4 must-have travel items to make your Thanksgiving travel comfortable
By Aimee Heckel
The biggest problem most travelers have with air travel: comfort, or the lack thereof, according to a 2012 TripAdvisor survey of more than 1,000 travelers. Cramped legroom and uncomfortable seats were the biggest offenders.
That’s not all; 22 percent of travelers reported they didn’t enjoy a single thing about air travel.
Comfortable or not, Thanksgiving is one of the busiest holidays for airports and highways.
Here are four must-have travel items that can make your Thanksgiving vacation this year just a little more comfortable — and hopefully you can enjoy at least a few tiny slivers of the journey.
1. A lumbar pillow. We’ve all seen the goofy U-shaped neck pillows that sort of work. But when you get off the plane, which body part feels the worst? Most likely your lower back, because of the negative-ergonomic design of the stiff airplane chairs. If you have to pick a pillow, we say go lumbar. This memory foam back-saving pillow at Kohls is only $14.99 — a lot cheaper than a chiropractic adjustment when you land.
2. A designated “liquids” bag. Another one of the worst parts of traveling is digging through your bag to try to find whatever you’re looking for. Whether it’s bent over holding up the security line or head-between-knees trying not to invade your chair-neighbor’s knee space, the digging has got to go. Get a special designated “liquids” bag and keep your carry-on organized. At under $10, it’s no huge sacrifice for sanity.
3. Packable shelves. Here’s something you probably haven’t heard of before — but it’s brilliant. Packable shelves, to make packing and unpacking easier. In theory, you should be able to pack your “shelves,” fold them down into your suitcase, pull them out by their hangers and hook them in your hotel closet. We’ve never tried them but we’re open to any idea to make packing less painful and time-consuming.
4. A padded shoulder strap. The padding on this bad boy will make carrying your duffel or overstuffed diaper bag much easier. Save your shoulders and skin for less than $10.
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Save money on the rest of your travel, from airfare to hotels, with these travel coupons.
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