I like a bit
of technology, the right device can make frequent travel much less
stressful, more comfortable and sometimes safer. But there are many ‘must have’
gadgets out there that have been designed either with the best of intentions or
by greed that are simply obsolete. This stuff takes up valuable room in your
luggage but more importantly turns out to be a pointless purchase that costs
you your precious cash! Here are my top 5 pointless travel gadgets not to waste
your money on!
Portable scales
I’ve seen
this on a list of ‘must have in your carry on’ and I cannot think of a more useless
waste of luggage space. Every airport I have ever been to, already has free scales
where you can check the weight of your bags before boarding. Plus, most of us
have a set of scales at home that we can place our bags on before we leave the
house to double check all of our luggage is within the limits, ensuring we
avoid any unwanted baggage charges.
Alarm Clock
Um are these
even still a thing? Doesn’t everyone just use their phones now? So you may not
be able to whack it ‘Flintstone style’ in the morning like a regular analogue
alarm clock, but any modern phone is essentially the technology equivalent of
a Swiss army knife; eliminating the need
for a clock, stopwatch, calculator, Ipod, translator and weather men!
Hair Straighteners & Hair Dryer
I get it,
some people can’t imagine leaving the house without perfectly dry, straightened
and styled hair, I am not one of these individuals. My look could best be
described as ‘bed hair via hedge’ but this nonchalant attitude to my quaft
means I don’t need to pack all of the paraphernalia that comes with it. Hair
dryers and straighteners/curlers take up valuable space in your luggage, are
often a weird shape to try and pack and are sometimes rendered useless when you
forget your plugin adapter to make it actually work in the country you are visiting!
Most hotels and hostels have their own for rent or for free and if it’s not
obviously available, just ask.
Neck Pillow
These things
seem like such a good idea in theory and are a stable in the airport’s duty
free shops, but I’m gonna argue do we really need these annoying tiny pillows?
First of all, there’s two types; the beanie filled one that is so squishy is doesn’t
actually hold your head up at all and you still end up with a stiff neck and
dribble on your chin, or the air inflated ones that before each
journey must be blown up to the mass annoyance of all the poor sods who have to
sit next to you, behind you and immediately in front of you. A rolled up blanket
scarf or sarong around your neck does the same job whilst also being used as a
functional scarf afterwards.
Personal Air Purifier
I’ve seen
these little bastards on a bunch of ‘must have gadgets’ lists, but I’ve yet to
have anyone successfully explain to me why I need one? True, planes, trains and
buses can be the perfect breeding ground for germs, you are trapped in a small
space with a bunch of strangers from all over the world, exposing you to new pathogens
and bugs, but you would be better off wearing a medical mask rather than a tiny
machine that hangs around your neck, almost a foot away from your nose and
mouth. And just as a side note, is there anything more obnoxious than seeing
someone with their own personal air purifier because the air that you are also
breathing isn’t clean enough for them? The only way that person isn’t a
complete knob is if their immune system is compromised by some debilitating disease,
in which case, by all means, take every precaution!
So that’s my
list of useless tech gadgets all travellers are told they ‘must have,’ did you
disagree with any? What can’t you live without when you go travelling? Have you
found some even crazier, unless gadgets we should laugh about? Leave them in
the comments below and lets discuss, and share this with anyone about to go on
holiday this summer, maybe you could save them some money wasting!
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