NEW YORK – What’s the best travel bag out there? What’s the must-have gadget for travelers?
AP Travel asked seven people who travel for a living – from Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler to the CEOs of Norwegian Cruise Line and Marriott hotels – what they can’t leave home without. Their answers may be of interest if you’re looking for holiday gift ideas for people who love to travel – or if you want to treat yourself.
Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Kevin Sheehan: Sheehan travels so much that he’s rarely in one place long enough to actually plug a charger into a wall. So he relies on portable chargers to keep his devices charged on the go. Mophie has a number of universal external batter chargers that can recharge cellphones, iPods, iPads and other electronics when their batteries run out. Mophie has just launched a powerstation plus product with built-in cables.
Frommer’s Guidebook Founder Arthur Frommer: Frommer says he can’t travel anywhere without a laptop that has a keyboard; he writes so much that a tablet just won’t do. His “indispensable choice” is the “ultra-cheap, ultra-light” Acer Chromebook. You can find one for less than $200, so it “doesn’t present the anxiety of loss or theft that a thousand-dollar MacBook Air would.” Chromebooks are designed for use with Wi-Fi, with most data stored in the cloud, but Frommer says that isn’t a problem in his travels because Wi-Fi is “so ubiquitous around the world that you are seldom without it.”
Lonely Planet Founder Tony Wheeler: Wheeler often recommends a fold-up bag, “something that you can carry along for those occasions when unexpected shopping, gifts, whatever, overloads your usual bag.” But lately he’s suggesting a refinement on the concept: a fold-up daypack like the Eagle Creek packable daypack. Wheeler is working on a new book that he bills as an update on Paul Theroux’s classic The Great Railway Bazaar, but instead of taking trains across continents, Wheeler is traveling entirely on low-cost air carriers. On many of these airlines, you’re only allowed one carry-on, so he squirrels the fold-up daypack into the larger carry-on, then hauls it out for daily use while in the destination.
Marriott CEO Arne M. Sorenson: Sorenson needs an adapter that not only works with different voltage systems and outlets around the world but also has more than one USB charging port. Walkabout Travel Gear sells a universal adapter that not only boasts of working with every voltage system “on the planet” but also has two USB power ports and can support high-powered devices like iPhones and iPads.
Yahoo Travel Editor Paula Froelich: Froelich, who chronicles her frequent trips in online videos and at ABroadAbroad.com, tried out a lot of bags before settling on her favorite: Rimowa Salsa Deluxe. “It’s the most perfect luggage,” she said. “It’s lots of money and worth every cent. I did my research and this was perfect.” Salsa Deluxe options range in price from $450 to $895. They’re made of lightweight but durable polycarbonate, with a trademarked Multiwheel system, an extendable telescopic handle and an add-a-bag holder built into the case shell.
Travel Channel’s “Hotel Impossible” host Anthony Melchiorri: Melchiorri never knows what he’ll need “traveling all over the country, in all different climates and circumstances.” His go-to bag is a leather Tumi wheeled briefcase: “The bag allows me to pack almost anything I may need on the road.”
“The Insatiable Traveler” blogger Susan Portnoy: Portnoy, whose interests range from photographic African safaris to cool places around the U.S. like Brooklyn Bridge Park, has a few must-haves that also make great stocking stuffers. Among them: the Mini Cree LED Flashlight Torch, compact but with a powerful, adjustable beam and a clip so she can attach it to her bag or belt and the soft, warm Cabeau Fold ’n Go blanket with portable case, which she also uses for back support on long flights.
