There’s a reason why this Samsonite is red. Read on.

21 Packing Tips

“Order!  I must have order!” I’d scream while pawing through the muddle jumbled inside my luggage.  For the sake of my Samsonite and my sanity, I finally got it together after a certain episode in the Rome airport.  When I forgot my passport.  Since my Italian travel document nightmare, I have learned to develop an effective packing style.  This creates a Zen calm as you check in and check out around the world.   After many years of hard experience, great and disastrous, here are 21 of my best packing tips.

An Effective Packing Method for Women

Leaving nothing to chance, a good packing systems ensures that all is accounted for.  Learn to create yours.

As you practice your packing system, trip after trip, and your things will:

• Never get lost or damaged
• Arrive well protected
• Are easily wearable directly from your suitcase or hanging bag

What to Pack

Beyond packing for a swimsuit vacation versus a snowy ski resort, consider the length of your trip.  Follow these tips:

Stuff a carry-on or large handbag to travel minimally.  If you need more room for hiking boots or bulky outdoor clothing, stuff the whole lot into a duffel-type bag with wheels.  Those wheels will save your arms and back while in transit.

#1 Packing For A Short, Casual Trip

Travel light with a carry-on duffel or handbag, a smaller messenger bag, and a small wheelie that fits into the overhead compartment.  Going to a dressy destination?  Consider traveling with several good quality zippered garment bags instead.

#2 Packing For A Two- or Three-Day Trip

The Scottevest for women in X-ray vision.

How to handle clothing for a week or more?  Traveling with a single carryon will be tough.  And the baggage fees for checking your

luggage are unavoidable –  I’ve posted a baggage fee guide here.

A good solution for avoiding baggage fees altogether – bring a carryon and wear a Scottevest.  The vest’s 17 pockets organize your electronics, including a tablet, cash, passport, ID and boarding pass, allowing you to pass through security hands-free.

Get 15% off a Scottevest NOW – use the code POCKETS15.   Click Here.

#3 Packing for a Five-Day or Longer Trip

For zero effort while rolling through the terminal, pack a rigid aluminum suitcase with spinning wheels, which are very light and can handle lots of abuse.  Samsonite’s hard shell spinner fits the bill.

Or choose a soft-sided, expandable bag – I love my TravelPro Walkabout Lite bag, a brand beloved by flight crews.  Their teeny 20-incher was the only bag I packed for Belize.

How To Pack Everything

#4 Packing Sweaters

Never place your sweater on hangers in your bag or inside hotel closet and maintain their shape.  If traveling with a cashmere, fold it into some sheets of acid-free tissue paper before packing.

#5 Packing Footwear

Shoes for the beach, shoes for dinners out, shoes for walking – it’s the bane of the traveling woman!  And shoes are your heaviest items inside a travel bag.  To keep your shoes from crushing your clothes, stuff them around your suitcase’s perimeter.  If you’re worried about street dirt, slip your footwear into individual drawstring shoe bags.  For efficient use of your suitcase space, stuff socks into sneakers and slides and into the toes of your pumps.

#6 Packing Accessories

Create separate, neat bundles and make good use of your bag’s built-in compartments.  Use packing cubes, such as Rick Steves’ set, for wrangling your belts into one bag, undergarments into another, and tights and leggings into yet another, ensuring that your bag stays organized, even during an airport search.

Sort makeup and toiletries into separate Ziploc pouches; group them together according to time of day (morning make-up) or situation (long haul flight).

#7 Packing for Relaxation or Exercise

Comfortable, breathable clothes are always a must.  Wear a pair of black yoga pants for comfort during your long flight.  Topped with a breathable shirt you’ll be set for an impromptu yoga class, hike or workout.

#8 Packing Electronics and Cameras

Traveling today means toting lots of electronics.  For tangle-free visibility, sort and place each camera, charger, and extra batteries in resealable plastic bags.  I slide my iPad into a pocket designed for this purpose on my TravelPro.  Place everything of value into your carryon and always know its location.

#9 Packing Outfits

To streamline packing and dressing on trips, plan your outfits ahead of time, complete with shoes and accessories.  Wedding or business trips are always extremely busy so plan what to wear for every event to avoid taking unnecessary clothes.

Figure out your wardrobe beforehand to ensure that the exact undergarments, stockings, shoes, scarves, and purses aren’t left behind.

Pack each outfit together onto its own hanger; cover it with a dry-cleaner-type plastic bag or store and fold items together in your bag.   With this one-outfit-per-hanger system, simply hang your clothes up at your destination for fast unpacking.   Be sure to hang up your things as soon as you arrive for wrinkle-free clothing.

Traveling with a hat?  Pack it into a lightweight shopping bag to avoid crushing.

Super Packing Secrets

#10 Carry An Uncluttered Carryall

I love my Swiss Gear Messenger Bag!  Its roominess doubles as a pocketbook, holding my headphones, a pashmina and a wallet-like clutch for cash, credit cards, and passport.  I stow my iPad, loaded with books, magazines and movies.  If my luggage gets lost, I pack a change of clothes with disposable underwear.  For my toiletries in containers  less than 3 ounces, I toss in a Brancati Travel Kit, which features a spray bottle for toner or hair spray and a wide mouth design for refills.

Sling it over my body and I’m travelin’ hands free.

#11 If Your Luggage is Too Nice

Got a really nice piece of luggage, such as a Vuitton bag?  Lucky you but bad luck on those automated conveyor belts loaded by union bag handlers.  Locks and handles get snapped off and gashes rip through the canvas.

Never check your good bags unless you can shrink-wrap or encase your bag in a canvas or waterproof cover.

#12 Luggage Safety On The Ground

• Watch your luggage like a hawk.  Beware the hotel bellmen who whisks your bags away for later delivery to your room.  Stay with your things at all times and accompany them to your hotel room.

• Watch for taxi and limo drivers stuffing your bags into cramped spaces.  Make sure that nobody crushes or damages your stuff.  Ensure that hanging bags are always hung or laid flat atop everything else. 

#13 Distinguish Your Bag From The Black Pack

Those black bags looping the baggage carousel prevent you (jet-lagged, hungry and impatient) from finding your own black bag in the endless line-up.

Never own a black travel bag!  That’s why the Samsonite pictured above is red.  

If you do, adding an instantly recognizable identification tag or ribbon to the handle distinguishes yours from the black pack.  Tie on a hot pink ribbon or attach a trip memento (I love my Hawaiian Air Premier member luggage tag – nobody has that on their bag!).

#14 Create Your Essential Packing List

Create your essential packing list once, in a spreadsheet, on your smartphone or on paper – whatever works.  List everything you’d want to pack – vitamins,  jewelry, sunglasses, a hairbrush, checks, cash, your passport, everything.

Tweak your list during several trips as you learn to add and subtract what you need on the road.

Start here:

#15 Pack Into A Carry-on Bag

A carry-on for the plane organizes your flight comfort and your valuables.  Make sure it fits underneath an airplane seat to act as a makeshift footrest.

• Boarding pass
• Passport
• Headphones
• An empty water bottle (fill up once through security)
• Earplugs
• A tablet (Kindle, iPad, Nook, etc.)
• Shawl or sweater
• Valuables such as a camera or laptop
• Toiletries, if needed, such as make-up, vitamins, contact lenses and solution

#16 Packing The Technicalities

Don’t forget your smartphone!  A smartphone today replaces up to 19 travel gadgets, saving space and weight.

• Laptop
• Extension cord
• USB connector
• Chargers
• A flash drive
• An external hard drive for storage if shooting lots of photos/video
• Two different converters, both 110 to 220, to avoid frying electronics
• A portable GPS, if you can’t use your smartphone

#17 Clothing To Pack

• At least 2 suits or outfits, low-maintenance and wrinkle-free
• Shorts
• Shirts
• Dresses
• Slacks
• Skirts
• Bathing suit and cover up
• Many changes of underwear (or toss in disposable underwear)
• Socks
• Comfortable shoes, sandals, sneakers
• Dressy or cold weather footwear (my Uggs double as slippers)

#18 Packing Toiletries

Pack the toiletries you cannot live without plus:

• Razor with replacement blades (sometimes hard to find abroad)
• First aid kit
• Insect repellent
• Sunscreen
• Pain reliever
• Melatonin
• Vitamins – carry only what you’ll need
• Prescription medication in the original prescription bottle
• Motion sickness drugs

#19 Packing For Your Entertainment

• Books and magazines
• A Kindle, iPad or any other kind of tablet
• Guidebooks

#20 Packing The Comfy Extras

Pack whatever smooths traveling for you, such as:

• Favorite foods or snacks, nuts or energy bars
• A daypack for the beach, market outings or side trips (Eagle Creek makes a sturdy one that folds into a tiny pocket bag)
• Activity
gear (snorkel and mask, ski gloves, etc.)
• Boxes of small and large Ziploc bags (Ziploc also makes a Space Saver Set)   
• Tiny, lightweight toys, games and candy from a dollar store for local children or staff
• Anything to wear and discard on the way (I pack an old shirt or pair of thongs to destroy and toss on beach vacations)

#21 What to Leave Home

• Any generic toiletry, soap or shampoo (buying toothpaste in Sweden is all part of the adventure)
• Anything heavy or uncomfortable – shoes are the worst offenders
• DVDs – download or stream movies from Netflix, iTunes or your local cable company’s app
• Any valuables you can’t afford to lose
• Explosives, weapons, fireworks, and anything else the TSA forbids
• Anything that you can handle virtually
• Beach towels

Got more packing tips?  Share them in the comments section!  Thanks.

