Must-Have Solo Travel Gadgets and Tech You Need

Hello my fellow solo wanderers. I am now packing for a short weekend break and my mind turned to my gadget and tech much-haves that I always travel with. Here I give a snapshot of those items I cannot live without for my solo adventures.

Having the right gadgets could really elevate your trip. Not only that it keeps some familiarity with you so you don’t feel out of sorts. For me music is paramount so I need speakers, buds, portables you name it. Also capturing those travel moments and content of course as I am a blogger, is very important, so I need reliable video and photo kit. Before we delve into it don’t forget to subscribe to this blog to get my free travel guide. So Let me take you through my gadget and tech must haves for every trip and why you should also have them.

Be Smart with Your Smart Phone

So first up lets get the obvious over with. Everybody and his mom has a mobile phone these days. This could be a real asset to your solo travel trip if you use all the features of your smartphone wisely. Your smartphone is more than a device; it’s your travel companion. From planning your trip, to keeping you on track during your trip to post trip remininesing. The smartphone is a smart way to compile it all.

For planning you can store your travel itinerary, and set up your calendar with your plans for the trip. Store your boarding pass, tickets for excursions, you bank cards so much your phone can do these days. I will always upload things like picture of your passport, and all your booking details and reference numbers. Insurance details. Take a picture and screenshots of as many items as you can so you not relying on wifi availability. This is a really great tip. I would have paper copies of as many important items as well by the way but having them on your phone as well helps keeps things at your fingertips.

Your phone can also really support your safety with apps to let family know where you are in real times like Life360. Using Google Maps to find how to get somewhere is an absolute must when you in a destination you never visited.

Smartphones are great for taking pictures and videos these days. Get a phone with good camera and video spec. Also look at your accessories does you phone able to stand hands free? I get covers that can do this.

Don’t forget those useful Apps like Duolingo, Spotify and your airline or holiday booking platform to organise your flight and accommodation details.

You don’t need the latest iPhone to achieve this but the best you can afford. Also make sure you have a phone plan that has good international roaming rates. Check your rates before you travel to avoid nasty surprises. It can get very pricey when using your phone abroad.

Having an unlocked phone with a dual SIM so you can buy a SIM card when abroad and still have your number so your bookings or family can reach you is gold. Another option is using an eSIM no need for an additional SIM card. A good example of this is Yesim which has one of the most comprehensive coverage across over 150 countries. With Yesim can choose a plan that suits you and even a local number. As a promotion if you click this link and put in promocode ‘travelpayout2024‘ you will get a 3euro discount valid until 31st December 2024.

Lost in Translation

Another great use of your phone is translating languages when abroad. Google translate is great for this to get some quick phrases to ask the local people something. I used this at the hotel one time and it sorted everything! Translating menus as well if you need to know what you are eating is a great use especially if you have a sensitive stomach or you have allergies this could save your life!

So those are just some of the ways your smartphone can be your travel companion for you solo adventures.

Tablet Tales

Fuel your solo adventures with a Galaxy Tablet, Kindle, AmazonFire or iPad all great kit. Hey whatever floats your boat I don’t judge. I usually take a tablet for longer trips as looking at my phone all the time. Great for e-books, maps, and travel insights seamlessly. I download movies on my tablet too which is great when I just want a chill day not doing much. I don’t have to contend with a TV that has languages I don’t comprehend and I have my individual taste accommodated. Your tablet becomes a canvas for creativity during downtime, adding a personal touch to your travel experience and again familiarity when you are on your own can settle feelings of overwhelm.

Music to my ears

For me music while travelling is an absolute must! I love listening to music all the time and when I am away filling the space I am in with some familiar tunes makes me feel great! While at the airport waiting to board my flight I would have my earbuds in. The airport noise can be so jarring. I drown that out with my buds.

Grab the best portable earbuds for travel. These noise-cancelling companions ensure an immersive solo travel experience, letting you create your unique soundtrack while exploring vibrant markets or taking in serene landscapes.

I like headphones when on the plane rather than buds. I can really cancel out the noise when watching my downloaded movies. I also sleep better (though I don’t sleep well on planes) but if I nod off not have to worry about them falling off. I lost a pair this way.

