Filipinos are finally traveling internationally once again after the pandemic. However, with the surge in travel demand and rainy season, there’s been an increase in flight delays and cancellations. It’s more difficult to book transportation getting to and from the airport, and top tourist spots require online reservations ahead of time. To make trips more hassle-free, you’ll want be connected online constantly.
Make the most of your next vacation by taking the right tech essentials with you. Here are some handy tech gear and nifty gadgets recommended by Digital Walker for those looking for smarter and more convenient escapades.
Powerbank
With smartphones being used for flight and travel apps, taking photos and video clips, browsing social media, booking transportation, or for navigation in foreign countries, it’s vital to have a fully charged smartphone and backup powerbank while traveling. During our recent trip to Osaka and Tokyo in Japan, my smartphone was constantly running out of juice halfway through the day due to heavy use, mainly for navigation and posting on Insta-stories.
The Momax iPower PD 10,000 provided a fast, reliable lifeline on the road. After hours standing in line in amusement parks and sightseeing at Universal Studios Japan, using it for GPS navigation while biking around Osaka, and trying to figure out the dizzying network of subway stations around Tokyo, the powerbank was a lifesaver, not just for me, but for my companions.
The Momax iPower PD, which comes in black or white, can provide reliable fast charging for most smartphones and even charge multiple devices at once. It comes equipped with 2 USB-A ports and 1 USB-C ports. You can charge it with a micro USB or a USB-C cable. The sleek device doesn’t take up too much space in one’s carry-on bag and weighs just 226g.
The Momax iPower PD 10,000 costs P1,390.00. Get it here.
Wireless earphones
You’ll want to have earphones when you travel to drown out the noise while in transit. Usually when we travel to another country, we use the long plane or train rides to watch series or movies on a tablet. Our flight from Manila to Osaka was delayed due to a red lighting warning, so we were able to catch up on some shows we downloaded while waiting. While watching on a tablet or phone, wireless earphones are easier to stash than wired earphones which usually get tangled up with everything else in bags.
You can soundtrack your trips while helping out the planet at the same time by opting for sustainable earphones like Urbanears Boo. Made from 97% recycled plastics (bottles, air conditioner units and other junk), these wireless earbuds come with 30 hours of playtime.
The Boo plays for up to 4,5h straight, with the wireless case holding 25,5h of extra playtime. Traveling during the rainy season? You don’t worry about the buds getting wet as it comes with a durable splash-resistant design (IPX4 on the buds and IPX3 on the case). To reduce your environmental impact further, each set exclusdes the USB-C charging cable, which you most probably have loads of at home already.
The Urbanears Boo + Urbanears Boo Tip costs P3,990. Get it here.
Travel Adapter
After a long day of sightseeing, the first thing you should do before crashing in bed at night is to recharge all your gadgets so they’re ready for the next day. Between two people, we had four phones (including a model unit of the Honor Magic 5 Pro for review), a tablet, an Insta 360, a mirrorless camera, two sets of wireless earbuds, and three powerbanks.
Fast charge multiple devices on the go with a travel adapter suitable for more countries in the world. The Momax 1-World PD 5-Port Travel Adapter provides a handy travel companion for fast charging on-the-go.
This universal travel charger comes built in with JP/US, AU, EU, and UK sockets, so yo can use it in more than 150 countries around the world and is compatible with global socket safety requirements.
While Japan and the Philippines share the same Plug Type A (with two flat parallel pins), the room we had only came with two main sockets. It was helpful to have an adapter as it could charge up to 5+1 devices at the same time. The ultra compact design mafde it easy to pack and stash along with the rest of our gadgets.
The Momax 1-World PD 5-Port Travel Adapter retails for P2,990.00. Get it here.
Phone straps
Why hold your phones or keep them in your bags all the time when you can wear them to match your travel OOTDs? While sightseeing in secure places and you don’t have pockets, it helps to just wear your phone around your body to keep it easily accessible all the time for those instant travel snaps.
While going around Japan, I noticed a lot of women there just kept their phones strapped around their bodies instead of carrying them in a bag. While I’d be scared to walk around with my phone hanging out the same way in the Philippines, it’s a handy option when traveling around the airport, trains, and in safe destinations when you need easy access to your phone, and you’re already carrying a lot of other items like luggage.
Casetify has fashionable phone straps that can be worn cross-body or on the wrist in different colors to match your mood. Materials range from waterproof metal chain, peal beads, woven rope, recycled plastic, eco-friendly vegan leather, and more. The nifty phone straps ensures you can keep your phone close and avoid having to constantly hunt for it in your bag.
The Casetify Rope Phone Straps with Card costs P2,190.00 while the Casetify Utility Strap costs P2,390. Get it here.
Thank you to Digital Walker for providing the curated tech kit. Shop online for gadgets easily through their online shop here: https://digitalwalker.ph/