10 Pieces of Gear That Make Travel Easier

You can’t just throw a bunch of clothes in a bag and say you’re ready to travel. It takes planning, commitment, and gear to go out of town in style these days. My wife and I are fortunate enough to travel fairly frequently, and we’ve come to depend on a handful of products that make it easier and more comfortable, from packaging solutions to novel little tech gizmos. Here’s a look at some of the stuff that makes life easier for us when we travel.—Garrett Martin

1. Paris Travel Backpack from Casery

Casery, a company known for their beautiful iPhone cases, has created a sophisticated laptop backpack perfect for business trips. The vegan leather has a subtle texture, and all of the rose gold metal hardware is heavy and high quality. It has a padded pocket for a laptop, separate pockets for charging cables, your mouse, and other essentials, and a zippered pocket on the back to protect valuables from pickpockets. The straps can be adjusted to carry as a tote, and the back of the bag has a sleeve that slips over the handles of rolling bags, allowing you to breeze through TSA without fumbling bags. And RFID blocking lining even protects you from identity theft.—Jessica Moore

2. Twelve South AirFly Wireless Transmitter

This little gadget connects your wireless headphones to wired headphone jacks. It’s perfect for longer flights and allows you to use your AirPods or Bose Quiet Comfort with the in-flight entertainment. It’s also invaluable at the gym or for wireless sound on your Nintendo Switch. If you’re an old grump like me who is constantly annoyed by how tech companies keep having to change headphones for no good reason, this transmitter will help you jump into the present while minimizing the inconvenience.—GM

3. Bagail Packing Cubes

Yes, there’s a ton of hype around packing cubes, but they really do work. My wife and I tend to travel a lot and we make sure to maximize space in our luggage with these babies. This set has six cubes and is a great value for the money. The nylon is tough and can take a lot of abuse. There are lots of fun colors and patterns. We took them on a 10-day cruise and were able to use one suitcase instead of two. It turns your packing into luggage Tetris.—GM

4. Asgard Women’s Rain Boots

This is an affordable rain boot that looks stylish, is lightweight, and saves space in your suitcase. They have elastic goring and a pull-tag at the heel to make it easy to put them on or take them off. The outsole has excellent traction. The Chelsea styling makes them appropriate for different occasions, and the color line has lots of options.—JM

5. Nomader Collapsible Water Bottle

This water bottle is made of BPA-free silicone that’s collapsible but sturdy. It’s good for the environment, good for your wallet, and is a breeze to pack in your carry-on or backpack. It has a wide mouth lid that cleans easily and allows you to add ice cubes or fruit. The spout is leakproof and airtight and has a cover to keep out germs or grime. It works with hot or cold drinks. You’ve got to stay hydrated on the go, and here’s an easy way to do that.—JM

6. Columbia Women’s Arcadia II packable rain jacket

This is the perfect rain jacket for travel. It’s available in both regular and plus sizes and features an adjustable hem and cuffs to keep you dry. It looks stylish and is breathable, so you don’t get too hot when you move around in it and can easily layer it over your other clothes. It folds up into one of the hand pockets, so it takes up very little room in your luggage.—JM

7. HoodiePillow Inflatable Travel Pillow

Since it’s inflatable it takes up less space in your carry-on and allows you to adjust the level of firmness. The hoodie allows you to block out light or sound and keeps your head warm, making it perfect for those long red eyes overseas.—GM

8. Anker USB 6 Port Wall Charger

Charge all of your devices at once with this convenient wall charger. It saves space and keeps you covered without having to pack bricks or plugs for each device. It’s also great for older hotels that haven’t installed USB plugs next to the bed—which you’ll find more of than you probably expect if you travel a lot.—GM

9. Surviveware Individual Biodegradable Wet Wipes

These wipes are biodegradable, so they break down much faster than baby wipes. They’re large in size, so they’re perfect to freshen up after a hike, long flight, or a trip to the gym. They’re unscented and are gentle enough to use on sensitive skin and can even be used at a questionable bathroom that doesn’t have toilet paper. They’re also pet friendly, so you can clean Samson’s face or paws after a muddy hike.—JM

10. Anker PowerCore 5000 Portable Charger

This robust little charger is powerful enough to provide 23 extra battery hours for your phone while small enough to fit into a pocket or smaller bag. It’s perfect for charging devices at the airport or when you’ve used all of your battery power taking a million photos or videos at Disney World. Seriously, if I didn’t have one of these things, my phone wouldn’t make it halfway through the day at Disney, considering how many long, uninterrupted videos I take of Donald Duck every time I’m there.—GM

Senior editor Garrett Martin writes about videogames, comedy, travel, theme parks, wrestling, and anything else that gets in his way. He’s also on Twitter @grmartin.