The Gadgets
With so many companies advertising their equipment as "the best" and "what you need" its really hard to know (especially if you're new at traveling) what will actually come in handy. There are a few things over the last few years (and actually the last few months!) that I've decided are really good to have when I travel.
1. Smartphone/iPod Touch
This is cliche, I know. To say that I can't travel without my smartphone would be an exaggeration but it is sure helpful!! I never have cell service on it when I'm abroad but you can use Wifi at places like McDonald's and Starbucks if you need it. Its helpful for keeping lists or itineraries in one compact place. You can also download offline maps and use the GPS features on it! (Plus the camera and apps and music... I could go on but you know all this stuff!) Its just great. That being said if you're going to keep all your info on it make certain you have a really good password and backup all your documents and pictures. I like Google+, but Dropbox and OneDrive are really good, too.
2. External battery
That dreaded 20% battery warning... its bad enough when you get it at home but when you're on an airplane or, worse, a 17 hour bus ride (yes, they exist!) its down right painful. I recently decided to get an external battery at RadioShack. Relatively inexpensive but its already paid for itself! You can use it for phones or iPods or rechargeable cameras.
3. Sleep sack
Sleeping anywhere isn't much of a problem for me. However, when you're in hostels or even some hotels having that extra bit of fabric between you and the sketchy sheets is a comfort. My mom got me a silk sleep sack for Christmas a few years ago before I headed overseas again. At first I was like "this is great! I won't have to sleep on gross sheets again!" but then I didn't want to pack it in my backpack for our weekend trips. Its not very big and probably weighs only 2 lbs. but I figured I could pack another pair of jeans instead. This year I used the sack on every single vacation I took. It got used for more than just sketchy sheets. I used it in airports when I got stranded or had a long layover, it comes in handy as a (clean!) blanket on airplanes or busses, or even a pillow!
4. Passport pouch
This has probably been one of the best things I've gotten since I started traveling. You can get the pouches that are really just like a passport wallets or sleeves but I suggest the pouches that go around your neck. If you get one of these your passport will always be on you with no fear of it falling out of a pocket, getting set down somewhere and forgotten, or getting stolen from your own pockets. Around your neck is really the best place for your passport as its also very discrete. You'll have two different security options for the passport pouch: RFID blocking and regular fabric. RFID blocking is a little more expensive but it keeps hackers from using their technology to steal your information from the little chip inside your passport. You can also put your credit/debit cards in the pouch and not worry about them!
5. Computer vs. Tablet
My first trip overseas I took my 15 or 17 inch (haha can't remember but its big...) MacBook computer. Wow. After 2 security checkpoints (Salt Lake and Frankfurt), several hours of layovers in airports, and 3 airplane boarding processes I was really regretting it. That sucker was heavy! So, for my second trip I decided to get an inexpensive tablet with a keyboard dock. Much nicer to carry and easier to pack! However, after about 2 months of using it I found I wasn't fond of it. It didn't have much memory space (this can be fixed but I didn't have the know-how for it!), it was an Android operating system (which I'm also not fond of), and all my pages would come up as "mobile pages" (which are fine for smartphones but not for a tablet!). I continued with my tablet through my third and fourth trips because I'm cheap and didn't want to spend money on a new computer. I found that to be a bad thing though because my online college classes required computer software for the final exam (which I found out after I left home). This year I broke down and bought a MacBook Air. Its the same screen size as my tablet but I think its a little lighter and has almost all of the regular computer capabilities. Sooooo much better for what I do! I know there are other computers out there that are probably as light and the same size but I'm accustomed to Apple. So, that is my take on those devices... haha a little longwinded...
6. Daypack
I never really wanted to get a daypack because I always thought that purses or my backpack would be good enough. Nope. Daypacks are truly a wonderful thing. On last summer's backpacking trip I had carried my backpack everywhere. It worked even though it was 80 freakin degrees (guys, I'm not a warm weather person). I went into this random outdoorsy store in Salzburg because it had been rainy and I wanted to find a lightweight raincoat. After about 10 minutes I realized I didn't want to spend what they wanted for a coat so I just looked around. Hanging on this hook was a little, black ball. It wasn't much bigger than a tennis ball. It worked out perfect because I was able to leave my large backpack at the tourism office in Berchtesgaden and just take the small backpack with the essentials to the Eagle's Nest (Hitler's teahouse in the Alps). Since then I've carried the daypack almost everyday. It works as a purse, overnight bag, and carry on. The one I have is lightweight and (although it didn't say it on the tag) I'm pretty sure its waterproof.