Stuff Your Samsonite with 21 Don’t Miss Packing Tips is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.

The Brincatti Travel Bottle Kit on the road – it passed the test.

Brincatti Travel Bottle Kit

Sure, you could pick up a cheap plastic travel bottle kit at a local drugstore to meet the TSA’s 3 oz. rule.  The rule allows up to 3 oz. of liquids on board IF you place them all into a single 1-quart clear plastic bag that seals shut when full.  Any other liquids go into your checked baggage.

Yet the plastic pouch closures are low quality, the travel bottles are difficult to refill and my marker pen identification scribbles eventually wear off.  So I welcomed a chance to test the Brincatti Travel Kit, one of the many great and useful pieces of travel gear discovered at the Los Angeles Times Travel Show.

The TSA-approved travel bottle kit stood out because somebody did some thinking here.   This leak proof kit’s clever design guarantees that you can safely transport your fav shampoos, lotions, hairsprays and more with no mishaps.

What’s Great:

• Dual-purpose bottle caps, which turn open like a regular bottle but with a true twist.  Each bottle also has a wide mouth opening for easy refilling.
• A spray bottle!  At last, a bottle type that’s frequently missing in other travel bottle kits.  Great for your facial toner or hair spray.
• A heavy-duty clear plastic pouch with a high quality zip closure
• Ten ready-made bottle labels:

1. Face Wash
2. Sun Block
3. Body Wash
4. Body Mist
5. Hand Lotion
6. Hair Spray
7. Hair Gel
8. Conditioner
9. Body Lotion
10. Shampoo
11. Conditioner

What’s Not So Great:

No easy way to label bottles here.  Yes, the kit comes with those handy stickers but eventually these will wear off.  What about a full travel kit with embossed labels stamped right into the plastic?  Then we will have no more of those pesky missing labels.

After road testing this bottle kit, I found it durable enough and handy enough for the road.  I’m planning on placing this clear travel bottle kit right atop my carryon in full view for the TSA.

You can buy it here for $9.99.

Sail Through the TSA With This Must Have Travel Bottle Kit is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.

Advance planning of your full assault on Las Vegas begins now, days or even weeks before departure.  And planning a Sin City vacation can be daunting with all the choices available.  How to get into the best show or grab the most coveted dining reservation?  How to not run out of money?  In fact, how to grab all the pleasures Vegas offers you without missing anything during your ‘Vegas, baby!’ trip of a lifetime?  Start with these Must Dos right now:

Visit Your Las Vegas Casino-Resort Online

Hop onto, say, www.arialasvegas.com to book your hotel stay.  For inside deals, sign up for the resort’s emails, Like their Facebook Page and check out any special package offerings combining spa visits or shows.

Check Out The Crazy Las Vegas Weather

Your Las Vegas stay may involve snow flurries or dry windstorms.  You may find yourself strolling the Strip in 113-degree sunshine or in a wild thunderstorm that’s conjuring flash flooding.  Pack accordingly, throwing in a moisturizing sunscreen or a heavy coat.  No matter what the season, organize your wardrobe; packing a bathing suit, a splashy dress for nighttime frolics along with your raingear isn’t a stretch during a Vegas blowout.

Call Your Hotel Concierge Today

Ply him or her with questions about grabbing the hottest show tickets or the most rare dining reservation.  Ask about any secret meal deals that don’t appear on the menus (they exist!).  Ask about any spa, restaurant, or show deals that are only available to hotel guests.  And, lastly, ask about what the concierge feels is the most overlooked benefit at your resort.  You may stumble upon a memorable moment during your trip.

Figure Out Your Budget

Vegas visitors happily engage in a wild array of activities from nocturnal helicopter tours over the iconic Las Vegas Strip to an afternoon of spa indulgence.  And, of course, gambling.  Here’s where your concierge can help, planning and booking your activities now, from blackjack lessons to Grand Canyon excursions, to avoid surprises and disappointments later.

Preserve Your Holiday Glow

Toss a special packet into your travel bag marked ‘GOING HOME’ for stowing your house keys, car keys, cash for taxi or tolls, and travel documents you’ll need for the trip home.  By the end of your trip, Vegas brain will have settled in quite nicely so your advanced planning ensures that you’ll avoid a last minute scramble for needed items for your journey home.

And all of the above promises that you’ll feel glad that you grabbed all Las Vegas has to offer as your trip winds down.

Five Must Dos Before Your Las Vegas Trip is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.

Manage Your Packing List With These Packing Tips

I found this infographic from travel insurance experts Direct Travel, charting useful packing information about:

• How to pack a suitcase to maximize your space
• Airline excess baggage charges
• The quantity of liquids allowed on a plane
• What to pack in your checked and hand luggage

The info on airline baggage fees are listed in British pounds but you can find my extensive guide to airline baggage fees in U.S. dollars here.

Packing Efficiently

For additional help on packing efficiently, refer to my posts on:

Five outrageous packing tips

19 travel items to replace with your smartphone

Is this infographic helpful?  Or not?

4 Best Packing Tips (INFOGRAPHIC) is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.

My Las Vegas Video is Here

I’m really excited about the response to my new Las Vegas digital guidebook – thanks to everyone for their good wishes.

I created this beautiful Las Vegas video showing what I found in Sin City for independent travelers.

Amazing Las Vegas

What do you think?  Does my video make you want to head to Las Vegas?

Heading to Vegas?

Experience Sin City with my Indie Travel Guide.

Find custom itineraries, things to do, historical and cultural insights, and listings organized by neighborhood and by theme in the Las Vegas guidebook. Get your free preview by clicking below.

Download Las Vegas Today

My Las Vegas Video is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.

Welcome to Las Vegas – the original Sin City.  In this adult Disneyland you can be anyone you like, doing anything and seeing everything.  In this modern 24/7 playground, you’ll experience everything from swimming with sharks to tossing drinks next to a celebrity or flirting with Lady Luck.

My Las Vegas guidebook is here now!

I’m proud to announce my e-guidebook to Las Vegas, published by Indie Travel Media Ltd!

It’s currently on sale at the introductory price of $9.99.

Although a world famous gambler’s paradise, there’s much more to Vegas than luck and gambling.  In this book, I reveal often-hidden, alternative Vegas experiences demonstrating that Las Vegas truly has something for everyone.

Get your free preview by clicking below:

Download Las Vegas Today

Every Indie Travel Guide includes:

• Top ten things to do – Don’t miss these traveler highlights.
• The best days out – Try out these tailor-made itineraries to get the best out of Vegas.
• Neighbourhood knowledge – Don’t waste time and money on zigzagging around town; stay, eat and play in the same neighbourhood.  Accommodation is listed in budget, midrange, and high-end categories.
• Travel tips – Get the best practical advice on money, safety, and transport (with special mentions for LGBT and women travelers).
• Background notes – Discover the political, historical and economic background that makes up Vegas’ unique identity.

And Las Vegas is packed with tips, advice, and goodies

Top ten things to do in Las Vegas - The top ten travelers’ highlights that you simply must not miss.

No trip to Vegas would be complete without attending a Vegas show,  gambling in one of the many Strip casinos or visiting the chi-chi clubs.  Do a Prince Harry at a pool club or rub shoulders with the rich and famous at exclusive Strip nightclubs.  And when it’s your time to try your luck at the tables, consult this Indie Travel Guide to find out where to get free, professional gaming lessons.

Go Spa-ing  Choose from Egyptian, Middle Eastern, or Ayurvedic.  Or browse one of the world’s best shopping districts alongside a full-size replica of Venice’s Grand Canal.  Or swim with the fishes — but not as the mob intended — at one of Las Vegas’ lavish pools.  If expending adrenaline is your thing, don’t miss out on climbing the magnificent Red Rocks or jet boating at Lake Mead in the shadow of impressive Hoover Dam.

