50 Amazing Travel Gadgets You Gotta Have

Technology.am — There are many gadgets that may be considered by you. It is obvious; you don’t forget your laptop or cell phone while traveling, whether for business or leisure. But here we are collecting some of the less-obvious gadgets that you may want to consider when traveling.

Apple Nike+ Armband:

The water-resistant Apple Nike+ Armband for the iPod Nano will do the trick and then some. Once fastened to your arm underneath a coat or jacket, its wide Velcro clasp makes it virtually impossible to steal, at least without you noticing.

AquaSkipper:

AquaSkipper is a new 6-foot-long Jet Ski that makes you hop on water instead of walking or surfing on it. The device relies on the hopping motion to propel the ski forward. It is made from aircraft grade aluminum and has a wingspan of seven feet. For the propulsion the device relies on a fiberglass spring.

Biometric Card:

The Fly Clear card is like an EZPass/FastLane card for airline travelers. Currently available at select airports – with more added regularly – it allows you quick and easy access through obscenely long security lines. Tim Ferriss – author of The 4 Hour Work Week – claims it “cuts down my airport wait time about 95%”. I’m sold.

Bottle Opener Sandals:

Fancy yourself more of a hops fellah than a wino? The aforementioned Reef has outdone themselves by combining the classic staple of beach life – the sandal – with the classic staple of the beach life boozer – the bottle opener.

CompuTrekker Plus AW Camera Backpack:

And, of course, we have to wrap this up with one kick ass backpack in which to store all of this great gear. This incredible bag – available for less than $150US – packs enough space for a 17″ laptop; pro digital SLR camera; 35 mm or compact medium format system; 4-5 lenses (up to 400mm f/2.8); camera flash and virtually all of your accessories.

Credit Card-Sized 8GB Storage Device:

A flashpacker’s delight. It’s lame name aside, the PQI U510 manages to cram 8GB of storage into a slick, aluminum credit card-sized unit.

De-Pooify Your Water Supply:

If you’re not a big fan of drinking animal droppings with your river water while hiking or on the go, the MSR Miox water filter is all you need to de-pooify a steady, virtually unlimited, potable water supply.

Foldable Bike:

We’ve seen some odd bicycle designs before, but none were as collapsible as this folding bike concept by British designer Thomas Owen, called “One.” Look how it folds into that nicely portable rounded shape, resembling a hatbox with an easy carrying handle.

Foldable cloth oven:

All those who love outdoors might well know the food problems you’ve to face. Need not face them anymore! Next time you go out for camping, take the foldable oven with you. Researchers in Taiwan Textile Institute have developed a cloth that can take high temperatures (over 300 degrees) making it hot enough to roast chicken or bake cookies.

FreeAgent GO:

Of course, if the miniscule capacity restrictions of a USB Drive are too small for you, you can always opt for the Seagate FreeAgent GO. It’s available in up to 160GB capacity and it’s about the size of a deck of cards making it extremely portable. The kicker is that you can hook this bad boy up to any computer (think: internet cafe in Bangkok) and run all of your own software, web settings, etc. off of it.

Front Runner boat:

This machine looks to be inspired from Star Wars, but actually is a boat dubbed Front Runner. The boat has an all-aluminum body that makes it light and gives it the ability to fly across smooth water. Front Runner is powered by a 215HP engine and uses ‘win forward-mounted jet-drive motors’ to propel it forward. The machine is designed in such a manner that it skims on top of very shallow water, such as your bathtub.

Gorillapod:

The Gorillapod. Tripods are so last month. And who wants to actually hold their digital camera, like with their hands, when they can mount it virtually anywhere and to anything with this beast?

GPS Photo Tagger:

Serious traveler/photographers know what a pain in the ass it can be to keep track of where each and every one of their photos were taken. You could keep a running diary of every shot, but who needs that hassle? Enter the Sony GPSCS1KA GPS Unit Kit. All you need to do to use it is turn it on and carry it with you. It takes a snapshot of your location at fifteen second intervals. Back home, the included software checks the EXIF data from each photo and matches it to where you were at that point in time.

