TRAVEL TIPS
There are so many articles out there with tech accessory recommendations. While some of them are great, this list is here to tell you what you need, why you need it, and explain what attributes you should look for when thinking about purchasing these items. Just in case you don't want to look any further, we also recommend our favourite products for you.
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UNIVERSAL TRAVEL ADAPTOR
When travelling to multiple countries, having a universal power adaptor is a must. After a lot of research, we found that the below Lencent Travel Adaptor was our favourite option. It receives any plug and inserts into most wall sockets around the world. It also has a few USB sockets, making it easy to charge multiple devices at the same time.
So far, the only places we couldn't use this adaptor were Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The most common outlet plug there is type J. Be sure to research your destination's power requirements and compare them to your adaptor before travelling.
We love that this adaptor accounts for its size and weight. Some of the adaptors come out on an angle, rotating the unit in a certain direction to ensure that it can fit in most outlets. It is also not too heavy, not just for luggage but also for the wall itself, so it doesn't fall out when you plug something in.
A nice bonus feature is that this adaptor has a safety fuse. If that dodgy hostel has a bad outlet that could destroy your electronics, this little adaptor will save it before that happens.
EXTRA LONG PHONE CABLE
There are still many hotels that don't think about placing charging options near the bed. Having an extra long phone charging cable is a cost-effective, simple and lightweight solution. It is also great for road trips, so you can have your phone plugged in for GPS or music and still use it from any seat in the car or have it mounted in the safest spot for the driver.
Whether your device is Android or Apple, we recommend the following three attributes when purchasing a cable like this:
MFI Certified: For Apple devices, this means that the cable won't destroy your Apple product with any extra power leaks or bad connectors on the cable.
Braided Cord: They are way more durable and don't break as easily as plastic ones.
2 metres (6.5 ft) should get you out of trouble in most situations, but go 3 m if you feel like you might have some extra long requirements.
iPhone/Apple Devices
The Aioneus cable meets all these standards at a great price and with different colour options.
Android Devices
For Android devices, the uGreen Micro USB cable has all the attributes listed above and should accommodate most Android phones.
POWER BLOCK WITH USB SOCKETS
If you are like us and have a lot of tech items to charge, having a power block with USB sockets is probably the most useful item on the list. We find that this, on top of our universal plug, gives us multiple advantages:
It is a power cord extension for those times when the wall plug is nowhere near where you want it to be.
It allows you to plug multiple items in at once, so you may only need one universal adaptor.
It adds extra USB sockets (yes, we like having a lot of USB sockets).
It may seem like overkill, and sure, it is extra space in your bag, but if you travel with a bunch of technology, it proves to be extremely useful.
The Lencent Power Strip Block is a great adaptor with everything noted above while still being compact for your bag. Once again, just like the Lencent universal adaptor, this block has a built-in surge protector. You can never be too careful.
PORTABLE PHONE BATTERY
A portable power pack is one of those tech accessories that may sit in your bag for weeks unused, but when you do suddenly need it, you'll be thanking past you for packing it.
There are so many options for portable power packs, but you need to ask yourself this: if I needed to use it, how much power would I need? This is an important question because not having enough power may not get you out of trouble, but having too much power adds a bunch of extra weight to your bag.
Many tech items charge via USB sockets, so we don't only find these portable banks useful for charing our phones, but also for our camera and drone. You may have more too, like Kindles, smart watches, electric toothbrushes, camping lights, the list goes on.
If you are like us and have a bunch of gear that you want to charge on the go, then you may need a bigger battery. On the flip side, if you only have a phone and maybe a camera, a smaller bank will be a better option, saving weight and space.
An awesome in-between that covers all of these needs is the Anker 13000mah portable battery. They make a great product that is safe, lightweight and holds enough power to recharge your phone a few times. They also have a slightly smaller one, the Anker 10000 that would be great for people with just a phone and a camera.
TECH POUCH
Bringing a lot of tech on your trip? You may have hard drives, charging cables, power banks, car USB sockets, headphones and more. Having a tech pouch to keep it all perfectly organised is a must. We have the beautiful Bellroy Tech Pouch. It's durable, comes in a range of colours, and will protect everything inside. It may be a little more expensive than a lot of pouches you see on Amazon, but when this thing is protecting your hard drive with all your travel footage and photos, it's nice to know that it's safe.
AIR TAGS
So many people are sceptical of whether they actually need Apple Air Tags or not, but it is nice to have peace of mind about the location of your belongings, especially as airlines losing luggage is becoming way too common.
We bought the 4 pack, but they also come in singles too. We have one each in our main check-in luggage and in our day packs.
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