Travel Junkie Julia » My 5 gotta-have travel gadgets

My 5 gotta-have travel gadgets

Posted by Julia on Feb 3, 2010 in Packing

So what does the launch of the new (some say brutally-named) iPad mean to travelers? I’m eager to get my hands on one to official test it out, but according to Apple’s marketing madness machine, the tablet computer joins the list of helpful devices tourists can use when traveling abroad.

Light weight and small enough to fit in your carry-on bag, the iPad means portable wi-fi access for instant flight bookings, the ability to download restaurant reviews, guidebooks, ibooks and general country info.

It’s another step in the growing ‘electronification’ of travel, where gadget geeks, such as myself, take a backpack full of plug-in products to help them on the road.

When I travel, here are my top five gotta-have gadgets:

1) Laptop: Since travel writing is my main profession, I absolutely can’t live without my MacBook. I’ve put in some great mileage on that puppy. It’s seen some 23 countries, been X-rayed, scanned, swabbed and manhandled more times than the girls from Jersey Shore. It keeps on ticking, letting me watch DVD’s on the plane, chat to family members through Skype and maintain my ever-growing Twitter addiction.

2) iPod: Another “can’t live without” item. In addition to music, I’m a big fan of listening to NPR Podcasts while I travel. I also pack noise-canceling headphones and a set of mini speakers I can set up in my hotel room.

3) Camera: While the new iPod comes with built-in camera feature, there’s no substitution for a high quality digital camera. I take two with me when I travel. An SLR with extremely high resolution and a tiny cam that I can slip in my purse for impromptu shots.

4) Converters, plugs, cords, universal power adapters and surge protectors for all my gadgets, which I like to keep in a plastic bag (in case any of my cosmetics explode in my bag…which they typically do.)

5) Obviously I don’t use the following but they’re pretty hilarious gadgets from the site Vagabondish, so I thought I’d include them:

- The Beer Belly is a weird and likely effective way to sneak booze into events around the world. http://www.thebeerbelly.com/

- The Shower Shock is a vegetable-based glycerine travel soap that contains jolt-inducing amount of caffeine to be absorbed through the skin.

- BriefSafe is an unusual way to secure your valuables. Hide your junk in a faux pair of stained, dirty underwear. Burglars won’t dare touch that! http://www.vagabondish.com/12-killer-travel-gadgets-every-geek-needs/

What are your “must pack’ or most hilarious travel gadgets? What do you think of the new iPad and how it will change travel? Post a comment below!

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parera

Nice post i luv it.....u did a great a job....its well deserved! keep up the good work! you sound very well organized! Travel

Connie

My girlfriend brought an iPod Photo on her extended trip to Africa. Taking literally thousands of photos on safari, on the endless roads, through the many countries, on the beaches, parties, etc. etc.... she would extract her photos regularly from her SLR to free up space and serve as an invaluable backup!

juliadimon

Backing up your photos is integral. There's nothing worse than loosing your vacation pics. good call.

Leilah

Great list Julia. Laptop, Ipod, and camera are definitely necessities - I don't know what I'd do without them. I wonder how the ipad will do in the next few years. Maybe the newest travel necessity? I'd probably use some of those gag-gadgets too haha

Backpacker44

I would die if I went anywhere without my camera. I am not in to lugging my DSLR around, with all of its lenses. I'm also terrified to break it. I'm a carry-on type gal so I only have space for one camera. I always carry my Canon SX20IS with me. Small enough to fit in a tight pace, but also has incredible zoom capabilities.

Since I need as much space as possible, I always carry a netbook with me. It has enough memory for me to load my photos on to, and is great for updating my blog and emailing friends. I dont really need a disc drive when traveling anyways. Plus, if I break it I wont be out $2300 like I would be if I broke my Macbook Pro. They are cheap, light and small- great for the carry-on traveler.

juliadimon

you sound very well organized!

johnicareed

Great post and awesome blog! Do you have the Macbook or Macbook Pro? I currently have the 06 black Macbook and will be upgrading next week.

juliadimon

Hey! So happy to hear you like the blog. Thank you! I've got the Macbook but recently was coveting my friend's Pro. I think it's time for me to upgrade too....good luck with your new one!

johnicareed

Ordered by MacBook Pro. Can't wait until it arrives!

B.

I agree with the camera and the ipod! I love being able to watch a movie/tv show while in flight. I just recently bought a laptop but I'm sure I'll end up traveling with that as well!

juliadimon

You're going to love having your laptop...can really come in handy for those really long delayed flights.

Gus

Unlocked GSM phone... generally the first thing I do upon arrival is grab a local SIM card and plug it into my phone. A fraction of the cost compared to roaming on my CDN mobile and almost always free incoming calls.

juliadimon

Thanks Gus! That's a really great tip! Saves on roaming fees, plus it just is handy to have a phone. I picked one up while I was in Tanzania and just got new local SIM cards in each country. Where do you typically use it? Can you pull that off in the US too? nice tip!

Gus

Yes... I haven't had to do this in US for a while (usually when I'm in the US it's for work, so I use my work phone) but the last time I did I was able to get a pretty decent pay as you go card from T-Mobile. If I remember correctly the roaming included the entire US (unlike Canadian plans). On a side note, I have friends who actually use a contract / US mobile in Canada as they claim to get better rates on long distance etc.

GlobeDiva

Gotta have my Kindle!

I'm with you on the iTouch and NPR podcasts. I am a "This American Life" junkie and those podcasts always make me feel less "solo" whenever I'm traveling overseas.

Also been traveling with my Mac but I just bought a netbook for travel. I was using my MacAir but I had a first generation and with only a 40G hard drive, there's barely enough memory to update the software! I'll be doing a review on my new netbook after I break it in.

juliadimon

I'd really like to get a MacAir. I love how light it is. You say no? This American Life is awesome! I'm a Fresh Air junkie. I love fellow NPR geeks :)

GlobeDiva

Hey Julia,

The Air is extremely light! It's beautiful and the newer ones have a bigger hard drive than mine does but no ethernet port (at least on mine, not sure about the newer models) so you have to take the adapter for that and there's absolutely no way to lock it down to your desk because there's no place to insert a cable lock. I'm with Backpacker44 down there. Netbooks are cheaper and a bit more convenient and I wouldn't cry too much if I lost it or broke it (unlike the Air or my Mac which cost significantly more).