Travel Gifts for the Paranoid Traveler

Ease your Trip with these Gadgets

1. Luggage Locator

This one is fun - you attach a small signaling device to your luggage and keep its matching remote with you. If you're within 60 feet of your item and press the remote, your bag will beep and flash lights. Two bags can be connected to the same remote. It's not clear if this is appropriate to use on travel companions as well, but I can see its uses for potentially finding teenagers and husbands in a crowded plaka. If this catches on, it might be possible to coordinate entertaining light-and-sound shows with other travelers at the carousel. But if you see someone grabbing the wrong bag, they're in for a little surprise when it starts beeping and flashing.

2. Plane Sheets

This new item lets you go undercover - or at least your airline seat goes under it. It fits over the seat, providing you with a clean surface. There are two types - one is a "disposable" durable paper fabric and comes in a two-pack and the other is a more permanent fabric version which you can even have monogrammed with your own 3" initials. If you can't afford a first-class or business seat, a personalized coach spot at least restores some sense of style to your journey. As their "Worst Case Scenario" marketing department asserts, with all the talk of drug-resistant TB and other diseases spread by plane now, do you really want to sit for hours on a seat that may have already been used by two or three people that same day?

3. TT Pack - Toiletry Travel Package

This is a simple idea that take those travel-sized packs of Kleenex a few steps further. It's a flat pack containing toilet paper, a paper towel, a handwipe, germicial wipe for the toilet seat, a toilet seat cover, and a tissue. Plus, and here my own paranoid traveler heart beats faster, the packet includes a disposable glove. Having on more than one occasion found my only possible toileting option was to try and fix a toilet before using it, the plastic glove would have been much appreciated when looking at the questionable water in the toilet tank and bracing myself to reach in and wiggle something. Most people will just use it to protect themselves against the door handle but hey, it's there if you need it.

4. Pacsafe Bags

The Pacsafe line consists of a variety of bags, backpacks, duffels and other pieces which are all theft-resistant. They come equipped with straps with steel wire inside. Each bag has a steel cable allowing you to attach it around a fixed object - such as a train luggage rack - and lock it into place. But all this security is hidden under fashion-forward design adorned with their trademark turtle. And if you have a favorite bag, they also offer the Exomesh skeleton which fits over an existing bag and can provide nearly the same degree of security, depending on how its pockets and openings are arranged.

5. WordLock

This brightly-colored lock uses letters, not numbers, for its combination. Before you go too wild, they've tried to leave out a few letter combinations that might result in profanity - though I did manage to spell out "Darn". I suppose it's better than forgetting to spin it and "saying" something inflammatory to the TSA employee choosing to use the right master key on your lock or just grabbing the bolt cutters. It's got a nice, solid feel to it and the bright colors available provide one more level of personalization for your anonymous bag at the luggage claim. Setting the combination is easy and I used a permanent marker to write a hint on the bottom of my lock - something hard to do with a numeric combination, but much easier with words.

6. TudeTags

TudeTags let your bags speak, so to speak. While what they say may not be as important in international travel as their bright red, yellow or fuchsia coloring, they're hard to miss and easy to use. I like the existential simplicity of the "Not Yours" tag, or "Wrong One" - though I'm not sure I want to be labeled in quite that fashion myself when I'm carrying it aaround. They're made with durable, woven-in embroidery. A plastic pocket on the underside can hold your contact info and itinerary. You can also get them custom-made with your name or other short phrase. The same company also produces "Keep Your Strap TSA-Proof Luggage Straps" - straps that securely attach to your bag so they won't be lost if your luggage is inspected.

7. Steri-Pen

This is a dramatic high-tech device that purifies water of bacteria and viruses by blasting it with a safe-for-humans beam of ultraviolet light. It's small enough - just - to carry conveniently. The UV light is obvious and it takes a few moments to sterilize a glass of water; if you use it at a restaurant, you will receive some curious stares. I should take this moment to point out that water in Greece is generally terrific - I routinely refill my water bottles from traditional roadside fountains. But your plane or cruise ship water supply might improve considerably from this treatment. A solar charger is also available.

8. Neck Rest from Releaf

Some people fear not being able to sleep on a long flight, and it can be a challenge. The "U"-shaped pillows, no matter what they're filled with, have never worked for me and they're usually much too bulky. So when I saw this at the Travel Goods Association show recently, I gave it a try.

Basically, you strap it around your neck and it works by preventing that chin-to-chest motion which jerks you awake. It states that they make no medical claims for the Releaf Neck Rest, but I felt immediate relief from my laptop-bag neck stress , roughly similar to me dragging my carryon through an airport. Its basic black color blends in and avoids looking too much like a mournful medical device. They're bringing out two-color versions next season.

9. Travel Sheets

Who slept in your hotel room bed last night? Don't know? Can't remember? Trying to forget? In any case, you might want to carry your own travel sheets - durable, luxurious, even quick-drying and light to pack.