The view from the pier at Rockport, Massachusetts.

Travel has been catnip to writers for as long as writers have sought the perspective-opening qualities of exploring other worlds . . .  which was pretty much since people first realized they could leave their homes and take a walk to visit places across the village. I travel often for work, but I also travel for other reasons: to visit family and friends, to get out of my everyday environment (and sweatpants) for a while, to learn about other cultures, to stoke creativity, and to go places I’ve never been before. So just as I’ve developed an efficient, writer-friendly home office setup, frequent travel has taught me a lot about what I need to have with me when I’m away. Here’s my take on writer travel essentials.

Best Travel Tech for Writers

Unlike photographers or videographers, writers don’t need to travel with a lot of equipment. But there are several gadgets that will make life and work on the road a whole lot easier.

An ultralightweight, super-portable laptop is a must for me. If I’m schlepping through airports and different destinations, I don’t want my bag to be weighed down by a 7-pound, 15-inch laptop. For this reason, I’ve been using the 2-pound Microsoft Surface Pro 3 for a couple of years now. (If I were buying now, I’d upgrade to the newer Microsoft Surface Pro 4.) Despite some glitches in running certain Windows-based software (Adobe InDesign and Photoshop, especially, seem to give the Surface agita), it’s a solid choice for word processing, spreadsheets, checking e-mail, using cloud-based office programs, and some photo editing.

Microsoft Surface Pro 4

There are plenty of other sites that will give you an in-depth look at different cell phones, so I’ll skip those in favor of what you need to have on your phone. A good recording app for documenting interviews or even taking on-the-fly notes is tops on the list of a writer’s essentials for travel. The most reliable and easiest to use is Smart Recorder. It’s better for in-person than over-the-phone recording, and with no restrictions on recording time or number of recordings (dictated only by the space available on your phone), Smart Recorder—which has a with-ads free version—will quickly become one of your go-to apps. I also love Evernote for note taking and saving links for later reference (even into categorized “notebooks”), though the app has been expanded in recent years to encompass a range of different data-storing tasks.

For reading books or magazines, watching movies or TV while on the plane, or for taking notes digitally when I’m not in the mood to trek with my laptop, the Kindle Fire HD 8is a fantastic, not-too-pricey choice. I usually stock it with at least 3 books and up to 8 movies and TV shows, and then delete and reload as needed. Evernote works just as well here as on a cell phone or laptop, so you can lighten your load considerably without missing a thing if you just need to jot down some thoughts.

Kindle Fire HD8

Keeping your tech charged while on the road or in the air is an ongoing challenging, especially on stingy airlines who don’t include in-seat chargers, so I’ve learned to keep a couple of gadgets on hand. While perhaps not the speediest or lightest in class, the Powerocksextended battery is an excellent backup that can charge mobile phones, tablets, and even laptops. It’s saved me on a few occasions, so despite the heft it adds to my bag, I’m never without it when I travel.

Also important to have on hand: travel adapters. A universal travel adapteris a great idea, but what happens when you’re traveling with a friend or significant other, and you both need to charge multiple devices, plus run a hair dryer or iron? Since my husband and I make trips to Europe more than to other continents, we like to have this set of American-to-European travel adapterson hand, which allow us to charge two laptops, two Kindles, and two cell phones at the same time . . . as long as we can find enough outlets.

Plane travel is notoriously dull, so I like to have lots of entertainment options on hand, including a few different podcasts. Joanna Penn’s The Creative Penn is a great podcast on the business of authorship. I’m also a mystery and suspense lover, whether fiction or nonfiction; though I’m a bit behind the curve, I’m currently listening to Atlanta Monster. And for a fun reprieve from the insanity of our current political climate, Wait Wait . . . Don’t Tell Me! is a perennial favorite. As for headphones, I have yet to find a pair that don’t make my ears ache after a couple of hours. If you happen to find this Holy Grail, please shoot me a message.

Best Travel Clothes for Writers

Like the Goldilocks of the skies, I’ve found many of my everyday favorites—the clothes I wear time and again back home—unsuitable for travel, especially when I’m in a cramped airplane seat on a 8-hour flight to Europe, or, far worse, a 14-hour flight to India.