Enhance your solo travel escapades with a compact portable speaker. Ideal for on-the-go entertainment, this outdoor travel speaker transforms any spot into your private concert venue. I use these when I am getting ready in my accommodation room to go out or if I have my spot on the beach. Share your favorite tunes with fellow travelers, turning moments into memories. I have broken the ice with strangers asking “what is that tune sounds interesting?” or “I know that tune where are you from?”. That conversation turned into some good travel friends.

Capturing your Memories

Your solo travel moments deserve the best shots. Come on you have spent lots of money and time to plan this trip you need to be able to capture it! Smartphones are usually good enough quality but if you want next level pictures of videos then you may want a camera. I have a compact cannon that takes images in 4K. Go Pros are great for action shots on the go for POV recording of your adventures. Now if you want to take it next level drones are great for aerial shots! I want to get into this but beware some destinations don’t allow these or you need special license.

I have a great selfie stick featuring a gimbal for stable photos and even a remote control. I can take shots in crowded places at just the right angle. I am a blogger but i still don’t like to ask people to take my photo, but I have done it many times. This is the perfect solution.

It’s not just a selfie stick it turns into a tripod so no need to ask someone for photos or prop your phone or camera on precarious positions to take a shot. I love the selfie stick turned tripod I have so compact and versatile. It’s my personal photographer, ready to document my solo adventures and how I get my shots to share with you when I travel alone.

Super Charged

Long days of exploration calls for on-the-go power solutions. A portable battery bank is a must on my trips. I use the Anker I will get the exact model to you. Its so reliable and can charge my phone 3 times on a fully charged bank. This has saved me so many times I can’t count. As I have all these gadgets with me they need juice and this delivers.

To complement your portable battery bank you will also need a charger lead with multiple plug options such as USB-C, lightning connection, mini-USB. I have a retractable charger lead with four different types of plugs and I can charge multiple gadgets at the same time. This is great for charging as its also compact and versatile.

No more adapter struggles. Your universal charger is a travel superhero. It accommodates all my gadgets, embracing eco-friendly charging. Compact and efficient, it’s the power solution for the tech-savvy solo traveler. It should also have the ability to adapt to different voltages to not ruin your gadgets so pay attention to this when getting yours.

Stress-Free Travel Gadgets

Now if you can’t do carryon or hand luggage only then I would recommend this. Say goodbye to luggage stress! A GPS luggage tracker is your guardian angel. Real-time tracking via smartphone apps ensures your belongings are safe, giving you the freedom to explore worry-free. It’s not just a gadget; it’s luggage security for peace of mind.

Journal Your Journey

In the digital age, pen and paper still hold magic for me. I also take a travel journal with me. However as times move on you can have a digital journal. Your may even to journal on a dictaphone and then use a speech to text software to get is written down or safe it in your own voice. What a memento of your journey! I have a dictaphone but I don’t use this much as I prefer to write. You can also use your tablet depending on type with a stylus pen to record you memoirs. With your travel journal you can document every solo adventure, preserving raw emotions in pixels for an authentic account of your travels.

Memories in Space

As well as having access to charge so your gadgets don’t conk out on you is just as important as having storage. Don’t forget to download or clean up those pics and videos from your last trip to free up space. Nothing worse than being in a great moment and you get that dreaded notification. ‘You have used up your storage free up space’. Ughh! I am notorious for this but I have learnt my lesson.

I take at least 2 SD cards minimum 500 GB each as I take lots of videos for vlogs so I need the space. I have taken 1TB cards with me. That way i can swap to a fresh new card when I used up my space. The scandisk SD cards are the most reliable I have used to date.

Again the digital age means we have some much digital material and it needs to be stored somewhere. Having a google drive as backup storage is also a good way to go but at 15G a few videos can get used up very fast. OneDrive is also a good option to free up space on your phone or camera if it can connect to Wifi.

For those real techy peeps a wifi dongle so you always have wifi is great to have as some places connectivity is not reliable. Depending on my trip, work or pleasure I also take my MacBook Air so I can work on the go.

Conclusion

As a solo traveler navigating the world, your tech arsenal is more than gadgets; it’s a matter of convenience, safety, efficiency and memories for your long awaited trip. That’s why gadgets and tech is so important. So give it some thought but don’t overdo it. Take the minimum such as phone, chargers and adapters, earbuds/headphone and maybe a selfie stick and you are good to go.. Amazon and Ebay have lots of reasonably priced options for you to explore. Go for items that are compact and multipurpose. Check out my comprehensive solo travel guide for a roadmap to transform every journey into unforgettable experiences. Happy travels, fellow wanderers!