We are living in an era of technology. Wherever you go, you take it with you, and it saves you during your commutes or waiting in lines. Your phone, tablet, laptop, eBook reader, music player… The list goes on forever (do you remember the times when we barely had mobile phones?).
So the logical thing we all do is carrying your gadgets during travel, keeping them safe and getting the best use out of them. And I know it can get complicated – so let me help you uncomplicate it!
This list is effectively divided into two parts – one with gadgets and one with accessories to help you make the best out of said gadgets.
Laptop
If you need to work while you’re traveling – this goes to students, bloggers, business owners, remote employees and many others – you clearly need a laptop. Things to consider when picking out a laptop (in case you don’t have it or thinking of replacing the one you have)? Size, storage space, and battery life!
You probably don’t want to carry a 4kg laptop around (I’ve been there, trust me), so aim for a size up to 13” and weight under 2kg. My Asus X301A is a 13,3” laptop, weighing just over 1,5kg, and I can easily fit it in my handbag (or backpack, of course).
Another thing to take into account is laptop’s sturdiness – you definitely don’t want it breaking into two (or more!) pieces while it’s sharing space in your backpack with a ton of other stuff you carry with you. Invest a few bucks in a laptop sleeve – a basic one does the job perfectly!
Update: I now have a MacBook Pro and I use this water-repellent sleeve case for it. It’s incredibly slim and protects the laptop from (nearly) everything! And it fits. Freaking. Everywhere.
Another thing worth mentioning is making sure your data is backed up. I trust Dropbox with my life when it comes to this topic – so as soon as you have access to a reliable internet connection, back your photos up (if you sign up for Dropbox through this link, you get 500MB extra storage space!). Also, make sure you are the only one that can access your passwords – I have all of mine in 1Password and it’s an absolute relief to have such piece of mind.
Keep your laptop safe: Use your laptop when you’re in a place where you won’t be leaving it unattended or fall asleep next to it or anything along those lines. Meaning: don’t use it on public transport if you don’t really have to, and make sure it’s safely locked (e.g. in a drawer/locker) if you’re leaving it in your hotel/hostel room.
Phone
I wouldn’t be able to travel without my phone for two big reasons: I use it for photography until I invest in a camera, and Internet lets me be in touch with my loved ones around the world (and keep up with social media). The most important thing, though? It’s unlocked.
This means that whenever I visit a country for more than a day or two, I am better off buying a pre-paid SIM card. If you are traveling in the peak of the season, you’ll find that most providers offer short-term tourist packages (I remember buying a €3 SIM card in Montenegro, that gave me €3 credit and some amount of calls, texts and data for a full week!). Chances you’ll pass cheaper using your home plan and data rather than the one of the country you’re visiting are almost non-existent.
Keep your phone safe: There are so many ways to get your phone lost or stolen. I’m not saying you should walk around scared to death, but also follow common sense and don’t leave it unattended. Best advice is to keep it in a zipped pocket (if possible) whenever you’re not using it.
The absolute best anti theft app I’ve come across is Cerberus. It lets you track your phone, lock it, wipe its memory remotely, take a photo with a front camera and many other things that can help you find your thief – or at least protect your data from them.
eReader
As much as I love reading physical books and taking them to trips, they take up a tremendous amount of space and it makes them impractical. This is why a few years ago I’ve invested in a Kindle Paperwhite. You can literally store hundreds of books and you won’t be forced to choose which ones to take to your trip – you can just ‘take’ them all and decide along the way. If you already have some PDF books, you can easily upload them, too!
Keep your Kindle safe: Common sense works well here, too. Just like your phone, don’t put it down in places where anyone can easily grab it and leave. To protect it from getting damaged, keep it in a magnetic case – I keep mine in the MoKo case that I’m obsessed with – and it’s extremely handy, since the cover also puts Kindle on standby when closed (thus saving battery life), while also saving it from scratches and damages.
Okay – now that you have the gadgets to make your travels easy, and when you know how to keep them safe – here are a few other things that will make them functional at all times.
Plug converter
If I have to say the one thing I’ve always needed with me on almost every trip I took, it is a plug converter. There are so many different power outlets across the world, so instead of buying a different converter for all the different countries, simply get a universal one. It can convert any plug you have into any plug you need – so just have it with you, always.
Extension cord
How many times have you stayed at a place where you only had one outlet for yourself? Get an extension cord – clearly, the one that fits your country’s plugs – and then use it with the converter to make more power outlets for yourself. The absolute best (most compact) version of it I have yet seen is a four-way power strip recommended on Nomadic Matt’s blog, but I still haven’t found such a small version for UK or Croatian plugs (if you do, let me know!).
Power bank
And last, but not least – if you are a person that has never yet needed power on the go, you should be awarded. For quite a long time I refused to admit that I need a power bank, because I’m a proud owner of a Sony Xperia Z3 Compact, whose battery easily lasts up to two days at a time. (Update: I now have iPhone 6s and its battery life is equally as amazing.)
But it sometimes happens that after those two days I simply forget to charge it (or I use it more than usual), and I leave my house the next morning with 7% battery. So, I got addicted to Ember & Earth’s powerbanks that hold more than two full charges! Keep one in your backpack and remember to recharge it after you use it.
This completes my go-to list of technology and rules when traveling with my awesome gadgets in order to keep them safe and charged. Do you have any more tips to add to this list? Let me know!
*Some of the links provided in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through these links I get a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products and services I use myself and firmly believe in.
Marijana 
Lots of great tips on here! I will be sure to bookmark this for future travels. Thanks for sharing, I look forward to reading future posts.
