You’re smitten by wanderlust. Your friends and family may not understand your passion for exploring new places and cultures, but the very idea pumps blood through your veins. Whether it’s peering at the Arno River from the Ponte Vecchio or savoring the sights, sounds, and smells of a night market in Phnom Penh, you cannot wait to embark on your next big adventure.
While your mind may already be in a different timezone weeks before the trip, consider purchasing the following gadgets and accessories to help you navigate unfamiliar territory, document your adventures, and keep your belongings organized and safe once you hit the open road.
1. Apple Watch
Apple Inc.’s stylish Apple Watches aren’t just a handy way to respond to emails and stay connected with FaceTime, as they also support numerous travel apps. You can use Apple Maps to get directions to your hotel, popular tourist attractions, or that boulangerie everyone keeps raving about on TripAdvisor.
Apple Maps is packed with other useful features like public transit information, turn-by-turn spoken directions, and a list of nearby amenities.
Interested in getting to an unfamiliar destination as quickly as possible using public transportation? The CityMapper app provides the fastest route to your destination based on data from Google Maps. Aside from noting your location, the app provides step-by-step instructions for catching the nearest bus or train, and it will tap your wrist gently once you’ve reached your destination.
How about an app that sources affordable accommodations on the go? Priceline.com’s app will show you four popular nearby hotels. You’ll get options for same-day booking and discount offers from published rates. Priceline.com’s deals link to the iPhone app, which you can use to complete your reservation. You can also use the Priceline.com app to search for affordable flights and car rentals.
2. Eye-Fi Mobi Wi-Fi SD Memory Card
While it’s fun to take pictures and shoot videos with your camera, transferring this media to other devices can be a serious time-waster. With the Eye-Fi Mobi Wi-Fi SD memory card, there’s no need to fiddle around with different devices. The Eye-Fi Mobi Wi-Fi SD memory card connects your camera to your Android smartphone/tablet or iPhone/iPad.
After the setup, users get an instant connection so that their best photos and videos are instantly saved to connected devices and are ready to share. Eye-Fi SD memory cards are compatible with thousands of cameras, including popular models from Nikon, Canon, and Sony. Some cameras also have added Eye-Fi technology to improve overall experience and unlock additional features.
3. Olloclip 4-in-1 Lens
While users and reviewers alike might praise the iPhone 6 series for its superior camera specs and 4K video, Apple’s flagship smartphones do not accommodate interchangeable lenses, severely limiting their versatility.
Fortunately, you can expand the shooting capabilities of your iPhone 6 with the Olloclip 4-in-1 Lens for the iPhone 6/6s and iPhone 6/6s Plus. Lens options include the fisheye, wide-Angle, 10x macro, and 15x macro.
With the Olloclip 4-in-1 Lens, you can expand your shooting capabilities and creative options. Your travel photo albums on Facebook will never be the same.
4. Joby GripTight Mount for Smartphones
Interested in snapping fantastic scenes in low-light conditions with your smartphone? Capturing hand-held photos is bound to lead to blurry results, which is why you need an iPhone tripod to give you the stability you need to take crisp shots.
The Joby GripTight Mount quickly attaches itself to any standard tripod via a 1/4-20” screw and comes in sizes that fit phones and small tablets. It’s foldable, lightweight, and very compact, making it easy to store and carry around.
What’s more, the Joby GripTight Mount is extremely versatile because it can adapt itself to your current smartphone or small tablet, and it will readily adapt itself to your next device.
5. Lowepro Fastpack BP 250 AW II
Need a durable, travel-ready backpack that can accommodate your basic photography gear, laptop, and other tech devices? Lowepro has some of the best camera bags for travel and best rugged travel packs for gear protection.
The Lowepro Fastpack BP 250 AW II is designed to fit a DSLR, two to three extra lenses or flashes, a 15-inch laptop, and a tablet. This travel-ready backpack also has extra room for your personal gear. Your gear will be protected by the backpack’s built-in All Weather AW Cover and CradleFit device compartment.
Photographers would be glad to know that the backpack features side access, which means that the camera is never more than a few seconds away from the next shot.
6. Nikon D5500
DSLRs don’t come more travel-friendly than the Nikon D5500. Lightweight (it weighs about a pound) and almost as compact as its mirrorless counterparts, the Nikon D5500 is compatible with a wide range of lenses, has a tilting LCD display (perfect for composing front-facing shots), and is Wi-Fi enabled.
The Nikon D5500 allows you to shoot ultra-sharp 24.2-megapixel photos and full HD videos. You can share the resulting media quickly with compatible smartphones and tablets. Capturing and sharing your adventures has never been simpler!
Liz Pekler is a travel photographer with almost 10 years of experience in the field. When she is not out exploring the world, she likes to share her knowledge about photography and travel through writing for blogs.
