Gadgets for Business Travelers

Handy and fun gadgets help eliminate on-the-road troubles
By Betty W. Stark, Business travel consultant and columnist Stark Consulting There’s plenty to complain about when it comes to the hassles of business travel. Airlines have taken away meals and pillows and blankets. They rarely stock magazines or newspapers, because they weigh too much and flight attendants are too busy dealing with cranky passengers to distribute them anyway.  

Every seat on the aircraft is filled and your seat neighbor wants to chat nonstop (you don’t). Maybe it’s time to look for travel gadgets and products to help smooth out all those annoying “bumps in the road”.  

   1.   Look for products that will make your travel more comfortable.
   2.   Find gadgets that will keep vital data safe, protect electronic equipment.
   3.   Seek out widgets that will help keep you safe on the road.

Increase in-flight comfort

No more blankets or pillows mean you’ll probably have a long, cold flight and worse, you’ll arrive with a crick in your neck. Packed flights mean you’ll have lots of potentially noisy seatmates. Suppliers of travel comfort items feel your pain and have designed products that go a long way toward cozying up a long flight.
Try:  Check out the Dream Sack Travel Blanket and the Eagle Creek Comfort Travel Pillow that requires only two puffs to inflate. To help tune out noisy neighbors, look into noise-canceling headphones. Instead of alcohol or sleeping aids, try slipping into relaxation with all-natural Badger Sleep Balm. If that doesn’t work, watch a movie instead.

Protect valuable data and electronics.

Business travelers are notorious for hauling along thousands of dollars worth of equipment crammed with critical information, then doing little or nothing to protect the data from snoopy seat mates or the equipment from theft.
Try:  Check out a notebook/LCD privacy filter. It will make your laptop screen invisible to the person next to or behind you and it protects the LCD display from fingerprints, scratches and abrasions. You can protect your laptop from theft too, or download critical data to a removable flash drive no bigger than your house key.

Use gadgets to protect yourself

Business travelers, especially those who travel frequently, often neglect to consider personal safety. There are lots of easy-to-tote gadgets that add a measure of security for those unexpected situations.
Try:  Secure money and vital documents in specially-designed pouches. Carry a door alarm to protect against hotel room intrusions. Pack a super-bright flashlight. Carry a mega-decibel alarm to scare off attackers.

Get to know the best sources for all travel-related gadgets

There are so many travel gadgets that searching for them can be daunting. The Internet is a great resource for gadget shopping.
Try:  Scout out more information and handy travel tips too at Magellan’s, Brookstone, TravelSmith, Sharper Image, Travel Essentials and Sky Mall.

• Browsing for travel gadgets in airport shops can be fun but you’ll often save by buying online.
• Some gadget sites include user reviews.
• Some gadget sites, like Magellan’s, are chock full of valuable travel tips and destination information.
• Look for new packing accessories that conform to current carry-on restrictions.
• Remove the batteries from gadgets and pack them in a separate zip-top bag to help speed your way through security checkpoints.