Apple iPhone 15 Pro
As a phone reviewer, I carry a lot of phones throughout the year, but the one phone that’s always with me is the iPhone 15 Pro. While I carry it for a variety of reasons, it boils down to one thing: convenience. When I’m traveling, moving around an unfamiliar city can get chaotic, and I want something that just works. Yes, I understand that it’s cliché, but the iPhone is a reliable device. It has all the storage I need for taking photos, and the camera is great for snapping shots on the fly. It doesn’t come with the tetraprism lens the iPhone 15 Pro Max packs, but I’ve found that said lens isn’t necessary to take my photos. Plus, I prefer the size of the iPhone 15 Pro over the Pro Max.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro is my go-to travel phone.
It’s also all about the apps the iPhone features. It has my boarding passes on my travel apps, Uber for rides and, most importantly, contactless payment options, which are far more common in Europe than they are here. I can also use the Dynamic Island to track flight boarding times, Uber arrivals and more. The iPhone has transit directions if I’m brave enough to try public transportation, and I have a host of accessories to go along with it, including the Raycon Magic Power Bank Slim which keeps the iPhone going for those long days on the show floor.
Clicks KeyBoard For iPhone 15
Add A Keyboard To Your iPhone
Clicks Keyboard For iPhone 15
The Clicks Keyboard brings a full qwerty keyboard to my iPhone 15 Pro and makes it very tall in the process. So, you might be wondering: Why add this to my device when I’m traveling? That’s a fair question.
First of all, having a physical keyboard is pretty awesome. It frees up a ton of screen real estate by eliminating the virtual keyboard. Plus, I find it’s typically more accurate that on-screen typing. And one of the coolest features it packs into its software is I can implement keyboard shortcuts. It helps to quickly launch apps, which is pretty useful.
Put simply, the Clicks team is absolutely obsessed with building the perfect keyboard experience for an iPhone, and their thoughtful design and performance shows when I’m typing my messages. The buttons feel easy to press and having that extra real estate when I’m at trade shows taking notes is a must.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold
Doubles Your Screen Real Estate
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold
My main laptop I use on the go is the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold. It has a large, expandable screen, and that combined with the included keyboard are more than enough to keep me productive while I’m traveling. Plus, using the computer in laptop mode with the keyboard attached to the bottom half of the screen works very well on an airplane…in economy, no less. The keyboard feels responsive, though the touchpad still gets testy about phantom touches every now and then.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold can expand to give me more display real estate.
All the same, this is a great laptop with a palatial, foldable 16.3-inch screen which has more than enough room for multitasking (when you have the room to spread that is). When you don’t, laptop mode works great as well. The main downside to this laptop is it’s heavy. Lugging this laptop around for two days at Viva Technology was not a lot of fun, but it’s worthwhile for the screen size and the versatility. And because it’s technically a three-in-one device, it’s also very expensive.
If you’re interested in learning more about this great laptop, you can read the full Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold 16 review, too.
Apple iPad Mini (6th Gen)
A Smaller, Lighter Tablet Option
Apple iPad Mini (6th Gen)
Another device that I take everywhere when traveling is my Apple iPad Mini (6th Gen). Apple has released a few refreshes of the iPad since this one came out, but I have found that when it comes to content consumption and a little mobile gaming, the iPad mini is more than enough. I also use the Apple Pencil (2nd Gen) with it, because I prefer its precision over tapping on the screen with my fingers.
The Apple iPad Mini (6th Gen) is a part of my daily routine.
In this case, though, I use the iPad Mini mostly for entertainment so I can stream my favorite shows while in flight. But in a pinch, I use it for research while I write on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold 16, and for on-the-fly note-taking during briefings.
I also have a morning routine that is heavily reliant on the iPad, from playing word puzzles to checking the news, so it’s important to me. I also have a nice selection of games that I’ve settled into on my downtime. It’s irreplaceable and a must-have when traveling.
Nothing Ear
Incredible Audio On The Go
Nothing Ear
I typically use my Apple AirPods Max on planes because the Active Noise Cancelation (ANC) is great and the transparency mode is stellar, but lately, I’ve been carrying the Nothing Ear Wireless Earbuds with me. I’m very familiar with earbuds, having tested the best wireless earbuds on the market. While I haven’t been testing the Nothing Ear wireless earbuds for very long, they’ve already earned a spot in my daily rotation.
