'Tis the season to fret about what to buy the traveler in
your life. The jet set is difficult to please, preferring presents
that are compact, light and practical-a tall order for anyone's
holiday shopping list.
"Your present should help make the recipient more
efficient, organized and comfortable for travel," advises Dana
May Casperson, author of Power Etiquette: What You Don't Know Can
Kill Your Career (AMACOM).
If you're the busiest traveler you know, start dropping
hints:
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Marking time:
Don't just get a standard alarm clock; try one with advanced
features and attitude. Atomic Time offers a travel alarm clock that
receives a radio signal from the U.S. Atomic Clock in Fort Collins,
Colorado, ensuring its accuracy. At $49.95 (street), it's
considerably cheaper than its Colorado counterpart. Something
keeping your clients up at night? Consider the TravelScape clock
(www.westclox.com), which
will play up to 30 minutes of soothing nature sounds to lull them
to sleep. They can choose from rain, chirping crickets and ocean
sounds with the $29.99 (street) timepiece.
Good vibrations:
Want to give a gadget? The BreathAlert (www.tanita.com) is a lightweight gizmo
that helps detect odors through a small sensor. You can gauge your
own breath with this $29.99 (street) device. To calm a stressed-out
colleague, why not buy him or her a $15 (street) massage pen from
the Discovery Channel Store. A vibrating end stimulates the
body's pressure points, while the other end writes.
Paper
convergence: There's a way to have both paper-based
and electronic organizers. The new eRunner line of planners from
Day Runner (www.dayrunner.com) offers space for
your cell phone or personal digital assistant, plus any business
cards and fiber-based material that a traveler can collect on a
trip (such as itineraries, receipts and tickets). The eRunners cost
from $25 to $100 (street).
Luggage lovers:
For those really good clients, think about luggage. A top-grade
Brenthaven (www.brenthaven.com) computer case,
with SoftDrive wheels that ease the bumps on the road, goes for
$369 (street). Tumi's (www.tumi.com) wheeled garment bag holds
several suits, has outside access pockets and a removable laundry
bag inside. It will set you back $750 (street).
Safety first:
Looking for something else? Try the Mega Combination Cable Lock
from Kryptonite (www.kryptonitelock.com).
It's an 8mm, 6-foot, braided-steel cable with a resettable lock
that has more than 10,000 combinations. At $49.99 (street), it
comes with a carrying case to store the lock.
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| |  Need more ideas on how to make the most of the
holidays? Check out
Holiday Central, our seasonal guide for small-business
owners. | | |
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Christopher Elliott is a writer in Annapolis, Maryland.
Contact him at www.elliott.org.
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