Travel Tech

Some technology we never leave home without, our phones for example.  Once in the past 10 years I was well on my way to the office when I realized I didn't have my phone with me, I felt so vulnerable without it.  I made it through the day, but I would prefer not to go phone-less.  You never know when you might have a rare opportunity to take a selfie with a curious bear.  

I am using a Samsung Galaxy that is three generations, or three years old.  I like it, it works well, I am comfortable with what it does.  I see little reason to replace it as long as it works well.  I always have a charging adapter in my shoulder bag, in fact two of them, one standard one that will charge my phone, my kindle, or my camera, and one specifically for the phone that has a slightly higher voltage and charges the phone about twice as fast. 

I always have a Kindle with me, and with that half a dozen books to read with only a few ounces of weight to carry.  

For travel I carry a very small, very lite weight laptop or notebook computer.  I prefer a full size desk top computer at home, I find the larger keyboard easier to use, and the larger display allows me to work without glasses.  So the laptop is only for travel.  I am currently carrying an 11 inch Dell, Windows 10 machine.  It does what I need it to do, it weighs less than 3 pounds and it cost less than $200.  I know Mac makes an amazing laptop, but not for that price.  

When I go out of town I carry a compact digital camera.  Currently I am using a Samsung.  I selected it based on a wide-angle to moderate telephone lens.  Camera technology is rapidly advancing, you really need to replace these things every 2-3 years.  I have a larger "through the lens" digital, that I occasionally use, but only then the added bulk and weight seem worthwhile.  

All of this stuff connects with the same USB, or micro USB cables. I carry a couple of them, including one that is 15 feet long.  The long one comes in handy in a hotel room when the only available outlet is no where near where you want your phone (I bought it when I spent a month in hospital rooms.)  I have a small zippered kit with a USB cable, headphones, a standard wall charger, and a 6-volt car adapter.  

I carry a couple of sets of headphones, with microphones in them, so I can make phone calls without trying to hold my phone to my face.  

If I am driving in unfamiliar places,  I carry a portable GPS unit with me.  I know there is GPS on my phone, and I use it when I need to, but the Garmin unit with the suction cup window mount and power cable, is easy to travel with and I am not trying to hold my phone and drive at the same time.  

What do you never leave home without?