Once you’ve exhausted your own take on the Top ten traveler highlights, discover a different side of Vegas with one of ten curated alternative itineraries, including:

Days out in Las Vegas – Discover the history behind the development of the world’s first atomic bomb at the National Atomic Testing Museum, bask in a neon glow at the Museum of Neon, or learn how to load a gun at the Mob Museum.  If you appreciate fine art, you’ll enjoy the installations at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art displaying paintings by Monet, Pissarro and Boudin.

Las Vegas for kids – Yes, it is possible to have a family holiday in Sin City!  You could spend some time with the kids at one of the many adventure parks, or ride one of the many rides, such as the Manhattan Roller Coaster or the Stratosphere.  Your kids won’t want to miss the 28,000 square feet of M&Ms at M&M World Las Vegas, even if you could take it or leave it.

Whatever your age or style, there’s something for everyone in Las Vegas.  Discover this incredible desert wonderland and plan your unique version of the Las Vegas experience with the comprehensive Indie Travel Guides Las Vegas.

Download Las Vegas Today

Las Vegas Now is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.

PackForAPurpose.org Founders Rebecca and Scott Rothney

During their first trip to Africa, founders Rebecca and Scott Rothney found that their safari outfitter limited them to only 40 pounds apiece yet their airline allowance was 100 pounds of checked luggage plus a 40 pounds for a carry-on.

Before their second African trip to Botswana, they contacted their safari company, Wilderness Safaris, about putting their extra luggage space to practical use, asking if a local school needed anything.  Their inquiry resulted in a delivery of 140 pounds of school supplies and soccer balls to some very happy schoolchildren.

After that enormously rewarding experience, Rebecca asked a travel agent why other travelers didn’t use their luggage allowances in this way.

His answer created Rebecca’s defining moment – “Because nobody thinks about it.” That moment gave birth to her idea for PackForAPurpose.org.

Rebecca got to work, skillfully setting up worldwide network of suitcases, destinations and community-based projects for transporting needed goods for free.

Genius.

A Smile from the Kasisi Children’s Home in Zambia

Small Suitcase Space, Big Worldwide Impact

Shipping large amounts of supplies requires a great deal of time and close logistical cooperation with a local tour company.

But Rebecca devised a simpler, more direct way for travelers to deliver.

She asked travelers to pack just five pounds (2.7 kilos) of supplies for drop-off at their lodgings, supplies which the participating hotel would deliver to a local, deserving school or community project.

No logistical support required.

By stuffing your suitcase with five extra pounds you can transport:

• Stethoscopes to India
• Deflated soccer balls to Botswana
• 400 pencils to Mexico
• Children’s cold weather clothing and shoes to Turkey

And PackForAPurpose.org arranges everything at no cost to you.

Where Are You and Your Suitcase Going?

Expand your generosity by expanding your suitcase to give back to the communities you’re visiting.  You may find yourself traveling to Costa Rica, Jamaica or Thailand or another network country.  Here’s your chance to let your suitcase to change the world.

If 500 TravelGearForWomen.com visitors each packed five extra pounds, a total of 1.25 tons of supplies would arrive free of charge to community-based projects worldwide.

How To PackForAPurpose.org in 5 Easy Steps

Want to participate?  Here are five easy steps:

• Find your destination here
• Find a lodging and a project it supports, such as Playa Viva in Mexico
• Choose the supplies you wish to pack from the request list
• Drop off the supplies while checking into your hotel, safari lodge, backpacker’s camp or eco-resort.
• Supplies will be delivered for you or you can deliver them yourself

It’s that easy!

This will make your trip, guaranteed.  I did something similar in Belize and it was the highlight of the journey.

Your reward for your trouble?

The incandescent smiles on the faces of the kids benefiting from that extra space in your suitcase.

Going somewhere soon?  If you participate, let me know!

How Your Suitcase Can Save the World is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.

That’s Diane Campbell and her innovative Kuhi Comfort travel pillow

Desperately Seeking Travel Accessories

On the trade floor Los Angeles Times Travel Show last week, I alighted from my Singapore Airlines First Class cabin (airfare LAX to SIN is $20,000) and immediately dodged Taiwanese beauty queens and a Thai tuk tuk as Fijian musicians, sitting cross-legged on straw mats, serenaded me.  I was exploring this five-acre traveler’s nirvana to hunt for new travel accessories; I found some incredible new ideas.

Look for future reviews of a select few of the items below – after I beat them to death on the road!

Cool Travel Accessories

Brincatti Refillable Bottles

Yes, it’s a TSA-approved travel bottle kit but it goes one better.  These 3 oz. bottles shut tightly with flip-top caps and ingenious wide mouth caps, allowing for easy refills – no more spilling!  The bottles fit into a sealable, clear toiletry bag, which includes ten printed labels for identifying your lotions and potions.  The best of your essential go-to travel accessories.

Kuhi Comfort Travel Pillow

Intrepid woman traveler, Diane Campbell designed a pillow that you can twist and manipulate for maximum resting comfort.  A great alternative for the traditional U-shaped travel pillow.

Goal Zero Switch 8 Recharging Kit

Never die again!  Recharge your iPhone on the road in an hour with Goal Zero’s Switch 8 Recharging Kit, using solar power or a USB port.  Comes with a cool 3”x5” solar panel.

Check out this video:

ParkMe App

Can’t find parking?

Find parking, get rates and save cash with this iPhone app.  Quickly and easily access 26,000 parking locations in 500+ cities in 29 countries on all seven continents.

Is that enough parking spaces for you?  Thought so.

The Coolest of all Five Travel Accessories

BellaRouge Designer Travel Bag

I went nuts at Lisa Burns’ Travel Pick Bags booth and started tearing apart her BellaRouge leopard-print lined travel bag to explore its design cleverness.  It has a hanger hook, tons of pocket options and  a scrubbable, waterproof bottom for icky bathroom encounters.  Many extras are included, such as her Aqua Dry bag, for wet things, and the Claro-T bag, a TSA-compliant clear bag for travel-sized bottles.  It all ended well after we bonded when learning that we both had attended at the Universita Per Stranieri in Perugia, Italy.  Brava!

Check out a video demo of this travel bag here.

Want to attend the Los Angeles Times Travel Show next year?  Put January 17-19, 2014 on your calendar.  Better yet, go here and tell them what you want to see at this travel show and you might win an iPad mini.

Five Best Travel Accessories at the LA Times Travel Show is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.

Be here now.

Travel for Free

Earn more frequent flyer miles to fly for free.  The best part?  You don’t even need to fly to earn tons of miles:

• Use your credit cards to put your mileage earning on steroids
• Shop with partner companies to earn more miles
• Take advantage of promotions
• Learn how to finesse the difference between ticket prices and earning status by flying another airline
• Sign up for bonus miles alerts to earn free miles

How To Easily Earn More Frequent Miles

Earn miles by doing your everyday stuff:

• Buy a house or car through DealerMiles.com, Lending Tree or MilesForRealEstate.com
• Sign up for Netflix – up to 3,000 miles
• Sign up for subscriptions – earn up to 1,000 Delta AirMiles with the Wall Street Journal
• Participate in surveys through e-Miles.com and e-Rewards.com
• DirectTV service signup
• Tax preparation through H&R Block or TurboTax

Always check the fine print!

Your Biggest Source of Frequent Flyer Miles

Credit card sign-up bonuses are your biggest source of frequent flyer miles, up to 75,000 points sometimes.  Start your credit card engines with the frequent flyer’s most-loved credit card, the SPG Starwood American Express card.  Why so loved?  You can:

• Transfer Starpoints earned to 30 airline partners – NO blackout dates!
• Get an extra 5,000 point bonus when transferring ­20,000 points

Special 25,000 Point SignUp Bonus:  I’m offering a 25,000 Starpoint signup bonus to anyone who sends me their email address.  Receive 10,000 bonus Starpoints after your first purchase and another 15,000 bonus Starpoints after spending $5,000 in 6 months.  Send me your email address here and you will receive a special offer for the Card.

Hang Out with The Frequent Flyin’ Big Boys

Check out these blogs and forums for the amazing, wide-ranging conversations on:

• Mastering miles
• Gaining elite status
• Flying first class for free
• Clever mileage runs
• Info on the latest bonuses and deals

ThePointsGuy.com

Founder Brian Kelly has a passion for travel as well as a passion for never paying for it!  His valuable blog offers regular postings of special mileage bonuses and deals and his ninja techniques.

