Business travel is a big part of my life.  Lately, I’ve spent a lot of time on the road.  I mean, a lot of time on the road.  Whether it’s traveling to conferences where I serve as a blogger and member of the press or traveling for fun with my nearly 3 year old and hubby in tow,  my family and I are on the road nearly every single week.  Greg, my husband has been a consultant and business travel road warrior for as long as we have been dating, nearly 7 years.  I, myself  just upgraded to Gold Medallion status on Delta.  Heck, even Ryleigh has a frequent flier number.  It seems as though my family knows a thing or two about traveling.

The Best Travel Gear and Business Travel Tips

As a frequent business traveler, I am always on the lookout for the latest and greatest to get me from point A to point B with my sanity, my luggage, and family in tact.  And so I wanted to share with you a few of my travel tips and travel gear that makes my life on the road much, much easier.

• GoToob.  These are a recent find over the last several months.  They offer reusable containers for anything liquid including shampoo, food, and even medicine and are 3 ounces so they are perfect to fit in your carry on.  Easy to clean, I also recommend their GoTubb products.  These fit my moisturizer and face creams perfectly.  Did I mention they are BPA friendly?  While their products are pricy ($8 for a single GoToob) I’ve spent over $40 on comparable products that broke on their first use.

• iSound Multiple Device Charger.  It never fails that my iPad or iPhone always runs out of juice at the most inconvenient moments.  I picked up iSound after leaving a battery cord behind at a hotel.  iSound charges up to five devices at the same time, and fits easily into a small purse.  I just connect my smart phone, tablet, or mifi and iSound charges without the hassle of hunting for an outlet at a conference or restaurant.  The cost is $75 but is absolutely worth it because the battery offers up to 30 hours of iPad time.  Now, if it will just charge my MacBook Pro, I’ll be all set.

• The Perfect Travel Bag.  Since having my daughter nearly 3 years ago, I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect carry all bag that expands to my needs for baby as well as business.  Diaper bags don’t double well as business bags and vice versa.  Hartman offers a black, sleek and customizable option by Vera Wang.  The bag is wide enough to fit my computer, all my devices, books, magazines, baby necessities, and makeup with room to grow.  A quick zip and my bag doubles in size looking business professional and easy to carry with it’s long straps.  Called the convertible tote, it has an MSRP online of $400.  A quick visit to my local outlet mall allowed me to snag it for under $125.  Trust me, it’s worth it.

• Business Card Organizer.  When you attend as many conferences as I do, business cards are often hard to keep track of.  Post It Pockets have a clear plastic envelope with a velcro latch that makes it easy to see and store business cards as well as receipts for my travels.  Post it sticky adhesive makes it easy to affix the pockets to walls or my refrigerator especially since I have a stainless steel frig that doesn’t take well to traditional magnets.  One pocket holds our family’s emergency contact information when Grandma or the babysitter visits.
• Corralling Tech Cords.  One of my biggest frustrations when traveling is the endless cords, outlets and tech gear that I travel with.  It’s easy to get lost in a sea of flip camera, batteries, and other device chargers.  I use a traveling hanging organizer to tame the growing assortment of cords that I carry on my person.  The one, seen to the right is a Stephanie Dawn jewelry organizer, and I recently picked up the Vera Bradley Hanging Organizer that offers even more room.  Roughly $48 the cost is worth it.  I can quickly grab and go with all my cords organizer and knot free.