When you’re planning a trip to somewhere nice, whether that’s for a honeymoon, a vacation from work, or some other mind-relaxing time away from the same old grind, one thing that a lot of people struggle with is deciding what they should pack and what they should leave at home.
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Since I’ve been through this experience several times myself, I wanted to share some recommendations as it pertains to pack-prepping and choosing what types of electronics and accessories that I take with me to keep the load nice and light while still having the option of remaining connected if I should so choose to.
Packing electronics essentials for a trip 101
If you’re getting ready for your next out-of-town adventure and you aren’t sure what you should bring with you, then let me guide you in the right direction. Everyone’s needs are different when it comes to packing essentials, but the general idea that most people should follow traveling lightly as not to over-burden yourself – or worse, take so many things along that you lose track of some and leave something important behind.
It goes without saying that if your trip will be for a few days or longer, then you should be packing extra clothes and basic body care necessities, like a toothbrush and toothpaste, body and hair wash, and perhaps even some Q-tips, a pillow, and a loofah. But especially when it comes to clothes, space inside of your storage container can feel especially limited, so it’s important to choose the right type of bag for your trip.
Choosing the right bag
2-3-day trips
If you’re going on a short trip that’s only expected to last 2-3 days, such as for Memorial Day weekend, then you should consider a large backpack as your packing bag. We’re not talking about a high school student’s JanSport backpack here – we’re referring to a full-fledged travel backpack like the Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L.
This isn’t intended to be a shameless plug for Peak Design, but I’ve used their travel backpacks on numerous occasions, and so it’s the first thing that comes to mind. Not only are they spacious inside, but you get expandability, various straps for comfortable all-day carry, and pockets everywhere you could imagine. Peak Design also uses premium water-resistant materials and adds enough padding to keep your goodies safe.
When you’re looking for a travel backpack, it should have at least 45L of space. You want enough room to hold your clothes and toiletries, but also any electronics that you might want to bring with you for the experience. For example, a DSLR or mirrorless camera and some lenses, your laptop or tablet, and chargers or battery packs to last you the entire trip.
3-5-day trips
If your trip is expected to last 3-5 days, such as for a standard away-from-work vacation, then you might want something a little more spacious, as to provide more room for additional clothes and necessities, and my favorite recommendation here is a duffel bag. Duffel bags come in all different shapes and sizes, but if you’re carrying even a modicum of expensive electronics, then you should go with one that’s padded.
I’ve had excellent luck with Peak Design’s Travel Duffel, which can be had in 35L, 50L, 65L, and 80L options. For a 3-5-day trip, I’d recommend something in the 35L-65L range, depending on exactly how much you plan to pack. I’ve personally always used a 35L Travel Duffel, while my wife has her own 35L Travel Duffel. It’s enough to pack enough clothes, some light electronics, and even some toiletries. But for anything longer than a 4-day stay, I’d go larger than 35L.
There are tons of affordable duffel bags on the market, and Peak Design’s isn’t all that expensive for what you’re getting. Loaded with not only good padding, water-resistant materials, solid straps, and even metal rod side supports to prevent buckling and bending, these bags are reliable and will keep everything you put inside of them safe.
6-day or longer trips
For a trip where you plan to be away from home for an extended period, such as for traveling out of state for a funeral or going out of country for an international vacation, we’d recommend something larger that can fit more of your necessities, and a larger duffel bag or a roller bag of some sort might be the better option.
I very seldom go on such long trips but based on my experiences with 3-5-day trips, I’d want something with more space than what I recommended above. One place to start might be the Peak Design’s 80L Travel Duffel, which more than doubles the internal volume of my favorite travel bag. If I was going on an airplane, I’d be more inclined to suggest something like Peak Design’s Roller Pro, which has all the same expandability as their other bags and is fully compatible with packing cubes.
I’d expect that most of your packing for such a long trip is going to be different sets of clothes, and maybe even a spare set of shoes, so it goes without saying that added volume is a valuable resource here. You don’t have to go with Peak Design, but they have one of the best nested organization systems that I’ve ever had the pleasure of going hands-on with.