WebFlyer.com

Every airline loyalty program has an online shopping portal for earning miles, such as American’s AAdvantageEShopping.com.  To learn who’s giving out the most miles, go to the Mileage Mall for every shopping program, merchant and bonus available.

FlyerTalk Forums

On FlyerTalk.com, million miler, elite status flyers share cool strategies such as earning elite status with clever mileage runs, grabbing the best First Class seats, and every bonus imaginable.

BookYourAward.com

Top secret stuff!  Simply give Gary Neff, a maestro of finessing the miles, your info and tell him where you want to go.   Almost anything is possible, no matter what award itinerary in whatever class of service you prefer –  Gary can book it for you.  And he makes it look easy while presenting your best options.  All you have to do is enjoy the flights.  Get ahold of him here.

MileValue.com

An exhaustive, excellent resource including advice on earning 105,000 miles in a few weeks.   Get the best credit card deals, newest bonuses or engage a mileage guru to maximize your award points by booking the best seats for a $99 fee.

BoardingArea.com

You’ll find lots of hot deals, bonus point offerings, and travel discounts here.  Find bookmarks for the best frequent flyer blogs, all in one place, including FrequentMiler.com and one of the first, ViewFromTheWing.com, where Gary Neff (see above) dispenses his advice.

Points.com

Keep the smallest amount of frequent flyer points; they are worth money if you don’t plan on using them for flight or hotels.  Check out this site to redeem your useless miles for discounts on Amazon.com, magazine subscriptions, music downloads and more.  Warning: NEVER transfer your airline or hotel points here.

And there’s more…

HackMyTrip.com

Travel-Summary.com

ExpertFlyer.com – Check this site for seat availability and flight inventories.  A paid service.

FrequentFlyerUniversity.com

Join A Secret Travel Cartel  

Four free plane tickets a year, guaranteed.  No joke. The Travel Hacking Cartel does a very good job of orienting you into this world, showing how to build huge amounts of frequent flyer points to redeem for high value trips.  Here, you’ll find:

• Videos on mileage valuation, booking techniques, partner airline strategies and more
• A comprehensive knowledge base
• Real time notice of deals and promotions
• Connection with a super community
• Hacking hotel rewards or Round the World tickets
• And much more

Super Guarantee – invest only 30 minutes per month, follow the tutorials and deal alerts to earn enough miles for Four Free Domestic Flights per year. Join the cartel here.

How to Manage Your Frequent Flyer Miles

Now that you’re earning lots of mileage points, you must manage it all to maximize your free travel.   You can use a spreadsheet or websites such as MileageManager.com, GoMiles.com, or AwardWallet.com.

Your best choice?

Get TripIt, a powerful app that tracks your frequent flyer points and all other travel programs painlessly.  (It also does a bang-up job of managing your itinerary, alerting you of flight delays and much more).  Get it here.

Six Quick Frequent Flyer Tricks

If flying free, don’t be afraid to tack on another destination.   If on your way to Athens, why not spend a few days in London as well?  Your layover comes often at no extra charge.   Ask if your program allows it.

Always talk to an agent when booking free travel.  Don’t do it online.  And when you’re booking an international ticket ALWAYS use the phone.  And, way, hang up if you aren’t getting what you want.  Chances are on the next call the agent on the line can find what you want.

Before booking a free flight, check out the fare.  If planning to use 25,000 for a cross-country flight, check out the airfare.  If the fare is low enough that you can swing it, pay for your ticket while simultaneously earning enough miles to fly free to Europe.

Know your major airline programs’ partners.  Don’t miss out on collecting more bonus miles through your airline’s hotel and car rental partners.   And earn extra double or triple miles during promotions.

Shop until you drop for more miles.  Use your airline loyalty program’s online shopping portal for earning miles while shopping for your everyday stuff, books, sundries, and, especially, big ticket items.

Buy miles during promotions and sales.  Often you’ll get offers to buy miles at discounted rates.  Add to a diminishing account or buy them to move closer to your preferred destinations.  

Let’s Do This

• Learn from the masters in the above forums and blogs
• Get the SPG Starwood American Express card through my 25,000 bonus point offer above to start earning huge amounts of miles
• Invest in your education.  Run, do not walk, to the Travel Hacking Cartel to skyrocket your free travel opportunities.
• Track all your reward programs with TripIt

See you at 35,000 feet!

Earn More Frequent Flyer Miles is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.

Las Vegas by Lenore Greiner published now by Indie Travel Media

Las Vegas Guide – Breaking News!

Indie Travel Media has released my Las Vegas guide, a full guidebook for grabbing all the Vegas offers while saving your time and money.    Here’s a taste:

The hyper-reality of Las Vegas – a crazy mix of lions, a Sphinx, a Statue of Liberty, and psychedelically glittering buildings – will simultaneously amaze and disorient you.

Step inside a casino and leave reality behind in a garishly lit room ringing with slots and shouts from the gaming tables. Amid the plastic and neon, join polyester- clad tourists at the nickel slots, or Armani- clad players in hushed Baccarat salons. It’s a clockless world where breakfast is served 24 hours a day, money means nothing and sleep is unnecessary.

Nocturnally lit Las Vegas Strip is one of the world’s great modern wonders. During a stroll, you’ll experience an exploding volcano, pirates battling sexy showgirls, and elegant dancing fountains – all created for the purpose of separating tourists from their money.

Here, you will experience what you never dreamed possible: wrapping your hands around a Ferrari wheel on a Vegas racetrack; getting scrubbed down in a Turkish hammam; or visiting Egypt, Paris, and Venice in one weekend. You can dine on the finest international cuisine, plow through over-the- top buffets, or chow down on a steak dinner at 3am. And feel free to stroll into breakfast with a beer in hand – anywhere else in the world this would provoke a double take, but not in Vegas.

Try to make it out alive in this cartoonish landscape of celebrity chefs, astonishing shows and adults at play at all hours. It’s
a microcosm of the world we really want, where we can be who we really are… or it’s a sign of the end of civilization as we know it. And it all impossibly mushroomed in a desert wasteland.

Love it or hate it, every traveler should visit Vegas at least once in their life.

Complete Info on Las Vegas Nevada:

• Las Vegas Hotels – the good, the very good and the very low priced
• Las Vegas Weather – from scorching desert heat to snow flurries – when to go
• Las Vegas Strip – ground zero for this international adult playground – the gaming, the shopping, the spas!
• Las Vegas Shows – from The Beatles LOVE to the gentlemen’s clubs
• And so much more!

Heading to Vegas?

Experience Sin City with an Indie Travel Guide.

Find custom itineraries, things to do, historical and cultural insights, and listings organized by neighborhood and by theme in the Las Vegas guidebook. Get your free preview by clicking below.

Download Las Vegas Today

Las Vegas Guide is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.

Travel Gear For Women Takes Off in 2013

We’re back.

After an intense and malicious malware attack, we’ve fended off the evil, fixed the crazy and now we’re back online!

Our malware infection and re-infection disaster over the holidays is vanquished and now I have no need to commit harakiri.

Best of all, my happy visitors are back in the saddle at www.TravelGearForWomen.com.

What’s up for Travel Gear For Women in 2013?

Exciting new travel gear reviews!  Cool things, the gear that you never thought you’d ever need before but now find essential on the road.

Next, a secret project.

Our secret project will be revealed soon.  Stay tuned.

All I can say is that this project covers a destination that you have definitely visited.  Or that you will definitely visit at least once during your lifetime.

It’s a place that every traveler concedes that you have to experience at least once in your lifetime.  Whether you want to or not.

Guessed it?

If so, email me and tell me.  Maybe my hints were too obvious!

Heap Big Changes Afoot at TravelGearForWomen.com

I sent this website to a spa where it got pummeled, steamed, exfoliated and moisturized, cleared of any slow loading times and re-designed with a new, streamlined look.

You will soon see a faster, re-vamped Travel Gear For Women with a new look for 2013.

Now the most important question…

Where are you headed in 2013?

I want to know!  Let us all know in the comments below.

Travel Gear For Women Takes Off is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.

Presenting the best travel gear for women of 2012, chosen in popularity by our readers.   Travel manufacturers are revolutionizing our travel experiences with HD cameras that fit into the palm of your hand, tiny, attachable bra wallets, a full daypack that compacts into a tiny pouch and a travel vest that lets you breeze through security.  

Seeing a theme here?

It means that you can travel lean and mean without sacrificing quality, space and weight.  And check out a money-saving offer below.

Top Travel Accessory for Women

GoPro HD Hero2 Outdoor Camera

$299.99

Amazon.com

Vacation captured!

Record yourself jumping off mountains, skiing steep faces or catching big waves.   Or just chasing your kids on the beach.

