Travel gadgets - what is on your "must-take" list??

[Andona]

OK I know I'm a gadget fiend ( in a family of similar nuts) but this is getting a little ridiculous! I was already slightly embarassed about the amount of gadgets we're taking and then yesterday DH goes out and buys himself an iPad to take on the trip

I'm interested to hear what gadgets you all travel with - what can you not leave home without when you head out that door? I'm looking for some reassurance that I'm not the only one going a little to far!

We'll be packing the following for a family of 3

2 iPhones
3 other smartphones
1 iPhone case with built in backup battery.
1 sim card cutter
2 sim card converters ( Micro sim --> normal sim)
1 TomTom GPS
2 iPads
1 iPad camera connection kit
1 bluetooth keyboard ( for iPad)
1 netbook
1 laptop
1 video camera
2 Canon cameras ( plus associated lenses, tripod etc)
1 Mophie Juice pack ( backup universal USB battery )
1 AAA/AA rechargable battery Charger
1 car universal battery charger
2 iPods
2 portable hard drives ( 1 full of movies for DS to watch in the car, one empty for DH and I to fill up with photos and video)
3 noise cancelling headphones

and

assorted charging cables + 2 plug converters + a powerboard with 4 normal plus and 2 usb plugs to charge all the gadgets!

phew...

P.S. and I'm leaving out the other ( non powered) do-hickies like blow-up neck pillows , foot rests, ear-plugs and eye-masks etc. Although I'd be very interested to hear what you all consider indispensible for your in-flight comfort???

Andona

 

[BecBennett]

lol - you do take a lot!!

We travel relatively light compared to that list. The things I must take include:

• My laptop
• My nikon camera plus lenses & flash
• My panasonic P&S
• My phone, currently an android galaxy s2
• My hard drive
• A couple of SD cards
• 2 noise cancelling headphones

Recently DH has been taking his laptop as well, for work reasons, so you could add that to the list as well, and he's just bought a tablet too, so time will tell if that also must some each trip

 

[alicia1506]

we take the following for the 2 of us:

2 x ipods
2 x smartphones (android galaxy s2)
2 x kindles
1 x tablet
1 x digital video camera
1 x camera (the good one)
1 x p & s camera (the semi good one)
1 x p & s camera (the dodgy little one)
2 x au to usa adaptors
+ various usb sticks, sd cards & all various chargers

all of this goes in the carry on luggage.

my camera, ipod, phone, kindle and tablet go in my 'personal item' handbag/backpack during the flight for ease of access.

carlo keeps the semi good camera, his ipod, phone, kindle & video camera in his 'personal item' backpack during the flight.

i tend to use small packing cubes for all the adaptors/usb sticks/chargers/wires etc to make keeping it all together in the luggage nice & easy plus if tsa want to inspect it, it's all packed together for ease of access.

last year my sister took her laptop & it was just too cumbersome and too much effort to constantly present it for inspection through tsa, which is why we're just taking smartphones & the little tablet this time around, and mostly it's just for checking email & doing netbanking and uploading photos each night...we don't usually need much time on the internet while on vacation

 

[corpcomp]

OK I know I'm a gadget fiend ( in a family of similar nuts) but this is getting a little ridiculous! I was already slightly embarassed about the amount of gadgets we're taking and then yesterday DH goes out and buys himself an iPad to take on the trip

I'm interested to hear what gadgets you all travel with - what can you not leave home without when you head out that door? I'm looking for some reassurance that I'm not the only one going a little to far!

We'll be packing the following for a family of 3

2 iPhones
3 other smartphones
1 iPhone case with built in backup battery.
1 sim card cutter
2 sim card converters ( Micro sim --> normal sim)
1 TomTom GPS
2 iPads
1 iPad camera connection kit
1 bluetooth keyboard ( for iPad)
1 netbook
1 laptop
1 video camera
2 Canon cameras ( plus associated lenses, tripod etc)
1 Mophie Juice pack ( backup universal USB battery )
1 AAA/AA rechargable battery Charger
1 car universal battery charger
2 iPods
2 portable hard drives ( 1 full of movies for DS to watch in the car, one empty for DH and I to fill up with photos and video)
3 noise cancelling headphones

and

assorted charging cables + 2 plug converters + a powerboard with 4 normal plus and 2 usb plugs to charge all the gadgets!

phew...

