Destress your trip with these useful travel accessories

The Balanzza luggage scale.
All photos DailyGrommet.com

Reported by JS Fletcher and Kathy M. Newbern

Kathy and I were happy to return safely to Raleigh-Durham International on Saturday night after spending 28 hours in transit during our journey home from Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia. Abercrombie and Kent, one of the leading luxury travel companies in the world, took care of us every step of the way, was at top form making our ground stays comfortable and educational at each location, and assisted during each airline leg of the many flights we had while in Southeast Asia.

Yet even the travel pros can't eliminate the stress and strain of meeting baggage regulation changes and charges that are the new wave of airline fees and restrictions. According to new data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, domestic airlines took in $2.7 billion in baggage fees last year, more than double from the year before. Because several of our flights going to smaller airports had a luggage weight limit of 20 kilos (44 pounds) total, we had to especially take care to pack well while including everything we needed. If not, we could have faced increased prices and possible delays.

Nevertheless, we flew smoothly to each locale, but had savvy knowledge on how to efficiently pack. Some of you may not, so when we came across DailyGrommet.com, we thought a few of their items were worth mentioning for anyone faced with a trip where baggage weight, cabin comfort, and on-the-ground usefulness are considerations. DailyGrommet.com has suggested five travel accessories to help you pack light and stay organized during your travels.

At DailyGrommet.com, you can watch short video reviews of each product before making a purchase. You’ll even learn a bit about the product’s history and how it was invented. Most products featured at DailyGrommet.com are from independent producers and entrepreneurs who developed the product to help solve a consumer problem.

1. The Balanzza luggage scale (shown top right) lets you weigh your bag before you take off so you won’t have any surprises at the baggage counter. $17.95.

2. The SPIBelt is a modern take on the fanny pack with all the pros (hands-free, handy hauling) and none of the cons (looking like a style-challenged  tourist). $19.95. 

3. The Zen Class Nirvana Travel Organizer converts your airplane seat pocket into something useful and keeps all carried-on things at your fingertips. $32.95.

4. Pacific Shaving Company’s travel-sized shaving oil replaces his giant can of shaving cream, and keeps her legs silky smooth. It’s so good, you'll never go back to the other stuff. $22.95 for 2 oz. shaving oil.

5. GoToob by humangear gives conventional travel-sized bottles a makeover. These squeezable travel tubes ensure you get every last drop of your toiletries, are carry-on approved and won’t leak. From $19.95.

Founded in 2008, DailyGrommet.com is a curated online marketplace and video review site where consumers can learn about, share, and buy unique products of great utility, style or invention that haven’t hit the big-time yet. With its focus on product origins, The site provides direct access to product creators on the site and carefully tests all of the unique and creative gifts they select. The site is 100% advertorial free.

Packing and then flying tend to be the low spots of any trip, but products like these can help you out.

International Travel Examiner J.S. Fletcher and spouse, Kathy M. Newbern, report on luxury destinations, spas and cruising around the globe. They are award-winning members of the Society of American Travel Writers and operate YourNovel.com, their personalized romance novel business.