The Leaders of the Pack

Confronting the necessary inconveniences of heightened airport security but hoping to keep as much joy in the journey as possible, Americans can gear up for the new vacation season with equal measures of strategy and whimsy. On the shelves is a slew of new travel accessories and luggage that acknowledge harsh realities but also say, “Hey, travel is supposed to be fun.”

“These days it’s vital to be prepared for the annoyances of travel but also to cheer yourself up with bright colors and fun gear,” said Ann Simmons, managing partner of Baggallini, an Oregon company that makes candy-colored nylon totes and knapsacks that fold into their own zippered pockets. The company was among 300 exhibitors hawking their latest wares at the Travel Goods Assn. trade show last month in New Orleans.

Among the products engineered for these trying times:

* ID and ticket holders--worn around the neck or flipped open from wallets--with see-through windows to make inspection faster and reduce the risk of loss. (Airports have reported an epidemic of mislaid drivers’ licenses now that passengers are required to show IDs at multiple checkpoints.)

* Mini tumbler locks with extra large numerals to help aging eyes more quickly dial the combination for those surprise baggage checks.

* Locking luggage straps that ratchet to make tightening easier, deter tampering and speed identification with their red stripe and built-in identification tag.

* New splashy luggage that includes wheel-aboard bags in faux zebra, leopard or tiger prints; garment carriers in Egyptian pharaoh motifs; and matching sets in ruby red, tartan plaid or “Masai Mara” (with monkeys, rhinos and kudu ambling along a canvas veldt). If the trend continues, you may have no trouble spotting your black nylon bag on the conveyor belt: “There it is--the dowdy one.”

Even luggage locks have taken on a perkier appearance, embossed with sailboats, golf greens and red rosebuds.

“Those mellow scenes are soothing; they make people smile,” says Brian Kelleher of Franzus Products, which makes the lifestyle-themed locks along with matching luggage straps and tags.

Organizational Behavior

One antidote to a world in disarray is organization. Eagle Creek, a forerunner in everything-in-its-place packing envelopes and cubes, now has plenty of competition for its innovative organizers, which can ward off wrinkles, help partition the suitcase and keep like things together, such as liquids or, say, dirty laundry.

New this season are Swiss Army Brands’ zippered Pop-Up Packing Cubes, with sturdy side panels that cushion fragile items; Gore-Vaughn Enterprises’ Spandex Travel Pockets, with elasticized subdivisions for separating toiletries and medications within suitcases; and Travelon’s seven-piece set of zippered mesh packing envelopes in various sizes.

Not to be outdone, Eagle Creek has plenty of new offerings, including a Pack-It Starter Set with three of the company’s most popular organizers (an envelope, a cube and a sac) and a video on how best to use them. And to think some people are still wedded to Ziplocs.

Some travel bags are complete systems unto themselves. Travelpro’s expandable Platinum 3 ballistic nylon wheel-aboard, in black or snappy cadet blue, has a built-in waterproof laundry bag, a padded suit compartment, a detachable hanging toilet kit and a nylon ticket/passport holder.

To help speed you through security, the internal compartments in Samsonite’s Instant View carry-ons are mesh or clear plastic so security personnel can take a peek without rumpling the goods.

High Sierra’s Sport Utility Trunks--a sort of steamer trunk for hikers--have hinged flip-over “wings” that act like drawers, while the vast main compartment can hold a mother lode of clothing.

The Skyroll shoulder bag is a hollow cylinder, about the width of a regular suit bag, with a detachable garment bag that wraps around it. Suits, dresses and other garments are said to stay wrinkle-free in the bag, while shoes, toiletries and small items go in the zippered cylinder.

Size matters. Bulky wheeled bags that once successfully got past carry-on restrictions may not make it through security checkpoints in these stricter times. Eighteen-inch roll-aboards (well within the rules) are gaining popularity over 22-inchers, which can be a tight fit in some overhead bins, especially if the outside pockets are full.

Comfort Zone

Comfort has become especially important in the face of long airport waits and airborne anxieties.

“The weight of the world seems upon us all, and we wanted to provide something nurturing and snuggable to make travelers feel good,” said David Coats, the co-president of Bucky, a manufacturer of cushy pillows with loose millet hulls that mold to the contours of the body.

Bucky has created a new line of neck and back pillows in soft imitation suede, brightly hued cotton velour and faux fur. Matching padded eye shades come with earplugs that stash in a built-in pocket.

Those who have access to a microwave or conventional oven at their destination will like the company’s new Hotties--buckwheat-filled pillows and wraps you heat for a few minutes, then apply to muscles aching from the journey. (They also can be chilled for cooling therapy.) Hotties, made of plush chenille, come with a removable herbal sachet for further soothing the senses.

