I'm overall anti-gadget when it comes to travel; like many independent travelers, I 'd rather pack light than lug tons of stuff around in an attempt to carry every convenience of home with me on the road. That said, for just about every packing list some travel gadgets are essential. TechKnowable comes up with the 10 best travel devices that deserve to be included in your carry-on, besides your smartphone — which is a given for just about all of us.
Universal Plug Adapter
Until each international trip, after years of thrashing through a bag of adapters, I was delighted when all-in-one adapters started to appear on the market — that is, until I attempted to use one in actual wall outlets.
Some outlets are recessed, including an extender that did not seem to be included in most sets of adapters. Some adapters did not seem to correspond with the shape you found for the country you were visiting in the guidebooks. Others were poorly designed and disintegrated after a few days of use.
That's almost done because all-in-one adapters today fix most of these problems with an integrated extender on the European adapter sockets.
Most have sufficient options you'll never be out of luck, and they tend to be better made to boot. A few well-reviewed options include the NEWVANGA and Unidapt offerings.
Noise-Canceling Headphones
"Noise-cancelling headphones are pretty much the best travel investment I've made," says pro photographer Erik Dresser, who logs tens of thousands of air miles for his work each year. Dresser states that the headphones help him turn off the aircraft's general noise, enabling him to relax more comfortably, enabling him to sleep in flight without being woken up by talking passengers and crying children, and signaling to others that he is not up to socialize.
USB Flash Drive
A USB flash drive can come in handy on any number of occasions when traveling, such as exchanging a document with the hotel front desk so that it can be copied for you or accessing a passport photo if it is misplaced or stolen.
Portable Phone Charger
The "party favor" has been a small, rechargeable USB phone charger on two different occasions in the last few years (a company party and a fundraiser), perhaps the most useful and convenient party favor in history. The only thing about quality chargers "gang favor" is that they seem to fail pretty quickly, so buying a decent one will definitely be worth the money.
This one from Anker is going to send you a load of charges that beats buying drinks that you don't need at a coffee shop just to get the plugin in.
Car Charger
If you rent a car or drive your own vehicle on a road trip, bring a loader/adapter with you. Recharging your stuff while driving helps battle the issue of "not enough available outlets in the hotel" and allows you to use your smartphone to map your route, play a podcast or entertain your kids in the back seat without running down the battery.
Some car chargers are built very quickly to charge your phone; the PowerBear Fast Car Charger appears to be the leader in this field.
Weatherproof Phone Case
In my recent gadget survey of friends who travel regularly, a weatherproof phone case was the one thing that few owned but many thought of having. At home, these cases sometimes seem excessively voluminous, but they found it more normal to get caught out in bad weather while traveling.
"Ziploc bags work to secure the phone but it's a mess actually using the phone through a wet plastic bag," one said.
For many casual travelers, LifeProof cases are the go-to, while PunkCase is a well-considered alternative at a lower price.
Tablet
Bringing a tablet as well as a smartphone had always seemed to me to be just too much stuff — until the applications for newspapers and magazines got strong. I used to leave home with more than five pounds of paper reading material that I left behind in the airplane seatback pockets, gate areas, or hotel lobbies for other future readers; now I download magazines and books to a smartphone.
Kindle
Many avid readers swear by the Kindle for heavy vacation/travel reading, because it's so easy to read out in bright light. A branded Kindle e-reader is definitely the way to go instead of a tablet if you read a lot when traveling and in all kinds of locations.
Sun-/Insect-Repellent Shirt
This isn't necessarily a gadget, but in nature, clothing has become very sophisticated and can deliver more than just routine cover. Many companies make jeans, socks, and shirts that provide unique protection from both the sun and insects, including observable UV protection as well as insect repellent products approved by EPA. Many are also lightweight and breathable, making this a perfectly suitable "tech" purchase for traveling.
Smart Suitcase
We 're in the early days of smart suitcases, but the idea is incredibly compelling — capable of checking where your bag is on your mobile, how heavy it is, and if it's opened. Many smart suitcases offer also the ability to charge devices through a USB connection.
There are also easy tracking tools that you can place in your luggage, so that could be another way to tap into this form of tech without going all-in on an expensive suitcase. As this tech comes into its own it may seem almost normal to monitor our own bags soon enough.
Away's The Carry-On can charge your phone, and the equipment review sites, like ZulWeb, suggest you.