Absolutely brainless to use, this HD video camera is a tiny, silver box, measuring 2.5″ long x 1.5″ tall x 1 1/4 ” deep.  It records incredibly crisp 1080 HD video in full 170º wide angle.  And it shoots still shots, creating 11 megapixel photos at a rate of 10 photos per second.  Simply attach it to a body appendage or a piece of equipment and record.

It comes in a protective housing with all sorts of attachments for mounting a GoPro on a bike, helmet or a ski pole, for example.  To upload your video, just pop out the SD card (not included) and insert it into your computer for your viewing pleasure.

For this video shot at a Costa Rica hot spring, I waterproofed the camera’s housing with an included watertight lid, complete with an international orange float.  Check it out:

Top Travel Clothing for Women

Scottevest Travel Vest

The Scottevest for women in X-ray vision.

$125. (look for a special offer below)

Scottevest.com

Your go-to tool for getting through a TSA line with its well-designed abundance of 17 pockets that store a passport, wallet, iPad, sunglasses and travel docs.  Simply toss the vest into a bin in security along with your shoes.

A special pocket system for your iPhone allows earphones to conveniently thread through the collar for easy listening.  When I road-tested the Scottevest, I loved it for the following reasons:

• Lightweight, washable poly fabric
• The Scottevest packs into its own back pocket for convenience
• Telfon–treated fabric that’s water and stain resistant
• A vented back mesh and breathable interior lining allows for comfort in hotter climates
• Thin enough to fold into nothing inside your bag

Get 15% off a Scottevest NOW – use the code POCKETS15.   Click Here.

Top Travel Wallet for Women

Eagle Creek Travel Gear Silk Undercover Bra Stash

$13.50

Amazon.com

Unique and discreet, Eagle Creek makes a bra wallet that’s as feminine as it is secretive.

The Silk Bra Stash comes in its own carrying case.

Crafted of pure silk, it’s more like a piece of lingerie, built with an elastic band, a metal snap and a Velcro closure for security.  A moisture-resistant inner lining keeps valuables sweat-free and secure.  Breathable and washable, this small pocket measures 2-3/4″W x 4”H.  Stash your hotel key card, a few bills and credit cards safely and securely.  Comes in Rose and Black.  

Here’s how it works:

Top Travel Backpack for Women

Eagle Creek Packable DayPack 

$27.50

Amazon.com

During a recent Belize and Guatemala trip, I stuffed this daypack with my laptop, camera and layers of clothing for traveling light during the day.

Unfolding from a tiny pocket bag sized 4” x 6”, this daypack wears like iron and can handle anything.  Part of Eagle Creek’s packables line, toss this tiny daypack into your luggage and you’re prepared for an unexpected daytrip or for toting a special souvenir.

Best of all, the Packable Daypack is:

• Extremely lightweight at 6.5 oz.
• Constructed of very thin, super-strong material
• The wide shoulder straps are constructed of comfortable mesh

I tested the Morocco-colored pack, a dark orange with an Islamic patterned sheen.  It also comes in Black and Pacific Blue.

Travel Gear of the Year 2012

Le Donne Leather Ladies iPad/eReader Backpack

$99.

Amazon.com

It has to be a leather backpack, the all time favorite of readers of TravelGearForWomen.com.  And this one is the best of the best, reasonably priced.

Dedicated for your iPad or Kindle, this leather backpack’s padded interior features a perfectly sized inner sleeve for your tablet.   Your cellphone fits into an accessible outside pocket while the two top zippered compartments and a front zipper pocket will hold all your stuff.

Best for traveling light, this compact-sized leather backpack is sized 4.5″ wide by 12.5″ tall x 9.5″ deep.  The Vaquetta cowhide backpack comes in Tan, Cafe, and Black.

O.K., which ones would you choose for 2012′s best travel gear?

Best Travel Gear for Women of 2012 is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.

Le Donne Leather Ladies iPad/eReader Backpack

The Best Leather Travel Backpacks For Your Tablet

In a world where we travel laden with our tablets and e-readers, a hands-free, cool leather travel backpack makes the ideal gift for women travelers.  Smart handbag and backpack manufacturers are jumping on this trend with well-designed, quality leather backpacks.  Here are the best three must have leather travel backpacks for your tablet or e-reader, all ultra-stylish, lightweight yet durable.

First up, a leather backpack with a 100 year warranty.

Saddleback Leather Backpack

$582.

Amazon.com

I know what you’re thinking.  “Why drop almost $600 bucks on a leather backpack when I could buy a long-lasting nylon one at Target for $22?”

Because this will be the last backpack you will ever own.

Covered by a 100 year warranty, this Saddleback leather backpack will age so gracefully that you’ll probably have to place it into your will.

Crafted in thick boot leather, it smells great and looks as if an artisan crafted it.  Lined in tough pigskin, its ideal size allows you to give it your best.

So throw in your iPad as well as a 17” laptop, your water bottle, wallet, phone and more.  Stuff a magazine into the rear pocket and put your files or folders into the front pocket.  In all, there are two exterior pockets, two deep interior pockets and two front and rear pockets.  Padded straps add comfort and D-rings at every corner enable you to attach even more of your stuff.

And it fits into an airliner’s overhead compartment.

Protect your investment with the best leather protectant with Leather Honey Leather Conditioner.  This 16″ tall x 12″ wide x 6″ deep backpack comes in Tobacco Brown, Chestnut, Carbon Black and Coffee Brown.

Le Donne Leather Ladies iPad/eReader Backpack

$99.

Amazon.com

A dedicated leather backpack for your iPad or Kindle, this Vacquetta cowhide leather backpack’s padded interior has a place to slide your iPad or Kindle inside a perfectly sized inner sleeve.   And your cellphone is quickly accessible in an outside pocket, which securely closes with a magnetic snap.  It’s on the small side, perhaps best for traveling light, yet the two top zippered compartments and a front zipper pocket can hold all your accessories.

Sized 4.5” wide x 12.5” tall x 9.5” deep, this leather backpack comes in Tan, Café and Black.

ClaireChase Uptown Bak-Pack 

$179.

Amazon.com

Another leather backpack fashioned of Vacquetta cowhide, this version is roomy enough for a tablet OR a laptop.  And there are plenty of

compartments to keep you organized on the road. The backpack sports two side pockets, one for a water bottle and another that zippers for security.  A zippe

red pocket on the backpack’s back side lets you grab the things in a hurry, such as an ID, boarding pass or passport.  And there’s also convenient l

eather, removable key holder.  The long leather straps may require you to punch extra holes for an adjusted fit.
Sized 8” wide x 17” tall x 15.5” deep, it comes in Red, Black, Brown, Café, Saddle, Distressed Brown and Distressed Gray.

Know of a good candidate?  Let us know in the comments below.

Three Must Have Leather Travel Backpacks For Your Tablet is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.

Nightstand Central alarm clock app wakes you with your photos and your music as well as the weather.

Why Sleeping with Your iPhone Is Dangerous

Today’s required travel gear includes our smartphones, laptops and tablets.  But sleeping with your gadgets while traveling can be dangerous to your health, resulting in sleep problems while traveling.

While surfing, texting and emailing, travelers need their smartphones, laptops or tablets to awaken with smart alarm clock apps, such as Nightstand Central.  But browsing in bed before falling asleep, tucking in with a good ebook on our iPad or placing a smartphone next to the bed  is downright hazardous to your health.

Gadget addiction is on the rise and indulging in a surf session right before going to sleep is scarily more harmful than helpful for getting a good night’s rest while on the road.

And a good rest is the traveler’s best friend.

Banish Sleep Problems While Traveling – Banish Your Gadgets In Bed

There are three reasons why you need to sleep alone:

• A two-hour exposure to light from your computer or tablet display can suppress your needed melatonin levels about 22%.   And melatonin promotes sleep – your body needs this chemical.

• Your gadget makes it harder for you to fall asleep.  Couple this with your travel stress and jet lag and you are in for a world of hurt.

• It’s dangerous.  Besides taxing a tired brain with a new language and culture while traveling, driving on very little sleep is deadly.  And not just because you’re driving on the wrong side of the road.

Travel well.  Conquer sleep problems on the road – put down your gadgets and stay safe and healthy on the road.

This clever info graphic gives you the lowdown:

Thanks to OnlinePsychologyDegree.net For This Graphic

Conquer Sleep Problems While Traveling – Don’t Take Your Gadget to Bed (Infographic) is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.

TravelGearForWomen.com Supports Passports With Purpose

Picture this.

