Lock Your Laptop
Even if there's an in-room safe, for keeping your
laptop secure in your room, Washington, D.C.-based meeting and
hospitality consultant, facilitator and trainer Joan Eisenstodt
recommends the
Kensington Notebook Microsaver. Cost: $32.
amazon.com Getting there, especially for business, is not much fun these days. To make life on the go a bit more comfortable, we asked planners to share their tried-and-true favorite travel items, and added our editorial team's best bets to the rest.
Luggage leaders
Briggs and Riley luggage is recommended by Bonnie Walsh, CMM, CMP, chief strategist at Charlotte, N.C.-based Bonnie Walsh Associates. Of her carry-on bag she says, "It's easy to maneuver within an airplane and fits a lot of stuff." Cost: from $39. (877) 745-3978; briggs-riley.com
Delsey, left, is the baggage brand of choice for Shannon Kiley, events planner for the Warrendale, Pa.-based Association for Iron & Steel Technology. "It's lightweight," she notes, "and I even received a free replacement when the airline broke my handle." Cost: from $159.99. luggageonline.com
A professional luggage cart makes traveling around the globe less cumbersome for Defiance, Ohio-based trade show consultant Candy Adams, CMP, CMM. Her line of choice is Kart-A-Bag because "they're the right height for me." Cost: from $80. (800) 423-9328; kart-a-bag.com
The lightweight Hovercraft bag from Eagle Creek, recommended by M&C managing editor Allen J. Sheinman, has one really big advantage over others: It's wide, 20-inch design allows travelers to pack suits and jackets (plus lots of other gear, including a laptop computer) with minimal folding and as carry-on luggage. Cost: $169.99. (800) 962-4943; magellans.com
Pack it upFor travel clothes, women's retailer
Chico's was cited by several planners. "I love to travel with the Chico's Travelers line of packable mix-and-match outfits," says Nadine W. Fox, president of SemSo Inc. DBA, Seminars and Soirees in Charlotte, N.C. "Nothing ever wrinkles, you can wash them in the sink if need be and add a scarf or some jewelry and look polished and professional. And the comfort factor is really high." Cost: from $31. (888) 855-4986;
chicos.com
J.Jill's Wearever Collection offers female travelers a modern capsule wardrobe of comfy fabrics and mix-and-match styles that work for travel and business. Cost: from $39. (800) 343-5700;
jjill.comM&C senior editor Sarah Braley likes the light, travel-friendly
Merrell Charade jacket for its double-duty role: It folds into a pouch that serves as an in-flight neck pillow. Available in five colors. Cost: $129. (800) 288-3124;
merrell.comOak Ridge, N.J.-based meeting consultant William L. Youngs, CMP, recommends placing clothes in plastic
dry-cleaning bags when packing. "Nothing gets wrinkled!" he enthuses. "I leave suits and starched shirts right on the hangers and simply unpack them, give them a shake and hang them in the closet. It saves a lot of time not having to iron anything on-site."
Well heeledFor comfy and practical travel footwear, Donna Marie Primas, owner of Chicago-based Primas Copywrite, relies on leather clogs by
Merrell. "I always wear them when traveling for ease of passing through security checkpoints and foot-stretching during flights," she says. Cost: $85. (800) 288-3124;
merrell.comSteve LaManna, director of national accounts for Orlando-based Swank Audio Visuals Event Services, favors the
Mephisto Mallory shoe. "They're only shoes I wear while at a show or while traveling," he says. "They are pricey but worth every penny, and you can have them resoled directly by Mephisto for half the price you paid for them." Cost: $240-$300. (800) 927-7671;
mephistopalmbeach.com
Bonnie M. Long, manager of meetings and events for Morrisville, N.C.-based Salix Pharmaceuticals, relies on
Jambu shoes for stylish foot comfort. "They are indispensable for our team for working a program," she says. "No hurting feet, legs, hips or knees, even after standing on a marble floor for 18 hours. Awesome!" Cost: from $70. (800) 927-7671;
zappos.com/jambu
Just for germophobesThese disposable pillow cases from
PB Travel will keep your noggin away from germs on planes and -- for true germophobes -- in hotel rooms. Cost: $4.99 for a pack of two. (305) 649-0007;
pb-travel.comPB Travel's disposable sheets are made for those of us, like
M&C's vice president/editor in chief Lori Cioffi, who are wary of bedbugs or hotel housekeeping practices. Cost: $5.99 for a pack of two sheets that fit a single bed; $8.99 for two sheets that fit a double bed. (305) 649-0007;
pb-travel.com
Never walk barefoot on a hotel or airport floor again, with these light, disposable
Slip N' Toss sandals.
M&C editor Loren Edelstein says these slim foot coverings (made of 75 percent organic matter) fit easily into her carry-on or purse and are available in men's and women's sizes. Cost, $3.99 per pair.
slipntoss.com