My best friend Wayne starts a new job tomorrow (after being laid off from a big high-tech firm only 2 weeks ago), which is going to involve a lot of travel, something that he has done very little of up until now.

My friend Cindy is moving to Toronto from London, but may still have to work in London for awhile so she’ll be commuting back and forth, poor thing.

So this got me to thinking – how can I make travel easier for these folks, and you too? And I’m hoping to do way more travelling this year and next for writing, so I went in search of some items to help you navigate between home and work and home and the rest of your life. I hope it helps.

Safe travels!

Stephanie Dickison
Publisher & Editor - the knack

I like to have a nice luggage tag that I can identify easily. Our luggage is black, as you may have noticed is everyone else’s, so a nice bright tag that I can see makes all the difference in the world to me in managing my travel stress.

Mighty Tags Eco Friendly Luggage Tags are super strong, reusable luggage labels that are environmentally responsible, “with 25% of their material coming from recycled milk and water containers” and are 100% recyclable.

They also are incredibly inexpensive – about $10 for a package of 10 – and come in fun designs like “That’s Mine!” and “Not Yours” and ones depicting passport stamps, air mail envelopes and graffiti to mention just a few. It’ll make it easy to spot which bag is yours, which really, is one of the best things that can happen to you when you’ve been waiting at the luggage turnstile all that time.

I also like Espe’s luggage tags, which are 100% animal-friendly and cruelty-free. Everything they make is made of a durable synthetic leather that “wears well even during harsh Canadian winters.” Gotta love that they think ahead! I got a pretty pink one with pears on it (Frutti Lug) – but I love the one with the kitty on it (Meow Lug) and the beautiful bird on a branch (Peace Lug) and the cross-hatched design of Code Lug. So many to choose, you might just want to get one of each!

And for taking with you on the plane or in your bag, I recommend TowTabs. They come in a tube package like Rolaids, but just a bit bigger and each package contain 10 facecloth-sized towels that plump up as soon as you add just a few drops of water! You can use them after a meal (so luxurious!) or on the plane to freshen up or to wipe down your bags after they’ve been rolling around the bottom of the plane for 10 hours.

The uses for these amazing little puppies is endless, but it gets even better – they are made of pure, all-natural fiber pulp, are free from chemicals and perfumes and are biodegradable, recyclable and reusable!

Once you’ve tried them, TowTabs will become as essential as your packing enough underwear and remembering your passport!

And as you know, I travel with a lot of technology (and it doubles when my fella comes along!), so I am always in need of keeping my smartphone, computer, mp3 player (and every other gadget I’ve got going on) charged.

I found all I need in the iGo everywhere and iGo powerXtender.

The everywhere is perfect for my smartphone and my fella’s cell and our combined bunch of mp3 players. It has up to an 8 watt power output and charges fast, which is really what you need most of the time, don’t you find? You go to call someone and you’ve got one bar left and you wonder if you’re going to be able to make it without the call being disconnected!

You just get the tips that work with your devices and attach them to the iGo. Ready-to-use customized charging! Woo hoo!

It comes with wall (AC) and car (DC) units, so you can use them in the hotel or on the drive to the restaurant (thank goodness!). There is also a lovely retractable cord and travel organizer to keep everything tidy, which you know you need when you’re carrying so much around with you!

The powerXtender is perfect if you can’t use standard power outlets – like you’re overseas or at a table with your bosses and can’t exactly find a way to excuse yourself to plug your phone in near the kitchen. Using just 2 AA batteries, it charges almost any mobile device, so go ahead and plug in your digital camera, Bluetooth headset, smartphone, PSP – whatever you need to get you through the day!

And iGo now carries power adapters to charge your laptop, which is so fantastic and for which I am eternally grateful, being a writer and all…

And to keep all of your travel goodies together, whether it’s your makeup, shampoo or even computer cables and accessories, get a stylish, eco-friendly, vegan, handmade ilsa cosmetics bag from Sparrow Handbags.

You’re going to love it not only because it’s handmade in British Columbia, it’s made out of cruelty-free, 100% organic and sustainable materials, but it is just a gorgeous custom screen print that will go with everything! It is also incredibly thickly padded (mmm!) with a long zipper pull that allows you to open it even if it’s at the bottom of your bag (which is where mine always ends up no matter how carefully I pack). You can also get a lot into it – it’s one of the bigger, yet not bulky cosmetic bags I’ve seen, and certainly one of the prettiest. I got mine in snow, but love every colour equally!

I love everything designer Marlene Bryce has created with sparrow. I’m actually thinking I’ll need a new purse for my next trip…