<p>Books. Usually around 5.</p>
<p>Nowadays, salted roast almonds.</p>
<p>Suggestion: slap an address label on the phone/equipment chargers. Found one in our hotel room this summer, mailed it back to the person and got a nice thank you note. Was obviously a teenage guy; wonder if his mom made him write the note or if he did it himself. :)</p>
<p>DH also uses the wax earplugs. He used to have a nice set of velvet-covered eyeshades from Brookstone which also played environmental sounds and could connect to an iPod. Lost three sets of the shades and they are no longer made. This is why I have not bought an Ipad/Kindle or Bose earphones for him – they will get lost/left behind. He travels a lot.</p>
<p>Would LOVE to find him a tie case along the line of what George Clooney’s character in “Up in the Air” had. Can only find leather cases that hold three ties – am looking for one that can hold a week’s worth.</p>
<p>My must-haves:
meds, camera, cell phone, some but not all of my credit cards (DH and I carry different ones on trips together so that if one of us loses one, we have another available), socks, magazines (lighter than books, easier to fold in half to read on a crowded plane, can recycle if I need the space), folder with all reservations/itineraries printed out.</p>
<p>For trips with the entire family, I have a master list with each bag listed and its contents. Inevitably someone asks, “Where is XXX?” and it is assumed I know, whether I packed it, thought of it, or told someone else it was <em>his</em> responsibility. ;)</p>
<p>Kindle, portable GPS system for rental car, printouts of full itinerary, chargers for phone and camera.</p>
<p>My dr. will write a prescription for things like Tamiflu and Cipro if I’m going to a dicey area. Nowadays I also put a small cinnamon smelling anti bedbug spray in that 1 qt. ziplock bag. It may not be 100% effective but I’ve never had a bite (or, admittedly, even seen evidence of an infestation when I do the mattress search.)</p>
<p>I travel internationally for work. The places I stay usually don’t use top sheets, and I don’t want to use the comforter/bedspread (as others have mentioned), so I just sort of wrap in the sheet I brought. Also I bring as much food as I can pack, tho it doesn’t last past the first day.</p>
<p>Do you know what’s the nicest thing I hear coming through the US custom? “Welcome home.” I am always happy when the plane touches down on the American soil. </p>
<p>My thumbs up for my noise cancellations earbuds. I was sitting in the front with some very excited foreigners(men) coming into NY to watch a football game this Sunday, and they thought it was perfectly acceptable to talk over me to each other. At one point, I just turned my earphone up and I couldn’t hear them any more.</p>
<p>My Blackberry Bold 9700 from T-Mobile (to be replaced by a Google G2 as soon as it gets unlicensed mobile access, which T-Mobile says is coming)</p>
<p>ipod and Shure headphones to listen to audiobooks. I find I leave my noise-cancelling headset home on most trips.</p>
<p>Tumi 22021 rolling suitcase that fits LHR sizer and can hold a suit (<a href=“http://www.irvsluggage.com/itemd.asp...LAID=355951505[/url]”>http://www.irvsluggage.com/itemd.asp...LAID=355951505</a>)</p>
<p>Cole Haan Nike Air slip-on dress shoes (<a href=“http://www.colehaan.com/colehaan/cat...ctGroup=197366[/url]”>http://www.colehaan.com/colehaan/cat...ctGroup=197366</a> or <a href=“http://www.colehaan.com/colehaan/cat...ctGroup=255678[/url]”>http://www.colehaan.com/colehaan/cat...ctGroup=255678</a> or <a href=“http://www.colehaan.com/colehaan/cat...productGroup=+[/url]”>http://www.colehaan.com/colehaan/cat...productGroup=+</a>)</p>
<p>Kensington power brick that charges computer and USB from power outlet or airplane or car ([Wall/Auto/Air</a> Ultra Portable Notebook Power Adapter - K33197US - Kensington](<a href=“http://us.kensington.com/html/13874.html]Wall/Auto/Air”>http://us.kensington.com/html/13874.html)). Bought a couple of refurbished ones at J&R. The best one is 70W rather that 120W as the 120W don’t always work when the airline has AC rather than DC. For example, BA has a 75W max.</p>
<p>Checkpoint friendly briefcase (I have <a href=“http://www.ebags.com/ebags/firewall_...modelid=125136[/url]”>http://www.ebags.com/ebags/firewall_...modelid=125136</a> which is a bit clunky but works great)</p>
<p>Good shoulder strap (Optech SOS bought on ebay for $9 but here’s a picture <a href=“http://www.duracomsupply.com/servlet...aves-On/Detail[/url]”>http://www.duracomsupply.com/servlet...aves-On/Detail</a>). Incredibly comfortable.</p>
<p>Non-Iron Dress Shirts (I use <a href=“http://www.josbank.com/IWCatProductP...duct_Id=147307[/url]”>http://www.josbank.com/IWCatProductP...duct_Id=147307</a>)</p>
<p>Eagle Creek shirt folder. I have little Eagle Creek compartments but find I don’t pack them either.</p>
<p>Plantronics 476 DSP folding USB headset for Skype.</p>
