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It is the business flyer's mantra: Less is more, leave stuff behind, pack smarter and smaller, and, as Johnny Mercer wrote so cagily in "Trav'lin' Light" 70 years ago, be free as the breeze.

So why do travel writers and mobile gurus want us to stuff our smartphones with a bazillion apps? Why must every new app that claims to be "traveler friendly" be immediately downloaded to our iPhone, BlackBerry, or Android device? Why, for want of a better term, the "app bloat"?

I don't want icons cluttering up my home screen. I don't want to scroll endlessly and separate the wheat from the chaff every time I go to my phone. The same discipline we bring to our physical presence on the road should also be applicable to our mobile devices.

Fewer apps are better. Less clutter is better, and a smaller, carefully chosen selection of mobile apps will make for better business travel.

Here are my thoughts on the absolute core of essential apps for the mobile-savvy business traveler. Your metaphoric mileage can and should vary as you figure out what is absolutely necessary for you.

Most Roads Lead to Google
Life on the road is a bitter mystery, but, thankfully, Google seems to have a lot of answers.

Why even try to deny that having the Google Search app makes your life on the road easier, more productive, and more intelligent? Get it and make peace with the fact that you google everything from the a good taco on the road to the name of your favorite band's biggest hit. There are worse things in life on the road than using Google's YouTube app for looking at mindless videos while waiting out another flight delay. And, of course, the Gmail app is indispensable for those of you who now rely on Gmail for your email, texting, and voice communication.

But as the Google folks are at pains to point out, the company is lots more than search these days. Google Maps does a respectable job of making your GPS-enabled mobile device a usable directional tool. And Google Goggles is handy: Take a picture of a site or a bar code and Goggles automatically returns search results.

The Supermarket in the Sky
Savvy business travelers are also savvy shoppers, but shopping for necessities in an unfamiliar locale can be a costly and inefficient nightmare. The Amazon.com mobile app levels the field. You see a product, enter its model number and/or name into the Amazon app, and back comes user reviews and Amazon's price. It levels the shopping playing field fast.

Weather Worries
Someone pitched me a new weather app with the "advantage" that it showed you how to dress for the particular climate. In other words, a weather app that thinks you're so stupid that you need advice for when to wear sunglasses or when to wear your mittens. Weather really isn't rocket science, so pick one app from the big players that works for you. Accuweather, Weather.com, Wunderground, and WeatherBug are all just fine. And when given the choice between a free app and a paid one that do essentially the same things, I always choose the free one.

All the News That's Fit to App
I wouldn't dream of telling you what's "news" or what source you should use to get your news. Whatever floats your informational boat is the app you should have on your mobile device. But the mobile sites of Reuters, the Associated Press, and, for regional business news, our sister site BizJournals, are all useful additions.

Fly and Sleep and Drive, Oh My!
It's ludicrous for me to tell you that one airline is better than another or one hotel app has more features than another. You shouldn't choose your airline, hotel, or car-rental suppliers based on the quality of their mobile apps. Download the apps of the travel providers you use most frequently and ignore the others. A "great" app from an airline you'd never fly isn't really a great app for you, is it? If you're a free agent and not tied to any suppliers, then consider using Kayak.com. It does a fine job of providing an overview of what's available and what it costs. And TripAdvisor's app is quite useful when you need the guidance of your fellow travelers.

Tracking Your Trip
I've lost track of the number of words I've read from other "experts" who compare and then proclaim one or the other of the trip-tracking and itinerary-organizing programs as "best." In fact, I wish there were an app for that. The brutal truth is that no one can tell you which is the best trip-tracking app for you. You've got to make the judgment for yourself based on your own needs and predisposition. The big players are TripIt, TripCase, and WorldMate, and they all have their fervent adherents. Since they'll all charge you for their best features, pay careful attention to what you actually need and want, not what others tout are "killer features."

The Airport Report
Regardless of what else you load, I believe FlightStats.com is an essential tool for tracking the real-time conditions of airports and airlines in general and your flights in particular. A lot of travelers like FlightBoard because it presents data as if your mobile device was a airport departure flight board. GateGuru is all about grabbing something to eat at the airport. MyTSA is a surprisingly user-friendly and helpful app from the Transportation Security Administration to help you navigate airport security checkpoints. And the Airport Transit Guide is the irreplaceable resource for weighing your options for transportation (both public and private) to and from airports around the world.

Mastering the Ground Game
Business travelers may be savvy frequent flyers, but the ground game sometimes flummoxes us. Need a taxi? TaxiMagic does a nice job of hooking you up nationwide. Prefer to make your way by public transportation? Try Métro, HopStop, or AllSubway HD. Smash up your rental car? IWrecked will be a useful addition. And even though online, real-time GPS tracking is wonderful, it won't help if you can't find a mobile signal or a WiFi hotspot, so have City Maps 2 Go preloaded.

International Itinerary
Mobile Smartphones and other devices will make your international life on the road much simpler—but only if you don't get destroyed by the high cost of the data downloads. JiWire will help you find WiFi hotspots. Google Translate will give you as much Mr. Roboto-style automated language translations as you can handle. Depending on your device and your mobile provider's policy, Skype Mobile will keep the cost of international calling down. Converter is just that: It'll convert 172 units across 15 categories of weights, measures and volumes. And Oanda's currency converter will handle the monetary stuff.

The Fine Print…
One of the most frustrating parts of mobile apps is simply finding a good mother lode of them. Look here if you're tied to Apple's devices. Android-based mobile products has its travel-app marketplace here. BlackBerry users should start here. And travelers who use Windows Mobile devices can look here.