Many folks ask what travel gadgets you can't travel without. And the answers are usually iPad, smarphone, eReader, and such. These are great tech gadgets, though they are, for the most part, entertainment. Here are 15 gadgets you should not leave home without because they will keep you safe, healthy, and happy on the road:
Safe Hydration:
Steripen Traveler Water Purifier
Keep on Traveling Safe - Check the app, Pull out a Pen, and Drink Up
and
Reusable BPA-free water bottle - keeps you hydrated during the trip, keeps the liquid cool, and can be used over and over instead of buying and carrying multiple water bottles. Hence these bottles save you money as well as space and weight while traveling. And they also help save our planet.
Reusable water bottle
It is well known that to avoid waterborne creepy crawlies you should not drink tap water in places where you are not sure about its quality. Having a reusable water bottle with you instead, you can fill it up at a hotel or other sources of safe drinking water before heading out.
Also bottled water available for purchase has a significant impact on the environments we visit. A better choice and also much cheaper would be to take a reusable water bottle. That combined with a water purifier would make travel more budget-friendly, healthier, as well as eco-friendly.
Keep Things Clean:
First Aid Kit (
Most important pack when traveling)
Good items to include in the kit are:
•first-aid manual
•sterile gauze
•adhesive tape and bandages in several sizes
•antiseptic wipes
•antibiotic cream/solution (triple-antibiotic ointment)
•hydrocortisone cream (1%)
•acetaminophen and ibuprofen
•tweezers
•sharp scissors
•safety pins
•disposable instant cold packs
•calamine lotion
•alcohol wipes or ethyl alcohol
•plastic gloves (at least 2 pairs)
•
Hand sanitizer
Transporting the Goods:
Waterproof case:
Anti-Theft Travel Handbag - these bags are slashproof to keep your valuables inside in crowded places or not well lit alleys. Have RFID-blocking pocket to store your credit cards and also passport so they cannot be scanned by thieves looking to still your digital identity. Water repellent material keeps the bag and items inside dry. The bags also feature security zippers for not so easy access to your valuables.
Lowepro Passport Sling Camera Bag
This bag fits the DSLR perfectly in it. It also fits cables, water bottle, snacks, keys, wallet, and a light shirt. It is versatile enough to use as a day bag when it’s not packed with camera and other travel gear. My wife loves it. It looks like a regular over the shoulder bag. Which is great as it does not announce to all that there is a camera in there. Without opening it up and looking inside you would not even know its a camera bag. We also put in it while on the trip a collection of travel gadgets: point-and-shoot camera, watch, chargers, batteries, and flash memory cards. The outside of the bag has pockets and dividers that will keep your cell phone, pens, sunglasses, and other useful travel accessories organized and easily accessible. And just in case you over stuff the bag with all this, there is a zipped up expansion to make the bag larger to accommodate.
Luggage Scale
Airline baggage fees anyone, needless to say more -
Travelon Micro Scale
Travel Clocks
These useful gadgets come in handy when on a business trip. Though you would think why would you need those on a vacation? Well good question. While there are some vacations that are just for relaxing, a lot of the time travelers also plan some excursions and tours of the city that start at a certain hour. Also, each hotel that you stay in has a different type of alarm (some B&B's do not have any). It would be a lot easier if you could learn to set up one and have that along with you no matter where you are so you are on time.
Recently, I gave one such travel clock to my parents as they take several trips during the year for business and pleasure. They liked it a lot before even taking it on their first trip. They liked that it is small, light and easy to pack. It also includes a back-light with easy-to-read time display so you can see it easily at night.
Packing It In:
Travelon 1-Quart Zip-Top Bag with TSA Approved Plastic Bottles
Space Bags - you can pack all the cloth and travel accessories for a week and a half trip into only 2 carry-ons! That is right, on the way to Cali we had no bags to check-in. This meant that we saved money on airline fees and also hassle and time of picking it up after the flight. We did however have one to check-in on the way back filled with wine bottles and other goodies.
Other Essentials:
Rain gear
Emergency Poncho
Camera
A digital camera is probably the most essential travel tool so make sure you have one ready for your next trip. When going on longer trips or tours, that would be better taken in without a lot of bags to drag around, it is great to take along a point-and-shoot camera. As mentioned in the post Rechargeable batteries charger - saves money saves planet, it is more convenient to power up your digital camera with rechargeable batteries. Some small cameras nowadays can take great shots that are almost as good as some semi-pro ones.
It would also be great to have a little folding tripod like the one from Gorillapod with the digital camera. Gorillapod is a very bendy tripod. It goes just about anywhere with its flexible legs that can wrap around objects and let you take pictures without having to hold the camera. This way you can get a whole shot of the family without leaving anyone behind the camera.
Swiss Army Knife - its a classic multi-tool. Everything you need and more within one device. Now it also comes with tech gadgets such as USB, flashlight, digital clock and thermometer
Noise canceling headphones - Music just makes the day go faster and helps you immerse in your own world and your relaxation.
Cheap earbuds and those rent-on-the-flight headphones, while functional, will not provide great sound or allow you to escape the surroundings, especially given all the background noise of a plane. A good pair of noise-canceling headphones will pay for themselves with quality of sound and serenity.
So what are some gadgets that you find essential when traveling? Add them below