It’s a hot, brutally humid summer day.  Your kids trounce in from playing outside declaring that they are thirsty.  You go to the kitchen water tap or your refrigerator’s water dispenser and…you get nothing.

There’s no water.  There’s no water and your kids are thirsty.

With mounting desperation, you head to the bathroom and there’s no water in your toilet.  You go searching outside, only to find that your only choice is the dirty water flowing down your street in the gutter.  Or water from a neighbor’s filthy gardening bucket.

Your children are thirsty.

What do you do?

Passports With Purpose Supports Water.org

We were just playing pretend in the above scenario.

But this is an everyday reality for parents in Haiti with no access to clean, available water for their thirsty children.  

Make this a reality – clean water for all Haitian children.

Pie in the sky?  That’s not what Water.org thinks.

Make this happen.

What is Passports With Purpose?

Passports with Purpose is the travel bloggers’ annual fundraiser for giving back.  We’re in our fourth year; last year we raised over $80,000 and built two libraries in Zambia!

At Passports With Purpose, we believe that the power of travel can change the world.  Do you?

If so, participate in our annual fundraiser, make a donation to bid on cool travel prizes, gear, trips and more.

Even a small amount will help.

We will raise $100,000 this year for Water.org to help the children of Haiti.  That amount builds five new wells, each serving an average of 370 people.

TravelGearForWomen.com Puts Its Money Where Its Mouth Is

We are participating in PassportswithPurpose.org by donating a prize – a really cool piece of travel gear!

Donate your bid and this could be yours – the Magellan eXplorist 710, a $750 GPS that replaces your camera, smartphone and can probably cook your breakfast, too.

Read more about it here.  The winner will receive free shipping to anywhere in the continental U.S.

The Magellan eXplorist 710 GPS

Not Just a Drop in the Bucket.  Donate now – Click Here.

Merci.

Don’t Let Them Go Thirsty – Passports with Purpose is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.

5 Must Have Gift Ideas for Women Travelers

It’s that time of year again and we’ve compiled the 5 must have gift ideas for women travelers in 2012.  Basically, our readers love convenience, safety and style.  And our nominees have all three, chosen by their popularity with the women travelers visiting this site.

First up…leather backpacks!

#1 A Stylish Leather Backpack

David King & Co. Women’s Organizer Backpack

$91.11

Amazon.com

A great deal for under $100!  Go Bohemian with the overwhelming choice of travelers reading this blog, a well-made, durable leather backpack that looks fashionable, is extremely utilitarian and enables you to travel hands-free.  This buttery leather of this quality backpack looks and feels good and lets you organize tons of stuff on the road with two zippered main compartments, a large rear compartment and an interior zippered pocket for extra security.

Stow a camera, wallet, brush, a small video camera, an umbrella and even an iPad into the roomy main pockets.  Your phone slides into an interior pocket and there are credit card slots, a pen loop, and an ID window.  A back open pouch pocket lets you slip in a paperback book or allows for easy reach of stubs, tickets, boarding passes.  The flap has a magnetic closure and the shoulder straps adjust to fit.  Comes in Tan, Black and Café.

The Great:  Excellent price and the characteristic vacquetta leather will age nicely on the road.

The Not So Great:  In a humid climate, the dye may rub off on your back.

#2 A Pretty and Pretty Sneaky Bra Wallet

Eagle Creek Travel Gear Silk Undercover Bra Stash

$13.50

Amazon.com

A great stocking stuffer!  And we love this silk bra wallet because it’s just like a fine piece of lingerie.  The 2-3/4″W x 4”H size allows you to discreetly hide a hotel key card, a few bills and credit cards safely and securely.  Built with an elastic band and metal snap and Velcro closures for security.  Breathable and washable, it’s as feminine as it is secretive.

Here’s a demonstration of this awesome piece of travel gear:

The Great:  A moisture-resistant inner lining keeps valuables dry and secure, a nice feature  for traveling in humid climates.

The Not So Great:  A potential for lumpiness and the metal snap may set off TSA security.

#3 Snorkel With Your iPhone With the Coolest Travel Accessory Ever

LifeProof’s  iPhone 4/4S Case

$45.

Amazon.com

Snorkel with your iPhone?  Shoot underwater video on your iPad?  It’s all bizarrely true if you pop your iPhone or iPad into a sturdy LifeProof case, a case that can withstand a nuclear attack.  Well, maybe not a nuclear attack but certainly a good drop off of two stories.

This ultra-thin, hardy case is waterproof, snow-proof, dirt-proof and shock-proof up to 6.6 feet (2 meters).

Here’s the proof:

Comes in Pink, White, Black and Purple.  LifeProof also offers accessories for their cases, including a floating lifejacket ($39.99), a snap-on belt clip ($24.39) and a snap-on armband ($32.99).  All available here.

The Great:  Tested, reliable and very reasonably priced.

The Not So Great:  Talking and listening during calls may be problematic due to muffling from the case.

#4 Travel Wallets That Thwart E-Pickpockets

Ogon RFID Aluminum Large Smooth Wallet

$44.

Amazon.com

There are e-pickpockets out there who can easily and quickly grab your personal info from your passport and any credit/debit cards with an RFID chip.   This scenario straight out of James Bond is real – read all about this scary situation here.

Aluminum takes no prisoners when it comes to blocking RFID.  And this Ogon RFID Aluminum Large Smooth Wallet is lightweight has solid construction.  Sized 4.5″ x 3.7″ x .67, it comes in Dark Grey, Red, Purple, Black, Blue, Brown and Silver.

The Great:  Holds 7 cards; enough for a driver’s license and several debit and credit cards.  Doesn’t pop open easily.

The Not So Great:  Can be too slippery.

#5  A Must Have When Traveling With A Purse

Baggallini Criss Cross Water Resistant Bag

$71.

Amazon.com

A must have when traveling, a good cross-body purse should be constructed of water-resistant nylon with plenty of zippered pockets.  This consistent best seller has a thought-out, stylish design and a detachable and adjustable shoulder strap.  It’s lightweight, keeps everything dry and has plenty of slots and divided compartments for credit cards, coins, phone, and a guidebook or a Kindle.  A divided wallet pocket has a separate change pocket.  In all, there are four zippered pockets and two with magnetic closures.  Comes in Leaf Green, Navy, Charcoal, Dark Olive, Espresso, Khaki, Mushroom, Pewter, Steel Blue, Tomato.

Got a great suggestion for a gift?  Let us know in your comment below.

5 Must Have Gift Ideas for Women Travelers 2012 is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.

Eagle Creek Travel Gear Silk Undercover Bra Stash

$13.50

Amazon.com

Comes in rose and black.

Yes, we’ve gotten lots of attention about our bra wallet reviews, such as the Braza Secret Stash.  But Eagle Creek makes one that’s as feminine as it is secretive.

Pure silk, this bra wallet is built with an elastic band combined with a metal snap and a Velcro closure for security.  With a breathable, washable natural silk exterior, this small pocket measuring 2-3/4″W x 4”H stashes your hotel key card, a few bills and credit cards safely and securely.  A moisture-resistant inner lining keeps your valuables dry and secure – and sweat-free.  Great for traveling in humid climates.

Here’s a demonstration of this awesome piece of travel gear:

The Eagle Creek Travel Gear Silk Undercover Bra Stash is also attachable to panties, just in case you’re going braless.

The downside?  Besides potential lumpiness, the metal snap may set off TSA security.

Got a better idea for stashing cash securely on your body?  Let us know – as long as it’s not x-rated, of course.

Your Silken Travel Secret – Eagle Creek’s Silk Bra Wallet is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.

LifeProof’s  iPhone 4/4S Case

$52.89

Amazon.com

Go snorkeling.  Shoot underwater photos and even videos.  It’s all possible with a LifeProof iPhone case.  This ultra-thin, hardy case can handle monsoons, snow sports, rain forests, and running rivers – even plane crashes, spin cycles and motocycle accidents.  Simply snap your phone into the case and feel the full effect of awesome protection.

Spawned by the iPhone’s versatility, the case completely protects your iPhone from hazards above and below the water, including:

• Waterproof
• Dirt Proof
• Shock Proof, up to 6.6-foot depth (2 meters)
• Snow Proof

Shoot Underwater Videos with Your iPhone

What’s exciting is the ability to use your phone as an underwater camera or video recorder; an optical glass lens provides unprecedented crystal-clear photos and superlative video quality.  You can record your underwater ventures up to a 6.6-foot depth (2 meters).

Here’s the proof:

The only negatives?

On dry land, it’s hard for people to hear you talking to them as the noise level is dampened by the case (no, not underwater but on dry land!).

