Have you ever checked in to a hotel or resort and find out that there is no Wi-Fi signal in your room? Or you have just arrived at the airport and can’t use Uber because your phone ran out of juice.
Gadgets make your vacation more enjoyable.
Backpackers, like soldiers, need gears to survive or adapt to an unfamiliar place that is missing some of the necessities found in the comfort of home. Those include devices they use as they go about in their daily activities. For shutter bugs and vloggers, they might need to bring a kit version of their studio to save on luggage space. For some who just can’t leave their work behind, they throw in their laptop or tablet as well.
Having traveled here and abroad in some occasions staying overnight or several days, here are the list of gadgets that fill my backpack other than the grooming kit.
Must have:
Unfortunately, there are no charging stations at the beach.
1) Quick-charge Power Bank – Do you often get that dreaded low battery status on your phone before the day ends? You even get it quicker when you’re taking pictures of everything that looks cool or when you’re engaging with 100+ social media friends and followers. Guess what? There are no charging stations at the beach or on the bus.
This compact power bank can save your day by quickly charging your phone not just once but several times over. I’m not talking about the freebie you got from some sales promo or from work. They will not cut it. Stick with a reliable and proven product such as this one.
Less clutter with a multi-USB charger.
2) Multi USB wall charger – Newer devices such as phones, power banks, cameras, etc. use USB chargers. Instead of bringing their own chargers, why not carry just one but with multiple USB ports. These can even charge at a faster speed than what came with the devices and with less clutter.
Avoid crowding the charging station with a long USB cable.
3) Long USB fast-charging cable (10ft.) – Most lengths of USB cables that manufacturers include with their devices are sufficient if the power outlet is close to your bedside or don’t mind hugging the nightstand. Some hotel rooms, especially in some countries, have just one and if it happens to be across the room, a long USB cable would come in handy. Also, charging stations at the airport usually gets crowded. Having a long USB cable will allow you to run it to the nearest sitting lounge where you can have more elbow room and privacy.
I prefer using a darker color so the grime from the floor will not be visible. You would want a durable cable that will withstand all the pulling and bending. Not all cables are created equal. Some create bottlenecks. But this cable is fast-charging and will complement the charger described above. There is also an iPhone version available if you need one.
Yes, they come in different shapes. Do you have the right gadget?
4) Universal power adapter – Different countries have different sizes, shapes and ratings of power outlets. Some have 2 holes, 3 holes, flat holes, round holes, slanted holes, you name it but this universal adapter will let you plug in your USB wall charger just fine. Fortunately, most chargers are rated to run on 100V-240V just like this one making it adaptable to any power source. Just plug it in to this universal adapter and you’re good to go.
Not enough power outlet for everyone?
5) Portable Power strip – If you have been in a hotel room on a vacation with your family, you know how hard it is to find an available power outlet for everyone’s gadgets. You can covertly replace theirs with yours and risk ruining the vacation or you can plug in your power strip and you’ll even have a spare spot to share with others. A travel-size one will fit nicely in a backpack and will not slow you down.
Bring hours and hours of movie time with a memory stick.
6) Back-to-back USB memory stick – Do you remember getting the “memory full” notification in your phone? This memory stick or flash drive can fix that problem by allowing you to transfer old pictures or videos from your phone or tablet and thereby freeing up much needed space. If you want, you can load it up with your favorite movies that you can watch while waiting for a bus ride. It does not need any adapter so it connects directly to an android phone, tablet or an iPhone.
Not every place has a free Wi-Fi.
7) Pocket WI-FI – How would you feel if you’re on a trip and your phone’s data signal is barely making a blip and loading a page is taking forever? And not every place has a free Wi-Fi. That’s when I grab my pocket Wi-Fi and fire it up. This one gets its signal from another provider and most of the time it’s stronger. The pay-as-you-go is perfect for traveling, money-wise, since you only use it when needed and there are no roaming charges. When you travel to another country, you’ll have a backup Wi-Fi to use as soon as your plane has landed. Then, at a later time, load it with a local SIM card of your choice, if you want, to save on money even more and get a stronger signal.
You can enjoy your vacation with the same convenience you have at home, well almost, with these gadgets. You can give some of these to your friends and family as a present and they’ll be grateful you did.
Coming up soon: 7 Things You Should Do to Keep Your Home Safe When You Travel
My Urdaneta Local Guide 