Some of the items that we always travel with to make life that much easier.
I will continue to add items to this blog post as I buy/find/use new tech. Here are a handful that have come in very handy while traveling.
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Portable Power Bank
Ever have that panic set in when you are using your phone to find a location on foot, your battery is rapidly dwindling, and there is nowhere to plug in? Avoid that sinking feeling by having one of these on hand. The portable power supply will let you top up, or fully charge so you can stay connected.
The model I use is the Belkin BoostCharge with built in lightning cable and USB-C cables. It was able to fully charge my iPhone from 10% to 100% in around 1/2 hour but I used it constantly to just top up periodically and keep it full. You can even charge two devices at the same time.
You can charge both the power bank and your phone simultaneously via the pass through feature. There are a lot of different types out there so you can find one that suits your needs best. They have varying power outputs which will affect the speed at which a device is charged.
Cable Adapters
I like to minimize the number of cables I have to travel with and until those tech companies start using a fully standardized system you typically have 2-3 different types.
I needed an adapter that converted from a lighting female to a USB-C male in order to charge my iPad with my wife's portable power bank.
These inexpensive devices make life so much easier and you can find them in pretty much any combination to fit whatever your need may be. These are quite small and I can keep them in a little zipped container in my tech carrying case (also featured in this blog) with the data blockers seen in the next paragraph.
USB Data Blocker
If you do need to charge a device using a public charging station and you are not plugging into an outlet directly to do so then you should always use one of these.
These simple devices will block data in and out so it will both protect your device from malware and prevent data from being stolen from it while it is charging at one of those public stations.
Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen
I learned early on that when it comes to headphones you can't go cheap. A bad pair will just frustrate you and travel is already stressful enough. Remember trying to listen to a movie on a flight with the airline provided headphones? Yeah, me too. Between the engine roar, the chatter of passengers and infants it was impossible to hear anything other than the louder sound effects. Well, suffer no more!
Apple's AirPods Pro have amazing sound and, best of all, the Pro series have noise cancelling which is essential for a noisy environment like a plane. You get about 6 hours of listening time for each single charge and a fully charged case will give you around 5 charges for your AirPods so in total you'll have 30 hours (not continuous as the earbuds must charge in the case obviously).
They are also water resistant so they are ideal for a good sweaty workout at the gym. You can use a MagSafe to charge up the case but, not to worry, you can still use the chargers that works on your tablet/phone as well. Bear in mind these are Bluetooth so if you are watching via the in-flight entertainment it won't have Bluetooth but fear not, the next item will solve that issue.
AirFly Pro 2
No Bluetooth? No problem. With the AirFly Pro 2 you can use it to both transmit and receive using its built-in Bluetooth. It is awesome to be able to use your own wireless headphones on a plane, treadmill, exercise bike or anywhere else that has a standard 3.5 output jack.
You can also plug it into wired speakers, or cars, even boats, if there is a sound system you can plug into via aux in then you can play content from your phone and have the music you want.
With 25 hours of play time available when fully charged you can keep the movies, music etc. playing for your entire flight. A nice added bonus is that you can pair two devices to it in transmit mode and share the experience with a friend.
Need to plug into something that doesn't have a 3.5mm port? Keep reading to find the adapter you might need.
Power Adapters
Going abroad? You better check what type of outlets the country, or countries, you are visiting utilize (see below for a rough breakdown). I've tried various types and have found that some of them are a bit unreliable and have even given shocks (I'm looking at you Brookstone). I am not a big fan of the universal style that lets you alter the design via pushing different prongs into place as I have found these to be a bit flimsy and easy to break.
I travel to Europe enough that it made sense to buy a simple adapter that plugs into a C type outlet and in this case I got it with a USB input as opposed to one that accepts prongs. I just went into a mobile phone store while in Istanbul and picked up one of theirs, in this case a dual USB port charger from Cellularline, and it works great.
Years ago I picked up a Swiss Gear adapter that allows me to plug in various prong types, or USB, and convert to a B, C, or G type outlets depending on which faceplate is installed. They are all grounded and have current protection as well. I like this one because it is much sturdier and you are installing the interface as opposed to just adjusting the configuration.
