you. You can pack your long weekend wardrobe in separate mesh pockets and then neatly and compactly roll them up. The strong, metal hook at the top with a fiberglass rod double as a hanger and as a compress for the clothes when rolled. Empty and coiled like a yoga mat, Rolo is 17″ long by 4″ tall and 1.25″ wide. Packed, it’s about 15 times smaller than a rolling suitcase. You won’t need wheels. The carrying strap makes getting it around so convenient, and it’s the ideal shape and size for quickly getting in and out of an overhead compartment. Click here to learn more or to order. 10. Water Purifying Bottle If you’re going to a place where drinking the local water might be a gamble, you can stack the deck in your favor with CamelBak All Clear. This state-of-the-art purification system reduces bacteria, viruses and protozoa in tap water by 99.9%. (Eh, that last .1% is probably just a legality.) You can also use it to drink stream water. That makes the All Clear the ideal hiking companion. It holds just ¾ liter, but you can purify two bottles worth of water. The rechargeable lithium battery powers the LCD readout. You add water, press the power button and agitate the water for one minute. The LCD lets you know when you can safely drink. Click here to learn more or to order.