What Are Your Travel Gadgets?

When we took our first flight with the boy when he was three weeks old, or went anywhere when he was an infant, I felt like we packed the whole house and took it with us. . . trying to prepare for any eventuality; any situation.  Fast forward 9 years.  And, while we aren’t packing the whole house anymore, we do tend to prepare for various situations that may arise and we definitely pack more electronic gadgets.

Phones—the husband and I both have cell phones and they go with us on trips.  Before our current cell phone plan, I would contact the cell phone company prior to a trip and add on roaming minutes for a minimum charge.  This was much more economical than paying for the minutes after a trip!  Neither of us have “smart” phones or data packages.  Just talk and text—and texting is an upgrade from where we were even a year ago!  I envision that we will someday be a three phone family, but not yet. 

DVD player—we have one built into the car!  What a lovely invention that comes into play when we travel for more than 30 minutes.  We also have a portable DVD player that has been on many vacations with us and provided in flight entertainment.  It has been replaced by the. . .

iPad—a unique device that allows for fun and productivity.  When we are traveling it is a game center—with the game apps and entertainment center with either downloaded or “rented” movies and books.  Free wi-fi at airports and on airplanes gives us even more options for use.  We also learned that Coronado Springs, the Walt Disney World Resort we will be staying at for our next trip, has free wi-fi!

Nintendo DS—the small gaming device travels with us, too.  It is great to bring to meals on a cruise ship or at Walt Disney World.  Its portability is one of its strengths, as it is easy to carry around in a “day” bag at the parks.  And, is another option to the iPad, especially if the husband has commandeered the iPad.

Cameras—we usually don’t leave home with at least one, if not two. . . sometimes more!  Our trusty digital camera with 8G memory card has more than earned its stripes.  Add on the Flip camera for video to our entourage.  If we are traveling to a destination that involves water, we usually have some sort of waterproof camera, too.  I’m in the process of looking at digital waterproof cameras—have been for a couple of years.  When I find the right one, I’m sure it will come with us too!

And, the most important gadget of all?  The power strip!  We keep all of our chargers—phones, iPad, Nintendo, camera battery—on one power strip and it goes with us on any vacation!  Sure beats trying to hunt for chargers and outlets when traveling.  One plug and done!  (That sounds a bit like a commercial, doesn’t it?)

Before our gadgets were binkies, blankies, and books.  Now, most of our gadgets have a two pronged plug or battery life!  Evolution!