And recording underwater runs the chance of dropping your phone into the depths.  So don’t go underwater with your iPhone in hand without securing it to your body or hanging it on a lanyard.  Dropping it will make a great video but you’ll probably never view it.  And, no, the Find My iPhone app won’t help you salvage it from Davy Jones’ Locker.

Comes in pink, purple, black and white.  Also available for the iPhone 5.

LifeProof also offers accessories for their cases, including a floating lifejacket ($39.99), a snap-on belt clip ($24.39) and a snap-on armband ($32.99).  All available here.

Snorkel With Your iPhone is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.

A universe in your pocket.

There’s been a quiet travel revolution going on.  Your smartphone has mobilized your travel.

Save money and time 19 different ways simply by packing a single item, your smartphone.  Through the millions of available phone apps and the replacement of many gadgets, your smartphone saves on over-packing, baggage fees, and toting pricey items such as a GPS or video camera.

In a few short years, we’ve found that hotel rooms no longer hold telephones, map and guidebook sales have plummeted and you can check in for flights without a boarding pass.

Traveling with your smartphone, you can share your travel experiences instantaneously with family and friends back home.  Postcard writing is now a lost art.

But are we complaining?  Nope.  The computer has replaced a lot – secretaries, board games and phones attached to the wall.  And we’ve not lost but gained in the bargain.

We can grab instantaneous travel deals, check out reviews on lodging and activities and share with friends and family back home our adventures through video, photos, emails, texting and blogging.

Save Room – Pack Your Smartphone

We don’t think about this much, but your smartphone replaces 19 items that you previously packed along (and purchased).  Not to mention the time, money and stress that our tiny gadget prevents on the road.

Your smartphone is clever.  Even in airplane mode during your entire trip, it replaces your:

1. Camera – a digital one at that, including the ability to edit and send photos in a snap (pun intended!)
2. Video camera – humping a heavy HD video camera is now deep in our traveling past
3. Digital recorder – record musical and dance performances or keep a travel diary
4. Music player – all your kind of music all the time, so you don’t have to endure the crap blasting from foreign speakers
5. Currency convertor – this once cost dearly, added weight and took time
6. Translator – speak and you shall be translated.  No more lost nights dealing with Tokyo cabbies.
7. Compass – Where’s the sun coming up?  I need to grab this shot.  Answer provided.
8. Computer – If you still, unfortunately, need to check Facebook, read emails and surf the web, your addiction is satisfied.
9. Maps – Map apps show you literally what’s around the very street corner you’re standing on.  No more folding and unfolding.
10. Books – Not only guidebooks but your entire library, all the time.
11. Flashlight/Reading Lamp – Foreign hotels are notorious for ignoring the fact that travelers like to read at night.  Or go to the bathroom at night.
12. GPS – Dropping $750 for a GPS is, happily, no longer a necessity.  Unless you’re in the middle of the Sahara.
13. Boarding Passes – Airlines are all over this on and more are jumping on the smartphone check in process daily.
14. Your Entire Home Entertainment System – Watch your satellite T.V., enjoy your videos and program your D.V.R.
15. Alarm Clock – Buzzing begone!  Smartphone alarm apps can wake you with a soft Zen bell or slowly light up your room like a sunrise.
16. Address Book – If you must write a postcard, the address you need is no longer sitting at home.
17. Photo Album – pull your entire photo pantheon as well as your most recent travel photos and dazzle the world.
18. Calculator – For the math-anxious, the days of looking like an idiot and taking way to much time to figure Euros, colones, baht or dollars are over.
19. Timer/Stopwatch – Timing a perfectly brewed cup of tea or racing a friend up a mountain?  You’re covered.

The best thing about the above items is that when you need them, they’re right there in your pocket.

Your Smartphone Loves You

If your phone gets lost or stolen, apps such as Find My iPhone will lead you back to your lost love.

Got a great use of your smartphone when traveling?  Share it!

19 Travel Items You Can Replace with Your Smartphone is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.



One thing that really chuffs me – airline baggage fees.   During my research on who’s charging what for which, I came across a great guide to all airline fees, everything from charges for a tenth bag to transporting an unaccompanied minor.

More on that guide below.

These fees are responsible for billions in new revenues and, sadly, we know that airline baggage fees are here to stay.

And I’ve noticed two disturbing, emerging trends that hopefully aren’t picked up by the other airlines.

Baggage Fees for Carry-On Bags

Both Spirit and Allegiant Airlines have started charging for CARRY-ON bags.  For example:

• Allegiant:  $10–$30 online, $35 at airport

• Spirit: $20–$45 Fare Club member, $30–$45 nonmember

Insane, no?

Exorbitant Baggage Fees for the Fourth Bag and More

Pack lightly. If you decide to travel with a third bag you’re going to pay.

A lot.

Every airline jacks up their baggages fee starting with that third bag.  For example, your third bag on USAirways and Delta Airlines will cost $125.  If you want to check in more bags, you may be shelling out a flat $200 for checking in bags four through ten.

It gets worse.

Check in three or more bags on American Airlines,  you’ll fork over $150 apiece.

Yet Virgin America Airlines only charges a straight $25 per bag for up to ten bags!

Yes, people, it can be done!

Some Give You a Break on Airline Baggage Fees

Southwest Airlines never charges for baggage fees UNLESS you check in three or more bags, charging $50 for bags three through nine and $110 for ten or more.

And some airlines are more reasonable when it comes to this cash grab.  Jet Blue hits you with the lowest fees, charging $0 for the first bag but charges $40 for your second bag.

Other airlines charge the lowest fees for the first and second bag – Air Tran charges $20/$25 and Alaska Airlines and Frontier Airlines both charge $20/$20.

But expect the rates to increase once you check in with that third bag. The message here? Don’t travel with three bags.

A Free List of Airline Checked Baggage Fees

SmarterTravel.com just updated their comprehensive, free “Ultimate Guide to Airline Fees” and well worth reading.  You can download it for free here.

You’ll be shocked to see how many possible surprises await you at check-in.  Airlines are piling on the fees charging for:

• Seat selection

• Overweight bags

• Over-sized bags

• Unaccompanied minors

• Blankets/Pillows

• Premium coach seats with perks

• Booking a ticket

• Pets

Your travel dollars are precious – knowing what awaits you at check-in helps you manage your trip budget better.

Know Before You Go: Guide to Airline Baggage Fees is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.

Sick of paying airline checked bags fees because you have to carry an extra bag?  Use these five outrageous packing tips, cut your baggage fees and stop the airlines from nickel and diming you.  These fees are a boon to the airlines, which rack up multi-millions in extra revenues.  So these fees aren’t going anywhere for a long time, if ever.

Figure Out Your Airline’s Checked Bag Fees

Before getting organized, check out what your damage would be if you opt for an extra bag.  Use Smarter Travel’s recently updated Ultimate Guide to Airline Fees, which you can download for free here.   Then, knowing what your fees add up to coming and going, use these following ninja packing tips.

Your Five Outrageous Packing Tips – A Mini-Field Guide

Design what you need en route, during your trip and what you need only to carry home.  Thinking about your packing in this way will enable you to travel at a minimal cost.

Use these tips:

#1 Pack a sarong.  In fact, think about an item’s double duty before placing it into your suitcase.  For example, a cotton sarong operates as a beach wrap, a scarf, a veil, a skirt, an emergency towel, a picnic cloth, a shower wrap, a dirty laundry bundle and so much more.

#2 Mail your stuff to your destination to avoid checked bag fees.  It’s not so crazy once you consider checked bag fees against shipping costs.  Example: it costs $39 to ship a 15-pound package from Boston to Los Angeles using an Express Mail Flat Rate Box from U.S.P.S.  Yet, a third checked bag on American Airlines costs as much as $150, according to Smarter Travel’s Ultimate Guide to Airline Fees (download it for free here).

#3 Ship your luggage back home.  If this is cost effective after figuring your checked bag fees, ship your luggage by UPS, FedEx or through online services such as www.luggagefree.com.  Imagine the freedom of strolling the air terminal baggage-free.

#4 Mail your stuff back home.  Lighten your load by mailing your dirty laundry, gifts and souvenirs home in a $11.35 Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box from the U.S.P.S.  No checked bags, no luggage fees and a few great mementos!

#5 Don’t pack anything at all.  Crisscross the planet with no bags at all?  It’s been done.  If you’re not high maintenance, try traveling minimally and replace your bags with a single piece of travel apparel.  Experiment with a Scottevest Travel Clothing SeV vest and learn how to travel lightly, very lightly.

Got a super tip to add to this mix?  Let us know.

Five Outrageous Packing Tips that Work is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.

