Most of us travel a fair amount in our lives whether for business or pleasure. Regardless the reason, certain things never get easier no matter how many frequent flier miles we rack up. Packing is a pain, trying to combat the plane’s germs can lead to a disappointing loss before you even get to your destination. The head bob from unsuccessful sleep on an overnight flight leaves you exhausted and frustrated. For these and many more reasons, I seek out the best travel products for making a journey a lot easier, healthier and more pleasurable where possible. I cast the net wide for this article and wanted to share a few really cool products that do just that.
So much luggage, so little space! Solution: Biaggi Luggage
Most people don’t just have one piece of luggage. I live in a studio apartment in NYC and have five suitcases and a duffle bag. I’m set for any trip, but unless I want to live on the road, this leaves me no room in my apartment! That’s where my savior the Tank” with Laurie Greiner. A New Yorker himself, he understands the needs of all of us in small apartments. He also understands that even if you live in a huge home, you don’t want your luggage to take up an entire room. The solution? Biaggi Luggage.
Biaggi luggage features two lines: The contempo line and the zipsak line of bags. Both fold up and can be stored under your bed when not in use. The zipsak folds into a little carrying case while the contempo line, which is more like your traditional hard shell luggage, folds up to 50% of its size. They both feature a four-wheel spinner system and the materials are extremely lightweight and scratch resistant. Check out the entire line here: http://www.biaggi.com.
Just when you thought you packed everything, you forgot something!
Solution: Genius Pack Luggage
No matter how much time I spend laying everything out on my bed before a trip and making lists, I inevitably forget some of the most basic items like contact lense solution. I am also the one who is constantly digging in my backpack. I open every single section and look in each pocket in my backpack and still don’t usually find that pen or phone charger for which I’m looking. That is where the Genius Pack line of luggage steps in! All of the suitcases come with built in organizational systems, which also help maximize the space inside for packing.
The carry-on features patent pending laundry compression technology that allows you to separate your dirty laundry from the rest of your clothes and roll them up into an airtight ball to leave plenty of room for souvenirs or other items you pick up along the way. Other features include an umbrella pop out, a portable mobile charger that allows you to recharge your smartphone directly from your bag, and even a mini speaker so you can listen to music while you pack. An engineered organizational panel includes category labeled compartments and an integrated packing list ensures you never forget your essentials.
If you’re in the market for crush-proof lightweight luggage, Genius Pack can help you. They are the first company to release hardside luggage with an interior organizational panel. Their 25-inch model weighs in at 8.2 pounds and rolls 360 degrees with 8-silent gliding spinner wheels. Additional features include an integrated combination lock, a permanent packing checklist, and secluded laundry compartment to keep unclean clothes separate from the rest. Check out all of their products here: http://www.geniuspack.com
You’re exploring a new city and don’t want to carry around a big purse. Solution: Pursecase
You’re in a new place and know you need to be extra careful with your purse. Maybe you’re going out dancing and don’t want to bring a bag, but you need your phone and a few essentials like money, credit cards, etc. Even if you have a pocket, you don’t want to put them in there, as they can easily be lifted right out if in a busy club. The solution? The chic new pursecase! Kelley Weaver is the founder and CEO of pursecase and is also an alumnus of the hit show, Shark Tank and partners with Lori Greiner.
The protective smartphone case is not only functional, but also fashionable. It has a pocket to carry cash, ID and credit cards, and a sleek chain handle that doubles as a bracelet, as well as a compact mirror designed for those fashion emergencies! A stylish cross body chain can be attached as well. They are sold on pursecase.com for $40 each.
Don’t get sick before you even get there! Solution: 8G (8 Greens)
Whoever travels with me soon sees that I spare nothing in trying not to get sick while on the road. I take airborne, elderberry extract, sniff saline solution before a flight and disinfect the armrests and tray tables. On my most recent trip, I brought with me a container of my wheatgrass powder. I was debating whether or not to bring it because it could get messy, but I was glad I did because someone on my trip was very sick and I was glad I had it!
So you can imagine when I heard about the new 8G (8 Greens), which is the world’s first effervescent tablet containing blue green algae, organic aloe vera, barley grass, spinach, kale spirulina, chlorella and wheatgrass, I was thrilled! Each tablet has zero grams of sugar and just nine calories. Tubes of 10 cost $12.50 and can be found online or at Nordstrom. 8G is power-packed nutrition: each tablet contains as much Vitamin C as five oranges, as much Vitamin B6 as 12 cups of peas, as much zinc as 10 cups of asparagus and as much Vitamin B3 as 27 cups of broccoli. And the health benefits of greens are well known. Blue green algae boosts the immune system and can reduce inflammation. Barley grass can lower cholesterol and blood pressure, while helping to keep blood sugar stable. Kale is rich in antioxidants, Vitamins A and C, calcium and fiber. Wheatgrass boosts red blood cell production and aloe vera accelerates healing.
