Be prepared.

For a traveler, these are words to live by.  

Still, too many travelers hit a bump in the road and they freeze like the proverbial deer in the headlights. Ask any gate agent -- they'll tell you stories of folks who absolutely lose it at the slightest irregularity.

Alaskans, by and large, have a leg up on their brothers and sisters in the Lower 48. After all, many of us have been w-a-y out on the edge more than once, only to have plans change -- and change again -- at the last minute. I guess it's all part of the adventure, huh?

It's cold outside. That reminds me of a flight back from Hawaii that got diverted at the last minute from Anchorage to Fairbanks. Many passengers still were in their Hawaiian garb as the trundled down the air stairs to the tarmac at the Fairbanks Airport. It was about -3ºF. The purple blankets supplied by Hawaiian Airlines were in great demand. Hawaiian bought every available room in Fairbanks, but lots of us had to double up because they weren't expecting an extra 200 people. Several Hawaiian employees actually spent the night on the plane.

If there was any whining, I didn't hear it. Everyone I spoke with was willing to abide by the captain's best judgment: he could not see through the fog to land. It was a late night. After about nine hours, everyone gathered once again at the airport for the final leg of our journey. Of course, we gave the captain and the crew a big round of applause on touchdown.  

A traveler's preparedness includes both physical elements and a good attitude. And the list changes depending on the purpose of your trip, and the destination.  

Naturally, you must prepare beforehand for your trip. It still is possible to line up your voyage at the last minute, of course. Depending on when and where you are going, your premium could be modest or ridiculous. Just think of a last-minute trip at Christmas, for example.

Your mindfulness will pay off, if you're clued in. For example, many travelers are headed to Seattle's Garden Show, Feb. 8-12. Since they've known about it for months, they've been keen on any fare sales to Seattle, including frequent flyer deals. They know about Seattle's off-season "Seattle Super Saver" program for hotel savings. Chances are they're hooking up with their other green-thumb buddies while they're there.  

The same strategy is true whether your relatives are coming up for a family reunion, or if you have a convention to attend in Orlando. In fact, companies typically outsource this type of advance scouting to travel agents, or "travel management companies." There are lots of moving parts to a company's travel plans: hotel rooms, cars, flights and such. Plans change, trips are cancelled and people change their minds. These same resources are available to individuals, but it costs extra these days, just like checked bags if you're not a "Club 49" member with Alaska Airlines.  

I've burned through dozens of "packing lists" in preparation for a trip. Again, it depends on your destination, but some things you just cannot do without:

a. Noise-canceling headphones. I like the Bose headphones, but there are several models from Sony, Panasonic, etc. These are life-savers aboard the plane. It helps block out the engine noise and the quality is great when you plug into your iPod.  

b. Mini-headlamp. This may seem nutty--but I've had several overhead lights go out on planes. I love the Petzl models. They're compact, but with more than enough light to read a book.