1. Why you should save your airline socks
My husband and I keep the stretchy slipper-socks some airlines provide. (We’ve gotten them on Virgin airlines economy class and on almost all airlines in business class.)
They’re great to use when packing shoes: Just slip each shoe into a sock and you’ll prevent clothes getting marked by the soles. As a bonus, you’ll have slippers to where when you’re away from home. The socks are machine washable and can last for many years.
Parker Carveth, Encino, Calif.
2. Where to find the best free Wi-Fi hotspots
While working out of my car for more than a year, checking email was always a problem. One day I found out that all Best Western properties in North America offer free Internet access, often with Wi-Fi in public areas. That meant I could write all the emails I needed to and store them in my outbox. Then when I saw a Best Western sign, I just pulled up off the highway, parked next to the lobby, turned on my computer and sent the emails and received any new ones.
Parisa Chico, Bridgewater, Va.
3. Reasons to always carry wet wipes
I don’t go anywhere without individual packets of antibacterial wipes. I slip some in my carry- on or daypack, and shirt pocket. They’re very convenient when you can’t find any running water with which to wash your hands. And because they’re antibacterial, they’re also great for cleaning cuts, and the alcohol from the wipes helps stop the itching when you rub them on insect bites.
Monica Chun, Alsip, Ill.
4. Why you should pack a scale
Few hotel rooms are equipped with scales. So bring your own—the portable kind that fisherman use—and you can weigh luggage before you get to the airport.
Michele Clancy, Richmond, Calif.
5. How kids can have fun and learn on long road trips
In order to keep my children entertained on a long journey, I bought each of them a plastic pencil box and a clipboard to stick in the seat pouches of our car. Before we left home, I filled the boxes with machine washable markers and attached games and puzzles (all free online), to the clipboard related to where we were traveling.
Meredith Cockerham, Rio Rancho, N.M.
Another use for airline socks (or any socks, for that matter) is as emergency bag for camera, phone, ipod, etc. I learned this from a fellow tourist on a trip to Thailand.
When my kids were small I bought each of them a cake pan with a slide on lid. The lid worked well as a work table (like the clip board), and inside I put dot-to-dot books, coloring books, educational games, etc. These could be changed each year as they got older and needs changed. The pans went everywhere with us – doctor’s appointments, rides, etc.
Magellans.com carries portable luggage scales. I bought an analog one from them before they had digital ones. It works fine, but is awkward to read while holding up the suitcase. I recommend the digital one.
I use airline socks as liners for my wetsuit boots when on dive trips. They reduce the incidence of blisters when doing multiple daily dives.
By arranging your itinerary so that you try to stay three nights in one place and taking along a few packs of dry laundry detergent and a clothesline, you need not pack any more stuff for a 16-day trip than you do for a four-day trip. That way you can get it all into a carry-on and avoid the long lines at the airport checking in luggage, waiting for luggage, or losing luggage. Also, if you get to your destination prior to your hotel check-in time, the hotel will most likely be willing to let you store your carry-on behind the desk or in their lobby closet so you’re not lugging it around as you begin site-seeing.