<p>Then, the obvious – my laptop, passport, Kindle sometimes, the last week’s Economist to read on take-off and landing, a book to read on take-off and landing, etc.</p>
<p>When you have a serious chronic health condition and your docs insist you start antibiotics or Tamiflu IMMEDIATELY, they keep you supplied with them, especially when you travel. I always let me docs know when I appear to be starting an infection & they let me know by e-mail that I should start the antibiotics or Tamiflu. It has kept me out of ERs & hospitals, so I’m very grateful & keep in close touch with my docs about using these meds when needed.</p>
<p>DH just called me in panic - he is abroad on a business trip and needs to fix the hem of his pants beacuse the thread fell apart! I told him that I would buy a plane ticket, fly to Europe and fix it, but it would be at least 24 hrs and $1000 until I can do that! LOL! Honey, can you talk to the nice people at the hotel front desk? Next time, I’m packing you a hemming tape!</p>
<p>Everything I bring has already been mentioned but I’m in the market for noise-cancelling or, at least, noice-isolating headphones. Several people have mentioned them–can anyone recommend a good set? Oh, I thought of one thing I haven’t seen mentioned: I always have sudoku with me! Also we bring our Capitol One visa as it’s the only card we’ve come across that doesn’t charge a transaction fee (frequently 3%) on internationally purchases.</p>
<p>The brand Of headphones I have are made by Phillips.</p>
<p>I’ve made myself a travel checklist that I keep on my computer and I refer to it every time I travel (which is more often than I would like–I have elderly parents living 10000 miles away). Some necessities: ipod and in-the ear canal earphones, kindle (as many books as I want in the space/weight of one book: Yipee!), inflatable travel pillow, spare glasses. For leisure travel: a sheet of address labels for postcards and a miniature copy of our itinerary that fits in my wallet. And on my ipod I have an app called Ambiance that has lots of different continuous loop background noises–for example, a fan. Sometimes the ventilation system in a hotel can’t be set to run with the fan only, and I need some white noise so I can sleep.</p>
<p>Oh, and Afrin. I use some Afrin every time I fly. If I don’t, I have nasty sinus pain.</p>
<p>The passengers on the Carnival Splendor probably wish I was among them. I always pack a flashlight. </p>
<p>And, whenever I fly I have to buy a Town & Country magazine in the airport. (They don’t sell 'em around here.) I can spend the entire flight from Baltimore to Ft. Myers catching up on what rich people do.</p>
<p>BunsenBurner, at least it’s not the seat of his pants that split! (Just had to fix two of DH’s suit pants for that reason!) Maybe I should sign on as DH’s tailor for international travel…</p>
<p>I always carry a fold up tote bag - great for when you don’t have enough room to carry home all your souvenirs. We also use it as a beach bag.</p>
<p>Also, I put a few of those plastic electrical ties in the outside pocket of my suitcase. Even though I always use a TSA approved lock for my bag (I’ve seen way too many suitcases come down the conveyor belt unzipped with the contents spilling out), sometimes in other countries you aren’t allowed to use the locks but you can use the ties since they can be cut off.</p>
<p>I usually take a set of plastic cutlery and some packets of instant oatmeal or grits that I can make in the room with hot water from the coffee maker and avoid the overpriced breakfast buffet.</p>
<p>For the plane- pashmina scarf to use to keep warm. I always freeze. Various pain meds- plus benadryl and advil PM. Blistex- absolute must have. Oprah magazine, a couple of books. Nuts, Vit C hard candy made by Halls. Cell phone- if I remember I load the latest update of USA Today to view on plane on Iphone. Emergen-C packets. Boarding Pass and itinerary, car rental printout, hotel directions. Toothbrush. Pair of underwear and sometimes a clean shirt.
On my last trip I brought several packets of plain instant oatmeal. I have been trying to eat healthier this year and I liked being able to have an alternative to the heavy sugar, carb options at most continental breakfast buffets.</p>
<p>Carmex and iPad with earphones and a bunch of downloaded podcasts.</p>
<p>Oh, I forgot: I can read my Kindle on my smartphone now. Maybe I don’t have to carry it on the plane with me; it can go in my checked luggage. Hmm, but the cell phone battery might not last long enough for really long flights. Will think about that one.</p>
<p>I do carry very basic cosmetics (see earlier post about being stranded without luggage) because I don’t want to frighten anyone!</p>
<p>Noise cancelling earbuds: I have the noise cancelling head phones, which would be bulkier. Are the ear buds as good or even close? (Planning to fly to China soon…)</p>