Travel tech to pack: chargers, adapters and what to leave at home

Most travel tech packing goes wrong in one of two ways. You bring a tangle of cables for devices you never touch, or you bring nothing and spend the first evening hunting for a charger in a shop that is about to close. A good setup is small, covers what you will actually use, and survives one thing going missing.

Start with what you use every day

Open the list of everything you plug in at home and cross out what you will not use on the trip. Most people end up with a short list:

• Phone
• A way to charge it, plus a spare cable
• A plug adapter for where you are going
• Headphones
• One extra source of power, such as a power bank

Add to that only if the trip needs it. A camera if you will use it more than your phone. A laptop if you really will work. An e-reader if you read on trains and planes. If you are unsure, leave it out, and see whether you miss it.

Chargers and cables

Fewer cable types makes packing easier. If your phone, headphones and e-reader can all charge on the same connector, you need one cable type plus a spare. If they cannot, label each cable with a bit of tape so you know which goes where.

Bring a spare cable for your phone. Cables fray, get left in hotel rooms and snap in bags. A second one costs little and saves a morning.

A single wall charger with more than one port will charge several things at once from one socket. That matters when a room has two sockets and four people. Check that the charger's power output suits what you plug in, and that it is rated for the voltage where you are going. Many modern chargers handle a wide range of voltages, but the label will tell you, so check it before the trip rather than at the socket.

Plug adapters

Different countries use different plug shapes, and a plug adapter changes only the shape. It does not change the voltage. Most phone and laptop chargers accept a wide range of voltages and work fine with just an adapter; some hair dryers, shavers and heated tools do not, and can be damaged. Check the label on anything you plan to plug in.

To find out which plug type a country uses, check the destination's official tourism site or the facts box in the relevant country guide. Ask the person who owns the place if you are staying in a rental.

A few habits help:

• Pack one adapter per person on a trip where you split up, or one per room if you will be together.
• Bring a multi-socket extension lead if you share a room and have several devices. Check that it can be used safely with the adapter you bring.
• Keep the adapter in your day bag, not your suitcase, for the first night.

Power banks

A power bank is the best insurance for a long day of maps, photos and tickets on your phone. Treat it as a travel item with its own rules:

• Carry it in your hand luggage. Airlines and airports do not allow spare lithium batteries in checked bags, and they limit the size of the ones you can carry. Look up the rules on your airline's website before you fly, since the limits are set by regulators and change over time.
• Charge it fully before you leave, and charge it at night so it is ready in the morning.
• Pack a short cable for it that lives in the same pouch.

One power bank per couple or small group is usually enough, as long as the person carrying it is the one with the map.

Phone settings before you leave

Software is the part of travel tech people forget. Before you go:

1. Update the apps you need, and open each once while you have wifi so they finish loading.
2. Download offline maps for the places you are visiting. A phone without data still knows where you are on a map you saved.
3. Save tickets and confirmations where you can open them without a connection, such as a screenshot or a PDF in your files.
4. Check your roaming options. Your phone company, a local SIM or an eSIM all work. The page on esims and staying connected covers the choice.
5. Turn on location sharing with someone you trust if you want to, or write down where you are staying.

Headphones and entertainment

Noise-cancelling headphones are one of the few luxuries that earn their space on a long flight or a loud train. If you use wired headphones, check that your phone still has the right port or bring the adapter.

Download shows, music and podcasts before you leave. A long journey is not the moment to find out that streaming needs a signal.

Cameras and extras

Your phone is a good camera. Pack a separate one only if you know what you will do with it, and bring a spare memory card and a charger for it. If you carry a tripod, a small one is enough. Think about whether you will really set it up.

Other items that sometimes earn their place:

• A small torch or headlamp for camping, caves and power cuts.
• A watch you do not mind losing, if you want to leave the good one at home.
• A lock for hostel lockers.
• A zip pouch to keep cables and chargers in one place.

What to leave at home

• Laptops you will not open. A work laptop in the bag is a worry, not an asset.
• Backup devices of backup devices. One spare is sensible; three is baggage.
• Gadgets you only own because they were a good idea in the shop.
• Anything you would be upset to lose and cannot insure or replace.

Keep it together

Put everything in one pouch, and make that pouch easy to reach. At security, the cables, power bank and any laptop usually have to come out. When they live together, you can pull the pouch, put it in a tray and repack in a minute.

If you are travelling with others, the page on what a group should share covers who brings the adapter, the extension lead and the speaker, so you do not pack five of everything.

Before you shut the bag

Count your chargers, your adapter and your power bank. Charge every device. Put the pouch where you can reach it. Then check that you can open your tickets and your accommodation details with the phone in aeroplane mode.