The Must Have Travel Accessories

Forbes India Global Business Traveller's Guide: Load these on your wagon, o traveller

By Nilofer D'Souza , Deepak Ajwani , Rohin Dharmakumar

Published: May 20, 2010 09:00:01 AM IST

Updated: May 20, 2010 09:09:34 AM IST

Universal Adaptor

This one’s useful even if all the travel you do is from home to the office. The Monster Cable Outlets to Go travel power strip ($49.95) works across 150 countries, has three AC outlets and a high-power USB port for charging a fourth device. And it winds up small enough to fit into your laptop bag.

http://tinyurl.com/33ubxa7

Bluetooth Device to Connect Your Phones

Jawbone Icon ($100) can connect to two different phones and switch calls with the ease of call waiting. Battery life is up to 4.5 hours, with up to 10 days worth of standby time. The two most important features: a patented Voice Activity Sensor, which reduces the sound of the wind as you talk; and NoiseAssassin Technology, which cuts out background noise.

http://tinyurl.com/yb85zxs

Three-in-one Charging Device

Sure, there are chargers that work with multiple devices. How about one that allows you to juice up all your gadgets at once? The Power Portable Mat ($100) uses magnetic energy to lock the device in. It also comes in a foldable version, which makes it portable and protects any other devices you may be carrying from the magnetic energy.

http://tinyurl.com/254ksqb

Lumbar Pillow

Those shapeless excuses for pillows airlines hand out are useless. You need two of your own. Yes, two: One for your back, one for your neck. The Original McKenzie Super Roll lumbar pillow ($23.99) is a good choice for your back; straps allow you to attach it to your airline seat. And the Tempur-Pedic TravelPillow ($79), a memory foam based pillow, has a horseshoe design that wraps around your neck.

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Garment Bag

The best way to keep your clothes wrinkle-free as you travel is roll them up individually. Now, the Skyroll ($149 to $299) rolls your clothes for you. In one layer, you can pack a full suit; another takes essentials like shoes, extra shirts, toiletries etc. It’s then rolled to fit into the luggage clips. Ideal for short trips, up to three days. For longer trips, there’s the Skyroll on wheels, with extra pockets for your smart phone, travel documents, organiser and so on.

http://tinyurl.com/ncgw5d

E-reader

If you love to read, consider an e-reader. Amazon’s Kindle ($259) has the best offering so far, giving you Internet connectivity, paid access to magazines or newspapers, and 105 of the 112 New York Times Bestsellers. (In India, however, books on Kindle are more expensive than in bookstores.)

EC Media is planning to launch a similar e-reader, costing between Rs 8,000 to Rs 18,500. And Infibeam.com ’s Pi is available for about Rs. 10,000.

Bespoke Suitcase

To earn major first impression points, we recommend the Louis Vuitton Pégase 70. For convenience without losing style, try Big Ben, from Victorinox: A backpack for your laptop and immediate necessities that can be split into sections via a zip to make baggage screening easy. It has special pockets for your PDA, organiser and documents. And it has a built-in Swiss Tracker, so you can track your bag if it is stolen or lost.

Tumi also mixes utility and luxury well. The Alpha Frequent 22-inch Framed Expandable has a removable garment sleeve; and the Alpha Tri-fold carry-on garment bag is great for short trips.

www.louisvuitton.com

http://tinyurl.com/27tj7p7

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Portable Mobile Charger

The ability to charge your mobile phone or PDA or, heck, your music player, is crucial when you travel. The Powerstick (approx. $100 for 8 GB) allows you to recharge your device on-the-go without the search for a plug point. It looks like a pen drive (and charges itself through a USB port), but has a jack into which you can plug your device. The box comes with connectors for nine different devices. Check online for compatibility.

http://tinyurl.com/34g5l5a

(Compiled by Deepak Ajwani; Text by Nilofer Dsouza & Rohin Dharmakumar)

(This story appears in the 21 May, 2010 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)