The Ins and Outs of Personal Electronics While Abroad

Hello all,

Zach and I are tag teaming this post to give some insight on how to use your personal electronics while abroad.

Above is the Apple power adapter that all Apple laptops come with. These little power bricks have built-in power converters, but they are not guaranteed. We have already had three of our friends have their power bricks fried due to power surges and bad luck. We suggest that the best way to avoid any unwanted accidents is to have your devices plugged into a power supply for the least amount of time possible. While charging your phone, laptop, mp3 player, etc. continuously check what level the charge is at and unplug it when it reaches 100%.

One has two options in the case that their device does not have a built in power converter. Option one (pictured above) is a step-down converter. A converter will take in the voltage from the foreign country's power grid and convert it into an acceptable amount for your device. Not all converters are created equal though, so make sure to do your research on brands, and what voltages you will be dealing with in your host country vs. what voltages your devices run on normally. The converters are definitely the more heavy duty solution to the voltage conundrum, but it is also the more expensive solution, heavier solution, and cumbersome solution.

The second option (pictured above) are power adapters. These small adapters simply plug onto your chargers' prongs, and allow you to plug the charger directly into the wall. These adapter are much more affordable, lighter, and portable than the converters, although they do not offer as much protection for your devices. 

Many adapters can usually be bought in groups of three or so, but make sure to research which type of adapters are used in your host country.

Above is another type of adapter that can be extremely useful. This type of adapter has a third area for a ground connection to be made which is sometimes required when powering larger electronics. It is a good idea to purchase a few of these adapters as well just in case you find yourself in need of one.

An abundance of electrical outlets are a luxury that the two of us took for granted before traveling abroad. Many things are different while traveling in foreign countries and one thing that is different is the fact that there are usually only one to two outlets in each room. In order to solve this problem we were able to purchase a power strip which opened up many more slots for us to charge up all of our devices.

Portability is the name of the game while you are studying abroad. As spoken about above electrical outlets are not plentiful in many situations, and many power strips are not the most compact things to pack away. However, there are companies that have a solution to this problem. Pictured above is a simple and ultra compact power strip which can turn one power outlet into many. Simply plug this power strip into an adapter or converter, and you will be able to power your devices with minimal worries.

Sometimes our devices get low on juice no matter how hard we try to keep them all charged. While abroad there will constantly be opportunities to snap a few photos, take some videos, and many more battery draining activities, so it is important to have a back up plan. A simple external battery pack can give your phone, camera, and other devices enough energy until you are able to get back to your regular charger.