Don’t leave home without these gadgets
There’s a swag of high-end, high-tech travel gear for executive road warriors and those who travel with all the iThings (phone, pod, pad and so on).
However, Margaret Barca has tracked down a few slightly more low-tech, but still very practical, travel gadgets to consider when packing your bags.
• The five surprising new travel hotspots
• It’s a rip-off: save hundreds on travel insurance
You’ll wonder how you ever travelled without them.
Slotflops – to stash your cash
You know how it is – you’re just about to leap into the pool and you realise you have your credit card or rupiah (or other local cash) with you and nowhere to stash it.
Voila! Slotflop sandals (aka thongs) with a built-in slot to hide your money (or ‘fill your sole’ as the website suggests).
Brilliant! They even come in different colours.
Yoga Paws – the yoga mat you wear
This should give all yoga-loving travellers pause for thought.
Take these nifty mittens so you can do a Downward Dog anywhere without lugging along your yoga mat.
Very light, and very Zen.
Blocking sleeves – to protect your data
RFID chips in passports, credit cards and even some public transport cards can be scanned and your personal information downloaded (i.e. stolen).
It’s possible for thieves to do this even when you are passing by.
So a blocking sleeve for your passport and/or a wallet will provide protection against losing your data.
You can now buy shoulder bags, tote bags, iPad covers and more, with blocking and other anti-theft features.
SleepPhones – pyjamas for your ears
SleepPhones look like a headband, but they have earphones embedded in the band so you can drift off to sleep listening to soothing sounds without small earbuds dropping out, or cumbersome earphones getting in the way.
They also help block out the noise and you can even pull them over your eyes to help block out the light. Perfect on a plane or a bus.
Digital luggage scales – the weigh to go
Let’s face it – budget airlines are as mean as can be when it comes to luggage allowances. So a portable set of scales could save you a hefty excess-weight charge.
The Balanzza Mini Digital Luggage Scale weighs just 85 grams and is rechargeable via micro USB cable, so you don’t need batteries. It also weighs in metric and imperial.
Franklin global translator – speaking about travel
Franklin’s 14-language speaking global translator device translates to and from the languages, has a clear human voice, includes over 1000 pre-programmed phrases and displays native characters as well as English for Arabic, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean and Russian (and if you’ve ever shown a piece of paper with an address in English to a taxi driver in a foreign country, you’ll know how handy it would be to have something in the local language).
The translator runs on batteries, but you can hook it up to your computer with a USB.
The Twist World Adaptor – ‘it’s socket science’
How many times have you packed the wrong travel adaptor for your destination? You can pick up a universal travel adaptor, which will work in lots of countries, at most travel and luggage stores.
However, the nifty Oneadaptr Twist claimed to work in 150 countries and with a USB port for charging up to 2 devices is one of the best.
The only thing you have to remember is to remove it from the powerpoint and take it when you leave the hotel. (Someone needs to invent an adaptor with an alarm when it sees you leaving.)
Oneadaptr also make a Twist World Charging Station with 4 USB ports (to charge 5 devices) if you have lots of kit with you and want to get all high-tech.