P.S. and I'm leaving out the other ( non powered) do-hickies like blow-up neck pillows , foot rests, ear-plugs and eye-masks etc. Although I'd be very interested to hear what you all consider indispensible for your in-flight comfort???

Andona

Wow what a list

I saw a Chinese family at wdw a few weeks ago and they were holding up their iPads taking pictures over people's heads. Looked rather silly and really not sure where they put them while on the rides. For a family of three we only take an iPad for my work, 1smart phone, two normal phones and a p&s camera. I just bought noise canceling headphones and will try them next Easter. So I guess we travel light but we only fly 1000 miles.

 

[australiankaren]

I have no idea what half that stuff is

i am technologically disabled....

i do have a kindle..does that make me trendy???

so sad

 

[Caroline NZ]

Ultrabook
Ipad
2 X Nintendos (kids!)
Tomtom GPS
2 X Cameras
plus may buy another tough/waterproof one with our Flybuys points
1 X Video Camera (yet to buy)
2 X Noise cancelling Earphones (1 yet to buy)
2 X Ordinary cellphones ( will get prepaid sim cards over there)
Various chargers, adaptors, batteries, memory cards etc

I leave all the tech stuff to DH, I don't have a smartphone and only have my ordinary cellphone for emergencies ( I don't even know how to text!)

 

[hjd0411]

Wow - I am trying to cut down what I take, but I'm nowhere near what you have to start with!!!
This time, though, we want to take:
1 x iPhone
1 x Smart phone
1 x iPad
1 x Canon dSLR and lenses and tripod
1 x p & s camera
1 x Tom Tom GPS
Various connector/charging cables

Previously I have taken my laptop but I find it just too cumbersome traipsing through airports with it, so this time I'm testing the iPad for internet connecting and downloading of photos.
This trip I am really trying to travel light - not sure how successful I'll be, but I will be trying.
Question please - if I have the iPad, is a Kindle (or similar) necessary too? I can read off the iPad (never tried it of course!), but I do wonder if a Kindle would be better as it is "made" for reading. Thanks!

 

[AussieJess]

on my upcoming trip i will have

1 phone & charger
1 camera with batteries and memory cards
1 Netbook with charger
1 iPod with charger

 

[shushh]

Andona, I was about to giggle at you when I realised that my list isn't that much shorter! Here it is for the 2 adults and 3 children in the family:

2 iPhones
1 normal phone
1 portable mobile charger
1 iPad
2 Ipods
1 DSLR plus paraphernalia –filters, lens, flash, tripod, batteries and multiple SD cards
1 portable hard drive
Spare USBs
3 kindles
1 netbook
1 Garmin navigator
1 wifi dongle (if to the US)
2 adaptors for the appropriate country, powerboard
Earphones for each person
1 car charger
Associated wall chargers for all the devices!

We used to also take a P&S camera as well as a video camera. We now just use our iphones for those purposes or the D90.

 

[Sugarglider]

I get a bit confused as to why to take multiple pieces of equipment that do the same thing e.g. take a kindle AND a tablet / or even AND a laptop.

Cause you can read a book on all of these. Same with smartphones plus ipods - doesn't the smartphone make the ipod redundant?

I take my smartphone - which can operate as a wifi modem (so no dongle needed) and my tablet - with a bluetooth keyboard in one of those built in covers - so no laptop needed. And my P&S - which takes stills and video. My P&S is reasonable - not top of line but I am happy and want to travel light. Unfortunately they do need to be plugged in and there is a bunch of cables and usb/sd discs to go with them.

I also found that even though my smartphone and tablet have GPS and can technically use google maps and be the navigator, the slow 3G / 4G issue defeated it's use at 50 mph on the expressway! So - yes on the navigator front - but only until the smartphone can keep up!

I know some of you are taking numerous kiddies - but I just wonder do you really really in the bottom of your hearts need all of this?? You will be spending almost all of your time in the parks having fun - and the rest of the time collapsing exhaustedly into bed

and hjd0411 - you can read off an ipad - it is designed to be a reading tool - so you will be fine there

 

[Andona]

lol - you do take a lot!!

