Gadgets that are traveller”s best companion?

Anoop Verma

Whether you are trekking in the evergreen hills of Rishikesh, or you are on a safari trip in open meadows of India’s fabulous Kanha National Park, you can’t do without gadgets. The good thing is that there is simply no dearth of gadgets that can help budget travellers make most of their adventures.

DeLorme inReach: Text from anywhere via satellite signals

?This palm size device relies on Iridium and GPS satellite signals to allow users to send preloaded messages and allow designated contacts to track their travels. The device can be used for sending text messages beyond cell phone range; you can even get message delivery confirmation. You can also enable remote tracking and send 2-way interactive SOS. Users can use the inReach directly or they can pair it with Android smartphones, or DeLorme’s Earthmate PN-60w GPS. Price: Rs. 13,000 (approx.)

AirPort Express

Apple’s portable WiFi router has been conceived as a device for extending the range of an existing WiFi network, but it can also serve the purpose of a wireless base station in its own right. So whenever you are in a hotel room, you don’t have to be tied up to a wire. Just plug the Ethernet cable into the AirPort Express. After that you can start your laptop and configure your WiFi domain. If others are in the room with you, they can also share the WiFi signal. You can also set your password. Price: Rs. 9000 (approx.)

Livescribe Echo Smartpen (2GB)

This is a ballpoint pen with a computer inside. It is capable of recording everything you write, say or hear. You can even synch that audio with the note that you are taking. The device can be used to easily send notes and audio to Evernote, Facebook, Desktop or mobile device. The 2GB smart pen can hold over 200 hours of audio, 32,000 pages of notes, or hundreds of applications. To launch your favourite apps, all you need to do is, write its name and tap on it. Price: Rs. 6900.

SteriPen Traveller

Those of us, who have been to exotic locales, know about the importance of a good portable water purifier. Capable of purifying 200 half litre savings of water with just one set of AA lithium batteries, the SteriPen is designed to fit perfectly into commercial water bottles. All you need to do is insert it securely into the mouth of the bottle, turn it upside down, and in less than a minute you will have safe drinking water.  The device uses UV to purify water. The UV lamp has a life of 3000 cycles. Price: Rs. 4500 (approx.)

Sanitizer Wand for hotel beds

Travelling on a tight budget provides the perfect excuse for getting hold of this LW18 UV-C Sanitizer Wand. No more worries about touching public toilet door handles or sleeping in downmarket hotels beds. The Sanitizer Wand is basically a multi-purpose germ-zapper, which you waft over areas of concern. It comes with a UV-C light, which can obliterate 99 per cent of germs such as salmonella and staph. Even the most fastidious person can wave it over the area in the hotel bed or bathroom that seems suspicious and then have nothing to worry about. Price: Rs. 3500 (approx.)

ZipCart2 Seat: Bag that doubles as a chair

Finally we have a carry bag that can also double up as a comfortable chair or a desk. After wheeling the bag over long distance, when you start feeling tired, you can flip down the seat and sit down to recharge yourself. The seat is capable of holding up to 300 pounds of weight. The bag, equipped with easy to use curved lean-to handle and four swivel-glide wheels, weighs only 6 pounds and is also small enough to be carried as hand baggage in most airlines. Price: Rs. Rs. 10,000 (approx.)?