Travel smart: must have gadgets

When you and your mates go on an adventure, sometimes it’s hard to leave all the technology behind. Sometimes it’s essential to bring items, and they may even be beneficial to your survival. In other instances, gadgets just help to provide entertainment and make your adventure much more fun.

Here are 15 gadgets that you should bring along for your next adventure:

Source: GoPro

The GoPro is so popular it’s nearly becoming a standard travel gadget. If you’re going to be doing activities like snowboarding, skiing, cycling, surfing, having a GoPro is a must to capture all those images.

There’s a range of cameras to pick from. The HERO5 Black is the top of the line GoPro. It has a 2-inch touch display and is waterproof without housing. You can even upload your photos and videos on the go, making sharing easier.

Price:

HERO5 Black: $569.95

HERO5 Session: $459.95

HERO Session: $299.95

Source: Dell

If you need to take your work with you, then you don’t want to risk coming back with a damaged laptop. If this sounds like you, then you need to invest in a Dell Latitude 14 Rugged Extreme. Rain, hail or shine, this laptop will keep you productive. The laptop has reliable connectivity and outdoor-readable displays. No matter what environment you’re in, the laptop will make sure you only have to worry about completing your work, and not losing it all on a damaged laptop.

Price: $3399

Source: Lifeproof

When you need to protect your phone or tablet, look no further than Lifeproof. They offer cases for your iPhones, iPads, Galaxy phones and Pixel phones. This means you can take your phone with you, no matter what you’re doing, and not have to worry about damaging it and a having a costly repair bill.

Price range: $49.99 - $129.99

Source: Aquapac

Sometimes, earphones just don’t cut it, and they end up water damaged. To avoid losing your headphones, make sure to buy ones that are waterproof. The Aquapac waterproof headphones mean you can listen to music wherever you’re going, even while underwater. These are a must have for anyone that just can’t go without listening to music.

Price: $40

Source: Braven

When you’re going on an adventure, but you also want to have a bit of a celebration, the BRAVEN BRV-1 Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speakers is the perfect accessory. It is endurant and designed for tough conditions such as rain, sleet and snow. You’ll get 12 hours of playback per charge. You won’t have to worry about breaking or damaging your speaker on your next trip.

Price: $179

Source: Garmin

The Garmin Quatix is the ultimate gadget you’ll need for your next adventure. This is more than just a watch. You can load it with routes, mark waypoints, capture your track and TracBack to your starting location. This is designed specifically for avid mariners, whether that be racers, kayakers, power boaters and sailors. This GPS-enabled watch has incredible features including automatic MOB detection, remote control of Garmin equipment, and streaming of NMEA 2000 data to a navigational marine watch.

There’s also autopilot remote control functions.  This means you can remotely control a Garmin autopilot - you can move the deck of a power boat or sailboat, all while having complete control on your wrist.

If you’re heading out onto the water, you can’t look past the Garmin Quatix.

Price: $549

Source: Digital Camera Warehouse

If you’re wanting to take professional quality photographs, but don’t want to damage your DSLR, then the Nikon COOLPIX AW130 WaterProof Digital Camera is the best option. This camera is waterproof up to 1000 ft (304 metres), shockproof up to two metres and freezeproof up to minus 10 degrees celsius. It also includes a five times optical zoom and can take up to five shots per second. It comes in a range of colours, including orange, blue, yellow and camouflage. It is wi-fi enabled so you can share your photos instantly.

Price: $382

Source: Uncrate

When you need a tablet that is going to survive the wilderness, look no further than the Earl Backcountry Survival Tablet. This tablet has everything you need when you’re camping. It includes an E-Ink screen which doubles as an emergency lantern and includes a built-in radio tuner. The tablet is water/dust/shock/mud proof and includes an integrated solar panel, weather sensors, a transceiver for use as a two-way radio, and a glove-friendly touch screen. The tablet wouldn’t be complete without GPS hardware, Bluetooth 4.0 and Android 4.1. This is a necessity for your next offtrack outdoor adventure.

Price: $250

Source: TrulyNet

When you’re bringing all your gadgets along on your trip, they’re going to need charging and thanks to the advances in consumer technology, you can now rely on the sun Joos Orange Solar Charger. This charges 3.5 times faster than other portable solar charger for the same price. This is your best option for a charger to bring on your next trip.

Price: $149

Source: BioLite CampStove

This is the perfect companion for your next camping adventure. The BioLite CampStove allows you to charge your mobiles, tablets and other devices. The stove works by burning wood, allowing you to cook meals and boil water. Next time you are going camping, instead of bringing a gas cooker, consider the BioLite CampStove.

Price: $269.95

Source: The Northface

If you’re going on an adventure with all your tech gear, then you’re going to need something to carry it all around in. The Surge II Charged Backpack is the perfect solution. This 32-litre backpack is hooked up to a power supply to recharge all of your electronic devices. The backpack will last three-and-a-half full battery charges.

The backpack also has a dedicated 17” laptop pocket, so you don’t have to worry about it being too small.

Price: $229

Source: Amazon

If you’re restricted for space but still need to bring some music along on your trip, then the AYL Portable Mini Speaker is your best option. While the speaker is small and light, you don’t lose any sound quality, as it includes a built-in amplifier. The mini speaker has a rechargeable built-in lithium battery, so you’ll be able to enjoy 10 hours of continuous playback music.

Price: from $14.99

Source: Plantronics

If you’re going on a road trip but don’t want to listen to the music your mates are playing in the car, you’ll need to get Plantronics’ BackBeat Pro Headphones. These headphones are wireless and noise cancelling, so nothing will interrupt or distract you while you are enjoying your music. These headphones have 24 hours of continuous wireless use, so you don’t have to worry about running out of battery right away. All you’ll have to worry about is what song you want to listen to next.

Price: $348

Source: Amazon

The Logitech Keys-To-Go is a universal wireless keyboard that connects to any Android or iOS device via Bluetooth. This is the perfect option if you will need to be sending emails or drafting documents on your trip, but don’t have space for a big laptop. The fabric skin means it is resistant to spills, dirt and drops, so it’s perfect to take on your outdoor trips.

Price: $40.79

Source: Olloclip

If you don’t want to bring along a camera on your adventure, but you still want to take the best possible photographs, then you’ll need the Olloclip 4-in-1 Lens. This is the perfect social media accessory. This includes four advanced quick-change lenses - fisheye, wide-angle, 10x macro and 15x macro. This means you’ll be able to get the best quality photographs, while still taking photos from your smartphone.

Price: $79.99

With these accessories, you’ll be able to have the best, most entertaining travel adventure possible. Yakima can help you prepare for any adventure you are going to undertake, including getting all the gear you’ll need for your car before you leave.