While we spend our days dreaming of where to travel to next, we’re also looking for ways to perfect our packing list. Not going anywhere today? Go ahead and try out some travel outfits. Time at home is the perfect opportunity to test out what you’ll pack for your next trip. It’s also a fun time to discover new gadgets that might make your next trip even better than planned.
Just like you wouldn’t book a vacation to a place you’d never heard of or researched, we think it’s equally important to not pack something unless you know it’s useful and will serve you well. AFterall, it’s not cheap to check a bag anymore, so every item that adds to the weight total should be well thought out and preferably tested beforehand.
Here’s what we are packing in our suitcase for our next trip. These gadgets can make life so much sweeter while traveling. Whether you’re looking for your honeymoon vacation, a road trip, a family reunion, or buying for a travel-addicted friend, these are the gadgets we love for travel.
A powerful solar charger
Camping, backpacking, cruising, or even on a train journey of Europe, the Big Blue Solar Charger will serve you and your devices well. For those who don’t have access to plugging electronics in, a solar charger will make life much easier. This one is lightweight and folds up nicely. A day at the beach, a big day of hiking, or the perfect picnic are all great opportunities to pull out the solar charger and make sure your devices are happily topped up.
Great lighting two ways
The situation always looks the same. You’ve packed the book(s) you can’t wait to read on your beach vacation, but your travel partners/significant other/family members are asleep and it’s dark. A book light lets you enjoy your reading without blinding or waking the people near you. It lets you navigate in a car at night without compromising safety. It can function as a useful bedside light if you need to find something in the dark without waking up your partner. These are indispensable tools for frequent travelers. Prices vary, of course, but this slim version from MightyBright only costs $13.99.
Campers, road trippers or those who like solar light will enjoy traveling with the inflatable solar lantern from Mpowered. The Luci solar light deflates completely, weights 125 grams, and provides 24 hours of light after charging in the sun for seven hours. A night on the patio, hanging out in your national park cabin or even a nightlight, the Luci is a great gadget to pack on your vacation.
A portable humidifier
As good as we feel on vacation, it can often come with a small caveat – the dry and sometimes stale air that can come with hotel life. It can dry out your skin, eyes, mouth, and nose. If you already have allergies, this is the last thing you want to be dealing with. And nothing can ruin the day faster than waking up feeling like you’ve come down with a cold on vacation.
Enter theFancii Mini Humidifier. Using USB power or batteries, all you need is a water bottle to get this travel-friendly humidifier to turn your room into the perfect level of humidity for your liking. No dry skin on this vacation!
It’s lightweight and small to pack, about the size of a hockey puck. It’s also affordable coming in at $24.99, which means it can make a great gift.
A portable smartphone charger
We’ve all been there. You plugged in your phone the night before a long flight only to realize it wasn’t actually plugged into the wall. So off you to the airport with a phone battery hovering at 15% which is about enough for a three-minute phone call. Avoid this stomach-dropping situation and pack a portable charger. Small and powerful, these can easily slip into your purse or briefcase. Some are no bigger than a tube of lipstick. No more searching the airport for an open outlet (it’s 17 gates away from yours, of course) or having to charge your phone on the other side of the room in the hotel. This also makes long day trips smoother, ensuring you’ll have enough battery left to get the directions back to the hotel at the end of the day.
Clean clothes on the road
Almost every resort has a clothes washing service which is a fantastic amenity to take advantage of that allows you to pack less. However, every trip features a chronic spiller. Someone who is a magnet to red wine on a sundress or chocolate that melted into the only pair of shorts packed or can really manage to stain an outfit while eating crackers. For washing emergencies or if you don’t have the luxury of sending off dirty clothes, we pack the Scrubba Portable Wash Bag. Campers and road trippers will find this especially useful on adventures. The simple design of the bag features a gentle washboard to scrub out any stains or dirt. The bag folds up easily into the palm of your hand, so packing it is no issue. This is also a convenient way for cruisers to wash smaller items like socks and underwear which can easily dry while you’re out for the day.
Compact tunes
Turn any vacation into a dance party, or a jazz festival if you prefer. Whatever your musical tastes are, it’s undeniable that music can turn a good night into a perfect night. Sitting on the balcony watching the sunset deserves some music. Compact and lightweight, this Anker portable speaker works with your phone’s Bluetooth, even if your phone is 60 feet away. It’ll play for 15 hours without needing to charge and the price is right at $21.99.
A lightweight tripod for your phone
For those who love to document their trips, but don’t love the traditional selfie shot, (or deciding which person has the longest arm) a lightweight tripod will revolutionize your vacation photos. Featherweight and just $32, the GorillaPod wraps around and grips all kinds of surfaces, allowing you to take great shots with great stability. Then you just fold it up and put it in your bag and keep exploring. It works with phones or point-and-shoot cameras as long as they weigh less than two pounds.
Keep your electronics organized
One of the perpetual battles of traveling is keeping track of the array of devices, chargers, cords, USB cables, earbuds, and batteries that are part of a tech-savvy world. And keeping those cords and cables from getting bent to the point of breaking is always a good idea. Digging into a suitcase or a backpack to find the one wireless earbud that has gone missing isn’t part of your dream vacation. We like to save the time and hassle of locating lost gadget accessories by packing them all in one handy place. We like the customizable arrangement of these basket-weave elastic straps ($14.99-$19.99, depending on size) that can slip easily into your tote, or you can go for a separate zip-up case ($29.95). This is also the best way we’ve found to keep your cords from turning into one giant tangled mess.
Where are you going with all of your new travel gadgets?
Now that you have new toys, it’s time to start planning a vacation to use them on! Working with a Travel Professional can ensure that you get the most out of your travels. Click here to contact us today, and we’ll get planning!