Travel Tech, Products and Apps I Can’t Live Without
As someone who travels frequently for work and for pleasure, I’ve come to rely upon all sorts of travel products, devices and apps to streamline and improve my experience. I want to share with you some of the travel tech, products and apps I can’t live without.
Travel Technology and Devices
Eye-Fi Mobi SD card with WiFi
Shortly after buying myself a Canon SX50 HS camera to chronicle my travels, my mother got me this WiFi-enabled SD card. I have no idea how I ever lived without it.
The beauty of this card is that it syncs with your phone, iPad, laptop or other device, and it can also save all of your photos to the Eye-Fi Cloud (with a subscription). All I have to do is connect the WiFi on my phone to the signal being produced by this SD card – while it’s still in my camera. The photos sync to my phone as I take them. As an avid social media user, I love the ability to tweet, Facebook or Instagram from my phone within seconds of taking the photo.
HTC One A9
Although I love my Canon camera with my Eye-Fi Mobi SD card, I frequently find that I can simply take the photos I need with my smartphone. The camera on the HTC One A9 is incredible. From the quality of the photos to the ability to shoot panorama, or even time lapse, this phone can do almost everything I need. Honestly, the only time I prefer my Canon is when I need the 50x zoom.
FlePow Travel Power Strip
Have you ever been at the airport and desperately need a charge but all the power outlets are taken? Or maybe in an older hotel room where plugs are a premium?
I recently purchased the ultimate power strip for just these types of situations. More than a traditional power strip, this one from FlePow has four USB outlets, in addition to the two standard outlets. Additionally, it comes with three international adapters. It’s literally everything you could ever need.
Go Puck 5x
I feel like I’ve tried every portable charger on the market, and the Go Puck 5x is by far my favorite. It’s a little heavier than some of the others I tried, but it also charges much faster and last much longer between charges.
In addition to the performance, the customer service at Go Puck is excellent. I ran into an issue with the charging port on my first Go Puck 5x after using it for about a year. I contacted Go Puck, and they sent me a replacement immediately. No questions, no hassle. I’ve had my second one now for about a year, and I’ve had no issues.
Lenovo Yoga 900
As a professional writer, my laptop is an extension of my very being. I’m currently on my second Lenovo Yoga, and when I upgraded recently I didn’t even consider looking at other brands.
My current model is the Lenovo Yoga 900 with 512 GB hard drive. It’s lightweight, fast, has a touchscreen and doubles as a tablet. I was previously using the Yoga 13, which I purchased in late 2013. It’s still going strong as my husband’s laptop – I only upgraded to have more space on my hard drive.
I added a Cable Matters adapter which gives me HDMI, VGA and Ethernet ports, and also adds another USB 3.0 port.
Travel Products
Vera Bradley Travel Organizer
The Vera Bradley travel organizer is one of the best gifts anyone has ever given me – thank you to my mother-in-law! I travel so frequently that I keep a double of all of my toiletries in this bag so I never have to worry about forgetting to pack my toothbrush or makeup remover. It is easy to keep it all in this bag, throw it in my suitcase and go. I also love that it hangs in my hotel bathroom and frees up my counter space.
High Sierra Backpack
I usually travel with my laptop, iPad, camera and about a dozen different cords I need to charge everything. Add in some snacks, my wallet and other odds and ends, and my bag becomes a disaster area fast.
A couple of years ago I bought this High Sierra XBT TSA Backpack, and now it goes everywhere with me. I love all of the different pockets, which allow me to keep everything separate. It also reduces the time I spend digging around in the bottom of my bag. In addition, if you’re not going through a TSA Precheck, or other expedited, line at the airport, this backpack unzips so that you can leave your laptop in its pocket to go through the x-ray machine. Huge timesaver.
Graze
I subscribed to Graze’s weekly eight-snack box over six months ago, and I look forward to getting my delivery every week. These snacks are the perfect size to throw in your bag when you’re on the go, and the packaging holds up to the abuse of being buried at the bottom of my backpack. You have the ability to rate the snacks to ensure you receive things you like, and you can ensure anything you don’t like – or are allergic to – doesn’t find its way into your box.
Travel Apps
TripIt
I’ve been testing out the free version of the TripIt app for a few months now, and it’s a great way for the frequent traveler to stay organized. All you have to do is give it access to your email account, and it recognizes confirmations from hotels, airlines and rental car companies, adds them to the app and organizes your trips into groupings.
More than simply keeping track of reservations (which is great if you’re like me and can never find your confirmation number), the app attempts to help you every step of the way as you travel. For example, you’ll find directions from the airport to your hotel, weather and more.
Check out MilesGeek’s in-depth TripIt review.