Hammock:

It’s tough to tell from their German language website, but this 2001: A Space Odyssey-esque device is, as Gadling puts it, “a hammock to keep your small electronics from falling to their death while hanging from oddly-placed outlets.” I can honestly say I’ve never been in such a situation, but I like to be prepared.

Hand-Powered Generator:

Sure it looks like a kid’s yo-yo, but I rather like it: simple, quiet, rugged, playful and, most of all, useful. According to the manufacturer’s website: A minute of pulling the PCG generates enough energy for 20 minutes of talk time on a mobile phone, 1 hour of ultrabright LED flashlight use and 3 hours play time on an iPod Shuffle.

iCache:

Imagine combining every credit and debit card in your wallet into a compact, secure device no larger than a Motorla RAZR. That’s the goal of iCache. If the biometric scanning device works nearly as well as it’s being billed, this would almost render the misfortune of losing one’s wallet moot.

Joost Travel TV:

If you are the one who love to travel all across the globe but can’t miss watching TV on the move, you surely need to check out Joost, an easy and simple way of watching TV on the internet.

Kindle – Books to go:

Amazon Kindle is the first-generation e-book reader certainly needs improvement — the page-turn buttons are awkwardly placed, among other things — but anyone who likes to read on the road should consider it an essential companion. That’s because you can take a veritable library with you. The 10.3-ounce device holds around 200 books; infinitely more if you load books onto external SD cards. Better yet is Whispernet, Amazon’s built-in wireless service — it piggybacks on Sprint’s EVDO network — that delivers books on demand in seconds.

Laser Virtual Keyboard:

Relieve your hands of the stress of constantly pushing down heavy keyboard keys with a Bluetooth Laser Virtual Keyboard. This thing is Minority Report cool, but without Tom Cruise’s crazy antics and all that 1984-style big-government-gettin’-up-in-your-piece nonsense.

OHSO Pocket Toothbrush:

The lowly toothbrush has seen few updates in the last century or so. The OHSO Marko Chrome Pocket Toothbrush looks to change that.

Pen Fishing Rod:

This clever little gadget is about the size of a large marker pen at only eight inches long, and yet opens up to become an aluminium alloy 4ft fishing rod, complete with a left and right handed reel (packed separately), a 5lb breaking strain line, and even includes a triple hook spinner. Never again will you be caught short when you spot a fish rise, and it’s small enough to carry with you everywhere!

Pocket Cinema:

If we told you that you could fit a 50″ television screen in your trousers you’d be perfectly justified in giving us a good slap before storming off in a rage. But slap ye not, for that’s exactly what you can do with the Pocket Cinema V10 – and without a buxom blonde asking if you’re pleased to see her or not. It’s as small as a mobile phone, has inbuilt stereo speakers and can project movies and pictures up to a staggering 50 inches wide – so no more squinting at the tiny B&B’s portable TV next time you drag the family to Skegness.

Portable Barbecue Grill:

The Grilliput is stainless steel; weighs roughly 20 ounces; folds up to about the size of a thick, round ruler; and costs less than $30. Hell, it’s small and compact enough that you could tailgate in a hostel bathroom. Not that you’d want to of course. But you could. How cool is that?

Portable Kitchen Sink:

The Kitchen Sink is a great accessory for the environmentally conscious camper. Hidden snugly away in a handy carry pouch, it pops out and expands to give you a sink that will hold up to 5 litres of water. The steel rim keeps the sink upright once it’s been filled, and the reinforced carry handles will make carrying the water back from the babbling brook 200 yards away less of a chore.

Power Adapter Kit:

Tumi’s Ultra Slim Universal Power Adaptor Kit – “the ultimate power tool for mobile computer and electronics users.” Pricey but ridiculously thin and portable.

Quik Pod:

The Quik Pod is a gadget that extends the reach of your arms and hands so you’re not restricted to taking awkward, super close-up photos of you and the strange “friend” you hazily woke up with at the hostel this morning. Sure, you’ll look like a goober using this thing, but face it: everyone knows you’re a tourist anyway (yes, unfortunately the Abercrombe + Fitch ring t-shirt and Boston Red Sox hat are dead giveaways). It’s less than $30 via the manufacturer’s website.