Outlet Types (see a breakdown by country here)
Swissgear:
Apple 3.5mm AUX to Lightning Adapter/ USB-C
Got a pair of wired headphones that have amazing sound and you refuse to give them up? Maybe your kid has a pair of headphones that fit them very well and you want to be able to continue to use them.
Many of these wired headphones still use a 3.5mm standard jack to interface with devices. If you are looking to connect to an Apple product with these headphones you are likely to encounter a compatibility issue as most Apple products now only have a lightning port, or a USB-C port.
These adapters will let you connect to these products that have the lightning type port or the USB-C style depending on which you need. I recommended have both of them on hand when you travel so you can always connect to whatever device you want.
3.5mm to Lightning
3.5 mm to USB-C
LilGadgets Noise Cancelling Over the Ear Headphones for Kids
We simply have not found a pair of in-ear bud styles that will fit our daughter. She always complains that they either hurt after wearing them a short while or they just keep falling out.
We've experimented with wireless headphones for her but ultimately found that a simple pair of wired headphones with a standard 3.5mm jack were the ones she liked the best. They are comfortable and easy for her to adjust volume.
For our use she is either on the airplane system which the plug will fit (unless they have a two prong style but the airlines often will have an adapter for a 1 to 2 that you can use) or she will be on an iPad which she can use the previously mentioned 3.5mm to USB-C adapter to connect with. These LilGadgets headphones are the ones she always prefers.
Bluetooth Item Trackers
An absolute must for any traveler. These types of items have been in the media several times over the last couple of years telling stories of passengers who were reunited with luggage that went missing in transit or, worse yet, were stolen. There are a variety of types out there on the market with each offering different benefits and different compatibility. Here are a few of the ones we recommend:
Apple AirTags
These are probably the most well known, at least in North America, and they are fantastic for hiding in luggage, backpacks, purses, vehicles and the like. With a replaceable battery they will protect your luggage for years to come. You can get them individually for around $27 or as a four pack for $87 as of the time of this writing.
They are only compatible with Apple products and will require nearby Apple devices with Bluetooth enabled for the location ability to work though, and they aren't designed to fit into smaller items like wallets or passports. They only pair with one phone at a time (no app required) so make sure you know whose phone is tracking which item. Once paired, however, you can share the Tag with someone. Open the Find My app on your iPhone, then tap Items. Simply tap the name of the Tag or item you want to share, then tap Add Person below Share This Item. Tap the name of the person you want to share with, then tap their Apple ID. You can name the item when you pair it so that makes it easier to identify which tag is for which item.
Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2
This would be the Samsung alternative to the AirTag so if you are rocking a Samsung smartphone then this will be the one you'll want. Similar to the AirTags you'll have a replaceable battery and will be able to track your items. These Tags are also a bit nicer if you want to be able to track keys or pets as the Tag has a hole that you can attach a key ring/collar to.
You will need to download the SmartThings app for Samsung to enable tracking and, as with the AirTags, the tracking system will only work if there are Samsung phone nearby whose owner has Bluetooth enabled and has opted in to the Galaxy Find Network as a Find Node participant. Current sale pricing puts the Smart Tags at around $24. These are still a bit bulky for a men's wallet or a passport though so if you are looking for something like that, keep reading.
Tile Pro and Tile Slim
These two devices are compatible with both Apple iPhone and Google Android smartphones which is a nice plus but again as with the SmartTag the location capability only works if nearby users have installed the Tile App. The Tile Pro is basically the same as the SmartTag in such that it is sized to be used in luggage, purse, etc. and also has a hole that would work with keys. It has a replaceable battery as well.
The Tile Slim, however, is designed so it can fit into a wallet (about 2 credit cards thickness) or a passport, and could be adhered somehow to a tablet perhaps. The Slim has a non-replaceable battery with a stated life expectancy of 3 years. Current sale pricing (all items are about 30% off right now) has the Tile Pro or the Tile Slim both at $25 or you can opt to get both as the Tile Performance pack for just $48.
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