Pack your patience, they say. But in the past couple of months, when my work took me to Alaska, Egypt, and Mexico, I quickly understood that you need to pack more than that.
In the hot and crazy Summer of 2023, travelers are welcoming anything that can help calm their nerves, avoid sunburn or just keep themselves together in the busy airports and cruise terminals. To that end, I’ve put together a list of some interesting items and gadgets that have come across my desk and caught my eye in the past month or two.
Hope they help you get wherever you and your kids are going!
My hands-down favorite is the Bumpas™ doll, a sort of weighted blanket designed as an oversized stuffed animal that can hug leery fliers (of which I seem to know an inordinate number), both kids and adults. The cheery little guys provide emotional support and sensory calming, and can hold on to a child while leaving his or her hands free. And, of course, they are great even when you are not traveling, When I gave one to my grandson Cameron, he immediately wrapped the arms around his shoulders and wore it for the rest of the day—then slept with it at night. Bumpas are available at mybumpas.com or at Amazon, Macy’s or Walmart.com.
For myself, I tried out my packable Wallaroo Hat in the 95-degree heat of Puerto Vallarta. With a UPF rating of 30+, the company promises, the wide-brimmed hat protects skin from 96-97.5% of the sun’s harmful rays. Even better, I stuffed it with underwear and then packed my clothes around it in the suitcase, and it survived a 12-hour, two-leg ordeal flying from JFK to Mexico and then home again completely unscathed. The hats come in many colors and styles, for men and women.
Our official family gamer, my easily-bored grandson Brady, loved the RiotPWR Cloud Gaming Controller, which turns an iPhone into a portable gaming screen that lets you play on the controller instead of tapping on your phone. It’s compatible with more than 1,000 games, and requires no batteries or wifi, so kids can play it for hours on the plane or in the car. The device comes with a recommendation to download an app called Ludu Mapp, which offers a collection of free games from the App Store, along with links to Xbox Cloud Gaming, PlayStation Remote Play, and Apple Arcade. And the share button lets users share their gameplay on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. https://riotpwr.com.
Along the technology line, the iLive 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station was a great gadget to have on the road, and especially overseas, where converters entered the scene. It’s light and folds flat, then opens to quickly charge my iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch with a single plug.
I like Larkly’s 30 SPF mineral face powder, which was easy to tote around and put on to provide an extra level of protection from the sun in Egypt and Mexico. Reef-safe and mess-free, it makes your skin look good while it protects it. And while I’m not big on facial products, I liked the feel of Clara’s New York Glow on the Go set, which features Rosehip Oil and hyaluronic acid, which “use cutting-edge nano-emulsion technology to deliver potent active ingredients that combat the effects of recycled air on planes that can disrupt the skin’s natural balance and lead to dryness, breakouts, and dullness.” Not sure it made my skin radiant, but it felt nice.
Finally, I’ve always had a rule that I never get on a plane without bringing my own food and water—and these days, with the constant delays, I feel like that’s more important than ever. When I headed for Egypt, I packed a package of SafeCatch tuna, a sustainably caught and low-mercury source of protein that came in handy when I just got to pining for some American-style food.
In short, given the heat and the crowds and the iffy quality of air travel, it’s a good idea to give a little extra thought to what you pack this summer. Whatever is in your carry-on and your suitcase, though, TRO hopes it arrives with you when you travel—and makes your trip the best ever!
Cheryl’s 40-year career in journalism is bookended by roles in the travel industry, including Executive Editor of Business Travel News in the 1990s, and recently, Editor in Chief of Travel Market Report and admin of Cheryl Rosen’s Group for Travel Professionals, a news and support group on Facebook. As an independent contractor since retiring from the 9-to-5 to travel more, she has written regular articles about the life and business of travel agents for Luxury Travel Advisor, Travel Agent, and Insider Travel Report. She also writes and edits for professional publications in the financial services, business, and technology sectors.