To bring a computer, or not?
I often ask myself whether I should consider bringing my work laptop with me on trips. That has fluctuated over the years to encompass anywhere from a 13-inch to a 16-inch MacBook Pro. These days, I use a 16-inch MacBook Pro, and if you’re even the slightest bit familiar with one of these, then you know it’s quite the chunky boy with a hefty bit of weight standing behind it.
I’ll be the first to admit that I think the macOS operating system is pleasant, and there are some things that I absolutely need to have a Mac for since iPadOS isn’t quite as open or as capable as macOS is. But most of the things that I need my MacBook Pro for can wait until I get back. General typing, web browsing, and even composing posts for iDB can be accomplished from my 13-inch iPad Pro.
If I was going on an extended photo shoot, then I would probably be more inclined to bring the MacBook Pro because of the availability of more professional software, but for most trips, the iPad Pro is more than enough while cutting down my weight and size footprint substantially. Even with the Logitech Combo Touch Keyboard Case that I always rant and rave about, the 13-inch iPad Pro isn’t nearly as thick or heavy as the MacBook Pro.
For the ordinary person who’s probably just going to plop on their hotel room’s bed and check their email or browse a few websites after a long day at their favorite theme park, an iPad of some sort is probably the ideal travel device. There’s no need to bring a big chunky laptop (unless that’s all you own). In fact, most people could probably get by with just their smartphone, be it an iPhone or some other brand of smartphone.
The only people who would ever really need a computer or tablet on the go are people who need constant connectivity to remote work, who expect to have remote meetings, or who can’t live without their software and games (even for just a few days). So consider these before putting a potentially unnecessary burden in your packing bag on your next trip.
Charging and power accessories
I can’t tell you the number of times that friends I travel with forget to bring their charger or at least some way to keep their electronics powered on a trip, and it absolutely annoys me because as the ‘techie’ in our clique, I’m always the one they ask to borrow a charger or battery pack from – as if I didn’t need it for my own uses (hence why I packed it in the first place).
Make sure to bring charging and power accessories for every device you plan to bring. For me, that’s usually an iPhone, an iPad, my Apple Watch Ultra 2, and my AirPods Pro 2, so something like a foldable all-in-one charger like Mophie’s universal wireless 3-in-1 portable travel charger with MagSafe. This convenient little charger sits on any desktop and provides power for all my primary devices. The USB-C power adapter and USB-C cable can even be used to charge my iPad Pro when I’m not charging my other devices.
If you’re even more of a minimalist than I am, and you think MagSafe is unnecessary, then I’d recommend something like Nomad’s 65W Power Adapter Apple Watch Edition, which offers two USB-C charging ports and a built-in Apple Watch charging puck so that you can power your Apple Watch along with your iPad and your iPhone. It’s insanely compact for what it is, but you’ll just need to pack power cables for each of your devices.
If you’ll be traveling by car, and the vehicle doesn’t have built-in USB-A or USB-C ports in the dashboard, then it’d also be a good idea to pack something like Nomad’s 70W Car Charger, which is a very high charge rating for a car charger. The two USB-C ports are good for powering things like an iPad and an iPhone, whether separately or simultaneously.
If you’ll be away from the hotel for a while, such as for a day at a theme park or another type of tourist attraction, then you may not see a power outlet for a while. It would be a good idea to bring a portable power bank so your iPhone lasts the entire day, otherwise the battery could die before you get back (especially if cellular reception isn’t as reliable as it was back home, as is often the case when traveling). I recommend a Mophie Snap+ Wireless Juice Pack Mini 5K Power Bank, as it connects to your iPhone magnetically without any dangling cables and adds several additional hours of use with Qi charging.
