eye masks

6 Tips to Make Your Holiday Travel a Little Less Crazy Town

You rush though traffic to get to the airport, but end up stuck on an arterial route because of an accident. That cleared, you finally arrive only to find a long line at the counter even though you already have your boarding pass downloaded on your phone (they still want you to go to the counter to check your bag).

Then you rush to the TSA line and stand some more. Finally, you make it to the gate corridor on the other side of TSA only to look at the digital “Departures” board and learn that your flight is delayed, for six hours.

Yeah, that was a nightmare.

If the logistics of your holiday travel plans are making you crazy town and you haven’t even left the house yet, take a deep breath and add these to your packing list:

Noise canceling headphones
Canceled flights, prolonged layovers in the airport or on the tarmac can be made a lot more tolerable with Outdoor Tech’s Privates Wireless Headphones. The 40mm drivers deliver clear mids and solid bass, and you get 10 hours of playtime. The lightweight, flexible, foldable design is paired with swivel earpads for easy fit, all-day (or night) wear and easy portability. A 3.5mm auxiliary jack lets you use them in situations where Bluetooth connectivity isn’t available (including on an airplane or with a non-Bluetooth device).

Portable power bank external charger
Again, whether you’re stuck on the plane, tarmac or in an airport lounge, you won’t have to fret about the lack of access to a charge port or worry about waiting in line for a one if you pack along the Kodiak 6000mAh Portable Power Bank. Weighing a mere 9.4 ounces, it not only boasts a monster 6000 milliamp battery capacity that can charge a GoPro 6X, a Galaxy 3X and the iPhone, but is also certified IP67 shock- and water-proof—thanks to its heavy duty rugged silicone shell. Plus, its battery level fuel gauge indicator lets you know when the juice is running low.

Therapeutic eye mask
Gone are the days when air travel was actually fun. Today, it’s synonymous with stress. Block all that busy inflight chatter and intercom updates with your headphones, then thwart intruding light with an eye mask. An inexpensive solution to grabbing some shuteye inflight or while waiting for the next leg of your flight, the soft sided eye masks lockout light but are also designed to follow the contours of your eyes so they don’t inflict pressure on eyelashes or eyelids.

A Minimalist Packing Strategy
The key to breezing through the airport check-in and TSA, while avoiding baggage claim on arrival is a carry-on organized with packing cubes.

Portable UV Germ & Bacteria Sanitizer
One of the downsides of holiday and winter travel is exposure to colds and flus that easily circulate on airplanes and in airports. Protect yourself with a handy little wand that quickly sanitizing airplane or gate seats, steering wheels in your rental car, or the mattress and remote in your hotel room. Death comes to viruses, bedbugs, dust mites and bacteria via ultraviolet light. The lightweight, battery-operated KIKAR sanitizing wand must be held about one half inch to two inches away from the surface and every area of a surface needs to be exposed for at least 10-78 seconds (depending upon the pathogen). But studies show it works.

Stainless Steel Travel Mug
Yep, this seems like a no brainer but you’d be surprised how few people think of carrying this one little item that can make a huge difference in your sanity. When you’re not filling it with coffee (having your own cup on the airplane saves the airline money and gets you several ounces more than the typical 4 ounces poured in styrofoam inflight cups), it can be filled with water to keep you well hydrated while you travel. It can also be used to load up on lobby coffee at your hotel or at the local drive-up coffee shack. Stainless steel won’t impact coffee taste and is easier to keep clean.