I was just going to mention that suggestion myself. But mine's on Yahoo Mail. :-)

Before a trip I end up loading everything short of credit cards in an email and sending it to myself. That way I have my itinerary, any confirmation numbers, phone numbers, addresses, etc. somewhere I know I can get to, even if I lose things.

What a clever idea about scanning and saving the information. Thanks for a good one.

A long time ago when I was a mystery shopper, the indispensable items in my emerg. kit was a razor blade scraper (Gillette's Widget worked best) and nail polish remover pads....to take off Rental Car stickers!

Here are some of my less obvious essentials:

Saline nasal spray (to avoid bloody noses on long flights), Evian in the spray can, a small sewing kit, a black magic marker (handles heel scuffs in a jiff), Ziploc bags (in a variety of sizes), a small travel candle tin, hair elastics, and clear nail polish.

ORD Security just took mine, "no sharp objects mind you"

Neat thread idea, and some great suggestions! Part of the many reasons I love this community.

I travel almost exclusively domestically.

On these trips, I take:

Cell Phone and charger.
Laptop and charger, and two extra batteries. (If needed, I also take an LCD projector).
Some DVD's.
Bose Noise-Cancelling Headphones.
Conctact lens drops.
Asprin and Ibuprofen.
A book
A sewing kit ( I now check it). http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif
Toiletries, incluidng my Mach 3. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif ( I now check the razor as well) http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif
Expired driver's license in my checked luggage.

Dudster,

I agree with you.


I carry:

Gum
Antihistimes
Palm pilot
Toys (that I give to flight att) Helps pass the time.

Dan

loaded iPod and headphones http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

oh, and it's got a fully bootable MacOS on it.

one thing to check is whether there is compatibility between your computer charger/cord and your phone charger/cord. Had a ThinkPad and an Ericsson phone, and I could shuffle the wall-cord sections (only taking one) to reduce weight a bit.

JL

I'm surprised I'm the first to mention these:

An extra undershirt
An extra pair of underpants

Hey, you never know!

Thanks for all the great tips everyone.

I bought plastic file folders for my travel bag - they don't get dog-eared like the manilla kind, are more sturdy, and hold up better under routine use on the road. I keep them in my bag and just transfer papers to them, relabel if needed.

Plus I bring a Powerbar, or small pack of peanuts. Never know!

I do the same thing. It really is a good idea.

* Laptop, always by my side
* CD's with movies downloaded from the internet, that I can watch on RealPlayer (since I don't have a DVD and NW flights, even over 3 hrs, aren't showing movies these days http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif )
* Palm Pilot (w/CO and UA schedules downloaded for last minute standby options)
* Cell phone
* Xenadrine (lovely little energy/weight loss pill to give me that extra boost after a long haul and/or help avoid the "snack" onboard option which is normally undesireable)
* Candy/gum
* AMEX (because I'm forgetful)

Gauze mask to keep my throat and nose from drying inflight and in some hotel rooms. Wet it with hot water, ring it, and in a few hours it's crisp dry.

I just bring my Leatherman,Cellphone,Palm Pilot and of course all the credit cards http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

A pair of pliers (for removing that pesky flow restrictor in hotel shower heads) and a 4in1 screwdriver (for various maintenance and repair needs in hotel rooms - e.g., removing the stop-blocks from sliding windows).

Cheers,

'toad