Gadgets. We can’t go anywhere without them these days, can we? Not even on holiday. Or perhaps that should read, especially not on holiday. Whether it’s your Airpods for the poolside, your Kindle for reading on the beach, a DSLR camera for the best Insta-tastic holiday snaps ever, or, the parents’ favourite, an iPad to keep the kids quiet for half an hour, gadgets feature highly on any holiday packing list these days. And that’s without even mentioning our smartphones, which it goes without saying follow us everywhere.
How To Look After Your Gadgets When You Travel
There’s no escaping it, we’re digital creatures and we cling to digital tech like babes to a bottle whether we’re at home or on our travels. Which is fine. Except that, when we do travel, things have a habit of going missing and getting broken. And a lot of the gadgets we like to carry around with us are rather expensive. Whether it’s lost luggage, theft or just unfortunate accidents, travel poses plenty of risks to our beloved gadgets. So what can you do to protect your precious possessions and ensure you’re not spending your entire holiday double checking they are ok every five seconds?
#1. Invest in heavy duty protective cases!
Taking gadgets out and about with you increases the chances of accidents full stop. When you’re on holiday, this extra risk is multiplied by things like luggage getting thrown around, encounters with sand and water at the beach and pool, or just a greater likelihood of things being dropped because you are using them more.
Even if you already have cases for your gadgets, it’s well worth investing in some extra sturdy ‘travel-proof’ back-ups for your trip. Extra impact resistance will keep items safe no matter how much rough and tumble there is as your suitcases and bags are jostled around. And you should prioritise a high level of water resistance - i.e. complete submergence protection up to several metres - for anything you plan to take to the beach or use by the pool.
#2. Fit luggage (and gadget cases) with tracking tags!
As well as an increased risk of being broken, you also have to be realistic about the chances of your gadgets going walkabout when you travel. You’ll have seen all the news headlines about baggage handling chaos at understaffed airports leading to thousands of suitcases going missing - not fun full stop, but especially so if you have costly devices in your luggage.
There’s also the risk of valuable gadgets being stolen. To mitigate the risk of luggage going missing in transit, more and more travellers are fitting their bags with GPS tracking devices like Apple’s AirTags. But these can also be attached to larger cases like camera and laptop bags to provide protection in case of theft, as a GPS signal handed to police could help them quickly pinpoint the thief’s location.
#3. Get your gadgets insured!
Accidents are bound to happen now and again, and mishaps like lost luggage are out of your control. But you can make sure you’re not left out of pocket if something does happen to one of your beloved - and expensive - gadgets.
Most holiday insurance policies come with cover for lost luggage as standard. But you should read the policy wording carefully to check the status of gadgets. Some policies will count electronic devices in the value of items lost in missing baggage, others will let you claim a fixed lump sum. But some will exclude high-value devices and ask you to buy an extra gadget add-on. If in doubt, ask the insurer before you buy.
Wrap Up: A Quick Guide To Protecting Your Gadgets Whilst Travelling
Buying gadget cover as an add-on is much more common if you want to insure devices against damage and theft. While some policies do offer cover for personal belongings as standard, the payout limits are usually low and therefore not suitable for more expensive gadgets. If you insure your devices individually at home, don’t assume that this cover remains valid when you travel. Check your policy carefully, and buy an add-on for your travel insurance if it doesn’t.
What about you, what kind of travel gadgets have you got and how do you make sure they're kept safe? Feel free to share any tips & advice below!
ABOUTME
We overland. We eat plants and fungi. We live outside as much as possible. We are all connected. A female travel blogger overlanding and writing about ecotourism, ethical and sustainable travel, socially conscious travel and housesitting. An online travel magazine since 2015.
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