While traveling is one of the most rewarding adventures to undertake, it’s certainly not without its challenges. From lost luggage and a lack of a good Wi-Fi connection to noisy airline passengers, those little, and sometimes big, annoyances can get to just about anyone.
Thankfully, an increasing number of high-tech products are being created to address these very issues, helping to ensure that your travels come with a few less bumps out on the road and up in the sky.
Trakdot Luggage Tracker
Dealt with the chaos of lost luggage? You’ll appreciate the Trakdot Luggage Tracker . In 2013, airlines mishandled 21.8 million bags. That’s a lot of lost baggage, not to mention the stress that comes with it. By popping this FAA-compliant device into your luggage before checking it in, it can make things a lot easier if the airline loses your bag. This small gadget will send its location via text or email, a great feature for international travel when you’re without cellular roaming and can only connect through Wi-Fi.
As a GPS signal can be blocked in an area with thick walls, like airport basement storage, this gadget uses a GSM connection, which means it can be tracked anywhere on the planet with cellphone coverage. It won’t work if you’re traveling to countries that don’t use GSM, like Japan and South Korea, however.
Iridium GO!
What may be the ultimate travel tool, Roadpost’s Iridium GO! is changing the way we communicate in remote areas of the globe. It allows you to create a personal and secure Wi-Fi connection from anywhere in the world, and at any time of the day. While the device somewhat resembles a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot commonly used for connecting laptops and other tech gadgets to cellular data networks, the Go connects to Iridium’s satellite network instead.
Users can connect and use its satellite signal to send and receive messages, connect to the web, post on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, share pics and make phone calls. Up to five devices can be connected at any given time, and it puts all of these features into one compact package that doesn’t take up a lot of room or add much weight to a backpack.
ENO DoubleNest Hammock
For adventure travelers who do a lot of camping, a lightweight, packable hammock offers the ideal go-anywhere sleep solution. You’ll be able to camp just about anywhere. ENO’s DoubleNest is large enough for two with a weight capacity of up to 400 pounds, yet it packs down in a compression sack to a size of a football. It’s so comfortable, you might even find yourself specifically planning trips to locations where you know you’ll be able to use it.
Solitude Noise-Canceling Headphones
When you’ve got a long-haul flight ahead of you, one of your biggest concerns is getting some sleep before you land so that you can get to your destination without suffering from serious jet lag. Unfortunately, there is almost always at least one boisterous passenger or crying baby or talkative person in the neighboring seat.
While Bose has long been a leader in this technology, a number of other brands have entered the market, making effective noise-cancelling headphones a lot more affordable. Solitude Design’s Plane Quiet Active Noise-Canceling Headphones are FAA compliant, provide up to 18 decibels of active noise reduction and offer a one-year free replacement warranty.
