1. Ex Officio underwear.
http://bit.ly/eL6jrI
Soft as silk, but durable as iron. Seriously, after 2 years, mine still look like new. Better yet for travellers, they are light as a feather, dry incredibly fast if you need to do a sink basin washing, and odor resistant.
2. Roller blade wheels.
http://amzn.to/Ku7JyR
This will probably be the most eyebrow raising item on my list, but the first thing I do when I get new wheeled luggage is to change the wheels out for roller blade wheels. They are far more durable, and the rubbery composition provides some shock absorption, which makes your bag feel likes its gliding along rather than banging along. Best of all, they are *silent* when rolling. I've included an Amazon link here just to give you the idea, but I usually pick them up at my local sporting goods store. The trick here is to make sure you get the proper millimeter sized wheel for your bag. I usually take the OEM wheel with me, so I can do a side by side comparison. I also soemtimes need to make a trip to the local harware store to get a couple of plastic washers to put on either side of the wheel, to keep it centered on the axle properly. Completely depends on the type of luggage wheel I'm replacing.
3. 20 ft extension cord.
http://amzn.to/LIJFLP
I know some folks are partial to mini "travel" versions of extension cords, but I have found that for just a minimal increase in bulk, I get not only the ability to multiply 1 outlet into 3, but I can extend it to nearly anywhere I might need to be. Priceless for those times where everyone is huddled around the lone power outlet column at the airport, but even better when I end up in a hotel room that only has one outlet on the other side of the room behind the desk.
4. Scoche dual power adapter with fold flat prong.
http://bit.ly/KiW1Gq
The important thing here is that this device provides TWO ports that BOTH provide 2.1A of power (which is far more juice than standard adapters, and is the amount necessary to recharge an iPad or toher modern power hungry device quickly), yet still offers a fold flat prong. As of the date of this posting, this is the only power adapter that combines all these attributes.
5. MiFi.
http://bit.ly/jI3oFS
WiFi at airport lounges and hotels usually moves at a snails pace. 4G with Verizon is nearly everywhere I travel, and is almost always faster than the "free" options available to me. Better yet, internet security is a lot better with my own signal. I used to think of this as a luxury item, but no more. The freedom that having high speed internet with me at all times is simply a necessity to get anything done, and well worth the monthly charge.
6. Nook Tablet hacked w Android operating system.
http://bit.ly/siIFwL
I think iPads are great, but for my travel purposes, you just can't beat the 7inch Nook Tablet. It has a gorgeous screen, and is plenty big enough to watch movies for hours, yet so small it slips into any cranny in a travel bag. But here's the best part: now it's so easy to hack it to install the full Andoid operating system. You can easily do it yourself...but for the techonogically faint of heart, I've attached the link where you can buy a pre-installed SD card. You just insert the SD card into your Nook, and reboot. Viola. Full Android operating system is installed. You can download any app you want from the Android Market (aka, Google Play store). I also highly recommend the app "MX Player" for watching videos. Lots of easy on-screen video controls, and it will also play avi, mp4, mkv, and lots of other video formats.
7. Tristar/ Skytrain.
http://bit.ly/KdYTWu http://bit.ly/a5Al1
Readers of this forum are more than familiar with both these items. I own both. I usually opt for the Tristar, as I like it's looks and I happen to prefer having several pockets to organize my belongings. And it can fit a lot of packing into it...more in fact than my back is usually willing to hoist, so I have to be careful.
But when I really need to pack a lot of stuff, I'm always amazed at how much fits into the SkyTrain.
8. Briggs & Riley Rolling Cabin Bag.
http://bit.ly/xzLFG1
I've mentioned before that this is the largest bag with wheels that will still also fit into the overhead bin of ALL the tiny regional jets, including the CRJ200s. I usually put my TriStar (or SkyTrain) on top of this bag, allowing me to roll them both, and then I get the best of all worlds. At the gate I put the Tristar (or Skytrain) on my back like a backpack (love that option over a shoulder strap), and retract the rolling handle of the B&R and just pick it up like a briefcase. It really looks small next to the other rollaboards, esp when I'm carrying it by it's handle, and I have never, ever had a gate agent make me curbside check it yet. I can always fit both the B&R AND the Tristar in an overhead bin in even the smallest CRJ, and surprisingly enough, there always seems to be room, since everyone else had to gete check their rollaboard.
9. Velcro Straps.
http://bit.ly/KSxZR2
I used to buy these a couple at a time, in various colors. Then one day as Iwandered down the aisle at Home Depot, I discovered I could buy them in bulk. Less than 10 bucks gives me a roll of dozens and dozens of these. These attach to any cord or cable, and allows you to wind up your cord and then secure it with the velcro strap. No more tangled mess in your carry on bags. But the more I use them, the more uses I find. For example, when I set my TriStar on top of my Briggs and Riley rolling bag, I use one of these velcro straps to secure the handle on my Tristar to the telescoping handle of my B&R.
10. Roku.
http://bit.ly/JuSGCS
OK, this one actually *is* a luxury item. But it only costs $9 - $99 bucks...luxury on a budget. I opted for the XS model, only because it has a USB port that supports playing a video file from a thumb key, and it also plays .mkv video files (which is a popular format with the crowd that uploads video content onto the web). But any of them will allow you to stream your Netflix, Amazon prime, or home computer content right onto your hotel TV. See bonus pick #12 below for more.
11. The World's Thinnest HDMI cable.
http://bit.ly/q2lXQz
OK, if you've managed to read this far, then you've earned a bonus pick! This cable makes packing my Roku much simpler. If you've ever dealt with the high end "Monster"
brand HDMI cables, you know how thick and bulky (and hard to pack) they can get.
12. Plex Media App.
http://bit.ly/YkIX
It takes some effort to get it installed on your home computer, but once you do, you can stream ANY video you have saved on your home computer to virtually any mobile device or laptop that can install the Plex viewing app. The Roku player will let you play videos from your computer at home onto your TV screen in your hotel in hi-def! No more extortion fees to the hotel for watching a movie. Now you're all set with NoPay-Per-View.