Pulling a loaded roll-aboard can put stress on your wrist, neck and shoulders. Travelpro’s newly designed Pro-Grip handle system has a rubberized grip that flips up from the regular handle; it’s easier to pull and seems less ergonomically taxing.

The curved telescoping “mono-pole” on Swiss Army Brands’ new SwissWerks wheeled bags has a swivel handle that locks into a more natural position.

Easing the load also was what AirPacks had in mind with its knapsacks and backpacks, which have inflatable lumbar supports and straps.

When you get tired of standing in those long lines, you can take a seat atop any hard-sided wheel-aboard using Samsonite’s padded Comfort Cushion, which fits over the carry handle.

For Women Only

Bags for women are classier than they’ve been in years. Hartmann’s new Career Collection Executive Women’s Totes, in red or black, come with a matching computer briefcase and detachable mini purse that’s dressy enough for a dinner date or business occasion.

The shoulder strap on Hobo’s teardrop-shaped Italian leather sling unzips up the middle and becomes back straps. And get a load of the flashy color choices: black with a red lining, red with chartreuse lining or caramel brown with pumpkin lining.

Kipling’s featherweight crinkled nylon California Sport Bags, which come in blue, red, wine or pistachio and are about the size of a gym bag, provide plenty of open space and stylish stitching, and the included matching little stuffed gorilla key chain is a fun gimmick.

Women of a certain age, take note: Those big, boxy beauty cases of yesteryear are making a comeback, but now they have hinged makeup trays and velveteen linings and come in space-age aluminum or transparent acrylic (from Vanguard). They hark back to more civilized times when women donned white gloves for their journeys and a lap top was part of one’s anatomy, used to balance a beauty case while checking one’s teeth for lipstick.

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Guidebook: Getting the Goods

The following companies either sell products directly or can provide information on retailers.

Security

Travelon ID and Boarding Pass Holder, $10; (800) 537-5544, www.travelonbags.com.

En Route Travelwear Photo ID Ticket Holder, $11.99; (888) 993-8080, www.enroutetravelware.com.

Rolfs ID Flash Wallet, by Tandy Brands, $22; (800) 884-1011, www.rolfs.com.

Franzus Lifestyle sailboat, golf and rose combination locks, $8.99; 4-Dial EZ Reader Big Dial combination locks, $19.99 for a two-pack; (800) 706-7060, www.franzus.com.

Zelco Ratch-It Luggage Strap, available in May, $20; (800) 431-2486, www.zelco.com.

Packing Organizers

Eagle Creek Pack-It Starter Set, $50; (800) 874-1048, www.eaglecreek.com.

Swiss Army Brands’ Pop-Up Packing Cubes, from $16; (800) 442-2706, www.swissarmy.com.

Travelon seven-piece mesh envelope set, $14.99; (800) 537-5544, www.travelonbags.com.

Gore-Vaughn Enterprises Travel Pockets, available in August from Magellan’s, $19.85; (800) 962-

4943, www.magellans.com.

Great Bags

French Luggage “Masai Mara” collection, from $110; (877) 891-8899, www.frenchluggage .com.

Travelpro Platinum three-wheeled bag with Pro-Grip handle, from $440; (800) 741-7471, www.travelpro.com.

Samsonite Instant View carry-on bags, from $130; (800) 262-

8282, www.samsonite.com.

Swiss Army Brands’ ergonomic SwissWerks Wheeled Bags, from $219; (800) 442-2706, www.swissarmy.com.

High Sierra Sport Utility Trunks, from $285; (800) 323-9590, www.highsierrasport.com.

Skyroll, from Magellan’s, $169; (800) 962-4943, www.magellans.com.

Baggallini nylon bags, from $20; (800) 259-0417, www.baggallini.com.

Boyt Gevive Egyptian Pharaoh

and wild animal-motif bags, $85-$575; (888) 289-2698, www.boyt.com.

Comfort Aids

Bucky faux suede or faux fur shades, $29.95; microwaveable Hotties pillows and wraps, from $29.95; (800) 692-8259, www.bucky.com.

Samsonite Padded Comfort Seat, $10; (800) 262-8282, www.samsonite.com.

AirPacks knapsacks with inflatable lumbar support, from $39.99; (800) 310-7383, www.airpacks.com.

Lady’s Choice

Vanguard Beauty Cases, from $25, at luggage stores. Information: www.vanguardusa.com.

Hobo leather sling, available this month in stores, $190; (800) 277-4626.

Hartmann Executive Women’s Totes, from $295; (800) 331-

0613, www.hartmann.com.

Kipling California Sport Bags, from $94; (800) 547-5464, www.kipling.com.

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Judi Dash, who writes the monthly Gear & Gadgets column for The Times, is based in Beachwood, Ohio.