Power Strips ｜ Travel Tips
Power strips are probably the single best tool you’re NOT using when you travel.
The most common reaction people have to using power strips when traveling is apprehension. No one wants to carry more stuff with them on a trip. It’s a valid criticism, but hear me out. A useful tool should not be thrown aside for the crime of being something additional.
First, let’s make a distinction between power strips for home and ones for travel. Home power strips are longer, bigger, and heavier than their travel counterpart. They are designed for regulating voltage, usually, and are commonly used for large appliances, like TVs and PCs.
Travel power strips, on the other hand, aren’t as robust. They have fewer outlets, more USB ports, and are less equipped to deal with power surges. It’s a very different piece of equipment.
Power Strips ｜ Advantages
Having a travel power strip helps deal with unknown circumstances. Travelers generally won’t know how many AC outlets an accommodation will have, nor where they will be located. Older hotel rooms, especially, aren’t equipped with modern travelers in mind. You might have to unplug something like a lamp so you can have your smart phone charging on the nightstand next to the bed.
At the very least, every person in your party will have a smart phone. If you’re a family of four that could mean four phones that need to be charged every day. Additionally, some travelers bring a laptop or tablet. Some have MP3 players. Many travelers still use cameras, so there might be batteries that need charging. I typically bring two cameras with me on most trips. All these devices need outlets, which could be in short supply. Having a travel power strip solves this issue.
Outlets might be located in areas that aren’t useful. I have been in a few hotel rooms which only had a free AC outlet in the bathroom, right near the sink. Clearly this was designed with a blow-dryer in mind, and not for charging a smart phone. The matter gets more complicated if you need to wake up by the alarm on your smart phone. Though it’s not a perfect solution, the extension cord of a travel power strip can mitigate the problem.
More Power For International Travelers
If you’re traveling internationally you will only need a single plug adapter, which will save you a good chunk of cash. It will also save some space and weight. Good plug adapters are heavy.
As a smaller bonus; a travel power strip with a number of USB ports means you can leave your AC plug(s) for your devices at home, making up a little on the weight added by the power strip.
Practicing What I Preach
I started using a travel power strip a few years back and I haven’t regretted anything about lugging it along. No more hunting for AC outlets on my hands and knees, no more having to unplug TVs because it’s the only available plug in the room, no more worries about accommodations having enough outlets, and no more worries about having enough international plug adapters. The benefits greatly outweigh the only negative of having to carry something new.
