Looks like a little present, all rolled up and tied with its sweet silk ribbon, waiting for you in your luggage.

Even if you are a weary traveler, best not look the part. Carry-on friendly.

I must be extraordinarily picky when it comes to travel pillows. I don’t quite get those U-pillows, and the wacky SkyRest? C’mon. So I’m always unnaturally excited when I come across a travel pillow I can stand behind, such as this one, which offers a compact padded landing for your lolling head while keeping your neck cramp-free. It Velcros up nice and tight, too.

Danger. Severe attack of wanderlust, likely triggered by the rainy day and multitude of home renovation projects. Ah, the care (and mortgage) free days spent country-hopping across Europe, with this tome in hand. It reliably produced a strong selection of budget hotels and restaurants wherever I happened to land. When I spied other travelers leafing through theirs at the train station, I’d pick up the pace so they couldn’t beat me to the last room in the nicest-sounding hostel. Definitely worth its (significant) weight for that long-term, multi-country youthful backpacking trip.

Now here’s a head-turning piece of luggage. The aluminum alloy frame’s on the outside where it also works as a chair, able to hold over 300 pounds. Comes with color-coded pouches, which slip into the case like drawers, as well as a TSA-compliant clear quart-sized toiletry bag, for airline security ease. It’s narrow enough to roll down airplane aisles and does fit into the overhead compartment. Weighs in at under nine pounds.

This squishy set is one of ten items featured in the travel gear roundup I wrote for the May issue of Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel. Made from food-grade silicone, it squashes, folds and flattens down to tuck into your pack’s available crannies, then, upon removal, springs back to its beautifully rounded shape.

Keep juiced-up batteries in this inexpensive unit to charge your USB-enabled devices (camera, iPod, etc.) connection-free, wherever you are. Plug it into a wall or vehicle outlet and it powers up rechargeable batteries, too. Comes with a pair each of rechargeable AAs and AAAs, making this an easy first step if you have yet to transition your household from traditional batteries.

These sticky-backed mats with non-rolling crayons up the odds that your family vacation memories will not include dramatic mealtime meltdowns.

(via the ferret)

Genius for the lady traveler, I tell you. First off: Different materials on each side to match different outfits. But then? Side snaps transform it from flat tote to boxy handbag. That’s four purses in one. I did the math. And look at that cute little detachable notepad hanging there, for road thoughts or to prevent sullying a friendly exchange of emails by digging for a business card.

April showers? What April showers?