Dawn Russell is the founder and CEO of Tasty Greens. 8G is the result of a multi year journey undertaken after she was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer in her mid-20s. Chemotherapy was not an option for her due to a bone infection, so she traveled the world in search of complementary treatments. She is now happy and healthy thanks to the healing power of greens. You can find them here: https://8greens.com
The head bob… Solution: The Travel Halo Travel Pillow and Mask
Mike Vahey, a U.S. Army veteran and world traveler invented the travel halo after countless sleepless airplane rides. We’ve all been there and having a good travel pillow can make all the difference in the world between arriving at your destination completely exhausted or refreshed and ready to hit the ground running.
Mike’s pillow is not really a pillow, but a soft head stabilizer that allows you to fall asleep sitting up in your chair. It has two rear stabilizers that put the pressure on the headrest instead of your neck. It also has an attached eye mask to keep out the light. Its minimalist design allows it to fold up into a pouch that can fit in your purse, a pocket, or glove compartment if you’re using it for a long car ride.
Also… The GoSleep Pillow and Mask
The GoSleep pillow and mask is a two-part system was developed by and also helps with head bobbing issue. It is a different concept than the Travel Halo because it is made up of an actual memory foam pillow and a mask, which wraps around your headrest. Therefore, this one gives you a little more cushion with the additional pillow that can be used behind your head or as a back support, but it also takes up more room in your carry-on. For the mask, one positions it over their eyes, and after placing the cord behind the headrest, adjusts the toggles for a comfortable fit.
Long flight? Feeling tired and gross? Solution: Good Wipes
Whenever I get off the plane, no matter how short the flight, I feel run down. On long flights, I could go a day without getting in a shower. This is where Good Wipes comes in and makes it all better! Sam Nebel and Charlie Siciak invented these after spending a long weekend without showering at a music festival and realized they needed something to help them freshen up.
Each individually wrapped wipe is biodegradable, ph-balanced, alcohol-free and 100% flushable/dispersible. They come in body wipes (9.5 x 11.5 inches) for both men and women and his and her below the belt wipes (7 x 5.3 inches). The scents are rejuvenating and ideal for getting you energized for that big meeting you have to run off to straight from the airport or when your hotel room is not quite ready yet after a long flight.
Oh no! I ran out of space on my phone to take pictures! Solution: Leef iBridge
How many times are you about to take that perfect picture when your phone tells you you’re out of storage? With the Leef iBridge, you never have to worry about using up one MB of space on your IOS device and it comes in storage amounts ranging from 16gb to 256 gb. This means you can take your entire music and movie library with you on trips and take as many pictures as you’d like without your phone telling you it ran out of storage. It has an apple lightning, a hi speed usb 2.0 connector, and sells for $59.99.
The Zika Scare…how do I protect myself? Solution: Exofficio Clothing
With Zika now in many Caribbean and Central and South American countries, when traveling, you want to take as many precautions as possible. ExOfficio BugsAway travel clothing and accessories offer an effective way for travelers to protect themselves against insects that can carry disease. ExOfficio offers styles of shirts, pants, jackets, hats, socks and accessories in the BugsAway collection, which are designed with travel-ready features and performance fabrics, providing bug protection that is comfortable and convenient.
ExOfficio BugsAway clothing is treated with invisible, odorless permethrin, using Insect Shield technology. Originally developed for the US military, Insect Shield technology bonds permethrin to apparel and gear products to provide odorless, effective and long-lasting protection. EPA-registered Insect Shield is tested and proven to repel mosquitoes, ticks, ants, flies, chiggers and midges (including those that can carry Zika virus and other illnesses such as Lyme disease, Dengue fever and malaria.) The repellency lasts through 70 launderings, the average life expectancy of a garment. ExOfficio was the first consumer apparel brand in the U.S. to utilize Insect Shield technology in 2004.
Need a jacket for cold weather, but it takes up so much room: Solution: Eddie Bauer Microtherm jacket
The latest fad over these past few years have centered on down jackets that fold up into a pouch. The Eddie Bauer Microtherm jacket is not only ultralight, but also built for alpine climbing in cool and cold weather. Since it is built for climbers, you can be confident it will offer the same weather protection for exploring in all the elements. The lightweight jacket is warm, windproof and water-repellent. Each cluster of the super high-loft 800 fill StormDown is also treated with a DWR finish so the down retains its loft and continues to provide insulation in wet conditions. The zip hand pockets ensures you don’t lose your essentials and the zip chest pocket with media port allows you to have music with you wherever your travels take you. And best of all, it folds up into a tiny ball and will fit into any small space you have left in your suitcase.
