As the government shutdown drags on, having devastating effects on Transportation Security Administration staffing, millions of Americans continue to face long lines at TSA checkpoints at airports nationwide. With the busy Easter holiday travel weekend around the corner, wait times are expected to worsen as the number of travelers increases.
If you have a flight scheduled in the days ahead, here are some travel gadgets that can help make your TSA wait times more bearable.
Battery packs for long TSA lines
Thanks to modern smartphone batteries, which can last a day or more, you ordinarily don’t have to worry about your phone running out of juice if you have a direct flight between any two points in the continental United States. But given that many airports are now advising you to get to the airport hours earlier to get through the long TSA checkpoints in time to make your flight, you may be risking a dead phone well before reaching your destination.
If you are planning to watch videos or surf the web on your phone to pass the time spent in TSA lines, make sure you have a battery pack, also known as a power bank, with you. If you’re traveling alone, even a smaller power bank (around 5,000 mAh capacity) will be fine. But if you are traveling with others, a larger power bank (around 20,000 mAh capacity) that can charge multiple devices at once is better.
However, keep in mind that while the TSA allows power banks in checked baggage, the Federal Aviation Administration generally limits power banks aboard aircraft to those rated 100 watt-hours (Wh) per battery (about 27,000 mAh) or lower.
Luggage with smartphone or laptop mounts
Speaking of using your devices to pass the time in the TSA line, holding your phone in front of you for hours on end can get exhausting. Whipping out your laptop is even more of a struggle. So why not give your arm a rest and let your luggage do the holding for you?
Several manufacturers now make luggage with built-in smartphone and laptop stands. These stands essentially turn your luggage into a desk that supports your device, giving your arms a rest. One popular luggage with a built-in laptop stand is the Tramora CABIN – T7. If you’re just looking for smartphone support and don’t feel like buying new luggage, there’s no shortage of smartphone luggage handle mounts on sites like Amazon.
Collapsible stools
Even if you use one of the above gadgets to spare your arms while waiting in long TSA lines, your legs still face their own issues—holding you up. That’s where collapsible travel stools come in. They are small, sturdy, and highly portable, and great for giving your legs a rest when you are standing stationary in TSA lines for hours.
The telescoping stools generally extend to about 17 inches high and can collapse into a film canister-like format with a thickness of just a few inches. Most collapsible stools can support hundreds of pounds—some advertise up to 400-pound thresholds. Pair a collapsible stool with luggage that has a laptop stand, and you’ll have a nearly desk-like setup you can work from while your TSA line slowly advances.
Portable travel fans
While spring has only just arrived, and in many parts of the country the summer heatwave is still a few months away, waiting in stagnant, crowded spaces can still significantly increase ambient air temperature, regardless of climate controls.
That’s why it may be worth bringing a portable travel fan, especially if you already tend to get hot in crowded spaces. Many modern travel fans are small and collapsible, making them easy to travel with. They are also relatively silent, which means they won’t be an annoyance to the hundreds of other people standing in line with you.
Most portable travel fans can be purchased for less than $20, and many even have USB-C ports, so they can be charged from the same power bank that charges your phone. Speaking of your phone, you can even find a fan that plugs into your Android or iPhone, so you can browse the web and stay cool as the TSA line you’re stuck in slowly inches forward.