Travel Must Haves

I have been racking up the frequent flyer miles in the past year based on the location of loved ones.  There are a few items which I cannot travel without.  Of course they are all easily found on the internet or in stores.  Plus are light and take up very little space.

If you are like me you cannot keep your eyes open on the plane long enough to get your beverage, and are parched upon waking.   I have a great solution even though we all know that you can't bring a drink into the airport.

The vapor water bottle is one of the best purchases I have ever made.  They typically cost less than $10 for the 0.5L reusable bottle.  It stands up when full and is completely rollable when empty.  It is BPA free which is a plus.  The carabiner makes easy to clip on the outside of your bag.

Many airport now have filling stations when you get past security.  No more carrying a crusty old empty water bottle, to keep hydrated on the long flights.

I love those neck pillows that keep your head from hitting the window or ending up on other people shoulders.  The only draw back to them is they are huge and unwieldily.  Here is a cheap and smaller alternative.

Ikea has developed a travel line.  Go figure, they have everything else.  The neck pillow, Upptacka, is inflatable.  So it rolls up into a mesh bag about the size of a soda can.  The internal bladder can even be removed and the cover washed.  Since you are blowing it up you can make it as firm or soft as you like.  It is a mere $5 if you do not have an Ikea family card and $4 if you don't.  They even come in 5 colors, I have the yellow-orange.

The next two products I will admit I use everyday and not just for travel.

 I like to sleep in complete darkness and we all know that is not possible on a flight.  So an eye mask is a must.  They even provide them on red-eye international flights.  However, most are thin and don't block out enough light.  Not this one, it is actually made for migraine suffers and it the best one I have ever had.

The IMAK face mask is filled with ergonomic beads so it conforms to your face without pressure points.  You can even freeze it for cool comfort when at home.  They run about $15, and can be found at drugstore.com.

My last favorite is a new Burt's Bees invention, tinted lip balm.  I am a lipgloss junkie and hate having to stash it in my checked luggage so as not to loose it to security.  After a flight your lips are often dry from the recycled air, so lip balm is a must.  Of course you want to try and look half human when you meet people on the other side of your travel.

It comes in six sheer shades that will complement most any skin tone.  Of course it nourishes like a Burt's Bees product should.

If you have this products will leave your flight well rested, hydrated and beautiful.

Pocket Screwdriver

Have you ever found yourself in a situation when you need a screwdriver just to tighten something up.  I am constantly annoyed by a loose drawer handle or something else that is just not right.  These are the best invention I have seen in a long time.   

This little gem fits on any key ring and will not let you down. The ring can be rotated to fit flat head screws whose channel is 0.030 to 0.090 inches wide.   

The only unfortunate thing is that they only buy them by the dozen.  Then again you can be like me and give one to everyone you know could appreciate one.  The dozen is only $9.95 at Lee Valley.