I know!!

The funny thing is I was reading about the massive number of suitcases that some here take on their trips and was feeling totally amazed ( we only ever checkin one bag each) BUT then I did a mental calculation of all the gadgets we'd be taken and realised I wasn't such a light packer after all..

Recently DH has been taking his laptop as well, for work reasons, so you could add that to the list as well, and he's just bought a tablet too, so time will tell if that also must some each trip

I bet he'll end up taking both DH says he needs the Laptop for work too, but why he needed an iPad as well has me a bit stumped!

i tend to use small packing cubes for all the adaptors/usb sticks/chargers/wires etc to make keeping it all together in the luggage nice & easy plus if tsa want to inspect it, it's all packed together for ease of access.

I like the idea of using the packing cube to keep them all in one spot! We've tended to share them between us ( each person responsible for their own cables etc) but I know DS's always end up a tangled mess.

Wow what a list

I saw a Chinese family at wdw a few weeks ago and they were holding up their iPads taking pictures over people's heads. Looked rather silly and really not sure where they put them while on the rides. For a family of three we only take an iPad for my work, 1smart phone, two normal phones and a p&s camera. I just bought noise canceling headphones and will try them next Easter. So I guess we travel light but we only fly 1000 miles.

I really don't see the appeal of using the ipad camera for snapshots - it's so cumbersome! You will love the noise cancelling headphones - we spend around 20 hours on the plane to get to Florida and the headphones make it almost bearable

I have no idea what half that stuff is

i am technologically disabled....

i do have a kindle..does that make me trendy???

Of course! You'll note that I don't have a Kindle ...Hmmm, maybe I need to get one??

Ultrabook
Ipad
2 X Nintendos (kids!)
Tomtom GPS
2 X Cameras
plus may buy another tough/waterproof one with our Flybuys points
1 X Video Camera (yet to buy)
2 X Noise cancelling Earphones (1 yet to buy)
2 X Ordinary cellphones ( will get prepaid sim cards over there)
Various chargers, adaptors, batteries, memory cards etc

I leave all the tech stuff to DH, I don't have a smartphone and only have my ordinary cellphone for emergencies ( I don't even know how to text!)

At least we don't have to take a Nintendo anymore - DS has kind of grown out of them now. I;d forgotten that used to be an essential for us a few years ago too

Wow - I am trying to cut down what I take, but I'm nowhere near what you have to start with!!!
This time, though, we want to take:
1 x iPhone
1 x Smart phone
1 x iPad
1 x Canon dSLR and lenses and tripod
1 x p & s camera
1 x Tom Tom GPS
Various connector/charging cables

Previously I have taken my laptop but I find it just too cumbersome traipsing through airports with it, so this time I'm testing the iPad for internet connecting and downloading of photos.
This trip I am really trying to travel light - not sure how successful I'll be, but I will be trying.
Question please - if I have the iPad, is a Kindle (or similar) necessary too? I can read off the iPad (never tried it of course!), but I do wonder if a Kindle would be better as it is "made" for reading. Thanks!

I'm with you on the TomTom. We couldn't possibly do a trip like ours without it - just love it! For our previous trips we used to have the voice of John Cleese telling us where to go but this time around we'll have Stephen Fry - helps make the miles pass with a laugh.

I've never had a Kindle. I've used Palms and my smartphones and now my iPad for all my eBooks so I'm accustomed to the backlit screens. Because of that the Kindle screen seems really dull to me, but I know that the Kindle would be MUCH better to read out in the sunshine.
The iPad Kindle app is excellent and you can read all the Kindle books on it.

on my upcoming trip i will have

1 phone & charger
1 camera with batteries and memory cards
1 Netbook with charger
1 iPod with charger

Now that's a sensible amount for one person I think

Andona, I was about to giggle at you when I realised that my list isn't that much shorter! Here it is for the 2 adults and 3 children in the family:

2 iPhones
1 normal phone
1 portable mobile charger
1 iPad
2 Ipods
1 DSLR plus paraphernalia –filters, lens, flash, tripod, batteries and multiple SD cards
1 portable hard drive
Spare USBs
3 kindles
1 netbook
1 Garmin navigator
1 wifi dongle (if to the US)
2 adaptors for the appropriate country, powerboard
Earphones for each person
1 car charger
Associated wall chargers for all the devices!

