With worldwide travel expecting to continue to increase in the coming years, more and more people will be on the move than ever before. If, when travelling, you always seem to have the same problems, whether it’s constantly running out of battery when you want to take a photo or trying to keep up to date with your various flights and connections, you may find something here that can help. Perhaps an offline language translator or somewhere to store your valuables while at the beach would do the trick? Here’s our round-up of some of the best travel gadgets around.
Boa squeeze
This backpack is ideal for those that plan to do a bit of remote work while travelling, or want to be entertained by several mobile devices when waiting at the airport or on a long journey. With dedicated compartments for up to 15” laptops, tablets and a spot for your mobile phone, you won’t be weighed down by that extra bag.
Tripit
If, like with us, travel sometimes gets complicated and you can’t keep all the different flight times, train times and connections all in your head in a logical order, you may find this app useful. You can email confirmation of your travel plans to the app and it will process the information for you. So you only have to remember your smartphone, oh and charger.
App in the Air
There’s nothing worse than turning up at an airport and discovering that there is a multi-hour delay to your flight or even worse, that the security delays are going to make you miss your flight. The App in the Air will give you a heads-up on the state of check-in, boarding, take-off and landing times in all major airports and let you know if there are any delays. Neat hey?
Menospeak Book
Without being connected to the 3g whilst travelling, using your phone may not really be an option, and your lack of the local lingo may get you in some awkward situations. For those without the time to learn the language before they go, being able to point at a picture to communicate, is great news. The Menospeak Books are currently available for eight destinations, including China, Thailand, Japan and Turkey.
LiveTrekker
If you’re one for details, or just have a bad memory (like some of our team), then this handy app, LiveTrekker can record the path you take through the city. You can also add photos and info to spots along the way, acting somewhat like a digital travel scrapbook. Great to look back on for the memories or to act as a reference for next time you visit.
RAVPower 26800mAh Xtreme Portable Charger
With all those apps you’ll be using, you’ll need to make sure you’ve got enough juice in your devices. This portable charger can reenergise an iPhone 6 Plus or Galaxy S6 more than six times, and you can even charge three devices at the same time. The charger itself can be charged up to 500 times. Great for those adventurous trips where you end up without a socket nearby.
Reef Stash Sandals
When you’re having a kick around on the beach, building a sandcastle with your kid or taking out a paddle boat, you don’t want to always be looking over to where you’ve left your clothes to see if anyone is going for your wallet. With these sandals, you can store your bank notes and other small important items in the soles and keep them safe with you all the time.
JBL Flip 3 Speaker
This Bluetooth connectable speaker has a length of just 16.9cm and is a convenient shape for packing – it’s a tube. It can be ordered in a choice of eight bright colours. When enjoying music next to the pool, you won’t need to worry about the speakers getting wet, due to its splash-proof casing. You can even answer a call without moving from your sun bed, with its in-built microphone.
XE Currency
If, like us, you are doing a lot of currency exchanges, it’s best to know the current live rates to protect yourselves against scandalous rates you may find. XE is a useful tool for this, simply type in the amount you want to change and it will tell you how much you should get at the current rate. If you want to know how the GBP (£) is doing at the moment, you can even check out the chart to see its changes over the past or month or year if you like.
Last but not least…
Modobag
When Trunki brought in their children’s rideable suitcase into the Dragons’ Den (UK), the idea was shown some interest, but finally sniffed at by the mega-investors. They have since come to regret that decision as it became a big seller. Recently Modobag has been developed for a more professional adult market and yes now you can buy a suitcase which you can ride on! Business-like in style, this new product enables you to get from one place to the next by just sitting on it. You could travel up to 6 miles to the boarding gate if necessary. As well as its mobility advantage, you can also use this to charge your mobile devices via USB. It has an outdoor (8mph) and indoor speed setting (5mph). If you want to take a weight off your legs and move around with ease, then all you have to do is sit down and place your feet on the extractable pedals.
We’d be interested to know what you think of these gadgets, have you used these previously or if not, which ones are you dying to try? Let us know in the comments below!
