tcl

I used to bring a Swiss army knife that would come apart into a fork and knife for snacking on the go. However with the new carry-on restrictions, I buy an inexpensive knife at my destination but always have a spork on me. I usually find sporks idiotic. Who puts holes in a perfectly good spoon? But these ones I like: Moscardino Spork available at the MOMA shop and the stainless Norpro one. There is also a bamboo one but I find the spoon too shallow to be of much use.

If I'm checking luggage, I bring my old trusty Swiss Army picnic knife or my Mangia utensil set.

Another major item for extended trip is either a kettle or even a dual voltage cookpot. Sometimes you just need to heat up some water for tea or hot chocolate or to reheat some leftovers in your room.

globaltrekker

You are correct, aerodrome -- the Dollar Tree has them (marketed as pill containers).

ryandelmundo

I just got the LifeStraw personal water filter: a ultra simple water purifier. Just stick it in dirty water and you can drink it!

It's only $20 and can save your life, save ya a few $$ on buying bottled water, and save the world from a few plastic bottles.

Tastes better than iodine (well it has no taste) and doesn't use chemicals.

Proceeds go to giving them out to NGO's who use them in developing countries. Can't beat good karma

84fiero

- Several ziplock baggies, large and small (I prefer the slider ones) which end up being used for all kinds of stuff - saving leftover food, segregating a wet clothing item until I can wash it, packing up small sized souvenirs, packing with ice if I need a cold pack for a minor injury, etc.

- Titanium spork (yeah a regular metal one doesn't weigh much more, but I just wanted a titanium spork!) or plastic utensils

- Tea and hot chocolate packets

- Food items for snacks (granola, trail mix, crackers, protein bars, small thing of peanut butter)

- Small paper plates

- EZ Towels - handy for while we're out and about in case someone spills food on their shirt for example; useful for eating take-away food in the hotel room; other uses especially if the hotel doesn't provide washcloths

UltraRant

Here's my list of things for a long haul trip (apart from clothing and toiletries):

- earplugs, both the ones that stop noise and the ones used for playing music are always handy
- eye mask (in case 'early morning' is announced after 2 hours of sleep or so).
- camera (if it's a new destination or a trip for pleasure, not business)
- pen and/or pencil and something to write on
- a print out of Google maps for my destination. Maps can be quite expensive and complete overkill, if they even exists. It's not always certain that the sea- bus- or airport provide maps and a tourist information office is not always easy to find. Google maps tend to be well updated and provide a sufficient guide for arrival day. The good news about a printout is that you're not dependent on batteries and you don't have to fear for your life if you end up using your expensive tool somewhere not so wealthy.
- lock
- hand sanitizer
- on long haul flights to long destinations I also bring my Nintendo 3DS nowadays. It's fun on board.
- phone number of my hotel (if not a printed reservation)
- airplane adapter for audio
- a towel
- a world adapter and power strip (one socket is not enough for both laptop, phone and other electrical equipment...)
- an external data storage device (just make backups. you never know...)
- leftover currency from surrounding countries (chances are much bigger that you can trade it for local currency there at much better rates than at home (if it can be traded there at all))
- US dollars or Euros in cash
- 2 credit cards or bank cards
- cell phone (and charger if I manage to remember it)
- umbrella (one of the very compactly folded ones)
- tiny reading light / torch
- a good (hopefully) book
- some information about my location (can be lonely planet, can be a printout of wikitravel even)
- business cards (you never know whom you'll meet on the road).
- my laptop (or better, the one of my employer, in case it breaks or gets stolen. Nothing is stored locally anyway)
- travel insurance card
- lightweight flip flops / slippers / thongs (however you like to call them).

Depending on the accommodation and travel destination, l might also take with me:
- toilet paper
- malaria pills (even if an area is formally been declared 'malaria free')
- imodium or something alike

I also keep my money or cards stored in separate locations. If I get pick-pocketed, then at least I have one or two resources left.
I usually don't bring those 'special' small tubes of toothpaste or shampoo. There are lots of bottles and tubes available at exactly 100 ml, usually even cheaper than the ones that are specially 'made' for flying. It beats me why you'd want to buy a 'special design' 50 ml bottle if 100 ml is allowed, but some people do believe that it's the only stuff they're allowed to take on board. Smart marketing, I guess. Sometimes, when I know I I'll be on a trip with hand luggage only, I might 'borrow' some small complimentary shampoo bottles of the hotel I stay in on my business trip.
Finally, I also count on being able to find a local shop to provide me with some of the stuff I need (like food, drinks, tools, etc.). Only if I arrive at the airport at night or so, I may buy a bottle of water or drink and maybe a small snack (also a very good way to get some small change in local currency).

sfx

People might want to think again about the abnoxious Knee Defender:
http://www.theguardian.com/business/...ning?CMP=fb_gu

todigy

The one and only item I make sure to fill my briefcase up as full as I can with when I am back in the United States before returning to the Philippines (so as to foil the inevitable 12 to 14 hour Hong Kong Airport (HKG) layover) is Slim Jim's. Whenever I get hungry, I eat 5 to 10 of these and the hunger pangs fade away. I suggest having as many on-hand as possible because the number of times when they are needed seems to get larger every trip I take. Just when I think there will be no more unforeseen item come up to change or extend my trip, things change and again I will grab for my Slim Jim with a smile on my face knowing how much money all the other people are being squeezed for!

drvb

My Stuffa-vest so I don't have to pay for baggage.

Doc Savage

And I'll bet you wash 'em down with gallons o' YooHoo.

dancingtravel

I always keep a few yards of duct tape wrapped around my water bottle. Don't need the whole roll, its always with me, and it saves the day on many occasions!

TGeiger

I always bring my medicine kit and first aid kit. I don't like to travel without it. Extra tissue, and water bottle.

JR14

A Ryanair-sized suitcase and an unlocked GSM phone! I've bought SIM cards for temporary use in at least 6 different countries at this point.

l3arefoot

SIM card holder

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I just bought, but haven't tried it yet, the whatsapp sim card

http://www.whatsim.com/en

JR14

A travel towel

eajusa

Of course getting as much info from the Internet as possible saves on guide books, etc.