Surviving the Airport, Pre-Departure Tips: Part 1 - Houston, Texas

Face it. Getting through airports sucks. Some more than others (I'm talking about you O'Hare). And no matter what you do or who you are, every flight you take, you will have to jump through whatever hoops the TSA has in place, just like every other schmuck traveling that day. However when it comes to sailing through the airport in record time, you've got the advantage over the typical Mr. and Mrs. John Q. Traveler; you've got brains and a little experience on your side.

As you wait in line for security, you find yourself picking off your little metal trinkets and placing them in your bag. As soon as you get to the X-ray machine, you can slam your appropriately sized carry-on onto the belt and breeze through painlessly. But I'm here to tell you, your boarding pass to a pain-free experience at the airport is issued way before you get to the security checkpoint.

Over the past year, my 30+ flights (80+ if you count my one way tickets to 10,500 feet) have led me through a trial-and-error experiment on leisure travel. I've tested everything from clothing to luggage, shoes to snacks, toiletries to accessories.Compiled below are my Pre-Departure Tips for my tested and true departure day clothing:

1. Underwear: Something comfortable (Duh!). I choose brightly-colored boxer briefs. They don't bunch-up when sprinting to catch that tight connection, and when you luck into getting the random strip search, those neon-pink American Eagle briefs are bound to bring a smile to the sternest TSA agent.

2. Pants: Comfortable and functional is the goal here. I choose the most comfortable pair of jeans that I am bringing on the trip. For me, this usually means my Lucky Brand selvage denim. They have a little stretch to them and are not so baggy that TSA targets me for that strip search. On longer international flights, I pack a pair of running shorts in my carry-on; I don't want to spend a 14-hour flight to Japan in jeans. Functional means that I wear a pair of pants that I actually want to have on my trip. I don't recommend sweat pants (Yes, they are comfortable, but I can't think of any situation that I need sweatpants during travel). If you wear sweatpants, I can guarantee that your favorite chap-stick will fall out of your pocket and your pants will drop to your knees as you run to your gate.

3. Shirt: Whatever you want here. As long as your shirt does not voice your support for Al-Qaeda or other terrorist organizations, it won't matter what shirt you wear. I choose a nice dark-colored, soft cotton tee. Soft for comfort, dark to hide any dirt or stains from the day of travel.

4. Socks: Wigwam Rebel Fusion Quarters. I don't compromise on this. With these your feet will be comfortable and dry, and more importantly, when you decide to secretly slip off your shoes on that red-eye to San Francisco, you won't wake your neighbors from their slumber with your terribly smelly feet.

5. Shoes: Comfort. See the pattern yet? I choose the most comfortable pair of shoes that I am bringing on the trip. Also, I go for the pair that has a speedy on-off feature. When I get to that dreaded point in security when I need to sock-it through the full body scanner, I want to get my shoes off and especially back on quickly.

6. Jacket: I always travel with a light jacket that has multiple pockets. The pockets are useful for storing things during security screening, and having a jacket allows you to adjust your layers when you transition from the neutral airport to the freezing jetway to the hotter-than-hell plane.

7. Others: I always wear a belt. It is my one feature that slows me down during my travels, but I find it necessary to keep my pants on. I keep my watches/jewelry/etc. to a minimum. The less stuff you have on you, the better.

All in all, don't wear anything that you don't want to have with you during the trip. Wear stuff that is comfortable and functional, and don't wear things that will attract negative attention from security. Travel often, and travel safe!