Choosing the right protective gear
An often-overlooked part of traveling is the additional risk to your gear when using it in unfamiliar places. If you’re accustomed to being in an office or your living room, then that thin snap-on case or leather case might be just right for your iPhone. But if you’re going on a Safari, visiting the great outdoors, or going to a theme park, then a more protective case might be warranted to prevent damage on your trip.
For traveling with an iPhone, I would generally recommend a meatier case such as an iPhone OtterBox Defender Pro Series or OtterBox Frē Series case. The former is a more well-rounded case with excellent shock and bump protection and dust-resistant covers for the ports, while the latter option is both sock and bump resistant and completely waterproof (great for riding water rides or going kayaking). Both cases support MagSafe wireless charging.
These cases are somewhat bulky and costly, but they will keep your investment protected even on high-risk trips. The last thing you want is to end up with a shattered screen or backplate because you were using your iPhone in a more dangerous environment that you weren’t used to, and as such, you dropped it on the pavement by mistake. Just do yourself a favor and protect your iPhone – it’s cheaper than repairing it.
Speaking of shattered glass, I’d also recommend picking up a Zagg Glass XTR4 Blue Light Screen Protector, as it offers additional protection against front display glass damage. You’d be surprised, but when you’re traveling and throwing car keys and other things into your bag along with your iPhone, the risk of scratching your display skyrockets. So too does dropping it when you’re doing activities that you’re not accustomed to. These screen protectors have lifetime replacement warranties, so it’s a good investment.
If you’ll be bringing an iPad, then you might want to consider a case and keyboard all-in one, like the Logitech Combo Touch Keyboard Case I recommended earlier. This isn’t likely to go very far away from your hotel room, so you don’t need to invest in a massively protective OtterBox in this case. Likewise, a MacBook Pro can benefit from a plastic snap-on case like the Speck SmartShell. I would also highly advise an iPad screen protector, if you didn’t already use on on a daily basis (which you should be).
Honorable mentions
If you’ll be bringing a fair amount of charging & power gear, as well as other miscellaneous everyday carry items, then you can keep it all organized with something like Peak Design’s Tech Pouch, which slips seamlessly into your carry bag. It even features straps that let it double as a purse, fanny pack, or crossbody sling on your travels.
Consider bringing a digital camera separate from your iPhone if you plan to take pictures to share with friends and family. While iPhone cameras have gotten amazing over the years, nothing beats the clean image quality of a dedicated camera – especially with an interchangeable lens. Capture your experiences in images or videos and then bring them home to your workstation where you can use software to enhance any imperfections.
If you’ll be camping, you may not have any electricity. One of my favorite things to do in this type of environment is to play a movie by the campfire. To ensure that everyone with you can view the movie with you, a portable battery-powered projector such as the soda can-sized Nebula Capsule 3 Laser is all you need. Just remember to bring an HDMI cable and adapter if necessary.
Pack snacks and water, if necessary. Sometimes you won’t find these essentials depending on the type of traveling you’re doing. For example, if you’ll be going on an extreme hike, then a bag of snacks to keep your energy up as well as some fluid to stay hydrated can be especially important and often overlooked when you’re busy thinking about packing electronics. Remember any necessary medications as well, including those that you might not even use, such as ibuprofen for sudden headaches, allergy medicine for a different environment, and Tums for sudden stomach aches.
Lastly, bring yourself. Don’t get so caught up in your gear that miss great experiences and opportunities. While taking photos and keeping your gear charged can be important, remember to experience your trip for yourself and prioritize your experience before taking photos for everyone else. Lots of people skip this important step and they worry more about getting the perfect picture for Facebook or other social media websites. This is a short-lived adrenaline fueled by likes, while your personal experience creates memories that will last a lifetime.
Wrapping up
Packing up for a lengthy trip can be stressful, and it’s easy for forget important stuff. Hopefully our recommendations above will help ensure that you have everything you need for your next trip, ensuring you never pack more than you need to, but also that you don’t over-pack for where you’re going.
Do you have any must-have devices that you bring with you on extended trips or vacations? Let us know in the comments section down below.