Snowboarding Jacket GPS:

Now this is something very much techno- savvy and rather quite innovating for all those snowboarders at the global front. This unique snowboarding jacket is not just a usual jacket, in spite of keeping you warm it also has GPS connectivity and that too through a watch. The display panel is mounted on the sleeve of the jacket which presents you with the speed, distance and time as well.

Solar Charger:

I’ve been griping about the lack of killer solar chargers since last year. But Earthtech Product PowerMonkey Explorer may just be the answer to my lowly prayers.

Solar Powered Backpack:

You can throw everything above into the solar-powered Voltaic Backpack. This bad boy will power every one of your gadgets (save your laptop) as long as there’s daylight. And when the sun goes down, you can always take to the streets to impress strangers with your new 8-inch tool.

Stash Sandals:

If you’d rather your hostel-mates or the hotel chambermaid not think you’re a disgusting chap with a penchant for showing off your poo-laden unmentionables, Reef’s Stash sandals are just the trick. Although they’re technically marketed towards the ladies, they are offered in jet black. So if you’re a dude, no one has to know that you like to wear women’s shoes.

Stowboard Foldable Skateboard:

The Stowboard is a wild innovation – it’s something like a skateboard that folds up into a compact little unit that can be fit easily into a backpack. The board is as long as a regular skateboard. You can ride the device smoothly maintaining a perfect balance.

Storm tracker weather device:

If you are looking for a domestic device that can make you aware of nature’s wrath, Storm tracker weather alert device seems to be the best solution.

StuffBak Recovery Tag:

Tagging your luggage with semi-permanent global ID tags – such as those offered by StuffBak.com or EZFind – could make finding your bags (or iPod or collapsible traveler’s sousaphone) a hell of a lot easier. Sure, they’re not foolproof and they require that whoever finds your stuff is kind-hearted and appreciates the concept of karma enough to want to return it to its rightful owner in the first place.

Swedish Fire Steel:

Now you need not struggle with soggy matches or lighters in the wind when you’re out camping. Whatever be the weather, you can simply get your fire started first time. The fire starter named Swedish Firesteel developed originally by Swedish Department of Defense helps producing a powerful 3,000C spark that lasts for 3,000 – 12,000 strikes.

Swiss Army USB:

I know, I know: how many kick ass data storage solutions can I list in one blog post? Evidently too many. The picture says it all: the Swiss Army USB is a standard pocket knife with a protected, slide-out 1GB memory stick, plus Blade, Nail file with screwdriver, Scissors, Key ring, LED mini light and Retractable ball point pen. It’s a bit pricey at $78.00 MSRP, but if you’re looking for a simple, portable data storage solution with a no-frills multi-tool, this should do the trick.

The Beerbelly:

Ask any budget traveler what their biggest money sink is/was on their way around the world and the answer is almost unanimous: booze. Enter The Beerbelly. It’s essentially a hollow prosthetic beer gut that you fill with the “adult” [wink wink] beverage of your choice.

Theft-Proof Day Pack:

Love ‘em or hate ‘em. Traveler reviews for PacSafe products have always been a mixed bag (pun intended) to say the least. Folks either swear by them or they loathe them with a disdain that rivals their hatred for sunburns and loud cell phone talkers.

Tobacco Pipe:

The ingenious manufacturer describes it as a a “revolutionary self-igniting smoking apparatus that combines refillable, adjustable butane lighter with a high quality tobacco smoking pipe.”

Trackstick II:

Gadling reports the Trackstick II is “designed specifically for integration with Google Earth, Trackstick II is a GPS device that lets you “keep a satellite scrapbook of all your travels and record your explorations.” It’s like having a trail of live map pushpins follow you wherever you go!

Travel Cases:

Checking your crackberry or updating weekly travel expenses on your Treo while scuba diving is easier than ever before with the waterproof and crushproof Pelican Micro Case Series of cases. There’s even a purge valve to equalize the pressure!

