Pack Your Own Electric Travel First Aid Kit

One of the best tips I ever got from another global traveler was to take a little “electric first aid kit” with me abroad.  This turned out to save me a lot of hassle and down time by being prepared for the kinds of “mismatches” that occur when you move from one country’s electrical system to another.

There are two main kinds of mismatches.  The first is voltage.  The United States and Canadian electric systems both operate with 110-volt direct electric current, however most of the rest of the world uses 220 volt direct current. That means that if you want t to use your US or Canadian electric and electronic appliances and gadgets, e.g.., Nintendo Wiis and rechargeable wireless headsets, in other countries, you are going to need voltage converters or transformers in order to increase the voltage. 

You will be alerted to this anyway, because your North American plug, with the two parallel prongs (even those that use a third prong for grounding instead of just widening one of the two), will not fit in the outlets abroad.  This is a good thing or you’d hear a zzzzppppfff and perhaps smell a whiff of smoke, because those 220 volts just cruise right through your poor little 110 gadget’s body and burn the thing to a crisp.

Keep in mind that many modern electronic gadgets operate with alternating current and have a boxlike AC adapter between the wall outlet and the actual device that can work with an input of either 220 volts or 110 volts.  To be on the safe side, read the markings on the cable or adapter box.

If you want to be prepared for just about anything when you move abroad or are traveling for extended periods, here’s what you should considering packing in your “electrical first aid kit”:

 1.  One or more lightweight voltage converters.  They are cheap, easy to pack, and useful for a variety of small electric appliances.

2.  A heavy duty “step up” deluxe automatic voltage regulator with at least two outlets for electrical appliances (for example, a hot pot or a curling iron).

3.  A voltage transformer for use with electronic devices, namely those with an electronic chip or circuit.  This would radios, boom boxes, stereos, and “smart” electronic appliances.

4.  Two or more extension power cords.  If you take your home office equipment, for example, you can use one transformer with a power cord into which you can plug your printer, scanner, PC, etc.  They also can be plugged into the wall with an adaptor for then plugging in your laptop, cell phone, etc., that work with either voltage level.

5.  Various plug adapters.  You can buy sets of these or just those that you will need for the area in which you will be living or traveling.  For many South American outlets, for example in Argentina, you will need a plug adapter with a “V” shape.

Pack it all in a plastic waterproof container inside one of your packing boxes or suitcases that you will open when you first arrive so that you can enjoy your modern conveniences right away.  You can do the rest of your unpacking while you listen to music on your stereo equipment!