Four Essential Tools for International Travel

February is over, spring is on the horizon, and if you're anything at all like me, thoughts are turning to summer vacation. While I have no plans for international travel this year, there are four indispensable travel tools I discovered during my Japan via Finland trip last year that I would like to share with you today. Chances are you've heard of all them in some form or another, but if you don't own all of them yet, read on and see if you can resist adding them to your "must have" list.

Macally Universal Power Plug Adapter

While this international travel adapter isn't quite universal, it will meet your needs in North America, Europe, United Kingdom, Australia, and it did the trick for us in Japan. All told, they claim their product is suitable for use in over 150 countries with 100/240V inputs. Not bad.

Here's what we liked about it:

• cube-like shape for easy packing
• retractable prongs for safety
• a blue power indicator light so you know it's working without keeping you awake at night
• a USB port for charging portable devices with fewer chargers to pack
• can be used year round at home as a versatile plug/charger without losing an outlet

This adapter cost us $24.99 CAD and it has been worth every penny during and after the vacation. I have recently seen it as low as $20 on the Internet. Even if you don't go with this model, definitely look for an adapter with the USB port and an indicator light--you won't regret it when you're trying to plug it into a deep set outlet in a hotel. Just remember it's not a voltage converter; you'll need to spend more money if you need something like that.

MEC Wayfarer Backpack

This backpack offers the best value in airplane-ready travel backpacks in the world at a mere $79 CAD. Similar models like the Osprey Farpoint 55 start at $219.99. Even MEC's own Supercontinent 65 is more than double the price at $165! What do you sacrifice for this low price? Basically, an attachable daypack with padded straps. The Wayfarer has everything else its higher priced competitors offer, including an adjustable fit, comfortably padded straps that hide away before check-in (a must for flight attendants checking your pack), and suitcase-like carrying options when walking into the hotel. There is a roll up daypack included with the Wayfarer, and I can tell you from experience that it fits so comfortably that your shoulders will not tire even without padded straps. If you are concerned that the Wayfarer "only" holds between 42-53 L (S/M) or 46-57 L (M/L), I did a ton of research in forums and blog reviews and the one common theme was "you will never regret going with a smaller pack," basically because it forces you to bring no more that what you need when travelling overseas.

Now here's the bad news. MEC is a Canadian cooperative that only has retail locations in Canada. They do ship to the USA (decent rates) and internationally (not so decent rates), so it is possible to buy one without trying it. If you order the pack best suited for the torso length specified on their website, you can't go wrong. I bought the S/M and it fit perfectly and held everything I needed for a 17 day trip.

Compression Sacs

If you want to try the Wayfarer but want to pack some extra clothes, consider buying a couple Eagle Creek compression sacs. They make it easy to squeeze the air out of your shirts and keep your pack organized. Depending on your needs a Small-Medium-Large multipack might not offer the best value if the Medium/Large combo is all you need. When you go to buy them at your favourite travel accessory retailer, crunch the numbers before deciding. We had no regrets going with the two pack.

A 7" Tablet

We took the plunge and bought an iPad Mini about a month before our trip. We wanted a computing device that was portable and lightweight. We thought our main uses would be to check e-mail, use the Internet, and take some notes on our trip that could be developed when we returned home. Boy, did we underestimate the value of the Mini. It turned out to be an indispensable personal travel assistant that we kept at our fingertips throughout the trip. Whether it was familiar or uncommon functions, each one took on added value on the road:

• Plane ticket and boarding pass storage in multiple formats came in handy whether checking in or confirming our itinerary
• Calendar app provided a simple way to track when all the memorable outings happened
• Notebook app allowed us to track shopping wish lists and spending totals for Customs
• The alarm! No more travel alarm clocks required!
• Camera--we used the iPad way more than our good camera. For the most part it was all we needed to record travel memories no one else would want to see anyway
• iBooks was a double boon--it provided one stop reading material on the plane and gave handy access to our Helsinki City Guide while we navigated unfamiliar streets
• ActiBook allowed us to order from a virtual menu when we were at the Tatsunoko Entertainment Bar and keep a souvenir of the experience to boot (you can read about that experience here)
• The Blogger app allowed me to not only start some posts, but even complete a couple while far from home. Just be careful when syncing so that you don't overwrite a completed post.
• 7" tablets seem to offer the perfect form factor for thumb typing

The only downside we saw to making a tablet our sole computing device on the road was that a touch screen was not conducive to long sessions of traditional typing. For all it gave us in return, it seemed like a worthwhile tradeoff. We're already considering leaving our camera at home next time we visit Japan. For a few hundred dollars, a mini tablet sure offers the potential to avoid a ton of packing and save you from a few headaches along the way. Once you get used to its convenience, you'll also find it hard to stop using it once you get home, so don't worry about getting full value from it.

Final Thoughts

I rarely devote blog space to product endorsements on the pages of Over a Hedge, so you know all four of these travel tools made a big impression while helping us get the most out of our vacation. If even one of these recommendations makes your next trip easier, I will be gratified. Enjoy your travels!

Disclaimer: No promotional consideration was sought or received for recommending any of these products. The views represented here are my independent opinions with input from my family.