We used to also take a P&S camera as well as a video camera. We now just use our iphones for those purposes or the D90.

Ahhh, Shushh you make me feel MUCH better!!!

Andona

 

[Andona]

I get a bit confused as to why to take multiple pieces of equipment that do the same thing e.g. take a kindle AND a tablet / or even AND a laptop.

Cause you can read a book on all of these. Same with smartphones plus ipods - doesn't the smartphone make the ipod redundant?

We end up with multiples to save on arguments. At the end of the day you'll find DH on his laptop updating his travel blog, I'm on my iPad sending a long email home to elderly parents and DH is on his Netbook logging into facebook and playing games etc. If we all had to share one device it would get ugly

DH uses his iPhone as his MP3 player but I like my little tiny iPad nano - it clips on my sleeve and is less bulky when I'm listening to "sleepy music" on the plane. It also avoid the phone battery running down when I've got the music playing for 8 hours. DS's smartphone doesn't have enough room on it for his VAST music library, which explains his iPod.

I take my smartphone - which can operate as a wifi modem (so no dongle needed) and my tablet - with a bluetooth keyboard in one of those built in covers - so no laptop needed. And my P&S - which takes stills and video. My P&S is reasonable - not top of line but I am happy and want to travel light. Unfortunately they do need to be plugged in and there is a bunch of cables and usb/sd discs to go with them.

I think the Bluetooth keyboard is a great idea. I love my iPad but it's a pain in the neck using the virtual keyboard for typng up long emails.

The problem with using your smartphone as a WiFi dongle is that not all prepaid phone plans in the US will allow you to tether devices from the phone. I agree it's a very useful feature if the Telco allows it though

I know some of you are taking numerous kiddies - but I just wonder do you really really in the bottom of your hearts need all of this?? You will be spending almost all of your time in the parks having fun - and the rest of the time collapsing exhaustedly into bed

Well, we're only spending 2 days in the parks and the remaining 3 weeks on the road so we don't fit that model Over the last several trips we have added and dropped various devices for each one. For example, we used to take a Nintendo DS and a portable DVD player for our DS ( we ALWAYS do road trips) . But these days he has his iPod and Netbook instead.


I have to say ( and it's probably a sad admission!) that we use every single one of our devices. We're just geeks - and proud of it

Andona

 

[mindy32]

Oh wow, what a list!

When we went to Europe we took one point and shoot camera and a video camera. That's it! That was a couple of years ago though so we may take a couple more things, including my DSLR. I loved not taking my phone last time so had no intention of taking it this time until I realised I really want to use Instagram! So we'll see. And I am thinking of getting DH an ipad for his birthday and if I did he'd definitely take that on the trip! I just buy actual books as we go and then leave them in hotels, though I have thought about getting an e-reader. And I find the laptops too bulky so definitely not taking them, though the friend we're travelling with may.

 

[Aust]

We'll be taking (for 2 adults and 3 kids):

1 laptop

2 cameras (1 with built in video camera)

1 IPhone (with travel sim)

1 other smart phone (with travel sim)

1 'normal' mobile phone

2 DS's

2 IPod's (1 shuffle, 1 nano)


We SHOULD be taking an IPod touch, however my 11 year old has lost it!!

Because we're staying at the same place the whole trip (except for 1 night) it's not too cumbersome to take the laptop.

I have briefly considered getting an IPad - however the kids would fight over it so much we'd need 3, which is definitely not happening!

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Good question, hmmm let me think. This is for a family with 2 adults, 1 DD14 and 1 DS10:-

2 iPhones - perhaps still debating this one
1 old iphone that son uses as an ipod touch
1 portable mobile charger
1 iPad - may be buying another one over there or even here before we go
3 Ipods
1 DSLR plus paraphernalia –filters, lens, flash, batteries and multiple SD cards
1 Point and shoot camera
1 video camera
1 Laptop - to answer work emails and update the DIS
1 portable hard drive
2 kindles
1 wifi dongle
2 Nintendo DS's plus chargers and games
2 adaptors for the appropriate country, powerboard
Earphones for each person
Associated wall chargers for all the devices!

