Small Comforts for the Road

By J.D. Reed.

Finance Company Manager Frank La Barba, 30, packs more than his American Express card when he leaves his home in Long Beach, Calif., these days. In his luggage are twelve compact life-style support systems, including a 1/2- in.-thick electric shaver, a book-size radio, an even smaller iron, a collapsible fishing rod and a 5.3-oz. rechargeable power pencil sharpener. "They let me concentrate on the job," he explains, "instead of running around frantically trying to resolve a minor problem that could become a major one."

La Barba has lots of company. A few years ago the only accessories travelers needed were some soft-sided bags to jam under the airplane seat and a voltage converter for foreign trips. These days voyagers are taking off with a cornucopia of helpful little gizmos for grooming, business, sports and safety.

The main reasons for toting the mini-doodads: one-night stays and spotty service, which force many harried transients to become their own concierges. "Most vice presidents of a company would never have carried a travel steamer in the past," says Duane Knapp, former president of the firm that publishes United Airlines' in-flight catalog, "but now they don't have time to send their trousers out to be pressed."

The institutional wake-up call, rarely pleasant and sometimes unreliable, has become a thing of the past for those equipped with tiny travel clocks. One of the latest: Braun's 3 1/8-in. by 2 1/2-in. voice-deactivated quartz model ($40). A crisp "Shut up!" silences the alarm for a satisfying four- minute snooze. Caffeine addicts no longer have to wait for room service if they are willing to lug along Melitta's 4-lb. automatic drip machine ($40), complete with filters, creamer and sugar bowl. The Take-along Desk Drawer ($40) fits tiny office supplies in a lightweight nylon case--a mere 5 1/2 in. by 9 in. Contents include a paper punch, scissors, 6-ft. tape measure, screwdriver and a telescoping presentation pointer for meetings.

After work, the golfer can dispense with a lot of equipment by telescoping Hammacher Schlemmer's 17-In-One-Golf Club ($69.50) out of the briefcase. The . rotating head of the 1-lb. device can be set to iron, wedge and putt positions by manipulating a set of interlocking gears.

Looking good is the most pressing concern of travelers. At Bloomingdale's in New York City, a new tool cannily combines several grooming appliances in one 6-oz. unit. The 4-in. blower of Schildkraut's red plastic and metal gadget ($33) becomes both blow dryer and handle for the iron. Another take-along is Le Dome ($16.50) instant nail dryer. Simply insert fingers or toes into its plastic chamber, and a battery-driven fan dries them in two minutes.

Wary tourists can choose from a variety of high-tech safety gear. Fear of hotel and motel fires is eased by SleepSafe ($49.95). The triple-threat device is a portable smoke alarm, emergency light for power failures and digital alarm clock all in one. Although many still rely on the venerable cloth money belt to protect cash and valuables, more sophisticated methods are gaining popularity. Hide-A-Safe ($40) is a portable cache for valuables that masquerades as a coat hanger. A steel ring at the top locks onto closet rods, and another lock secures a felt-lined compartment in the body of the hanger ample enough to stash wallet, jewelry, credit cards, checks and even medicine bottles. If the magnetic field is disturbed on Door Guard ($30) when it is placed on a hotel door, an 85-decibel alarm--which can be shut off only by a three-digit code--is certain to clear the hallway of intruders. It may even put a stop to that loud party in 1406.

For those who cross oceans, there are palm-size electronic helpers to convert currency from francs to dollars and ones that display foreign phrases on small screens when buttons are pushed. Insta-Dial ($80) is a mini-phone book for travelers. The 2-oz. device can be programmed with up to 85 alphabetically arranged names and numbers. Held against the mouthpiece, the unit automatically dials in seconds. Salesmen and globetrotters will appreciate its 32-digit capacity, allowing foreign-country codes and those of services such as GTE Sprint and MCI to be included in listings. The latest stateside gadget is QuoTrek ($399), which displays current stock quotations --daily highs, lows, bid price and trading volume--on a small LCD screen. The gadget can be used in motel rooms and taxis within a 50-mile radius of a dozen cities, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago. Market watchers pay from $30 to $80 a month to receive satellite-transmitted data via local FM radio stations. QuoTrek can be programmed with 40 preselected stocks or commodities called up by punching in the proper symbol from the exchanges.

All this novelty impresses some globetrotters--and leaves others cold. "I can get a month's worth of clothes with a change every day into one bag," says Chicago Traveler Karen Williams. "Why would I want all those accessories?" Good question, Ms. Williams. Here's another: What ever happened to bellboys--those geniuses who pressed pants, brought up the Wall Street Journal and even sharpened pencils for a dollar tip? They have faded away like the wallpaper in downtown hotels. Out at the airport motel one may have to follow Frank La Barba's lead and tote an extra-heavy-duty carry-on bag. The reason, he says: "For those extra travel goodies I might find to make me the complete traveler."

With reporting by Lisa Bagnatori/San Francisco and Dorothy Ferenbaugh/New York