Don’t Leave Home Without It

ON THE ROAD

"A co-worker told me to drink bottled water while traveling instead of my customary diet soda, and to stay away from salty foods. Through trial and error-mostly my errors-I found her advice to be important for my health while on travel."
-Reggie Monroe, Federal Aviation Administration

Carry food. "Airport food is expensive and you never know when your flight will be delayed and you will be stuck in an airport."
-Leslie Kelley, NASA

Ear plugs and eye shades help "if you want to sleep on the plane and your neighbor wants to read or talk."
-Steve Oshiro, Navy

"If your organization doesn't provide [a laptop] and a cell phone, bite the bullet and provide your own. They are essential."
-Larry Burns, Army

"I have list of what I carry in my wallet. I keep it separately from my purse, to make contacts in case my wallet is lost or stolen. Information on that list will assist me in contacting credit card companies, the driver's license bureau, etc. I haven't had to put the list to the test, but with all details of what could be missing, I should be able to advert possible fraud that could be committed if my credentials fall into the wrong hands."
-Nancy Carper, Air Force

"I have developed a 'Travel Points of Contact' card to be carried in the wallet or purse. It's the size of a credit card. It contains numbers for:

• The agency's staff duty officer
• The agency's toll-free number
• Contracting officer's representative
• Contract travel office emergency and fax numbers
• Travel card issuing bank's customer service number
• Agency travel card program coordinator
• Our local help desk (to assist traveler with laptop/computer problems while on TDY)"

"Once I flew into a city where all the power was out. Luckily I had a couple of candles to get me by until morning."
-Wanda Adams, Forest Service

"The flashlight is placed on my nightstand every evening in a hotel."
-Tracie Carpenter

"I put [a night light] in the bathroom of the hotel/motel and can get up in the night without blinding myself with an overhead light."
-Reggie Monroe, FAA

Bring medicine along. "It never fails that I catch a cold while on travel, with the temperature changes, stale plane air, and exposure to new and different germs.
-Darlene Shaw, Navy

NO SURPRISES

"I toss a bandanna on the dashboard of my rental car and write down the license plate number. It helps in the morning when you don't remember which of those rental cars out there is yours-the bandanna is easy to spot."
-Tracie Carpenter

"I give our travelers information on the hotel, nearby restaurants, the airport, shuttles, and any other things that will make their trip easier."
-Barbara Guest, Bureau of Land Management

"Hotel floors and rugs are not clean. [Wearing flip-flops] beats putting on shoes if you're just going down the hall for ice or vending."
-Tracie Carpenter

"Check the weather for the destination prior to departure. Do you need a coat or sweater? Is rain/snow expected? I live in a warm climate and frequently travel to colder ones and have forgotten a coat too many times when it's 90 degrees at home and 35 degrees at my destination."
-Tracie Carpenter

Turn off the hotel alarm clock. "Nothing like an unexpected wake up call at 3 a.m."
-Tracie Carpenter

"Travel layovers are not unpleasant when I have a good book to keep me occupied."
-Don Riding, Immigration and Naturalization Service

PACK SMART

"I don't leave home without a variety of large Ziploc bags. They're good for wet or dirty items, possible leaking items such as shampoo and toothpaste, and for any half-eaten edibles to keep them fresh.
"They also help keep items organized: I keep all medicine I am taking in one bag, and have separate bags for all possible illness items-such as Imodium or Pepto Bismol, aspirin and Alka-Seltzer; contact lens supplies; all shampoo and conditioners; soap and toothpaste.
"I also put a bag with a razor in my checked luggage so that it is easy to find once I've arrived and I don't have to worry about cutting myself when opening my luggage. I also pack my shoes in plastic newspaper bags to keep the shoes from getting dirt on clean clothes."
-Leslie Kelley, NASA

"Keep a separate toiletries bag full at all times. All I have to throw in is prescription meds (in my carry-on) and glasses, and I'm set."
-Patti Foncree, Federal Supply Service

LEAVE IT BEHIND

"I try to leave my laptop behind. I've lugged that stupid thing all over the country to find that it sits, relatively unused, in its case or on the desk in my room most of the time. After a full day of meetings, does anyone really want to come back to the room and check e-mail?"
-Drew Jack, General Services Administration

"Never pack more than you can carry through the airport at one time. This is important because I usually travel with a laptop and a camera or two. I hand-carry the computer and cameras and check everything else."
-John E.Peters, Navy

"Find out in advance what amenities, like hair dryers, are provided by the hotel, and leave yours at home."
-Linda Mahoney, Agriculture

"I can't take my lucky little pocketknife on the plane anymore."
-Dennis LeFevre, Veterans Affairs

SECURITY TIPS

"Take laptop out [a security requirement]. Put purse inside laptop case to run through machine. Put my coat in the bag I check, so I don't have to take it through security. Use passport instead of license for ID. My ticket fits inside it so it's easier to hold them together. I leave my IDs in my wallet."
-Diane Herz, Bureau of Labor Statistics

"I always minimize what I carry in my pockets and put all the metal stuff in the tray before going through the metal detector, but still something would set it off and I would be undressed and patted down in front of everyone.
"Recently, a screener asked what brand of shoes I was wearing. He said a couple popular brands have a metal shank built into the shoe. He suggested I take the shoes off and put them through the X-ray, then walk through the metal detector. I did. No problem."
-John E. Peters, Navy

"To reduce the possibility of getting it stolen, don't let your laptop computer go through the X-ray machine until you do."
-Patrick George, NASA

"Wear shoes that are easy to take off and put on."
-Linda Mahoney, Agriculture

CHECKING BAGS

"Airport security has affected how I pack. I check everything that I can and have minimum carry-on luggage-simply too much hassle. I also avoid carrying a laptop PC when possible because of the security checks."
-Darlene Shaw, Navy

"Unless I am traveling for more than four days, I try to carry everything on board. I carry a flight bag and my computer case. I fold my dress shirts; they fit nicely in the computer case and actually give it a little more cushion. I can usually iron them at the hotel; if not, hanging them in the shower and steaming the room works pretty well. I wear my jeans on the plane with a navy blazer and white polo shirt. I pack a second jacket and two or three pairs of dress pants. At least one pair of pants matches both jackets, so I can vary my dress over three or four days. The big advantage of this plan is, with an e-ticket, I can [just get a boarding pass] and go right to the gate."
-Robert Diamond, Defense

"I only carry on a small bag and check the rest. Less hassle. If they would do away with the carry-ons their biggest problems would go away."
-Barbra Bronsberg, NASA