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But no government edict has ever required us to think about the electronic support gear we carry in our other kit bag. So most of us have let our e-bags grow helter-skelter. They are bloated, overweight, oversized, and stuffed with gear that probably stopped mattering years ago.

Regardless of what you use to pack your cables and cords and other electronic necessities--I now use a nifty nylon Bulgari bag that I received as a business-class amenities kit on a recent Alitalia flight--it's time to edit what you take with you on the road. Here's how to pack what you need and get it stripped down to carry-on weight.

But look at that brick that powers your laptop. Whether it is the AC adapter that came with your computer or you've purchased an all-purpose travel version, it has a terrible flaw: that long, unwieldy cord that connects the brick to the power supply. No matter how you try to restrain it in a kit bag--a twist tie, a rubber band, or even a cable tie--it ends up a messy mass that takes up too much space. I've cut the clutter by carrying my cord on a spool. The Zip-Linq retractable notebook cord packs flat and has an adapter plug so it connects to virtually any laptop power brick.

What you do need, however, are plug converters, the doohickeys that change the prongs at the end of your power cords. In the old days, many of us carried drawstring bags full of plug converters. But I long ago ditched my bag for converter cubes that cover most countries in one tiny package. An all-in-one version is fine if you're the kind of person that loses little parts. I prefer a more expensive model that disassembles and has a USB charging port too.

If you don't agree with my idea of using your laptop as your central charging station for other devices, then you're not only going to need more plug adapters when you travel overseas, you're going to need to carry spare power outlets here at home. A dual-voltage power strip from Magellan's offers three outlets and a USB charging port. The ultracompact Power Curve Mobile Surge Protector may be even better. The two three-prong extension receptacles swivel to accommodate bulky power blocks, the three-prong plug that fits into the wall outlet is recessed, and it also has two USB power chargers. It's also the best portable surge protector I've examined.

That brings us to an unfortunate reality about USB ports: They were originally designed for data transfer, not power. Not every USB port delivers the same amount of juice, so move your devices around to see which USB port charges best and fastest. And a word about iPad: Contrary to the "not charging" warning you'll often receive if you plug one into a USB port, the tablet probably will be charging, just very, very slowly.

Since I rely so much on USB, I also carry lots of USB cables. The Zip-Linq A-to-B retractable cable is perfect for devices such as smartphones and digital cameras that use a mini-USB port. And Zip-Linq's standard USB cable offers the traditional A-to-B connections that are perfect for hooking up to a printer. And if the various flavors of USB confuse you, ZipKord Solutions' retractable USB Multi-Sync Kit should fill the bill.

What's next in the mobile world is HDMI video and its variations. My laptop already has a traditional full-size HDMI outlet, which means I can connect to the flat-screen monitors that are now in most hotel rooms. So I've thrown an HDMI cable into my kit bag. (I've yet to find a retractable one.) The latest and future generation of smartphones will have a mini-HDMI port, so if you're on the newest phone, do think about adding a mini-HDMI-to-standard-HDMI connection cable to your kit. Or get an adapter to convert one end of a standard HDMI cable.