Must-have travel gadget essentials

Whether you find traveling fun or not, here are some gadgets that will help relax and get more done when away from home or office.

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Pocket VPN Router

Want a hub that allows you to connect multiple devices to a single Wi-Fi, Ethernet or mobile hotspot and secure your connection? You need a mini travel router. There are many out there, but GL.iNET make some decent devices, from one that is cheap and simple at $20 to one that costs a bit more but has more features.

Skyroam Solis X

The Skyroam Solis X is a 4G Wi-Fi mobile hotspot that will work in more than 130 countries and is sharable with up to 10 devices. It comes complete with a built-in power bank and an 8-megapixel camera. It runs for 16 hours on a single charge and is controlled using its app.

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Charging station

I like a charger with a lot of ports and one that has USB-A and USB-C ports. Anker's 2-port charger is useful if you don't need to charge too many things, while the 5-port charger is good if you have a lot of devices.

Portable power bank

There are a lot of different power banks out there, from super-cheap ones that I don't like or recommend, to super expensive ones that aren't practical. My personal favorite is still the Zendure X6 because it is a portable charger with a difference. It features 20,100 mAh of portable battery capacity, compatible with QC 3.0 that offers 45W of PD (Power Delivery) power. It comes with five USB ports (one of which is a USB Type-C port) offering support for charging five devices simultaneously. It also features a USB Hub mode which allows for data transfer over the two USB-A ports.

Surge protector

Better to be safe than sorry. The Belkin 3-Outlet that comes complete with two USB ports is not only a little bit of added security but also a handy way to get more power outlets in your hotel room.

#6: All-in-one charging cable

Handy way to save on space and tangling is to use an all-in-one charging cable that features Lightning, USB-C and MicroUSB connectors, all on a single cable.

Rugged external storage

While I like having my data in the cloud, sometimes you just can't beat having a drive that you take with you. The problem is that storage drives aren't the most robust things out there, so getting a rugged one is important.

A solid, robust drive that can handle being dropped or left out in the rain is the SanDisk Extreme portable SSD. It's light and portable, fast, hardy enough to survive being around me – and that says a lot – and fast. It comes in capacities ranging from 250GB to 2TB.

Stop losing your things!

It's easy to lose track of your stuff when you are in an unfamiliar place. One high-tech way to prevent expensive losses is to use a tracker, and the best out there is the Tile range. There's the Tile Mate, and the more rugged Tile Pro, both featuring replaceable batteries. They're not particularly cheap, but neither is replacing lost items!

Repair toolkit essentials for smartphones, tablets, Macs, and PCs

Anything you'd add to the list? Let me know below!

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