There’s clothing that’s too stiff (suits, jeans), too tight (leggings, warm-up jackets and other fitted athleisure-wear), too scratchy (anything with wool or other animal fibers in it), and too sweat- and stink-producing (most synthetic fibers), not to mention pieces that look great but don’t provide enough warmth or coverage (dresses, unless paired with leggings) or are just too hard to get into and out of in a matchbook-size airplane bathroom (I’m looking at you, jumpsuits and rompers). So, after much experimentation, I now wear a variation on the same outfit pretty much anytime I step on a plane.

Encircled, a forward-thinking brand out of Toronto that specializes in travel-friendly clothes for the conscious consumer, makes a few of my favorites, both for everyday use and writer travel essentials. Among them, the Dressy Sweatpants are the ideal tailored-but-not-skinny-jeans-tight pants. They’re made of supersoft and stretchy Modal, and have a silky handfeel that’s so much more comfortable and breathable than tech fabrics—my old go-to—especially when you’re in it for the long haul. These travel pants can be dressed up with a blazer or nice sweater or dressed down with a bomber jacket and a T-shirt or tank, so you can step off the plane and right into a business meeting or source interview, or else head out to lunch and sightseeing without the awkward airport-bathroom costume change. They have two good-sized pockets on the front and a hidden zip pocket on the back waistband, and the pleats—which I was skeptical would look good on my short-ish, hourglass-shaped self—lie flat, which makes them flattering rather than wide-load-ening.

Encircled’s Dressy Sweatpants

I tend toward feeling perpetually frozen on plane trips, but when you’re sitting on a runway during a 30-minute delay or your seat neighbor is honking through Dreamland and spilling over into your seat, it’s easy to get overheated. As most seasoned travelers will tell you, layers are a must for travel clothes, and mine include a stretchy Modal-blend tank, topped with Encircled’s Everyday Twist Top. The latter is a buttery-soft multiway garment that can be worn several ways—as a waterfall or hip-length cardigan, tied in the front or back, as a twist-front top or halter—so it gets a lot of rotation in my travel wardrobe.

Encircled’s Everyday Twist Top

Also on my continual-rotation list of travel clothes: anything that keeps me from having to carry a purse. Why? I have a purse problem. It’s not that I love them so much, I buy too many; it’s that I accidentally leave the bag wherever I go—friends’ houses, restaurants and cafes, movie theaters. I’ve had to backtrack to retrieve an abandoned purse at so many places, I no longer trust myself to carry one. The solution? The Waypoint Goods travel scarf, an ingenious infinity scarf that looks fashionable, feels great against the skin, and has a hidden zip pocket that can fit a passport, a cell phone, a key, and a couple credit cards or some cash. (The more you put in it, the funkier it will hang, so err on the side of lighter-weight items, and stash your cell phone in your pants pocket, if you can.) I love the prints—Oslo is my current favorite—but the beautifully saturated solids are also perfect for keeping your neck warm while allowing you to go bag-free. The Waypoint Goods Travel Scarf is also machine washable and affordable, so you could easily take two on your trip and switch them up with different outfits.

Waypoint Goods Oslo Travel Scarf

Finally, footwear. I’ll never be confused for a fashion blogger, but I do love clothes and like to feel stylish. I’ve also learned that hard way that cute wedges, espadrilles, boots, ballet flats, and heels are strictly what gals in my home state of Rhode Island used to call cah-ta-bah shoes (that’s “car to bar” to you). These days, I travel in slip-ons and sneakers with a rubber sole—all the better for staying upright on wet, slippery steps and cobblestone streets, my dear—and save a single pair of cute shoes for parties or other events where I know I won’t be walking or standing much. I get in and out of European and Asian TSA checkpoints, which don’t always honor my Global Entry status, in a flash by wearing sturdy skate-type slip-ons from Bucketfeet. Not only do they come in a range of cheeky prints, but take out the inserts and they’re machine washable—perfect following trips on germy planes and public transit.

Best Travel Bags for Writers

When it comes to travel bags for writers, I’m a stickler for pockets and structure. So while I love the minimal-cool look of weekenders like the blogger favorite Lo & Sons Catalina Deluxe, I’ve sent these bags packing for three reasons:

• They flop over unless you’ve got them stuffed to the gills
• There’s hardly, if any, internal organization
• There’s no protection for electronics

I’d rather not waste time rifling through my bag to find a charger, passport, medication, or even snacks—or, worse, have laptop slide under my shoes or my water bottle leak all over my tech—so I go for bags that have ample storage space and smart organization, and can still fit under an airline seat or in a small-jet cargo bin.

