Tara Singh
Getting around as a traveler with electrical items to charge can lead to confusion and get ripped off. What actually matters when it comes to travel adapters and voltage? Many guides fill pages with features that matter little or nothing. After years of traveling with many different setups for trips of different lengths, I present here a short primer on what actually matters for 95% of your trips, and a small travel kit with which you can travel anywhere.
Read the device’s voltage range
Most modern gadgets such as smart phones, laptops, tablets and portable media players are multi-voltage “world units.” That is, they are designed to accept any voltage from 100 to 240V. However they will still only work with the frequency that their internal circuits have been designed to process and in most countries that frequency is 50 or 60Hz. No special voltage converter is needed. You simply take the standard charger for your device and a plug adapter that will fit into the electrical outlet of the country you are visiting. The label on your charger should list “100-240V 50/60Hz.” If it does not, then you must look that information up on the manufacturers’ web site for the charger and for the device it is charging. Such information is usually easily found and it would be stupid to travel without it. I know of many rather expensive gadgets that can be damaged by running them at the wrong voltage.
The plug adapter is what most travelers need
First, you must determine the type of power outlet used in the countries you will be visiting. A plug adapter changes the shape of the plug to allow it to fit into different power outlets, but it does not change the voltage. A basic plug adapter for one country typically costs between 3 to 8 dollars. It is generally better to purchase a solid-prong adapter for a specific country, rather than a universal adapter that has sliding prongs. Over time, the sliding prongs can become loose and not fit into outlets properly. For a multi-country trip, it is best to pack 2 to 4 country-specific adapters in a small pouch, rather than one large universal adapter.
When you need a voltage converter
Voltage converters are generally very large, and can be very heavy. In most cases, they are simply not worth the traveler’s while to take along. A voltage converter is a step-up or step-down device that is used to change AC (as opposed to DC) voltage. For example, many hair dryers and kitchen appliances are designed for use on 110V circuits, and thus require a step-down converter for use in 220V countries. Most voltage converters are very large (1-3 lbs or so), and very expensive ($40-$100 or so). In most cases, it is better to purchase a version of a device (such as hair dryer) that is designed for 220V circuits, and use the hotel hair dryer when traveling to countries that use 220V. There are very few situations in which the weight and cost of a voltage converter is worth it for the traveler. In most cases, the simple thing to do is to leave 110V-only devices at home and purchase locally. That is generally the traveler’s best option.
The USB-C revolution and travel
This next feature changes things though – USB-C. For most travelers who have multiple devices (Laptop, Tablet(s), and a Smart Phone or two) and multiple headphones all charged by USB-C then the rule to always have one large power supply and multiple plug adapters is no longer valid. All you need is one large USB-C power supply (65W or 100W GaN based wall charger – approximately 6 oz, approximately $40-$100, and the ability to charge 2 items at once from that one charger), a small pouch to hold that single charger, and a couple of adapters (same type and number of adapters that you would need for your previous method) to allow for proper connection in local power outlets. In practice, this weighs about 6 oz and cost under $100 and travels much easier and fits in a much smaller bag than any previous solution. It only breaks down for truly unique or niche type of charger (e.g. Hair Dryers, Dive Computers, Drone Chargers – which may need a Voltage Converter as well, and thus would be outside of this 95%+ solution and be dealt with on a case by case basis).
The kit that handles 95 percent of trips
For 95% of travelers, there is one simple kit that you need to bring with you to all destinations worldwide. This small electrical kit will weigh around 6 to 8 ounces and cost around $100 and that is it. In reality one 65W or 100W GaN powered USB-C dual port charger, one country-specific adapter for the destination and 2 x USB-C cable (1x short and 1x long), and 1 x USB-C to Lightning cable if you have a Lightning powered device and you are set for your next trip. The pattern here is one charger that will power all of your devices and 1 adapter per destination and 1 cable per charge port and that is it. This small kit that weighs around 6 to 8 ounces and will cost you under $100 will be the perfect starter kit for any traveler, unless you are a traveler that requires large amount of power to charge up large number of devices, or you require special chargers for hair dryers, electric razors, high-end dive computers, special drone chargers, or other large powered devices.
Practical takeaways for your next trip
Think of a checklist as a series of reminders for 24 hours before a trip and, for most travelers, go through the list for every trip. The ultimate checklist is simply a collection of reminders such as ensuring that you have your passport, charger for your electronic devices, medicines and a scanned copy of important documents in the cloud, and then the address of the first night of your trip, written on a piece of paper. The most important thing that travel allows you to realize is that as long as you prepare for your trip in a deliberate manner and establish various routines, things will be better for you. By establishing various routines and making choices on various matters of detail, in the end, all these little choices will make your trips seem easier and you will have more energy and less stress for dealing with unexpected things that might occur during your trips. This is in contrast to chaos and fatigue, which occur as a result of not having done anything in advance and have been left for the traveler to deal with while on the road. In summary, test out your chosen items of equipment and new travel approaches on short trips before you rely on them for your long trips, as it may be the case that things that work for you on a weekend-long trip, may stop working for you by the end of week three and it is always better to test them out at home rather than on the road.
Travel easily. Confirm your itinerary the day before, not the morning of.
