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Published on July 13th, 2017 | by Christopher Porteus

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5 Pieces of Gear Every Travel Techie Needs

Our tech is our lifeblood. It’s how we communicate with one another, how we innovate, and how some of us make our living. Travel and tech is a hot topic right now and understandably so. Our equipment is vulnerable while we’re on the go. It’s terrifying to think of it being damaged whether from our doing or a lazy airport worker.

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Before you hit the road, you should invest in some quality products so you can ensure your tech is kept safe and still has the ability to function. Here are some of my favorite pieces of travel tech gear.

Sturdy Laptop Case:

As a writer and photographer my laptop is how I survive and pay the bills. One day I could be in a party hostel and the next in the middle of the woods in a tent. Any number of instances can happen that can dent my case. I suggest investing in a strong laptop case that can withstand a couple big stumbles. Review cases for your laptop to see what works best. I once purchased one for $60 and it was always a hassle to remove when I got back home.

Portable Adaptor:

Plugs can differ in each country you visit, so can the wattage it emits. In the UK plugs are much larger and push out 220 V compared to 110 V in the United States. Even if you did have the right plug for it, you could still blow up your device that’s meant for US ports. Thankfully you can buy a portable plug adaptor on Amazon for a couple bucks. A good plug adaptor should come with multiple styles of plugs and channel in the correct amount of power you need.

Additional Battery:

A few years ago a friend of mine and I were talking about travel tech and how my phone always dies in poor circumstances because I forget to charge it. My friend (who is a software developer for a popular massage app and is always keen on these issues) pointed me to the existence of extra batteries. Now it’s my favorite travel tool. I bring a few extra batteries with me every time I hit the road. They’re lightweight and work wonders to keep my equipment going.

Buy Insurance:

Insurance is overlooked by many travelers because they don’t think of it or don’t know it exists. However there are numerous types of travel insurance you can pick up, even for your gear. Policies are surprisingly affordable, too. A good insurance policy will cover all of your equipment (laptop, phone, camera etc…) in case it’s lost, stolen, or damaged. In case something does happen to your gear you should bring an extra hard drive to back all of your files.

Download TunnelBear:

If you’re a tech junkie you likely have a VPN for your laptop, but did you know you can get one for your phone too? TunnelBear is a free VPN so that you can protect your WiFi connection and protect your private data from hackers. If you don’t use much data you can use the app for free, but if you plan on using quite a bit it’s suggest you buy the premium version. TunnelBear will provide you that extra level of protection.

There are thousands of types of tech travel gear out there to keep your devices and files safe, but these are the ones I never leave home without.

Tags: massage apps, massago, Travel Technie

About the Author

Christopher Porteus Chris Porteous is a veteran in the tech space, founding Framestr and writing about his experiences scaling startups. When he's not working, he's writing about the latest tech products and providing insights on how to utilize technology to improve your life.