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	By Maria Adelmann Maria is a writer covering travel. She once left on a six-week trip and didn’t come back for three years.

I’ve spent months on a ship, a week straight on a train, and many nights on buses. But, I’ll admit it, traveling this week (the busiest of the year!) still kind of stresses me out. My strategy—and my advice to you—extends from my travel day straight through Thanksgiving dinner: Plan ahead, be patient, and cultivate a Zen-like acceptance of what you can’t control.

It’s an approach improved by a few low-cost day-savers that are useful both en route and at your destination. Because, sure, you probably already have your beloved travel pillow, a trusty suitcase, and your boarding pass—but it’s often the smaller stuff that can go the furthest in helping you keep cool. Here are a few things I bring with me on every trip:

A few more travel tips: I like to bring along a book I’ve already started, so I’m hooked before I hit the road. I also pack my phone with pre-downloaded podcasts so I can listen even when Wi-Fi is spotty. And my backpack is always full of snacks. They’re good for morale, plus who wants to spend $5 on airport M&Ms? Good luck out there.

Our ultimate guide to the very best travel gear→

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Hotel hair dryers are notoriously bad. This travel one is better. This foldable dryer weighs under a pound and is surprisingly quiet→

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8 things we always keep in our cars Help make big road trips run a little smoother→

“I have a severe food allergy. Here’s what I pack when I fly.” For starters, bring your own spork→

Photo illustration by Ezra Lee/NYT Wirecutter; source photos by Hannah Rimm/NYT Wirecutter, iStock

If you find yourself dealing with the droopy-eyed, nausea-inducing side effects of jet lag long after you’ve landed, we get it—it’s awful. This app promises to make all that a thing of the past by using your daily routine and travel details to create an individualized jet lag-banishing plan. The idea is that by slowly adjusting your habits before your trip, you’ll arrive at your destination good as new.

But does it work? We asked nine testers to use the app on trips of varying lengths and destinations. Over the course of several months, they packed their bags and flew all over the world. They found it easy to use, and were a little less sleepy, but …

It might not work for everyone. Here’s why→

Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter

As you head into memory-making season: Don’t forget to pack a camera you love. For Maria, it’s this (highly giftable!) instant camera that takes nostalgia-inducing photos. “This instant camera is my antidote to digital picture malaise,” she writes. “Every print has the gravitas of a moment deemed worthy of a shot.”

Uncomplicated joy→

Thanks for reading.

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