Lovely! Thank you Erin! 🙂
I never thought about bring an extention cord! That’s actually genious. The lady time we were in a hotel, the only outlet was in the bathroom & we could barely hear our phone in the next room/section of the hotel! And I’ve never even heard of a “power bank” but it sounds like something I need! The battery life on my phone is terrible. Thanks, interesting read.
Most places have badly located power outlets! Power bank is something EVERYONE needs 🙂 Thank you!
Awesome post! I think the thing people worry about most when they travel is having their tech stolen because they’ve invested so much (time and money hehe) in them!
Exactly!
Nice! I was just having a conversation with a friend about how to keep our technology and cameras safe while traveling the world. Great advice that I’ve definitely bookmarked and will be sending to her!
Thank you so much, Shannon! 🙂
Hello fellow Xperia Z3 Compact owner! I love that phone because you don’t have to carry a separate camera. You can record amazing videos in 4K res on it. I have recently ditched my super expensive heavy camera in order to just use the phone. Thanks for the Dropbox tips. I once lost my camera and wallet over the last day of a trip and lost every photo I took. Awesome post!
Yaaaaas! Amazing photos/videos and the battery is unbelievable! I will invest in a camera at some point, too, but Xperia is a great mini-replacement 🙂
Trust me, Dropbox tips come from me because I’ve learned the hard way. Thank you for your comment! 🙂
I love your tip about Cerberus! I’m totally going to look into that, thanks for the great tips!
So good that you found it helpful! 🙂
Oh, the backup and the laptop safety! When I was coming home from my 10month trip through Australia I dropped my laptop in my last airport – an hour before I got home. Of course, I forgot to back everything up before that I ended up spending so much money on trying to save all of my data and pictures from the most amazing trip I’ve ever been on. So now I’m on Dropbox and my external hard drives all the time XD and thanks for the tip on the Cerberus App, I was in need of something like that 😀
OH NO! I nearly teared up reading that comment 😮 I am known as a cell phone smasher and laptop destroyer (I am UNBELIEVABLY clumsy) so I simply back up everything that matters… Learned it the hard way, though. You’re very welcome and thanks for your comment! 🙂 x
Great tips!! I really need to start using Dropbox! I don’t really know how but I’m going to try! Seems like such a secure way to back everything up!
Trust me, it’s so easy to use! 🙂 if you do have any issues or struggles with it let me know 🙂
Love this! I need to get a better power bank; mine don’t last for two days, that’s for sure! 🙂
I am pretty sure everybody needs one! 🙂
I’m just getting hipped to power savers! Changed my life lol
Absolutely! :))
Thanks for the tips! This is really helpful!
Glad you found it useful! 🙂
Wonderful tips and simple as well. Love the cloud back up for added security. Love dropbox!! Thanks for sharing all the others….
Thank you! So happy you found it useful – if there’s anything else I might help with, please let me know! 🙂
Marijana recently posted: Dublin is Awesome #3
These are all very useful tech travel tips! I can definitely use the advice on protection and security and will have to check out Cerberus. Great post, thanks.
Great roundup of suggestions. I like that you included useful apps as well as gadgets. The 1Password app is awesome! Pinned it for later!
Lauren Bishop recently posted: The Sweetness of Sharing in Split, Croatia
I feel this issue becomes more and more important these days. Although I hate to partake in it, I just cannot travel without my phone and camera any more and consider it one of my most valuable travel items. Thanks for the tips
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Hey..!!!
This is a worth reading post. I love to travel and my every trip is incomplete without carrying my lovely gadgets with me.
I never forget to take my phone and power bank. These always help to stay me connected to my family, friends and Internet too..!!!
Worth reading post..!! 🙂
Cheers buddy.
I never contemplated bring an extention rope! That is really genious. The woman time we were in an inn, the main outlet was in the lavatory and we could scarcely hear our telephone in the following room/area of the lodging! Furthermore, I’ve never at any point knew about a “force bank” yet it sounds like something I require! The battery life on my telephone is horrendous. Much obliged, fascinating read.
Great Tips! One tip I would like to add. While traveling, you click lots of photos/videos. I recommend an external HD/extra memory cards for a backup or keep a Recovery Software in case you lose your multimedia files accidentally.
Oh I definitely agree – just recently I realized my current memory card gets full too quickly! Great tip, thanks 🙂
This is such a helpful post! Thanks for sharing.
You’re very welcome, Kyntra!
I bring my laptop, phone and Kindle with my on every trip. I use my phone for everything and I’m so thankful it’s unlocked and I can get SIM cards – I’m amazed at how cheap they can be! Keeping my laptop safe is one of my biggest concerns as it’s how I earn my money. I definitely need to get Dropbox – I’m the WORST at backing up photos and documents. If something were to happen to my laptop right now I would be royally screwed. Thanks for all the tips!
I know the feeling – and I’ve lost data in the past, so I’m not messing around with it anymore, ever – I hope you get it soon! 🙂 You’re very welcome!
The power bank tip is soooo true!! I always try to carry one around because my phone battery is terrible.
Haha we’ve all been there! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
These are GREAT tips! I recently bought an ASUS and LOVE it! I also need to learn about the international SIM cards and such be we will be living abroad next yr and will need a phone for basic things/emergencies. I have to say though, I am still a fool for a REAL book (something about that smell)
Yes, it will help you a lot in the long run if you’re prepared for international SIM cards – having moved between 3 countries in a year, I definitely know how challenging it sometimes is! Hehe I love physical books too, it’s just easier to carry them around when they are not so physical! 🙂