Like most savvy business travelers and, of course, Ella and Lady Day, I'm a big fan of traveling light. I shave every last ounce from my carry-on and every stray pound when I choose to check a bag.

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. The Google Maps app 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.com, Weather.com, Wunderground.com, and WeatherBug.com 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.