For this current trip in Taiwan I bought some additional electronics, as I was travelling alone. Beside small traveling headphones, the most utilitarian device proofed to be a cheap tablet.
Normally I’m not that digital, although it is my job. But these things I found really helpful, so might share them.
Powerpack
Haven’t got a hub powered dynamo, so taking two small 10000 m/ah powerpacks like from Anker is a good choice.
Also make sure to take enough short USB cables with you, as they tend to break from the stress while travelling.
USB charger
Get a small multiple port one. So only one plug / converter, everything afterwards is USB. Saves weight and trouble of losing something.
Smartphone
Go for a cheap small waterproof one. Big screen can be a cheap tablet with USB OTG, so you can backup your photos. Make sure to have an appropriate big SD card that’s bigger than your camera ones.
SIM card
Getting a cheap local SIM card is the way to go. If you’ve got a telephone with two slots – even better.
Camera
I still use a good travel camera, so no system camera. My Sony RX100 MK1 has proven to be good. I like to shoot pictures from the bike while riding, so it has to be small to fit into a hipster bag.
Blog
This is what made a difference. Registered a cheap WordPress blog at All-inkl before heading of. Actually this is the biggest change to me, but I must say, it was a good choice.
Normally I keep procrastinating myself after I travel, to do some post diary recapturing the experiences. Doing a diary later, takes a lot of time. Normally I stuck to the records I bought on the way for remembering.
So actually it’s quite more easy and convenient to do it while travelling, as all the things are fresh. Takes roughly 1-1.5 hours a day, which is still faster. And you’re able to document the stuff in a native environment.
Folks at home can also quickly see on how you’re doing, another benefit. And the presentation about your holiday is already done when returning.
Conclusion
Electronics really help if used correctly. We’re not talking about over excessive Facebook use, but the basic stuff is not too time consuming and helps you so much.
Please also note that I’m a big fan of dedicated devices, so I keep camera, phone and computer separated. Saves money, let’s you set preferences and in case something gets lost, it’s only one part of the story.
My equipment costs maybe 630€, not including cables and power, but that’s anyway cheaper than an actual iPhone.