One thing that just about every traveler needs is a quality international travel adapter so you can use/charge your electronic devices while in foreign countries. There are several different types of adapters but for consistency of this post I am going to refer to the outlet (power points for all of my friends abroad) as “The Plug” (female) and the part that plugs in as “The Prongs” (male).
1 Plug To 1 Plug
1 set of prongs x 1 plug adapters are probably the cheapest and most common of all of travel adapters. These normally cost about $5 online (before you go abroad) and about $20-$30 in the only country where they can be used. These simply convert 1 specific plug to accept 1 specific set of prongs. They are small and light but are only useful to someone who is traveling from a single country to a single country or a set of countries who all have the same plugs. Example: A US plug to Australian prongs would allow me to plug in my US electronics into an Australian power outlet. It serves it’s purpose but it’s useless to anyone who doesn’t use electronics with US prongs or who is outside of Australia/NZ. Because of their specific design they lack much sell/trade/giveaway value amongst other travelers.
1 Plug To Multiple Plugs
1 set of prongs x multiple plug adapters start to offer some multi-national uses. These are quite a bit more bulky because they have several plugs but allow people from more countries to use the same adapter so retailers can sell the same adapter to multiple nationalities. These normally cost about $7 online (before you go abroad) and about $20-$30 in the only country where they can be used. These convert 1 fixed set of prongs to multiple plugs which usually causes them to be much more bulky. Example: US, UK and Euro plugs with Australian prongs would allow anyone from the US, UK or EU to plug in their electronics to an Australian/NZ plug. Although it offers utility to more than just a single culture, it is completely useless outside of Australia/NZ. Their multi-plug design makes them useful to be lent, traded, sold or given away to fellow travelers if the need arises.
Multiple Plugs To 1 Plug
Multiple prongs x 1 plug adapters are very common and can be useful in many countries but are limited to a single plug. They are also a bit bulky because they have so many collapsible/fold-out prongs inside of them or have a series of prongs on the exterior (like the one seen here). These normally cost about $7 online (before you go abroad) and are almost always purchased in the home country of the traveler since they are buying their own specific plug that can convert to multiple prongs to be used around the world. Example: An EU plug to convert to US, UK, A/NZ prongs so you could travel all over the world and be able to charge your own electronics. These offer multinational utility but only for a single plug so lending, trading, selling and giving these away is limited to the people who can use the specific plug.
Multiple Plugs To Multiple Plugs
Multiple prongs x multiple plug adapters are my personal favorite because they are capable of converting multiple prongs to be used in multiple plugs so just about any traveler in the world can use these in just about any country in the world. It’s easy to see why these are the obvious choice for the multinational traveler. These normally cost about $5-$10 online (before you go abroad) and about $30-$60 abroad …if you can find a place to buy them. Example: Depending on the setup of the adapter, someone from North America, South America, the UK, the EU, Japan, China or Australasia could use their electronics in North America, South America, the UK, The EU, Japan, China and Australasia. Legit, huh? These are obviously the best international travel adapter and one of the best investments that you can make in your international travel gear. These can even be used to help people who come to visit you in your home country and need an adapter to plug in their European curling iron in your US plugs. Since these offer the most international utility they are easy to lend, trade, sell and give away if the need arises. They could even prove to be a priceless life saver in an emergency situation abroad where you NEED to adapt any power outlet to accept any electronic device like phones, cameras, GPS or computers from foreign countries. If you don’t already have one of these on your packing list, I would make buying one a priority.
I learned first hand just how awesome these multi x multi travel adapters are on my last trip to New Zealand. It makes sense that my eyes were opened to the one travel adapter to rule them all while I was in the land of Mordor where the shadows lie 🙂 but I was in need of charging my only piece of electronic equipment that doesn’t charge with my USB power supply and so I asked my room mates if anyone had a New Zealand –> US power adapter. Most people only seem to travel with what converts the local power to their own power but my buddy, Fletch (one of the UK’s finest gents whom I met a few days prior) was able to help me out with his all encompassing travel adapter and it blew my mind how flexible it was. I had mostly seen multi prong to a single plug adapters before but nothing as simple as Fletch’s transforming travel adapter. A few minutes later, my buddy Jason (a fellow yank from Michigan whom I also met a few days prior) walked into the room while Fletch and I were still talking about it and he showed me the exact same adapter and told me that he got his on Amazon for like $4 plus shipping. I was shocked! I promptly got on my iPod and made a purchase on Amazon within like 5 minutes. I got a 2 pack for $5.95 plus shipping. Too bad I had to ship them to my address in the US so I wouldn’t be able to use them in NZ or Aus.
Ultimately, you will need to evaluate what you think will be the most effective travel adapter for whatever it is that you are going to use it for but these 4 options offer a multitude of combinations and applications which hopefully I have helped you understand with this post. I would love to see what crazy travel adapter setups you have seen out there amidst your travels so if you see something crazy, snap a quick pic and tag me when you upload it to Instagram (I’m @JonnyTravels) so I can see how people are connecting to power all around the world and so I can also see how you are traveling more with less.
