isFrom years of traveling with every conceivable companion, from kids on a holiday road trip to peers on a Saga cruise, the columnist has a solid opinion on the best technology to carry. I was able to get an idea.
Give me juice with power pack
Nothing makes you feel like you remembered to have brought it with you like a pocket-sized, rechargeable power pack. Whether it’s to charge your phone when you land after a long flight or to provide some much-needed juice for your grandchild’s games console, it’s a must-have.
There are many options, but I particularly like the 12,000 mAh Powerbank. From a Dutch company fresh and levelIt’s a powerful device and costs about 1000 yen. £37.99 including shipping.
Music wherever you are
A very small Bluetooth speaker is also a great item to bring along. Also, there are many different types on the market, but Marshall (yes, they’re a stage amp maker) has a wide range, and they all sound great. What I choose for traveling is: Willen (RRP £99.99), 4” x 4” audio power and clarity weighing just 310g.
Try tags for peace of mind
Getting on a plane to X and worrying about whether your suitcase will make it to Y can be a bad start to any vacation, so why not try putting a little Bluetooth tracker in your suitcase – it’s legal, and lots of people use it for peace of mind.
Once you’re seated, it will show you as far as you can tell if your luggage is in the cargo hold, and on the other side, while you’re waiting on the conveyor, it will be able to sense if your luggage is nearby, even if you can’t see it.
tile There is a wide range of products. If you have an iPhone, you can purchase Apple’s Air Tag (RRP £35). You can buy a pack of four for £119 and keep one in your wallet and the other with your passport.
Sound adventures to keep young minds busy
When our children were little, we went on a camping trip in the United States. In a toy shop in a small town, the children found a series of cassette tapes called “Little Thinkers.” There were two types of sound adventures: a space trip and an undersea adventure. The children followed the narrator Nancy’s instructions and closed their eyes to listen on the Fisher-Price cassette player.
They got so into it that they would stop arguing for hours at a time. They always said this tape was “the best thing from their childhood.”
Amazingly, the same Little Thinker recordings are now available for download and my four-year-old grandson Oscar is obsessed with them, just as his father and aunt did 40 years ago. They cost $13.99 each, about £11. Alternatively you can order USB sticks or CDs from the US. Once downloaded you can listen to them on your child’s MP3 player. You can find plenty on Amazon for under £30.