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#299368 - 07/18/21 03:48 AM Sleeping in Airports - An Online Guide
Blast Offline
INTERCEPTOR
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 07/15/02
Posts: 3760
Loc: TX
https://www.sleepinginairports.net/

My wife and younger daughter are currently stranded over night at the Newark airport due to an "Act of God". All the hotels around there have been grabbed so they have to spend the night in the terminal. Luckily, Newark is used to this sort of thing and according to the website above, they have cots stored away for this sort of thing.

As someone who used to travel a lot for work, I got used to always traveling with a microfiber blanket for this sort of situation. It rolls up into the size of a soda can but really helps. Coolmax Travel Blanket: https://amzn.to/3xNHqQz
-Blast
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#299370 - 07/18/21 04:44 PM Re: Sleeping in Airports - An Online Guide [Re: Blast]
Doug_Ritter Offline

Pooh-Bah

Registered: 01/28/01
Posts: 2197
BTDT. Houston was the worst. Lots of hotels available, but street flooding meant we counld't get out of the airport. Employees couldn't go home, but they shut down stuff anyway, including the airline clubs, kicking many out to the floor. No cots, no accommodation, managed to [censored] off an entire airport full of folks who will never forget.

Thanks to the fast food joints and a few restaurants who stayed open through the entire event. Those folks earned a ton of tips.

Ear plugs are a godsend in such circumstances (although if you can sleep with ear buds/headphones that works too)

My multi-plug extension cord got a lot of use.
_________________________
Doug Ritter
Editor
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#299371 - 07/18/21 04:55 PM Re: Sleeping in Airports - An Online Guide [Re: Blast]
Doug_Ritter Offline

Pooh-Bah

Registered: 01/28/01
Posts: 2197
P.S. I travel with this blanket as it is a little longer than the usual ones and I find it is much warmer, but not too warm. When a I am volume-challenged, I use a vacuum bag and it takes up no space.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B073RZ1HJS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
_________________________
Doug Ritter
Editor
Equipped To Survive®
Chairman & Executive Director
Equipped To Survive Foundation
www.KnifeRights.org
www.DougRitter.com

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#299372 - 07/18/21 05:29 PM Re: Sleeping in Airports - An Online Guide [Re: Blast]
chaosmagnet Offline
Sheriff
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/03/09
Posts: 3819
Loc: USA
I've been blessed with relatively few airport floor overnights compared to all the flying that I used to do.

  • Some form of boredom reduction, such as books to read or movies to watch on a mobile device.
  • Comfortable earplugs -- maybe I'm more sensitive than most, but earplugs that I can wear on a job site just fine won't work for me when I'm trying to sleep. Finding a good pair that I can sleep in was a huge relief.
  • Being able to put in a fresh pair of contact lenses, plus contact lens solution. I always carry eyeglasses, but I prefer to not wear them.
  • For me, a lightweight packable jacket gets more use than a dedicated travel blanket, but I won't judge you for preferring to carry one. During cold months my jacket isn't all that lightweight or packable, but I'm still carrying it.
  • Spare socks.
  • My travel power strip with both 120V and USB outputs gets constant use.
  • Wet wipes or similar.


As much as possible, I try to fly direct without connections. This seems to vastly reduce the probability that some kind of Airline Unpleasantness will happen to me. This is, of course, hard to do if you're not flying to or from one of the airline's hubs.

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#299373 - 07/18/21 06:48 PM Re: Sleeping in Airports - An Online Guide [Re: Blast]
Doug_Ritter Offline

Pooh-Bah

Registered: 01/28/01
Posts: 2197
My blanket is primarily to sleep under at hotels because their comforters are typically too hot for me and many no longer have available a conventional light blanket. Just easier to carry my own and useful for emergencies.

I always have a windproof and water-repellent fleece with me. Windproof because one of my reasons for carrying it is that in my preferred aisle seat on some 737 aircraft means the main airflow is going to be blowing on me and can, to me at least, be too cold at times. Without a barrier, fleece is useless. It also means I don't have to carry a separate windproof/waterproof layer for most trips.

USB hub is more compact than individual transformers, but I always have a couple, just in case. 2 sets of cables to cover all devices, which I've never been able to standardize on, it seems.

