10 Must Have Gadgets for Holiday Travelers

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So you are going “over the river and through the woods” to Grandmother’s house for the holidays? Here are some helpful gadgets that can make your holiday travel experience more enjoyable.

01) Vehicle Navigation (GPS)

When traveling for the holidays, the last thing you want to do is get lost. A GPS is a must-have item for those of us who always forget the way to Grandma’s house. Something as simple as the Garmin Nuvi can make sure you get to your destination without getting lost or getting into a fight with your spouse about who forget the directions. Plus the Nuvi allows you to change your car’s icon to Santa’s sled!

02) Heated Travel Mug

If you are driving, then you’ll want to stay awake. Having a travel mug filled with hot coffee helps. There are tons of car travel mugs that plug-in to your car’s cigarette adapter to keep your beverages warm. Driving and sipping coffee will keep you awake until you get to your destination or until you have so much coffee you need to make a pit-stop.

03) Travel Charger

Whether you’re traveling abroad or staying domestic, you’ll still have to charge all of your gadgets. A compact travel adapter with USB ports is convenient for charging smartphones, laptops, music players, cameras, e-readers, handheld game consoles, tablets, and other devices all around the world. Bonus points if your travel charger also has a built-in WiFi router that enables you to share your Internet connection with your travel companions like the Satechi Smart Travel Router.

04) iPad or iPad mini

If you have some passengers that need to be entertained for a few hours in the car, then an iPad might be a great idea. The iPad Mini is small and a great tablet for kids who like to play games, watch movies and read kids books. For the adults, there are tons of iOS apps that can entertain the entire car like trivia games.

05) Mobile Wifi Hotspot

When you are on a long trip you might want to get a mobile hotspot. You can get one with a contract or pre-pay card. You might be able to get a 4G hotspot but right now the best bet is 3G – especially if you are driving long distances.

With MiFi, you can download some songs and movies as you go or search the web if you find out about that one shop that has the “Best pie in the state”.

06) Wearable TV

Like watching movies when you travel but want a more immersive experience? A wearable TV can help block out the outside world and give you both a 3D and virtual 5.1 surround sound experience. Sony wearable TVs, like the Sony HMZ, have HDMI ports allowing 2 or more people to watch the same piece of content.

07) Luggage Scale

After filling your luggage with all of your holiday gifts, is it going to be too heavy to fly? Most airlines charge extra for heavy or oversized luggage. And some won’t even allow heavy luggage to get checked because it can cause injuries for the baggage handlers. One way to know for sure if your luggage is within weight limits is to weigh it using a travel scale.

08) Canon T4i DSLR Camera

When passing the scenery, why not take a few pictures? The Canon T4i DLSR is a great camera. The EOS Rebel has an 18.0 MP CMOS sensor and can shoot pictures or video. Being a DSLR you can change out the lenses to get some great footage near or far.

Once you get to the grandparent’s house, you can use the Canon T4i to take some holiday pictures of you in your favorite ugly sweater. Maybe a morning shot with a rare bird in the snow like they did in “The Big Year”.

09) Olympus 12×50 EXPS I Binoculars

If you just want to see what’s coming up or have an advantage to the license plate game, the Olympus EXPS Binoculars might be a good item in the car. These binoculars are great for not only spotting license plates on the road but also can be used for star gazing at night or seeing the scenes better when going on a nature walk.

10) USB Car Charger

If you’re traveling via car to your holiday destination, then you should plan on having some extra USB ports. You’ll need them to charge both your and your passenger’s gadgets.