Everybody has a must-have item in their life, whether it's something they can't sleep without, work without or even travel without. Travel agents are no exception. Many are frequently on the road and have travel gear and gadgets that they depend on.
For example, Pam Walker doesn't travel without her RIFD Baggallini purse and backpack. "It goes across my shoulder and I can wear in front or on my side," said Walker, who is an affiliate of Travel Experts, Walker Adventures, LTD. "They have the right number of pockets in convenient places for easy access to my passport and other documents. They also have locks and are reinforced to inhibit theft. I have been using these for years."
Kelly Baumgartel's favorite piece of travel gear is a hanging toiletry bag. "It has divided waterproof pockets and it's see-through, and has a hook to hang in the bathroom to free up the counter space," said Baumgartel from Global Connections.
If there is one travel gadget that Danielle Dougan with Student Universe always has packed, it's her Bose nois-canceling headphones. "It drowns out the jet noise and noise from other passengers on the plane so that you can relax and get some sleep," she said.
Penny Deriyter, a Travel Service Consultant at BonVoyage Travel and Cruises, always packs a power bar that comes with a long cord and a flashlight. "It comes in handy when charging all of your devices," she said. Most often plugs at the hotels are full with an alarm clock and lamps. The flashlight fits in my purse and is great when walking back to your hotel or room."
Simply put, Greg Antonelle said that his favorite travel gadget is his portable phone charger. "I used to stress out when I would see my cell phone battery percentage going down," said the managing director of MickeyTravels, LLC. "In today's world, a cell phone is one of the most important items in everyday life and on vacation and a portable cell phone charger allows you to rest assured that you won't miss that important once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity."
April Westerhold's favorite travel gadget is an app called TravelNerd. "It's a guide to over 50 airports," said Westerhold of Five Star Travel & Cruises. "It shows the layout of the airport, restaurants, Wi-Fi locations, etc. While in the air, I love my Kindle app where I can read and then, of course, I love Candy Crush."
Clinton Bertucci said that he absolutely needs the app WhatsApp that allows everyone to stay in touch no matter the location. "I have my group all sign up and I make a WhatsApp group and we all stay in touch using that during the trip," he said. "I also send daily updates through there. It helps the group get to know one another and bond and get a feel for one another even before the trip begins."
Although almost everyone now carries a computer, Rick Hurlbut absolutely depends on his Acer Aspire V15. "Not only do I maintain a number of Facebook groups and pages, but I also consult on the LGBT travel industry, which requires that I be constantly in the loop," he said. "Since I am a touch-typist, I much prefer having a keyboard rather than using a smartphone or tablet."
What's your favorite travel gadget or gizmo?
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