It seems like it is impossible for us to go anywhere without our electronics. I suggest that you conduct an Electronics inventory not just for you, but for your entire group. I will share my electronics inventory later in this article, but one thing I’ve discovered over the years of cruising is that I seldom use all the electronics they take. In particular, I have no reason to carry a laptop computer with me as the only purpose it serves is to store my photographs. I do carry an iPad on which I can do basically anything that I need to do on my laptop, albeit not as conveniently at times but it is effective. Eliminating my laptop has saved me 6-8 pounds of weight.

Here is my electronics inventory:

  • My iPhone is use constantly during a cruise. It is my primary device for connecting to the shipboard Internet through which I maintain my emails. I also use it for listening to audiobooks and reading Kindle books. I download Google maps of all my destinations so that I can navigate even when I do not have Internet in a port. It is configured to block roaming data and phone calls and is put into airplane mode when we leave port. If I took no other electronic device, I iPhone could probably be used to conduct most of my business.
  • My wife’s iPhone is primarily used when we are in ports that have free Internet. Once we embark, she normally totally powers it off and places it in the safe until we arrive at our disembarkation port. The only exception is when we are visiting US ports that have carrier access for us, when she will use it to catch up on her mail, or games, and make phone calls.
  • My iPad has replaced my laptop when I am traveling. In addition to downloading videos from Amazon Prime, I sometimes use a browser to perform business activities that cannot be accomplished on the iPhone. However, most of the time it is placed in the safe on board and not use very often.
  • My Kindle and my wife’s Kindle onto which we have downloaded our books. We find that the Kindle is much easier to read than the same book on the iPhone or iPad Kindle app. For this reason we generally carry the ark Kindle along with us in addition to the other devices. The nice thing about the Kindle that does not need to be charged every night. Normally, a single full charge will last the entire trip.
  • My Livescribe pen and notebook are essential to my trip. For those not familiar with the Livescribe pen, this is an electronic pen that records everything written in a format that can be downloaded to your computer. It can also record audio. I use it extensively for taking notes as I travel. It does need to be charged every couple days.
  • A pocket camera that I carry with me to take better quality pictures that I can take with my iPhone. My current camera is a Nikon Coolpix S9300 which will probably get replaced in the near future. It fits conveniently into my pocket and I carry for spare batteries so that I don’t run out during an all day session. As you can guess, I take lots of pictures and filter through them at a later date. These batteries need to be charged on a regular basis. <<< add DxO>>>
  • Depending on the trip, I may also carry a full size digital SLR to take higher quality photos. I have both a standard lens and a telephoto lens for this camera. Given its size and weight, I only carried on trips where I know I’m going to have some exceptional photo opportunities.
  • I carry a Bluetooth keyboard that is able to connect with my iPhone, iPad, and one other device. I find this extremely helpful when I want to type notes, as the touch keypad is not conducive to creative writing.
  • Several USB fans that I find are critical to my comfort when traveling. I use them on airplanes, buses, and in the cabin on the cruise ship. My favorite fan is one that has a rechargeable battery so that it will run without a power source.
  • Portable recharger (aka “brick”) that can support at least two USB devices. I’ve added this in my inventory since it needs to be recharged periodically. I carry my brick with me everywhere, along with several lightning and micro-USB cables, so I can get charge devices in the field.
  • As I am diabetic, I also travel with several glucose monitors. These do not need an external power source and would normally run on their internal battery for the duration of the trip. However, it is important to make sure that there is a fresh battery installed that spare batteries are available.

Your inventory may not be as long as mine. The important outcome for creating this inventory is to ensure that you have all the chargers, power cables, batteries, and other components you might need while you’re traveling. I cannot tell you how many times someone has asked me for spare cable because they forgot to bring theirs. In a separate post, I will discuss how to build your Electronics Support Kit. In the meantime, please prepare your inventory and review periodically to make sure you have not left anything out. Please complete the following poll to let us know what types of electronics you carry with you.