12 travel gadgets you must take on every holiday
Make life on the road that much easier with these must-have travel gadgets that are worth the money.
1. Universal adaptor
The modern world is replete with gadgets – and they all need charging. A universal adaptor will allow you to plug into a socket wherever you are and ensure that all your tech is ready to go.
2. Portable charger
But what if you can’t find a socket? That’s where you need a portable charger. These handy gadgets will have USB sockets that can charge everything from phones to laptops, kindles or tablets. One portable charger will have enough juice to recharge multiple items.
3. Noise-cancelling headphones
Block out that crying baby in the row behind you, or the loud television in the room next door, with a set if noise-cancelling headphones. You can listen to your own music or just relax in blissful silence. You’ll quickly come to think of these as the best travel investment you’ve ever made.
4. Good camera
Yes, your smartphone will take good photos, but they still can’t compete with a high-quality camera. And you don’t need to spend a fortune or carry around a huge case full of equipment. Pocket size, reasonably priced digital cameras are easy to use and will take professional-quality pics.
5. Portable hard drive
All those pictures you’re taking are going to fill up your camera or phone memory. Travelling with a portable hard drive means you can quickly and easily download the pics and keep them safe with you. Then there’s plenty of room to take more!
6. Waterproof phone case
Your smartphone serves so many functions – communication device, internet access, camera, GPS and more. So you really don’t want to damage it on the road. A good quality waterproof case with keep it safe for all those boat trips, ferry transfers and beach excursions.
7. Swiss Army knife
An oldie but a goodie. Never underestimate how many uses you will find for a knife, pair of scissors or corkscrew. The new breed of Swiss Army Knife even come with high tech goodies like USB sticks.
8. Tablet
Travel often involves long journeys or a lot of time spent waiting around. A tablet provides hours of entertainment with internet access, movies, music, books, newspapers, magazines and games. It can also be used to store photos or do on-the-ground research when you arrive in a new place.
9. Sterilising pen
Worried about the quality of your water? Nifty sterilising pens use ultraviolet light to quickly kill bacteria in any water to make it safe to drink.
10. Luggage tracker
Lost luggage is every traveller’s nightmare, but new digital trackers allow you to monitor exactly where your luggage is via your smartphone. Small buttons attach to your luggage and then link to your phone via and app – so you can make sure it’s not in Hawaii while you’re in Hungary.
11. Global translator
This gadget will make sure you’re never stuck trying to decipher a menu or ask for directions to the bathroom again. The more basic systems get you to type in words and it will translate them while the fancier models can recognise speech and even help you with pronunciation.
12. RFID wallet
Sadly, thieves no longer need to physically take your wallet to steal your money. Digital technology means they can scan your pocket or bag from a few metres away and download all your credit card details. An RFID wallet will block these digital signals and keep your data safe.
Do you have any of these travel gadgets? Would you consider getting them now? Let us know in the comments below.
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