Summer is coming, and next thing we would like to do is having a vacation. Whether you’re going on a beach, visiting wonderful cities, camping on mountains or just relaxing on a cruise. Here are my top 5 gadgets and accessories to bring on a summer vacation.
Before I get started, let’s include our smartphones automatically on the list because I believe 99% of us will never forget our smartphones nowadays. I would explain further later in this article.
This list is based on our experience in many places we visited. Also, this is not for professional photographers and filmmakers with too many gadgets and accessories in their baggage. I limit my list into 5 because they also have accessories that you can include to bring. Too much carry on will not be very good. Also, this is for first-time travelers or not so first timers but will definitely like to make the most of your vacation.
**Disclosure: Some of my links below are affiliate links. Meaning, at no additional cost to you and not asking anything in return, I will earn a small amount of commission if you click on the link and make a purchase. Thank you.**
1. GoPro (Action Camera)
This is my first on my Top 5 gadgets and accessories list because of its flexibility in many ways, here’s why. When you’re going to a beach, action cameras like GoPro provide waterproof capabilities so you can capture videos and images underwater. If you’re camping and hiking to the summit, they have a wide angle shot for you to capture wider images. It also provides a lot of accessories to connect with.
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| GO PRO HERO 5 |
GoPro captures 4k video resolutions in the latest model and with wireless capabilities, you can just connect your smartphone to control your GoPro to capture pictures, videos, adjust the settings or transfer your files wirelessly to your phone or laptop. GoPro also provide better images, I say better but not great. But still can give you awesome pictures from time to time. GoPro also provides automatic exposure, this will help you capture videos night and day without adjusting the exposure manually.
I remembered a few years ago, I bought a generic brand of action cameras that look like GoPro for only $40 and that camera gives me this image.
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| NO AUTOMATIC EXPOSURE CAPTURED BY GENERIC ACTION CAMERA |
The camera doesn’t have an automatic exposure and when I took the video in the middle of the day when the sun is totally bright; All I can see was the white background and can’t even saw the detail of the images. (Not really good). So I suggest investing in action camera like Go Pro will definitely make the most out of your summer vacation.
Accessories
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| AMAZON BASIC HEAD STRAP FOR GO PRO |
A perfect accessory for your Go Pro if you’re camping, hiking, mountain climbing or biking. This will give you a good point of view shot of your travel destination. For just under $10 you can have this accessory. Just click the image above to see the product on Amazon.
Do you know how to start a fire for 90 seconds flat without having a match or lighter? Click here to find out how.
Chest Strap
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| CHEST STRAP FOR GO PRO |
An optional choice rather than the head strap. I used this when I’m snorkeling because it has more stable if I’m taking videos underwater. You can get this accessory in Amazon.com for only $15.
Here is a cheaper option that has all the accessories that are compatible with GoPro and includes a floater handle, mini tripod, wrist strap and other mounts.
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| NEEWER 50-in-1 ACCESSORY KIT FOR GOPRO |
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| SANDISK 64GB MicroSDXC |
For extra battery, I would recommend the GoPro battery itself because of the power capacity. Don’t buy generic brand because it won’t last longer. However, if you carry multiple batteries, you could buy a charger that can charge multiple battery at the same time and some generic brands works great like this one here.
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| SMILE POWO BATTERY CHARGER WITH 2 EXTRA BATTERY INCLUDED |
2. Digital Camera
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| SONY DSCH300 |
Now I mentioned that Go Pro take good pictures but not great. Here’s why. Go Pro has no zooming capabilities and no flash if needed to take pictures.
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| CANON POWERSHOT SX620 DIGITAL CAMERA |
That’s why I include a digital camera on the list. Whether you like a pocket size camera or better zooming, it’s up to you. Having this gadget is also great for taking wonderful moments.
Recommended Accessories
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| JOBY GORILLA TRIPOD |
I recommend this tripod for your digital camera because of it’s flexibility and stability. This tripod has 3 flexible feet that you can bend and strap around anywhere that can hold it. Also, it durable and strong and can carry up to 6.6lbs weight of the camera. Compatible to DSLR and Mirrorless cameras too.
Storage and Power
Don’t forget to grab SD cards for extra storage and extra battery for your camera. This will definitely help you in case you run out of battery and storage while you’re on a trip.
3. Bluetooth Speaker
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| JBL FLIP 3 SPLASH PROOF |
You wonder why this gadget is on my list? There’s a lot of reasons why. Bluetooth Speaker provides better sound quality compared to smartphone speakers. Here are my reasons why I love this gadget. When we’re camping, we can use this to connect to our smartphone and play music or even if we like to have some karaoke night. When you’re on a beach, you can also play some good music while relaxing and sunbathing. Sometimes, when like to watch a movie on our laptop we can just connect the speaker for better sound. That’s the reason why I like to bring Bluetooth speaker. Here are my recommendations
SONY XB10 WIRELESS SPEAKER BLACK
(Cheaper Option)
4. Power Bank / External Battery
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| ANKER POWERCORE 1000mAh Power Bank |
Having a power bank or external battery in your backpack is important nowadays because we use our smartphones all the time and it’s essential that you carry this in case you run out of power while you’re on a trip. You can you use this to charge your GoPro, digital camera, and you Bluetooth speaker.
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| 24000mAh POWERBANK |
5. SMARTPHONES
But here’s the thing, I mentioned that our smartphones was included automatically because I know smartphones is always in our pocket and for sure we will never forget this wherever we go. Smartphones can do the job of taking great pictures too especially new phones that have great features in camera. According to ConsumerReports here are the best smartphone camera for 2018 (Click Here) and here are some of my recommendations on a budget.
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| SONY EXPERIA XA1 |
Sony Experia XA1 is less than $300 on Amazon. It has 23megapixel in back and 8megapixel in front camera. Has a 0.6 Quick Capture with 24mm wide-angle F2.0 lens and ISO6400 support.
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| IPHONE SE |
If you like Apple products, this Iphone is a hybrid version between Iphone 5s and 6s. And it’s less than $400 in Amazon. Has a
12‑megapixel iSight camera with 1.22µ pixels; ƒ/2.2 aperture and
4K video recording (3840 by 2160) at 30 fps.
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| SAMSUNG GALAXY A3 |
The camera has 13 MP, f/1.9, autofocus and the CPU is Octa-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A53. It’s less than $300 in Amazon.
Nowadays, smartphones has a capabilities of doing anything for you. From texting, calling, video calling, social media, playing music and watching videos. It can do everything. That’s why when we’re going on a vacation, I typically used my smartphones for driving directions using google maps or waze and not for taking pictures or videos. When we’re on an all-day trip we like to save our smartphone battery in case of an emergency.
That’s my top 5 gadgets and accessories to bring on a summer vacation. Whether you’re on a relaxing on a beach, visiting beautiful cities or hiking wonderful mountains, these gadgets will help you capture every moment of your trip and make the most out of it.
Please comment below if you think I forget something that is important to bring during your summer trip or suggest you think that I shouldn’t include. Please share and subscribe to my blog for more Travel Tips like this and follow our journey as we share the beauty of this world.
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Disclosure: Some of my links above are affiliate links. Meaning, at no additional cost to you and not asking anything in return, I will earn a small amount of commission if you click on the link and make a purchase. Thank you.
