Camera

DJI Osmo Pocket

I’m not going to lie. After getting my Canon DSLR camera a few years ago for Christmas, I didn’t think I was going to be able to make a switch over to a compact camera. In fact, I was totally against it. But I was getting a bit tired of having to carry around my Canon and making sure that it was always safe – especially when traveling with the kids. Queue in DJI’s Osmo Pocket – the latest and greatest in compact camera technology and a new addition to our family travel tech list.

The Osmo Pocket is not meant to replace a full DSLR or even a GoPro – it’s in a different category altogether. As one of the smallest 3-axis stabilized handheld cameras it is a great travel companion for content creators. It’s relatively inexpensive ($350 USD) and if you are making high-quality, 4K YouTube videos or fast-paced home videos of your family, the Osmo will definitely do the job.

I saw a huge difference in our video quality with the Osmo Pocket in comparison to the video that was taken with our phone. The built-in gimbal gives videos the stability needed to provide that professional look. In addition, the Osmo offers face-tracking. Our kids are always moving and bouncing off the walls and the Osmo was able to track all their movements while keeping the video stable.

The best part about it? It is so small. I mean really, really small! Small enough to carry in your purse, hip pack, or even pant pocket. When traveling, it is sometimes really hard to hold bulkier cameras while trying to take a high-quality video. There may be too many people, not enough space, or even a kid who is hanging off your arm. With the Osmo Pocket, you can alleviate all that frustration and have your video set up in seconds.

Drone

DJI Mavic Air

Is a travel video even real if you don’t have an amazing aerial shot of the view? Drones are the latest and greatest travel tech devices used in digital video content. They are fun to use and make for some seriously cool shots. My son loved it, he looked forward to fly time. DJI’s Mavic Air fits the bill in what a great drone should be and is included in our family travel gear.

The Mavic Air’s size to quality ratio is fantastic. For its size, it delivers a serious punch when it comes to video and photo quality. The Mavic Air folds up and fits in the palm of your hands which makes it easy to pack in a carry-on, luggage or backpack. It can record 4K video and take HDR photos, along with other cool features that make it a great buy.

When traveling with the DJI Mavic Air consider buying additional batteries as each battery only lasts about fifteen minutes. Although flying drones when traveling can get complicated, particularly with flying restrictions, if done correctly you can get some great footage and have lots of fun.

When traveling with a drone it is very important to be informed regarding drone flying laws and local customs.

Laptop/Tablet

Microsoft Surface

As a traveling wanderer it is important that you have the right tool for the job no matter where you are in the world, with that said,  you’re definitely going to want something that’s compact, powerful and versatile. When we travel we include a labtop and maybe a tablet on our family travel gear list.

The surface line of computers made by Microsoft is my choice of computing device when traveling. The light and elegant design of the surface computers provide typical computing tasks such as light video editing, web design, and blogging. In addition, the convenient ability to use the device in tablet mode is always useful for casual use. I personally like traveling with the Surface Go. It can do anything a larger laptop can do with a convenient size and low power consumption. The deal breaker is its price. The Surface Go is not as expensive as the other models in the Surface lineup, which makes it good for traveling. I wouldn’t want to bring a big, expensive laptop on my adventures, I would be too afraid of losing and breaking it. Who has the time to sit in front of a laptop while on a trip anyway?

Outlet Power Converter

Poweradd Outlet Power Converter

This is a very important topic and research is essential to keeping your travel tech working properly during those family outings. Most electronic devices are both 110V and 220V compatible, meaning that manufacturers are becoming very economic and ensuring that their products work in all parts of the world. Take a sneak peek at the label of the device, it’s usually a sticker locked at the back of the unit. Here you will find details regarding is volt compatibility. If it mentions 110v-220v then you are safe to use a power adapter without a power converter. However, if the device only shows either 110v or 220v you will require a converter to change the amount of voltage that the device will receive from the outlet. This is important because the last thing you want to do is short out your expensive gear.

 Travel Power Adapter 

This is an absolute necessity when traveling, so it is important to do the research. Different regions of the world have a different outlet configuration and will require an outlet adapter to make your plugs fit. The simple solution is to purchase a universal adapter that fits all outlets and all plugs from the different outlet standard of the world. Note that this has nothing to do with electricity, a Power Converter handles that. The adapter allows a prong configuration of a plug to be converted to a different prong configuration. Just remember that it is important to check if the devices you are plugging in can be charged with a 110v or 220v outlet. The last thing you want to do is damage your families tech while traveling. 

Power Bar Extension Cord

A small convenient power bar with a little length of an extension is very useful. Many hotels and AirBnB’s don’t have easy access outlets or only have one located near the refrigerator or behind a 3000-pound dresser. Well, we found that having an extension cord is a convenient way to comfortably organize all our family’s travel tech in a safe way while charging.

Power Port

Anker USB Charger PowerPort 5

With so many tech devices for the entire family, it sometimes becomes difficult to find charging ports and outlets for everyone while on th go. Charging port or charging stations as some people may call them are a convenient way to get all your tech essentials powered up all at once. An important factor to consider is the ratio between the total power output and the number of ports provided. Usually, the total amount of output power is advertised and the consumer is left to wonder if the device will provide a sufficient amount of energy to each of the devices plugged in. Modern power ports such as the Anker PowerPort come with IQ technology which is smart enough to know how much energy to provided each unit that is plugged in. So, for example, the 40W that the Anker provides is shared amongst all 5 ports or at a max of 12W per port. If you are using fewer ports, those ports have the option to reach a faster-charging capability.

Power Bank

A power bank is a must-have for any traveller. This portable device can benefit the whole family on a trip. The last thing you want is your camera, phone, or tablet to run out of power. I personally like a power bank that has an output capability of at least 45W. Most devices don’t need this type of power output, 10W – 14W is more than enough. However, I like to be able to connect my laptops (Surface) or Drone (DJI Air) to the power bank and get a quick charge from it. Many power bank manufacturers offer a variety of capacities measured in mAh (milliAmp/hours). The size that I like is a large 20,000mAh or more is a good amount of power storage. To put this into perspective a Google Pixel is approximately 3,000mAh. So, my phone can be charged at least 6 times with a full power bank. This is good since families travel with lots of tech that require charging at any given time or place. 

However, I also like to bring a small power bank with me while I am out for the day. I found that 10,000mAh is plenty for a day out just to keep your phone charged and other small electronics. The larger power bank is used only when I am out for a long period of time or on traveling days.