We asked readers to tell us what they absolutely must pack and cannot leave behind when traveling. From knitting needles to music and headbands to favorite luggage, you’ll find it all here.
“I must pack my phone and headphones. With my phone and headphones I review my upcoming music, discourage vocally exhausting conversations in a loud aircraft by using them, play white noise so I can sleep, etc.” — Ruth Ellis
“A flexible headband is my number one travel item for singing! I learned the trick from mezzo Vivica Genaux. Whether you’re traveling by train, plane, or bus and you need to catch some sleep on the road, you can pull the headband down over your eyes to make it darker. When traveling by plane, I wear the headband around my neck to keep my throat warm, and then as soon as the doors to the plane are closed, I pull the headband up to cover my mouth, nose, and ears to keep out the germs. You can even take another piece of cloth, dampen it, and cover your mouth and nose with it underneath the headband to maintain the moisture so you do not get totally dried out on the plane. It is vital to stay hydrated, germ free, and well-rested while traveling.” — Katie Nicole Weiser
“My ‘absolutely must pack’ is the music for the upcoming project and the music for the project to follow. Attached to the music is a ‘tracking rubric’ of preparation tasks, like the amount of times to monologue the text, translation, and/or thoughts of the character; writing in the dramatic transitions; identifying the character, who the character is talking to, what the character’s attention is on; what happened five minutes before the music; etc. Even if there is not an opportunity to actually sing on a trip, the time traveling is a most precious time to prepare.” — Debra Cook
“When traveling, including vacation, I pack the vocal score of my next opera. Working on it a little each day avoids coming back from that trip or vacation being behind in preparation and feeling guilty about taking that time off. My wife, Marlene, took this photo [see right] a couple days ago on our vacation in Kauai of me going over La forza del destino, which opens in mid-November with Verismo Opera in the San Francisco Bay Area.” — Stephen Miller
When I did more touring with a professional choir, we were reminded to always bring MOM with you on the plane (no checking these items in!). If you had MOM with you, you could perform as soon as you step off the plane! So what is this MOM you ask? Music, Outfit, and Money—in order of importance!” — Erica Northcott
“I always pack my thermos and a plastic bag of tea bags. Bringing my own tea helps me feel at home, because I carry the flavors and scents of home with me. It also saves money, because coffee shops charge several dollars per tea bag but usually nothing for hot water. After I’ve passed through security at airports, I ask the nearest café to fill my thermos. Most of my tea is fruity herbal teas, but I’ll occasionally use caffeinated tea to help me adjust to an earlier time zone or medicinal tea to get me through an illness.” — Madelaine Matej
“I cannot go on any trip without my iPad. It is my work computer, my movie screen, my music player, my newspaper, my books, and even my New York Times crossword (I’ve now done all the puzzles from today backward through November of 2012!). It is so much more compact than my old laptop and so much lighter that I can overlook some of its shortcomings when it comes to not being a laptop. I was hesitant when I bought it, but no trip—no matter how small—is taken without it.” — Darren Keith Woods, Fort Worth Opera general director
“I love flying, but it’s not comfortable. Knowing that I will need a good rest before landing, especially if I will be singing soon, I always bring a pillow-pet zebra/cat that my first singing teacher gave me. It’s quite unique, so it always reminds me of the person who first made me realize my potential and love of singing. And it’s extremely comfortable when I’m squished in a small space with no legroom and no realistic way to nap. I just put the pillow against the window or on the pull-out table and get some extra beauty sleep.” — Jean Furman
“My favorite singer’s travel item is Organic Throat Coat by Traditional Medicinals. The blend of licorice root, slippery elm, marshmallow, and a few other choice herbs has been in my gig bag for decades! I stick to the original flavor as the lemon dries out my throat. It tastes great hot or room temperature!” — Marie Black
“I actually had to invent the travel item I needed most as a singer. I got tired of being cold—indoors and out—and wanted a packable coat that could look good with casual or dressy clothes or even be worn over a performance gown. So, a friend and I designed and patented the most travel-friendly coat on the planet: the JackWrapIt (JackWrapIt.com). Not only is it washable and dryable, it has an attached hood scarf that means you don’t have to pack a hat and scarf—or keep track of them. I have also used it as a travel pillow, an airplane blanket, a bathrobe, and even as an extra blanket in a cold hotel room. It stands up to the rigors of travel and still looks elegant. I never leave home without it!” — Elizabeth McKay Field
“I am an allergy sufferer. Allergy medications can dry me out. I also live in a climate where dry winds often blow. Air travel can dry me out even when I’m not suffering from allergies. When it’s impractical to guzzle water all day, my go-to helper is TheraBreath Dry Mouth Lozenges. I always have a few in my purse and a box in my carry-on luggage and I use them to keep my mouth from feeling like sandpaper.” — Deborah Bertling
“I have GERD, so packing my Medslant folding wedge pillow is imperative.” — Cindy Donnell
“Aside from the ubiquitous and obvious choice of an iPhone/iPad/laptop that we all need, as a puzzle addict, I find that I can’t travel without a book of puzzles—either a New York Times crossword puzzle book, or my latest obsession: Codeword puzzles. I find it relaxing, mentally challenging, and focused—all components of good singing and teaching of singing. I recently returned from Europe and I did Codeword puzzles the entire way, not turning on a movie once! The 10-hour trip went by very quickly!” — Linda Di Fiore, mezzo and UC–Santa Barbara Area head of voice
“I always have my little pitch-pipe in my pocket—it takes no room and works great! I’ve had to warm up in a parking lot before, so pitch is good! I also never leave home without my little travel-sized bottle of Salviathymol, a German natural gargling solution. It’ll get rid of any scratchy throat, if taken at night in a hotel room, and the following morning. It doesn’t leave you dried out like man-made stuff does—indispensable!” — Bjorn Arvidsson
“I travel everywhere with my music library (digitized on Dropbox), my iPad with the forScore app, and my iRig BlueTurn (Bluetooth page turner). This allows me immediate access to scores for coaching, accompanying or, heaven forbid, printing a score for a singer. It is brilliant for outdoor and lowlight settings, and the page turner allows me great freedom at the piano. No more traveling with a roller bag and 50 lbs. of music scores!” — Lisa Kay Fletcher
“For years I used a traveling air purifier that you wear around your neck. It ionizes the air and keeps others’ sneezes and coughs from causing me to be sick.” — Leslie Holmes
“Aside from my score, my ‘can’t travel without it’ item is my Lifefactory 14-oz glass water bottle. Hydration is a must for singers, and since water at train stations, airports, and stores is not only expensive but also puts more empty plastic bottles into the universe, this item is always at the top of my list when I’m packing to go on the road. This bottle is easy to carry, and there are different options for lids according to a person’s preference. I never travel without my water bottle!” — Quinn Patrick Ankrum