Between my carry-on and rolling laptop case, I carry a lot of crap, all of which have been much appreciate at times. Off top of my head:

8 ft. multi-plug flat wire, flat plug extension cord
6 x USB Hub
2 Fast-charge USB transformers
2 x cords to fit all electronics
Very slim power pack https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B079DGQKS6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 that I can literally attach to my phone back to charge and use with a rubber connector thingie: https://www.newegg.com/p/0SB-007C-00019
AAAx2 Headlamp
CR-123 x 2 1000 lumen Surefire
2 x AAA flashlight
Well-equipped First Aid Kit
Zip lock bag with all kinds of adhesive bandages
Food - Jerky, self-made high protein trail mix, 2 x Albacore Tuna packs
Folding fork/spoon
At least 1 bottle water (buy on other side of TSA)
2 x 5-Hour Energy
1 x Afrin (emergency use only - hate this stuff, but sometimes...)
Personal Meds
2 x XL Binder Clips with red flag (to close drapes in room)
Spare AAA and CR-123 batteries in holders
Wet Wipes
Back-up Glasses
Sony WH1000XM3 ANR Headphones
Back-up Bose ANR ear buds
Kindle Paperwhite
6-inch TI prybar
Very sharp, pointed 3.5" scissors (trim beard)
pointed 3" scissors (general purpose)
4-way keychain screwdriver
lot-o-earplugs (Howard Leight MAX)
Bandana
1 book Safety Matches
BIC Lighter
Spark-Lite
lot-o-Black 2" Gaffer Tape (wrapped around key cards)
6 ft. Dayglo Green 2" Gaffer Tape (wrapped around key card)
4 ft. 2" Gorilla Tape (wrapped around key card)
9 ft. 1" Fiberglass Strapping Tape (wrapped around key card)
4 ft. 2" Fiberglass Strapping Tape (wrapped around key card)
20 ft. Parachute Cord
Windshield Phone Holder https://smile.amazon.com/iOttie-Touch-Wireless-Charge-Mount/dp/B0754NDNT8/
Car charger https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IN0J4QO

I am sure there's more, just can't recall right now.

Back to work...
_________________________
Doug Ritter
Editor
Equipped To Survive®
Chairman & Executive Director
Equipped To Survive Foundation
www.KnifeRights.org
www.DougRitter.com

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#299375 - 07/18/21 10:11 PM Re: Sleeping in Airports - An Online Guide [Re: Doug_Ritter]
Blast Offline
INTERCEPTOR
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 07/15/02
Posts: 3760
Loc: TX
That's a pretty plush blanket, Doug. laugh
-Blast
_________________________
Foraging Texas
Medicine Man Plant Co.
DrMerriwether on YouTube
Radio Call Sign: KI5BOG
*As an Amazon Influencer, I may earn a sales commission on Amazon links in my posts.

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#299380 - 07/19/21 04:21 AM Re: Sleeping in Airports - An Online Guide [Re: Blast]
Bingley Offline
Veteran

Registered: 02/27/08
Posts: 1576
Nobody has mentioned an eye mask yet! Sure, you can use a bandana, but a mask that fits your face well blocks out all the light. I take it that Doug is sensitive to errant rays of light (the binder clips for the hotel drapes that never quite fit perfectly together).

These days, you should also bring a few extra breathing masks if you might end up sleeping in the airport. These things start to smell after a while, so it would be good to replace them.

For a while I traveled to Europe regularly. I often had to make three connections at a minimum. Spending a night at the airport happened quite often. I never did special prep for it -- except the power strip, I guess: different plugs in different countries, different voltages.

I have to ask, what do you use the wet wipes for??? In an airport I can easily walk into the bathroom & make my own if necessary. But I usually just wash up in the bathroom rather than using a wipe.


Edited by Bingley (07/19/21 04:44 AM)

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#299382 - 07/19/21 04:59 AM Re: Sleeping in Airports - An Online Guide [Re: Doug_Ritter]
Acropolis50 Offline
Journeyman

Registered: 11/20/19
Posts: 69
Doug, pls enlighten us and tell us which brand & Model 6” Ti pr bar and very pointed 3.5” scissors that you can get thru TSA or other airport security, on a regular basis? I’ve had some weird and inconsistent experiences with similar tools.

For instance on my last trip from the US to Israel, I had TSA check and OK a small (~5”) needle nose plier, same size reversible flat and star screwdriver and a combo wrench round edge 4” pry -bar. I also flew, with these tools ,internally in Israel, from Tel Aviv to Eilat. But on the flight home to the US , the Border Police / TSA equivalent , made me surrender all 3 tools??? I complained to the Supervisor and explained l flew in with them and around in Israel, but to no avail.

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#299383 - 07/19/21 06:18 AM Re: Sleeping in Airports - An Online Guide [Re: Blast]
Bingley Offline
Veteran

Registered: 02/27/08
Posts: 1576
I had experiences similar to what Acropolis reports above. Consequently, I no longer carry tools with me on flights. That means I always check my bags so I can have a knife and some tools when I get to my destination. If anyone has found the right combination of tools that (1) can meet our emergency needs, and (2) usually get through TSA, and (3) are cheap enough to lose, then by all means tell!

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#299384 - 07/19/21 11:32 AM Re: Sleeping in Airports - An Online Guide [Re: Blast]
Burncycle Offline
Addict

Registered: 09/16/04
Posts: 577
My bag typically has the largest size microfiber travel towel; it still rolls down compactly (about like a pair of tall socks) but is just large enough to serve double duty as a light blanket. That, and an inflatable sleeping pad.

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