If anyone has anything to add to this list thats worked well for them let me know! I always like feedback and extra advice! :)
1. Smartphone/iPod Touch
This is cliche, I know. To say that I can't travel without my smartphone would be an exaggeration but it is sure helpful!! I never have cell service on it when I'm abroad but you can use Wifi at places like McDonald's and Starbucks if you need it. Its helpful for keeping lists or itineraries in one compact place. You can also download offline maps and use the GPS features on it! (Plus the camera and apps and music... I could go on but you know all this stuff!) Its just great. That being said if you're going to keep all your info on it make certain you have a really good password and backup all your documents and pictures. I like Google+, but Dropbox and OneDrive are really good, too.
2. External battery
That dreaded 20% battery warning... its bad enough when you get it at home but when you're on an airplane or, worse, a 17 hour bus ride (yes, they exist!) its down right painful. I recently decided to get an external battery at RadioShack. Relatively inexpensive but its already paid for itself! You can use it for phones or iPods or rechargeable cameras.
3. Sleep sack
Sleeping anywhere isn't much of a problem for me. However, when you're in hostels or even some hotels having that extra bit of fabric between you and the sketchy sheets is a comfort. My mom got me a silk sleep sack for Christmas a few years ago before I headed overseas again. At first I was like "this is great! I won't have to sleep on gross sheets again!" but then I didn't want to pack it in my backpack for our weekend trips. Its not very big and probably weighs only 2 lbs. but I figured I could pack another pair of jeans instead. This year I used the sack on every single vacation I took. It got used for more than just sketchy sheets. I used it in airports when I got stranded or had a long layover, it comes in handy as a (clean!) blanket on airplanes or busses, or even a pillow!
4. Passport pouch
This has probably been one of the best things I've gotten since I started traveling. You can get the pouches that are really just like a passport wallets or sleeves but I suggest the pouches that go around your neck. If you get one of these your passport will always be on you with no fear of it falling out of a pocket, getting set down somewhere and forgotten, or getting stolen from your own pockets. Around your neck is really the best place for your passport as its also very discrete. You'll have two different security options for the passport pouch: RFID blocking and regular fabric. RFID blocking is a little more expensive but it keeps hackers from using their technology to steal your information from the little chip inside your passport. You can also put your credit/debit cards in the pouch and not worry about them!
5. Computer vs. Tablet
My first trip overseas I took my 15 or 17 inch (haha can't remember but its big...) MacBook computer. Wow. After 2 security checkpoints (Salt Lake and Frankfurt), several hours of layovers in airports, and 3 airplane boarding processes I was really regretting it. That sucker was heavy! So, for my second trip I decided to get an inexpensive tablet with a keyboard dock. Much nicer to carry and easier to pack! However, after about 2 months of using it I found I wasn't fond of it. It didn't have much memory space (this can be fixed but I didn't have the know-how for it!), it was an Android operating system (which I'm also not fond of), and all my pages would come up as "mobile pages" (which are fine for smartphones but not for a tablet!). I continued with my tablet through my third and fourth trips because I'm cheap and didn't want to spend money on a new computer. I found that to be a bad thing though because my online college classes required computer software for the final exam (which I found out after I left home). This year I broke down and bought a MacBook Air. Its the same screen size as my tablet but I think its a little lighter and has almost all of the regular computer capabilities. Sooooo much better for what I do! I know there are other computers out there that are probably as light and the same size but I'm accustomed to Apple. So, that is my take on those devices... haha a little longwinded...
6. Daypack
I never really wanted to get a daypack because I always thought that purses or my backpack would be good enough. Nope. Daypacks are truly a wonderful thing. On last summer's backpacking trip I had carried my backpack everywhere. It worked even though it was 80 freakin degrees (guys, I'm not a warm weather person). I went into this random outdoorsy store in Salzburg because it had been rainy and I wanted to find a lightweight raincoat. After about 10 minutes I realized I didn't want to spend what they wanted for a coat so I just looked around. Hanging on this hook was a little, black ball. It wasn't much bigger than a tennis ball. It worked out perfect because I was able to leave my large backpack at the tourism office in Berchtesgaden and just take the small backpack with the essentials to the Eagle's Nest (Hitler's teahouse in the Alps). Since then I've carried the daypack almost everyday. It works as a purse, overnight bag, and carry on. The one I have is lightweight and (although it didn't say it on the tag) I'm pretty sure its waterproof.
If anyone has anything to add to this list thats worked well for them let me know! I always like feedback and extra advice! :)
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