Travel Gear: Making travel easier

Bose QuietComfort 20 One of the key advantages of these noise-cancelling earphones from Bose is how discreetly it secreted away the hardware to make the noise-cancelling work. All the circuitry and battery sits in a slim cartridge which can be tucked into a pocket. With cosy silicone earbuds and fins that stabilise them, they are comfy and seal the ear canal securely. Its effectiveness has gained plaudits from audiophiles everywhere, with rich low-end delivery and crisp, punchy highs. €300 from the apple store for 20i version

Esee Izula survival wallet The less paranoid among us probably travel with little more than a tube of Arnica and a few plasters as an emergency kit. The Esee Izula survival wallet comes with range of tools, including a fire starter, Kevlar cord, a selection of fish hooks, button compass, an arrowhead, powerful earth magnets, a titanium blade, a signal mirror and cards with survival best practice. Its military heritage is reflected in the handcuff key and escape and evasion tips in there too. £62 from thebushcraftstore. co.uk

i-Grill portable charcoal barbecue Small and lightweight with a compact fold-up action that makes it portable, the i-Grill is a decent piece of design, despite the rather dated, trying-too-hard name. It is a charcoal barbecue so you will need coals and lighters to fire it up, but with a reasonable cooking area, the summer picnic can go up a notch. $90 from williams-sonoma.com Tom Kelly betweenideas.blogspot.com