Travel tech gear that’s actually worth it is judging me hard right now, last month still clinging on saying “tech that works” because I was so done with everything dying mid-trip. I’ve thrown away more money on gadgets than I care to admit—stuff that looked perfect online but crapped out the second I left home. These are the pieces I still drag around, scratched and abused, in 2026.
The Gear I Actually Rely On (After Too Many Expensive Lessons)
I used to pack like I was moving my whole office. Now it all squeezes into one small cube and I don’t lose my mind when there’s one outlet in the whole train compartment.
- Power Bank — Anker Prime 20,000mAh 200W. Charges my laptop once, phone a couple times, has the little screen so I can see exactly how doomed I am. My older 737 model is still alive since 2023 even after being dropped in Goa sand and forgotten in a Bali guesthouse.
- Charger — Ugreen Nexode 65W GaN brick, tiny, foldable plug, one charger for laptop/phone/earbuds. Lost my first one somewhere in Lisbon and panic-bought a no-name airport one that got hot enough to scare me. Never again.
- Headphones — Sony WH-1000XM5. Yeah, everyone says them, but the noise cancelling actually makes 14-hour flights bearable. Battery still pulls 25+ hours after two years of me falling asleep in them and probably drooling.
- Backup Earbuds — Soundcore Liberty 4 NC. Way cheaper than AirPods, solid ANC, I’ve already lost one pair and only mildly panicked.
- Cables — Anker PowerLine III Flow USB-C silicone ones—they don’t knot themselves into death. I carry three because I’m paranoid like that.
That’s literally it. Anything more gets left behind.
The Junk I Bought and Immediately Hated (Save Your Money)
- That “universal” 8-in-1 travel adapter that weighed a ton and barely worked anywhere
- Solar power bank (looks cool, charges nothing when it’s actually cloudy)
- Some Kickstarter suitcase battery tracker—dead after one trip
- Mini projector for “cozy hotel nights”—used once, too bright, too annoying to set up
- Every neck pillow with a built-in power bank—either leaked, died fast, or just sucked
What’s Still Worth Buying in 2026
- Phone: iPhone 15 Pro in Peak Design Everyday Case (the newer slim 2026 one). The mount system is kinda gimmicky but I actually use it on my bike and tripod all the time.
- Watch: Garmin Instinct 2 Solar—battery lasts months, charges from sunlight, survived getting buried in rice paddies in Bali when I was being an idiot.
- Kindle Paperwhite Signature (2024 refresh)—still the best for reading on planes without my eyes dying.
- SSD: Samsung T7 1TB. All my photos and work files. Lost one in Thailand, had a small breakdown, now I carry two.
My One Dumb Rule That Finally Works
If it doesn’t fit in one small packing cube and I can’t charge the whole lot from one plug, it stays home. Brutal, but it stopped the panic attacks. I still sneak in an extra cable sometimes because anxiety, but at least when I’m stuck in a random station at 2 a.m. with no outlets, my stuff keeps running.
Travel tech gear that’s actually worth it is basically laughing at me right now, January 27 2026, 1:53 PM in this Panipat hotel room that smells like old aircon and someone’s burnt Maggi two doors down, my phone sitting at 8% because I was too busy refreshing train status to plug it in. Desk looks like a crime scene—coffee rings on coffee rings, that sticky note from last month still clinging for dear life saying “tech that works” cuz I was so over everything dying on me mid-journey. I’ve wasted dumb money on gadgets that seemed genius until they weren’t. These are the ones I still lug around, scratched to hell, in 2026.
The Stuff I Actually Use (After Burning Cash on Junk)
I used to carry half an electronics store. Now it all fits in one small cube and I don’t freak out when there’s one socket for twenty people.
- Power Bank — Anker Prime 20,000mAh 200W. Charges laptop once, phone a few times, has the little screen so I know exactly how much panic time I have left. My old 737 is still alive since 2023 after being dropped in sand, forgotten in hostels, everything.
- Charger — Ugreen Nexode 65W GaN, tiny brick, foldable plug, one charger rules phone, laptop, earbuds. Lost my first in Lisbon somewhere and bought a cheap airport knockoff that got scary hot. Lesson learned.
- Headphones — Sony WH-1000XM5. Basic answer I know, but the noise cancelling actually makes long flights tolerable. Battery still pulls 25+ hours after two years of me sleeping in them and probably drooling everywhere.
- Backup Earbuds — Soundcore Liberty 4 NC. Way cheaper, good ANC, I’ve lost one set already and only got mildly mad.
- Cables — Anker PowerLine III Flow USB-C, the soft ones that don’t turn into knots. Three of them because I’m paranoid I’ll lose one.
That’s the whole kit. Travel Tech Gear. Anything extra stays home.
The Things I Bought and Immediately Hated (Don’t Do This)
- That “universal” 8-in-1 adapter that weighed like a brick and worked in maybe two countries
- Solar power bank (great if you live in permanent sunshine, useless otherwise)
- Some Kickstarter suitcase tracker thing—dead after one trip
- Mini projector for “hotel movie nights”—used once, too bright, too fiddly
- Neck pillows with built-in batteries—leaked, died fast, or just uncomfortable
What’s Still Worth the Money Right Now in 2026
- Phone: iPhone 15 Pro with Peak Design Everyday Case (newer slim version). Mount system feels gimmicky but I actually use it on bike and tripod a lot.
- Watch: Garmin Instinct 2 Solar—battery lasts months, charges from light, survived getting buried in Bali rice fields when I was being dumb.
- Kindle Paperwhite Signature (2024 one)—still king for reading on planes without killing my eyes.
- SSD: Samsung T7 1TB. All photos, work backups. Lost one in Thailand, legit cried a little, now I carry two.
The One Rule I Finally Stuck To Travel Tech Gear
If it doesn’t fit in one small cube and everything can’t charge from one plug, it doesn’t travel. Sounds mean but it works. I still sometimes sneak an extra cable cuz anxiety is real, but at least when I’m stuck in a station at 2 a.m. with zero outlets, my gear keeps going.
What’s the one travel tech thing you refuse to fly without? Comment it—I’m always looking for something that won’t betray me after a few trips. And if you’re still using some ancient heavy power brick from 2019, just let it go. Your back and your battery anxiety will be grateful.