Came across FunSherpa’s entertaining infographic on our online travel experiences.   It’s a perfect illustration of how much the travel industry has been revolutionized by our online activities.   In spite of a soft economy, travel revenues this year will reach $162 billion!

The most popular online travel experience?  Researching your travel (including at TravelGearForWomen.com, thank you very much).

The most popular vacation activity?  Posting your vacation photos on social media sites!  (I can attest that since, on my travels, I mostly see Facebook being viewed on laptops and tablets.)

And almost everyone (85%) uses their smartphone as they travel on leisure trips.  Quite understandable because the explosion of travel apps has transformed and improved our travel experiences away from home.  We’re changing plans, staying in touch with friends and family, finding deals for flights and hotels and uploading apps to enhance our travel.

It’s all revolutionary and quite enlightening.

The Difference: Online Travel Experiences is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.

5 Must Have Travel Apps For Simple Airline Travel

Continuing our series on the travel apps essential to your smart travel.   Since airline travel is getting more brutal by the day (fees for carry-on bags!), I nominate these five must have travel apps to make your air travel as pleasant as possible.  Read on.

TripIt Pro

Through an auto-magical process, this travel app acts as a full time personal travel assistant, gathering all your flights, hotels, car rentals, and more, into an organized itinerary.

Well, I’ll let TripIt Pro explain it:

No wonder TripIt Pro earned accolades and awards from Travel & Leisure, Inc., and Fortune magazines; it’s well worth its price.

Cost:  $3.99

Get TripAdvisor Pro for the iPhone

Get TripAdvisor Pro for the iPhone

Gate Guru

No more gate mix-ups!  Use this travel app to avoid a mad dash after a gate change.  Or, better yet, use it to find a relaxing cocktail lounge to hang between flights.  Get real time flight status, check out terminal maps and security wait times, view your TripIt and Kayak itineraries, or find lists of airport food, shops and services on this convenient app.   And check out the photos from your fellow travelers of your terminal and airport amenities.  Available on the iPhone only.

Cost:  Free

Get GateGuru for the iPhone

SeatGuru

Access color-coded seat maps on 700 airliners on over 100 airlines!  Get comfortable on your long haul flight.  This travel app is your ultimate resource for airline seating, flight amenities, and airline recommendations.   You can also search for low airfares, get updated on your flight’s status and set up flight alerts for any changes during your trip.   And it’s all powered by TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site.  Available on the iPhone only.

Cost:  Free

Get SeatGuru for the iPhone

FlightTracker Pro

This is for the big boys since the price has to justify plenty of flight time – not that the $9.99 price is high. It isn’t in the real world but it is exorbitant for the app world.  Yet if you’re a dedicated road warrior who requires staying abreast of every travel detail, then this is your go-to travel companion.  This live flight status tracker offers you flight updates, weather forecasts, and zoomable maps that work offline.  Get push alerts with real-time changes to your flight and import flight data automatically from any airline confirmation.  Your airline trips have now become a lot less stressful.

Cost: $9.99

Get FlightTracker Pro for the iPhone

Get FlightTracker Pro for the iPad

FlyersRights

Turn the tables on the gate agents if you get bumped, a flight cancellation or a lost bag.   Why should the gate agents have access to all the consumer-related regulations on their screen but not you?  Now you will with this travel app that levels the playing field and advises you of your legal rights as a U.S. traveler.  For example, if bumped and arriving more than two hours later, you’re entitled to 400% of your airfare, up to $1,300!  Who’ll take that voucher offer now?  Easier than hopping on Wi-Fi, the app offers a collection of vital airline rules that even your gate agent may not know.  Perhaps the 99 cent cost of this app could make you hundreds!  Available on the iPhone only.

Cost:  99 cents

Get FlyersRights for the iPhone

Got a super app to share?  Let us know.

5 Must Have Travel Apps for Smooth Flying is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.

Stop Dreaming, Start Packing

It’s a done deal.  This year’s Meet Plan Go is a go!  This nationwide event takes place in 10 cities:

Austin | Boston | Chicago | Minneapolis | New York City | San Diego
San Francisco | Seattle | South Florida | Toronto

Why Should You Attend Meet Plan Go?

1. Be Inspired!

Listening to both travel experts and experienced career breakers will give you the extra push to take the leap.

2. Leave with Answers and a list of Resources!

Our ‘break out groups’ will enable you to talk to travel experts and walk away with resources on specific areas of travel planning, travel modes, and travel options.  It doesn’t matter what stage of planning you are in, we’ll make sure you get answers.

Buy tickets now!
Austin | Boston | Chicago | Minneapolis | New York City | San Diego
San Francisco | Seattle | South Florida | Toronto

3.  The odds ARE greater that you will actually GO when you attend our event!

Stop Dreaming, Start Packing at Meet Plan Go is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.

8 Must Have Travel Apps

As we learned from nomadic traveler, Gary Arndt, after your passport and your credit card, your most vital piece of travel gear is your smartphone.  Or more importantly, the apps on your smartphone.

While there are some great free travel apps out there, I have gathered together the eight must have travel apps, apps that will change your travel forever:

Kayak

I’ve loved Kayak for a long time, way before it ate Sidestep.com.   Kayak’s slogan is “Search One and Done” and the app aggregates all airline and travel websites into a single search on its travel metasearch engine.  Search and explore every permutation of your flight itinerary, layovers, dates, airports, airlines and fares.  Except for one caveat – use the app for lightening fast research only.  Then take your winning travel res to a computer and finish the job by booking at your winning airline’s website.

Cost: Free

Kayak for the iPhone

Kayak for the iPad

XE Currency

Once while dealing with U.S. dollars, Greek drachmas and Italian lira, I got stuck with a mind-twister of a math problem.  While jet-lagged.  No more with XE Currency, which calculates your money-related math problems instantaneously with real-time exchange rates.  Now you’ll know how much to withdraw from those airport ATMs.

Cost: Free

XE Currency for the iPhone

XE Currency for the iPad

Hotel Tonight

Traveling by the seat of your pants and need a bed for tonight?  Find one at steep discounts at luxe and hip hotels throughout the U.S. and London.  Many allow you to stay multiple nights at your low rate.

Cost: Free

Hotel Tonight for the iPhone

Hotel Tonight for the iPad

Free Wi-Fi Finder

Where can I find free Wi-Fi?  Where can I find free Wi-Fi?  How many frantic moments have been spent asking this question on the road?  Now you can coolly locate the nearest free hotspot without desperation.  I tested out Free Wi-Fi Finder on a remote side of Oahu and it pointed me in the right direction.  Very cool, saving time and aggravation.

Cost: Free

Free Wi-Fi Finder for the iPhone

Free Wi-Fi Finder for the iPad

Local Eats

Go beyond the strip mall with Local Eats’ lowdown on eateries recommended by local food critics and their menus.  Choose “Nearby” and you may discover a real find.

Cost:  99 cents

Local Eats for the iPhone

Local Eats for the iPad

City Maps 2Go

Offline maps for everyone, everywhere!  Now your iPhone or iPad doesn’t need a Wi-Fi or 3G signal to pull up a needed map or prevent one from vaporizing.  At your fingertips find thousands of maps, cities, provinces, islands and more.  And, best of all, you avoid pricey international roaming charges!  And the price has been recently reduced by 50%.

Cost:  99 cents

City Maps 2Go for the iPhone

City Maps 2Go for the iPad

Camera+

When I first heard of travelers only carrying their smartphone as their camera, I shuddered.  Now, I get it.  Camera+ gives your iPhone or iPad camera the super add-on features found on fancier cameras, such as a self-timer, a great zoom, and a stabilizer for sharper photos.  And much more.  I especially like how you can add flash after you’ve shot a photo, say, in a dark museum or against the sun on a beach.  Don’t remember where you’ve shot your travel photo?  There’s an app for that – in the Camera+ map feature.

So, of course, I tested it.  On a hapless paddle boarder.  Here’s a shot in the noon day sun without a needed fill-in flash:

I quickly edited the shot on my smartphone with Camera+.  Much better and no more travel photo shame:

Cost:  99 cents – FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY

Camera+ for the iPhone

Camera+ for the iPad

Around Me

In your hotel, you don’t know what’s around you and close by.  This app comes in handy when you need to locate the nearest pharmacy, pub, gas station, ATM and more.  I recommend Around Me because it has saved my keester many times.  So if you want to catch a movie, a place to park or get to a hospital, Around Me gives you the scoop with distances, maps and directions.

Cost: Free

Around Me for the iPhone

Around Me for the iPad

Got a super travel app suggestion?  Let us know in the comments!

8 Must Have Travel Apps is an article from Travel Gear For Women - Travel brilliantly.