Every traveler knows that a vacation is not a vacation without at least a few handy gizmos to enhance the overall experience. Though the whole point of a vacation is to disconnect, nowadays many of us find it nearly impossible to do so – whether it’s prompted by a mounting workload left behind at the office or simply the urge to stay on top of your latest batch of Tweets. That’s where nifty travel devices from travel adapters to language translators come in, all of which help to alleviate some of the stresses of travel. You don’t have to be a tech guru to appreciate how the four gadgets below can make excellent travel companions for the summer.
1. Kensington Travel Plug Adapter: Priced at $19.99 and weighing just 8 ounces, the Kensington Travel Plug Adapter makes both an affordable and lightweight tool to keep your iPhone, iPod, camera, notebook or other mobile device charged on the go – especially if you plan to travel outside of the country. In fact, the pocket-size device features AC power plugs – all are built into the adapter itself – for more than 150 different countries. A built-in safety release button and fuse ensure safe operation, and the adapter comes with a 1-year warranty. How’s that for staying connected while abroad?
2. SteriPen: Contaminated water is a leading cause of illness in travelers, hence the reason why many travelers refrain from drinking tap water while on airplanes and at hotels, stores and restaurants in their target destination. That won’t be necessary, however, if you’re thirsty for water and have a SteriPEN in tow. Compact and portable, the SteriPEN – its name being a nod to its neat pen-like appearance and capacity to sterilize water – uses UV light to kill off 99.9% of viruses, bacteria and protozoa that produce water-borne illness. Not only does it work faster than chemical treatments, but it doesn’t have the unpleasant taste of iodine or chlorine. Plus, this handy gadget has earned the Water Quality Association’s Gold Seal. Talk about seeing water in a whole new light!
3. Nikon GPS Geotagging Device: How often have you glanced at pictures taken on vacation and had trouble recalling the name of the river, bridge, street or famous landmark that graces the background? With the Nikon GP-1 GPS Unit firmly affixed to your Nikon camera, you’ll be able to remember the exact coordinates of where you snap every single photo. Moreover, geotags can be added to your images so you can record longitude, latitude, altitude and time information. To put it another way, it’s like having a slick device that takes the place of your memory as needed. The only caveat, of course, is that you’ll need a Nikon camera. 
4. Franklin Speaking 12-Language Translator: Interested in boning up on your Spanish before traveling to sunny Miami? How about polishing your French ahead of your trip to New Orleans? The TGA-490 pocket-size translator by Franklin translates and speaks over 200,000 words and 12,000 travel phrases in 12 languages. In addition, Franklin’s phonetic spell correction allows you to enter words by how they sound. Other great features include five games, a local/world clock, metric converter, and a Databank that stores and instantly retrieves important names and numbers.
Although these products won’t ease all of your travel worries, they make great finds for summer travel and will help keep you at least a tad more relaxed and occupied. After all, a vacation should be as stress-free as possible!
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