Top Ten Essential Travel Gadgets

The fewer gadgets hauled on a trip the better, we say, but some gear is worth the weight. We’ve picked our top ten most essential bits of hardware—with a couple of not-so-essential items thrown in for good measure.

• BGAN Nera Worldpro – It’s been ages since I’ve lusted so irrationally after a bit of hardware—especially one with a monthly service fee that can quickly escalate into the hundreds of dollars—but the BGAN Nera Worldpro satellite internet receiver from Immarsat makes my heart flutter. Point the 2.2-pound box up at the skies to gain usable (if high latency) internet nearly anywhere in the world, via Immarsat’s constellation of orbiting data juicers. At 384kb/ps you won’t be torrenting any high-def teen hitchhiker flicks, but you’ll be able to twitter a cry for help as you’re eaten alive by natives. (Plus you can take them right off your Myspace friends list.)

Of course for something this nifty, capable of providing up to five hours of internet per charge as well as satellite phone service, you’re going to pay a pretty penny: $2,500 just for the unit, plus service fees—which start at an astounding $110 or so for just twenty megabytes of data transmission. Oof.

• No Joke Water Purification – There are several gadgets that will zap the protozoa and other corpuscle-nesting nasties that will turn your lunch into propellant, but I’ve become especially enamored of the SteriPEN [pictured], which uses ultraviolet light, and the MIOX Purifier from Mountain Safety Research, which uses a “dose of mixed oxidants” to do their un-dirtying work.

Which one is the most comprehensive bug killer? I have no clue—you could always double up just in case! The SteriPEN Traveler is available for 130 bucks. (They also offer a solar recharger kit for $50.) The MIOX is $140 and will clean about 200 liters of water before you need to flip out the batteries and salt packets. You’ll want to buy the replacement packets from MSR, too, lest you find yourself in a swamp with fresh batteries and a packet of Splenda.

• All-In-One Power Plug Adapter – You may not realize this, but there’s a better-than-average chance that most of your gadgets’ power supplies can step down (or up) the voltage that comes down a foreign wire. (Check your AC adapter; you’ll find a range of voltages supported, usually from around 80 volts to 220.) That means you don’t need an expensive, heavy power converter, but just a way to plug your standard American two- or three-prong plug into those enticing foreign holes. This model from Kensington looks totally capable and is only $15 (and even has a neat slide-out plug barrel), but really, any plug converter should do.

• Voltaic Solar Backpack – Voltaic makes messenger bags these days, but for anything more than a short overnight trip, backpacks are where it’s at. A Voltaic bag ain’t cheap—you’re looking at $250 a pop—but I’ve never used a solar bag that was as thoughtfully put together. (And I’ve used pretty much all of them.) A copious amount of modular plugs makes the Voltaic bags compatible with a majority of gadgets (including a USB power plug), although you might have to spring for an optional adapter pack if you’ve got a non-standard phone.

One thing that sets the Voltaic bags apart from other solar bags is the included rechargeable battery. While you can take power right off of the panels if you choose, the default wire-up has the panels dumping into the battery, which in turn passes on power when you need it. That means you can trickle-charge the battery all day, then recharge your gear even if you’re not in direct sunlight, instead of trying to plop down for several hours. (And make no mistake, solar recharging is slow, especially since you can only charge one gadget at a time because the sun is a chintzy bastard.) Even better, the battery can be charged off of a wall jack, meaning you can use the bag as as universal charger.

I sent my Voltaic with my little sister for her hike to Machu Picchu and she’s never sent it back. I hope she’s still alive.

Disclaimer: I have become friendly with Voltaic after they let me have their very first prototype for testing several years back. But I stand by my recommendation: they make the best solar backpack on the market. It’s also a sure-fire conversation starter, even among non-nerds.

• Multi-tool – Picking which multi-tool is a bit of a holy war. Some folks swear by Gerber and I’ll admit to being entranced by the flick-out plier action their multi-tools provide, but I’ve been sporting a Leatherman on my belt for a couple of years now and I think it’s a slightly better product. (I even have a MAKE Warranty Voider Leatherman Squirt [Wire Stripper] on my keychain, right next to my Bison Designs Bike Tool and Bottle Opener.)

Whatever brand you choose to go with—Victorinox also makes a few models—just don’t go crazy and buy the most expensive one you can find. Even the best multi-tools are a collection of mediocre tools made worthwhile because of their convenience; as long as you’ve got a good knife, a saw blade, a file, and some scissors you’ll be fine. But if you drop more than 50 bucks on a multi-tool, you’re going to be spasmodic when you inevitably drop it off a cliff.

• National Geographic Talk Abroad Travel Phone – I continue to be enamored of this “works everywhere” GSM cellphone, despite the fact that it’s just a crusty old Nokia with a monochrome screen—I never!—and a pretty expensive per minute rate, even here in the Ol’ of A. But price and features aren’t the point—knowing you’ve got one phone with one number than works pretty much anywhere on the globe with cellular service is worth a lot of scratch.

• LightCap Solar-Powered LED Light and Water Bottle – The LightCap is a Nalgene-like water bottle with a relatively low-powered LED light on the top which recharges from the light of the sun. The LED isn’t terribly bright, but it makes a usable reading or tent illuminator. And here’s the thing: you probably should be carrying a water bottle anyway, so it’s not hurting anything to double dip on devices. And for $25, it won’t be horribly painful when you have to pee in it on a long train ride and, unable to drink from it again, give it away to a friend.

(Someday someone will make a similar unit that shines ultraviolet, obviating the need for both a this model and a water purifier.)

• Suunto Clipon Watchband Compass – Really, any decent compass will do—as long as you take it with you. This model from Suunto is only $10 and clips right onto your watch band, which may not be the most dapper place for a compass to hide, but what price True North?

• Portable Surge protector – Once again I’ve suggested a Kensington model and once again I don’t really care which one you buy. But one of these $15 surge protectors can be the difference between a happy, productive adventure and a multi-day side quest to find a sub-Saharan Genius Bar.

• Apple AirPort Express – I’m a Mactard, so the AirPort Express works like magic, although it should still work fine with any Windows PC. At $100 it’s more expensive than similar travel-sized Wi-Fi hubs, so unless you think you’ll use the iTunes streaming function don’t be afraid to consider other options.

But get something. Not only does adding Wi-Fi to your hotel room internet allow you to work anywhere in your room, it makes it infinitely easier to share your expensive 24 hours of connectivity with your fellow travelers. My AirPort Express has gotten a room full of cranky trade show reporters online more times than I would have ever imagined.

Honorable Mention

• A GPS Unit – Sure, GPS can be useful in a pinch, but it takes a little bit of learning, a little bit of planning, and a little bit of luck. I think GPS units work better for road trips than walk abouts, but they’re always worth considering. Too bad they’re still somewhat pricey. (At least if you want the big pretty ones.)

• A Cheap SLR – Every time I’ve ever left my Canon Rebel XT at home I’ve regretted it. The pictures a person can snap—even a rank amateur like myself (although I’m learning bit by bit)—are always surprising. And you can pick up a good SLR like the XT or something from Pentax or Nikon for around $500 these days with a decent kit lens. Sure, they’re more bulky than point-and-shoots, but photos you can be proud of are worth the extra weight.

• A flask – This would be number one on the list, except you should have this on you at all times, even if you’re just taking out the garbage. Of course, on a good trip, the contents can be used to sanitize a variety of small wounds. (Including—after learning your sheets aren’t the only thing the maid will turn down—aching hearts.)