Do you remember when calls burned a hole in your pocket to get back your lost luggage? While the insurance can pay you for it, you lost time reporting and calling people. That time could have otherwise been used to ski down the Alpine slopes, the very reason you made the travel on a cold season like that December.
Years of travel may have seasoned you to be able to deal with the worst possible conditions with just your wit, your credit card and some contacts. While you may have survived those challenges and ordeals, there is no denying that a little help along the way would be much appreciated. You made more travels in the recent past because technology allowed you to do your work or manage your business even when you are thousands of miles away. For years, who would ever think that gadgets would become so practical you can’t travel without them.
If you caught the travel bug, you need a little help to make your adventures safer, more fun and easier. You need some gadgets to make these possible; all travellers do even seasoned ones. Since it is December and Christmas is at hand, your family and friends could be asking what you want for a gift. If you are building a wish list, check out some of the stuff you should be including there from this article, “Travel Gadgets That Should Be On Your Christmas List This December” that was written by Russell Jarvis for TravelStart Blog.
Jarvis noted the “10 of the best travel gadgets and gear worthy of everyone’s Christmas stocking this holiday season”…
Get the shot with a Smartphone Selfie Stick
… Right now selfie sticks are… awesome for snapping group selfies … or lonely poses like our friend overhead. Put your lens into reverse, pose away and GO! Selfie sticks cost about R200 for the kit including the stick and device mount and Bluetooth remote.
Coin – Coming soon!
… It’s a credit card replacement travel gadget designed to bring the 30-year-old traditional credit card into the digital era… when it eventually launches – Coin aims to … replace up to six credit, debit, gift, or membership cards by combining them into one small piece of hardware. Pre-orders are available for $117.50 (about R1360)…
Hone in on the action with GoPro
GoPro is … quintessential digital accessory for adrenalin seeking wanderers… the latest version of the HD action camera, the GoPro Hero4 … raises the bar in consumer action cam technology… the Black Hero4 features incredibly high-resolution (4K30) and 2.7K50 video and high frame rate 1080p120 video, while the Hero4 Silver, pairs pro-quality video and photo capture with the convenience of a built-in touch display…
Prynt smartphone selfies in seconds
Now you can print smartphone snapshots in less than sixty seconds directly from your device … French startup Prynt … includes a built-in printer (that) connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth and can produce a photo in about 50 seconds… to launch … at the beginning of 2015… It is priced at $99 (approximately R1150).
Here’s what all luggage should be like
… Trunkster… The zipperless hard case boasts a USB port for charging on the go, a built-in luggage scale, and GPS among other intelligent features compliant to all airline and international travel regulations … At R3500 …, this revolutionary baggage technology doesn’t come cheap, but no one can argue its SWAG factor …
The rest of the Jarvis list includes:
- Ostrich Pillow: This no fashionable gadget, but it can get you grab sleep even in the busiest terminals and airports.
- Sea Doo Seascooters: This is an underwater ride that won’t just take you to places underwater; it will take you too in style. It has partnered with GoPro to equip it with handy camera features.
- Burner Cell Phone: If you must live a little simpler and cheaper, you have to switch to a basic prepaid burner cellphone that gets the job done minus the exorbitant costs of roaming charges. For this purpose, checkout the reliable Nokia 105, “a stalwart in the burner category…”
- The Wisp from Colgate: This is a mobile, waterless toothbrush that’s disposable and with a small of toothpaste you can brush, chew or pick with. With it, you can confidently breeze through the security and straight into a meeting.
- Huawei MiFi: It is a lightweight, mobile Wi-Fi data you can take everywhere. It lets you do you online work or communications virtually anywhere and it can be shared with other users.
For more ideas or a longer wish list, you would want to check out Travel Gadgets We Can’t Live Without posted in Lightfoot Travel Tales – Travel Tips and Ideas Section. Aside from the Ostrich Pillow, it also listed the following gadgets:
- Grid-it: This is an organizer that keeps all your electronics and non-electronic wires and bands into place.
- Re-timer: These are glasses that allow the wearer to easily adjust to the time zone in the destination without the usual jet lag.
- Trakdot Luggage Tracker: Spare yourself from the nightmare of losing your luggage with this tracker.
- Road ID: A band that has all your important contact details, it can help paramedics in case of emergency while adventuring in a remote place or touring a city.
- Word lens: With your smartphone and the app, you have a word translator wherever you go.
- Packing Pro: With this app, you need not make a mental note or a packing list to ensure you’ll not forget anything essential.
- Gorillapod: Selfie just got easier with this malleable tripod that lets you attach your camera or smartphone to any surface.
Take advantage of the gift-giving season. A wish list will easily remind you what you still need for your next adventure. Go ahead make one with these suggestions.