The Nothing Ear Wireless Earbuds have a fun, transparent design.
First, their sound is really good. They’re not the best-sounding earbuds in my arsenal, but they’re within in the top five. The ANC is good enough that I can hear directions in busy areas without having to turn up the volume, and the transparent mode does the job well enough. They’re reasonably priced, too. At just $149, these buds offer the best sound you can buy at this price point, and often beat out more expensive earbuds I’ve tested. Plus, their design is really cool. The transparent elements of the buds make them just fun to look at.
Amazon Kindle
A No-Frills E-Reader
Amazon Kindle
My Kindle Paperwhite may not be the most efficient use of space, nor weight, but it’s a must-have for readers. It’s ridiculously thin and light—which is how I justify its presence—and it holds a whole library of books. Its battery feels like it lasts forever, and it charges via USB-C (like every other device on this list) so it doesn’t require an extra cable.
My Kindle is a must-have when I’m traveling.
My favorite part about this kindle is it feels so futuristic, even though it’s black and white. Whenever I pick it up, I feel like I’m on Star Trek and some ensign has just handed me a duty roster I need to review. My version doesn’t have a warm light, but I find that I don’t need it to enjoy my books. I’m just smitten with it, so I’ll take on the extra weight to have it on me, and this is the hill I will die on.
InfinaCore P3 Pandora Portable Power Bank
Doubles As A Charger And Power Bank
Infinacore P3 Portable Power Bank
For power on the go, I use the Infinacore P3 Portable Power Bank. It’s a charging brick that has a lot going for it. First and foremost, there’s a built-in plug that you can plug straight into the wall to charge up. For overseas visits, the P3 comes with adapters for European, U.K. and Australian plugs. They just slide onto the built-in plug; it’s a neat mechanism.
The Infinacore P3 doubles as a wall charger and a portable power bank.
On the front of the plug is a digital readout that shows you the power level. There are three USB ports (one USB-C and two USB-A) that you can use to charge your devices. For those that have a compatible device, you also have a Qi2 charging pad on top for wireless power. The cool part is this battery pack supports pass-through charging, meaning you can plug in the brick to charge it and your devices at the same time. That’s super useful and great utility to add to your traveling bag.
Tessan Universal Travel Adapter
Plug In Your Devices In Any Country
Tessan Universal Travel Adapter
Of course, I need to keep all this stuff charged up, and since I was traveling overseas, I needed a power adapter. I use Tessan’s Universal Travel Adapter, which has two USB-A ports and three USB-C ports. Those alone would probably be enough to power everything on this list, but the power adapter also has the ability to plug in another normal plug (U.S., European, U.K. or Australian) in the front which is an added bonus.
There is one important note about this plug: This is just a simple plug adapter—it doesn’t necessarily convert the power source into something usable in another region. Fortunately, most electronics these days have built-in converters, so if you plug a 120V phone plug into a 220V plug, the charging brick will convert the energy properly and not set your phone on fire.
Ecosmile Messenger Bag
Small And Slim, Yet Packs A Ton
Ecosmile Messenger Bag
The Ecosmile Messenger Bag is one of the first bags I shopped for, picked out and bought; it wasn’t sent as a product sample or part of a reviewer’s kit. If you’re hauling all your tech around, you need something that can fit it all, and this bag does that job well. It’s not too large, but it’s large enough to hold my essentials, including my laptop, tablet and a few other accessories.
My Ecosmile sling pack can hold all of my gear without feeling too heavy.
The main thing I like about this bag is its slim profile. Most bags can expand out to carry a whole bunch, but I don’t like that. Remember: The goal is to minimize what you’re taking. The Ecosmile messenger bag stays thin, and thus it stays light so I can walk trade show floors and move around cities without feeling like I’m hauling bricks. The padded shoulder strap is comfortable, though I wish it was a bit more grippy. I often had to stop and shift the bag back to my back as I walked—a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things. As a plus, it’s only $20, too, and it’s stylish and stain-resistant.