 

[viaggiamo]

LOL

Love your list!!

A couple of Qs; do you like the Mophy juice pack, I have been looking at these...

And what noise cancelling headphones do you all have?

and which charger do you have? Do you have one with USB ports as well to charge more than one thing?

Our list for 2A2C will be:

3 ipod touches (loaded with lovely child-noise-cancelling apps)
1 laptop
1 ipad (buying this soon)
1 DLSR with 2 lenses
1 P&S camera


That's it.

We have decided to leave the phones home this time as we are going to do the old fashioned "meet at a certain time, in a certain place" thing...

And I am taking a book rather than my kindle as I just cannot get the love for it yet.

We also take a small packing cube full of our leads and chargers.

 

[Andona]

We SHOULD be taking an IPod touch, however my 11 year old has lost it!!

I can relate to that! My DS has a sad record of losing his devices at around that age. On our 2009 trip he managed to leave behind his PSP TWICE on the same trip! Luckily we were able to recover them but not without a panic. Last year he left his iPod in the car on the way to the airport and was severely deprived of his music library for 3 weeks in Europe

Good question, hmmm let me think. This is for a family with 2 adults, 1 DD14 and 1 DS10:-

2 iPhones - perhaps still debating this one
1 old iphone that son uses as an ipod touch
1 portable mobile charger
1 iPad - may be buying another one over there or even here before we go
3 Ipods
1 DSLR plus paraphernalia –filters, lens, flash, batteries and multiple SD cards
1 Point and shoot camera
1 video camera
1 Laptop - to answer work emails and update the DIS
1 portable hard drive
2 kindles
1 wifi dongle
2 Nintendo DS's plus chargers and games
2 adaptors for the appropriate country, powerboard
Earphones for each person
Associated wall chargers for all the devices!

Shuttergirl, you also make me feel MUCH better!! (Not surprised though - you and I seem to think on similar lines when it comes to packing... )

LOL

Love your list!!

A couple of Qs; do you like the Mophy juice pack, I have been looking at these...

And what noise cancelling headphones do you all have?

and which charger do you have? Do you have one with USB ports as well to charge more than one thing?

Our list for 2A2C will be:

3 ipod touches (loaded with lovely child-noise-cancelling apps)
1 laptop
1 ipad (buying this soon)
1 DLSR with 2 lenses
1 P&S camera


That's it.

We have decided to leave the phones home this time as we are going to do the old fashioned "meet at a certain time, in a certain place" thing...

And I am taking a book rather than my kindle as I just cannot get the love for it yet.

We also take a small packing cube full of our leads and chargers.

We've only just bought the Mophie Juice pack. I've charged it up but haven't tested it yet - it gets heaps of good reviews though. I WAS surprised at how small and light it is though - I don't think I'd mind carrying it around in my handbag.

For earphones - DH loves his Sennheiser PXC 450's. They are large over the ear ones and extremely effective.
I find over the ear headphones too bulky and prefer the in-the-ear-canal kind with earbuds. I love my Sony MDR-NC33. This is my second pair of Sony's - I had the previous model a few years ago. In between I tried Audio-Technica but I just didn't think they screened out as much noise.
DS uses a pair of on-the-ear Sennheisers.

Our car charger is this one http://www.magellans.com/store/Electronics___ChargersAA189 It fits neatly into one of the cup holders in the car and converts a single cigarette outlet into two cigarette outlets + 2 USB ports.

I think you're incredible brave to travel without a phone!! I get anxious if I go to the local store and realise I've left my phone at home. Maybe I need some therapy...

Andona

 

[Minniemum]

Happy to share now I know I'm not alone.....

1 iPhone
1 Blackberry
2 iPads
1 iPod
2 DS/DSi
1 laptop (maybe 2)
1 Portable hard drive
1 P & S camera
1 DSLR
2 noise cancelling headphones
+ all relevant cords and a powerboard.

Andona, love the idea of the sim cutter.