Simple Hints and Tips for Buying, Using and Organising your Travel Adaptors …

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These days when I travel, I rarely leave home without my laptop, ipad and mobile. Add to that my camera and I end up with quite a few electronic devices, all of which need to be charged to be useful. Therefore, one of my absolute essentials is one (or more) travel adaptors for the country I’m visiting. It’s simply a plug that allows my devices to work or be charged in overseas powerpoints, which typically have different fittings to the power points here in Australia.

 

Yet despite their necessity, they are also one of the easiest things to overlook when you’re madly packing for that trip away! And if you do forget, there’s nothing more frustrating than realising your phone or computer is about to die and you have no way to charge it. You can usually pick up a travel adaptor at the airport, but that can be expensive, or, if you’re lucky, your hotel may have one you can borrow.

 

So, to help you from getting caught out, here’s a couple of simple tips:

 

  • Be sure to include Travel Adaptors as an item on your packing list. Here’s my Travel and Packing Checklist which is free to download and you will find them listed here.

 

 

 

 

  • Keep all your travel related items stored together at home in one place. I have a large crate that I keep in a cupboard in the garage that keeps together all the things that I specifically use or need when I travel, e.g. packing cells, travel adaptors, travel backpacks, luggage locks/keys, etc. That way, I don’t need to go searching for those travel items when I need them, I simply go straight to the crate.

 

  • Once you accumulate several adaptors, keep them all together in a labelled, clear container.

 

  • Label each adaptor so you can quickly and easily identify which one you’ll need for your trip. I prefer to use my label maker in preference to a permanent marker which can rub off over time.

 

  • If you think you’ll be lucky enough to travel far and wide, you may want to consider a worldwide adaptor. They will be more expensive but it will mean you can buy a single adaptor to cover nearly all countries.

 

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  • Consider how many people are travelling and how many chargeable items each person will have. One single plug will be pushed to its limits if 4 or 5 people are travelling together and they all bring multiple items that need to be charged each day. Take several plugs, avoid the fights and preserve your sanity!

 

  • When you pack, keep all your adaptors, cords and plugs together so you can find them quickly and easily and you always know where they are. I use a clear plastic travel packing cell and I always pack this in my carryon luggage … firstly, so it’s instantly accessible and secondly, I’m not stuck without them if my checked baggage were to be lost.

 

  • If you happen to be buying a travel adaptor for the first time, it’s a good idea to buy a double plug so you can charge more than one item at the same time. It’s also possible now to buy travel adaptors which include USB ports. Buy a good quality brand, looking also for one that has a built-in surge protector.

 

  • I have kept the Country guide that came with one of the adaptors as it’s a quick reference guide to the various plugs needed to charge devices around the world. Make sure also any cords and plugs you are using for your devices are tested and working.

 

 

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  • And probably the most important tip of all, once you start your journey, always return your plugs to your luggage as soon as you finish charging your items. It’s so easy to overlook your plugs when your packing up to leave your hotel. We’ve been guilty of arriving home only to realise that we’ve left the travel adaptor still plugged into the socket at our last hotel!

 

There you have it, a couple of simple ideas for buying, storing and using your travel adaptors. So, tell me, have you ever forgotten to pack travel adaptors in your luggage? Do you feel lost without your technology items like computers and iPads when you travel?

 

 

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