My current favorite is the Lighten up Weekender Travel Bag in Splash Dot from Vera Bradley. Say what you will about this brand’s fondness for loud prints and granny quilting, but this toned-down, washable nylon bag makes a solid entry in the list of writer travel essentials. It’s got a pocket for pretty much everything, from notebooks and pens to meds, jewelry, shoes, and a toiletry kit, plus it’s got a padded laptop pocket, a hidden passport pocket, an external water-bottle pocket, and a detachable shoulder/crossbody strap. What sold me was the trolley sleeve on the back, so I can slip it over a suitcase for quick maneuvering through airports and crowded streets.

Once I’m at my destination, for everyday adventuring or when I need to carry my laptop on me, I prefer a backpack. I’m pretty fussy here, as well, and have rejected many more than I’ve kept. What makes a backpack work for me:

• Compact size—I’m on the small side, and dislike nothing more than a giant backpack that’s better suited for men or three days’ camping in the Grand Canyon
• Padded laptop pocket, back, and straps
• External water-bottle pocket
• Enough other pockets to organize small items

Although I have a workhorse Champion backpack that has been to four different continents with me and can be tossed in the washing machine, when I’m on an assignment or generally want to look more presentable and less touristy, I opt for the Kipling Seoul Small Backpackin navy. It’s perfectly sized for a petite person, checks all of the boxes above, and is conservative-looking enough that it doesn’t stand out in a crowd—which means less likelihood of pickpocket targeting.

Kipling Seoul Small Backpack

I keep a smaller bag packed with extra chargers and headphones so that come trip time, I don’t have to hunt around for the ones I use in my home. The triple-zip RuMe Baggie All is great for this purpose, and is usually available in a bunch of fun colors and prints that are easy to spot even if they get jostled around inside your travel bag. If I think I might need an extra bag for souvenirs, books, or trips to the beach, I pack the RuMe Medium Shopping Tote, which is feather-light and machine washable and rolls up to the size of a dinner napkin.

RuMe Baggie All

Best Items for Writers to Keep on Hand While Traveling

Although most of us do nearly all of our work digitally these days, it’s still a good idea to keep a notebook and pens in your bag, so you can quickly jot down information, take notes on your observations of places and people, and journal. Tops on my list of writer travel essentials: a lightweight notebook with a sturdy cover that isn’t so beautiful that I’d feel bad if I left it somewhere, so I usually go with something nondescript, like this. (Bonus: you can doodle on the covers during those extended stationery moments.) When it comes to pens, there are only two choices for me, based on how long they last, smoothness, and leak resistance: the Paper Mate Profile gel pen, which is great for everyday note-taking and document signing, and the Tombow Mono Drawing Pen, which allows me to write on laminated surfaces like brochures and business cards without smudging.

You’ve read about the circus of viruses and bacteria that lurk among airplane seats, armrests, tray tables, bathrooms, and overhead bins, not to mention all their handles, knobs, and buttons. When I first settle get onto the plane, I wipe down anything I might be planning to touch with antibacterial wipes. While the packaging may not be as environmentally friendly as a multipack, the pocket packs are great for stashing in—you guessed it—the pockets of every jacket and bag that comes with me on my trip.

If you’re like me, you get motion sick just thinking about being in a moving vehicle. Over many years of travel, trial of everything from prescription meds to bracelets with little metal buttons that press (painfully) against acupressure points, and the actual and highly embarrassing use of airplane barf bags, I’ve come up with my own proprietary anti-nausea “cocktail”: a chewable 25mg tablet of meclizine, plus two 550mg ginger capsules, taken with a small glass of Coke. It might not work for others—and may even be contraindicated for some—but it works for me.

If it wears off during a long trip or if I find myself on a boat on choppy waters or in a car careening in and out of traffic pre-“cocktail,” I keep a few Queasy Drops on me. They don’t help if you wait till you’re at the point of hurling out the window, but if you feel the queasies coming on, pop a couple in your mouth and see if you don’t feel a whole lot better.

Queasy Drops

Because being cooped up in a tiny seat for long periods makes me sore and achy, I stash a couple small therapy massage balls in my carry-on. They’re easy to fit at the bottom of a suitcase or inside a pair of shoes, and are great for rolling out tense muscles and other soft tissues that are cranky from having their movement limited, or from titanium-hard hotel beds.

Yoga Tune-Up Balls

That’s my guide to writer travel essentials. What are your travel favorites? Let’s keep the conversation going on Facebook or Instagram.