Electronics, What I Bring on Travel

I love electronics, but I hate their size and all the peripheral equipment that goes with their use. So when I travel I try to minimize my gadgets, when I can, to save on space and weight. The following is a list of items that I bring  in order to watch movies (great for long plane/train rides), catch up on email, check in with the office (I know, I know), balance my travel budget, surf the internet, listen to music, take pictures/video, and recharge my batteries (literally).

HTC EVO 4G Android Phone (Sprint)
While this may not be the ideal phone for foreign travel since Sprint uses CDMA (as opposed to GSM), it does still have WiFi and digital still/video camera capabilities. I like the idea of a combined device because it results in a smaller packing footprint and less items to worry about or carry along. In addition, Android devices have some great applications. I can use the Kindle app to read books (fiction and travel guides), the internet browser for surfing the web, GoogleMaps to look up routes, PocketCloud to connect to my home PC, and the camera application to snap pictures and record video. For those on the Verizon or AT&T networks, you can substitute an iPhone for this device, but please read the following article first, how to take an iPhone overseas. Otherwise, you could run into some expensive overages.

Apple iPad 2 MC769LL/A Tablet (16GB, Wifi, Black) NEWEST MODEL
This item is definitely optional, but I love traveling with mine. While the EVO/iPhone is great for reading and surfing the net, the iPad was tailored for it. I tend to bring mine and only use it when I'm on a plane/train or relaxing in my room, but I prefer the larger screen size when I am trying to get something done. The major limiting factor of traveling with an iPad over a PC or netbook is the lack of input for files, which are typically added by syncing with a PC or over a WiFi network connection. My way around that is to use the next device that I bring, the zoomIt.

PNY zoomIt SDHC Flash Memory Card Reader for iPhone 4 & iPad
The zoomIt plugs into the bottom of an iPad or iPod/iPhone connection port and allows you to upload files into a repository on the device that can be accessed by other programs. I find this device is good for loading photos into Facebook albums, which are much easier to manipulate on an iPad instead of a phone or iPod. The zoomIt also supports audio and video files, so if you want to store movies on SD cards you will save some room on your Apple device. In addition, if you're traveling with any other Apple device users you can share between your devices using the zoomIt and an SD card. The device does need to be recharged from time to time (over USB), so keep that in mind.

Belkin F8Z359tt06INCHP Y Adapter; Mini Stereo Plug
Speaking of sharing, sometimes you may want to share music or video with one of your travel companions. I tend to travel with my wife, so I have invested in a y-cable adapter that allows us to both hear the audio from my iPad or EVO phone. This is great for watching a movie and saves us both from fighting over earbuds, especially when one of us turns our head quickly.

New Trent ifuel IMP500 5000mAh External Battery pack and Charger for Apple iPhone 4 4G 3Gs 3G (AT&T and verizon), iPod Touch (1G 2G 3G 4G), Motorola Droid, HTC Android EVO, Blackberry, Kindle DX, Samsung EPIC, Samsung Galaxy Tablet, Samsung Galaxy S and much more.
One thing I dread is losing an opportunity to capture a great picture because I wasted my phone battery watching videos or surfing the web. To mitigate this potential issue, I carry a portable USB battery that is able to recharge my device after a long day of use. The iFuel battery pack can be used to recharge most USB charged devices and is itself charged using a USB wall adapter, such as the following 4 port USB wall charger.

Lenmar ACUSB4 AC Travel Adapter for up to 4 USB Powered Devices (Black)
The Lenmar 4 port adapter is a great product. It provides the capability to charge up to four USB devices simultaneously, using one of four provided power plug adapters. I've used this device in the US, the UK, and France without any issues to charge all of my recommended devices (yes, it is iPad compatible). I will not travel anywhere without this device. In fact, I use it at home instead of the stock OEM wall chargers provided with the devices.

Hopefully, this suggested list has identified some items that will be useful for your own travels. This blog entry is my first attempt at using Amazon Associates to recommend products that I have used. If you decide to purchase any of them, please use my links so I will get credit. Brent A. Terwilliger is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.