This is the third in a series about travel packing. In this post, I cover electronic stuff I took with me, and what might be helpful to take with you.

Laptop
HP Mini (really a netbook). Weighs about two pounds. Provided me with hours of entertainment, the ability to keep in touch, manage my affairs and keep writing while on the road. Most netbooks run for between $300 and $400, and depending on the kind of traveler you are, can be a worthwhile thing to have. A lot of places now have free or cheap wifi, where you might have to pay to use a computer. So it saves you money, over time. Plus you don’t have to worry about viruses.
My laptop had a slot in which SD memory cards could go, so it was easier to copy over pictures from my camera. No extra cables or convertors were necessary.

USB Memory stick
I bought a cheap 16gb one. Was good. Useful for backing up photos. And for swapping music and movies with other travelers.

Camera
Almost any decent point-and-shoot will do for me. In my opinion most people don’t use the features on their advanced, expensive cameras anyway. The criteria I had when looking for a camera were:
- Under $100
- Uses SD Cards
- Uses AA batteries, as opposed to a proprietary battery, so I don’t have to worry about recharging it, carrying a charger etc.
- Has decent reviews (preferably more than a four star rating on Amazon)
- Has Image Stabilization. I don’t like to carry tripods, and I often take pictures while walking or from buses. This feature saves me the bother of blurry pictures.

I ended up buying the Canon Powershot 1000IS. I’ve been happy with it. I didn’t have too much time to shop around, my other camera broke the day before I was leaving. I bought this on the way to the airport. I ran into the shop, picked up the only camera they had that fit my criteria, paid, and ran out. I’ve been very happy with it, even though I paid about $140 for it, a little more than I would’ve liked to.

Lithium-ion AA batteries
These last for at least three weeks of daily use in most new cameras. They cost more than regular alkaline batteries, but you have to use fewer of them. I went an entire three weeks in New Zealand without having to change them out. When I was in southeast Asia, I found myself having to change out regular Alkaline batteries almost every other day, when I used them. These paid for themselves many times over, and were one of the smartest purchases I made. Take a bunch of them. I used them in my flashlight, hair trimmer and other stuff too.

Ipod + charger

Portable ipod charger
Runs off a couple of AA batteries, is good for long bus rides or places without electricity.

Mobile Phone
I got myself a basic, unlocked GSM phone. Depending on how long I was in a country, I would get myself a cheap, pre-paid SIM card for a few dollars. It can be a useful thing to have, you can call ahead to hostels to see if they have a bed, make bus reservations sometimes, and coordinate meetups in other cities with other travelers you may have run into along the way.
To be sure your phone will work with most GSM networks, you want at least a GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 network compatible phone.

Torch / Flashlight
I like the Maglite Mini LED. Its a really good torch, the LED bulb is at the perfect level of brightness, and batteries in it last a really long time. Its also simple to use. I had to change the batteries on this thing with one hand, in the dark, in the rain once, and it worked out well.

All-in-one Travel Plug
Can plug almost anything into almost anything. Won’t convert voltages, but everything I carried had that ability anyway (laptop, iPod etc)

Audio splitter
I didn’t take one of these, I didn’t need one. But if you’re traveling as a couple it can be useful, I saw a lot of couples using this. You can watch movies together, share music etc.

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Also in this series:
Travel Packing 1/5: Backpacks
Travel Packing 2/5: Medical Kit
Travel Packing 3/5: Electronics
Travel Packing 4/5:
Travel Packing 5/5:

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Do you have suggestions? Advice? What would you take with you on a trip? Leave a comment!