Travel Tent:

Gone are the days of conventional camping when you used to carry just a sleeping bagbag. Camping is now much more than just planning a trip to some place. The Eureka’s new N!ergy Tent, if used with the E! Power System, aims to bring technology outdoors, featuring a trio of 12-volt outlets to keep your devices charged at all times. Moreover, the blue LED’s sparkle the outdoors and act as a portable night light. The Eureka! N!ergy tent comes for $249, with an extra $50 for the E! Power System Power Pack.

Ultraviolet Bacteria and Pathogen Killing Water Wand:

Actually, it’s called the SteriPEN (good thing I’m not in their marketing department). The SteriPEN is like the MSR Miox for geeks and Star Wars fans (I know that’s a redundant redundancy). And it’s equally as effective: “it’s fast (48 seconds for 16 ounces), light (under 110g/4 oz), easy and effective, it’s perfect for hikers and campers who value powerful products in small packages with no loss of effectiveness. Adventurer is especially effective against common protozoa like Cryptosporidium.” Opt for the solar adapter and you too can live indefinitely on a compound in Montana with the tinfoil hat brigade and their anti-government assault weaponry.

Universal Power Adapter:

This adapter from USBGeek.com is a whole new ball game. At only $17, it’s less than half the price of H+S’s and way cooler.

USB Flash Drive Wristband:

Nowadays, most long-term travelers will pack at least a USB thumb drive to store software applications, web settings and passwords, etc. Imation Flash Wristbands let you forget about rummaging through your pack or your pockets, or worrying about the likelihood that your standard USB drive will get lost or stolen. Now you can wear it right on your wrist. Available up to 256 MB capacity, it’s great as a backup drive.

USB Rechargeable Batteries:

Carting a handful of rechargeable batteries and a charger around the world adds more than a bit of clutter and weight to your luggage or pack. USBCell Rechargeable Batteries solve this problem by embedding the charger into the battery itself. Available in a variety of battery sizes and types, these are pure genius for flashpackers and traveling gadget lovers.

USB Shaver:

This USB powered shaver could be your perfect travel attendant since it can recharge your laptop anywhere and you will be at ease to clean your beard for the important meetings (e.g. blind dates). The compact shaver measures 4 1/2″ x 2″ and weighs a mere 13 lbs. It comes compatible with USB 1.0 and 2.0 interface. The built-in USB connection takes care of the charging of the wireless shaver. Priced at $14.40.

UV LED Goggles:

Now these may seem a bit vague but it’s true, these goggles are a lot more than they seem to be. They have the ability to see in the dark as well as may be termed as the X-ray vision compatible. What are the army men thinking? Are they going nuts? Why have they unleashed such a gadget and that too to the civilians? Would definitely prove dangerous if some infiltrators get a hold on one of such devices.

Vibrating rings:

Gail Knight, a British designer has developed two such rings that will guide the travelers in the unfamiliar places. These rings have global positioning satellite to guide the wearer. Also, there is a device controller which one needs to wear around the neck or clip on to clothing.

This device controller has all the necessary electronics that could not be fitted in the rings. The eight digit display allows for a postcode to be entered. It also has an electronic compass and GPS system that powers the navigation of this device.

WiFi Detector:

Critical to flash packers and Location-Independent-Professionals (LIP) is the ability to grab a WiFi signal at a moment’s notice. And you don’t want to have boot up your laptop every time you need to check your Facebook account. Most WiFi detectors provide little more than a green light to indicate when a signal is present. The problem is that these devices don’t tell you if that signal is encrypted or … really anything more about the network at all. Enter ThinkGeek’s Third Generation WiFi Detector, featuring.

X-Ray Gear Bag:

How the world exactly what you’re carrying, even if what you’re showing is only a reasonable facsimile. The X-Ray tote and shoulder bags, made of a space-age woven plastic fiber, appear to have been bombarded by X-rays, and have magically made your eyes sensitive to their reflection. It appears as though your stuff has gone through the security check at the airport (although, we highly recommend AGAINST carrying these through such a checkpoint as the NTSB, as a rule, has no sense of humor.