I’m a travel writer. These are the best travel-size gadgets I never leave home without

Whenever people ask me how I survived the almost oppressive tropical weather during my recent Philippines getaway, my answer is simple: the Gulaki neck fan. Our top pick for the best neck fan has not only seen me through the hottest and most humid days there but also kept me cool during sweltering summer hikes in Los Angeles. If you’re jetting off to somewhere warm, this is one affordable travel-size piece of gear you need in your personal item bag.

Though not a tech gadget, the science and technology behind LifeStraw are huge lifesavers. It comes in this water bottle form that’s useful for airport layovers and long bus rides, and it’s also travel-friendly with its compact and collapsible form. I love having it handy in countries or areas where drinking tap water could potentially mean several trips to the bathroom — or worse, the emergency room!

Extremely dry air, including low humidity levels in airplane cabins, can cause some health issues. And traveling when you’re feeling ill is not fun at all, which is why I prefer to travel with a portable humidifier like this one from Canopy that has a built-in diffuser for natural oils. There are more pocket-size options, but this one is easier to set up on flights. It even has an 11-hour battery life, which is long enough for most long-haul flights.

Jet lag is real, but there are ways to avoid it even when there’s a huge time zone difference. If you’re uncomfortable with total silence or full sensory disconnection during sleep, these Soundcore sleep earbuds may just save you from a lot of sleepless nights. They may not have active noise cancellation (ANC), but the connected app contains a library of soothing white noise sounds you can choose from and layer. Plus, their design is friendly to side sleepers.

There have been enough incidents of carbon monoxide poisoning in hotel rooms or other accommodations to cause concern, so it doesn’t hurt to take extra precautions, especially if you’re traveling alone. This under-$50 portable carbon monoxide detector could potentially save your life, and it’s easy to travel with too, especially with its 10-year battery life and compact design. It’ll even go off at 85 decibels to let you know when it’s time to get out.

One of the downsides to having an aisle seat is that you have to dismantle your entire setup whenever a seatmate has to get up to use the bathroom, but this brilliant wireless audio receiver makes things easier, keeping you untethered from the in-flight screen. It’ll also let you listen to the same audio source with another person, which is useful for, say, watching the same movie as your travel partner. This is one of my personal favorite gadgets to travel with.

I’m a physical book purist at heart, but even I can admit the value of having an Amazon Kindle in one’s travel arsenal. This handy travel-size gadget, which offers a decently long battery life, not only keeps your personal item bag lightweight but also helps you avoid doomscrolling before bedtime. Plus, it gives you access to an extensive library of books if all you want to do on your vacation is relax at the beach. Heck, it might even help with jet lag.

Learning a new language can be hard and time-consuming. Luckily, you don’t have to do so to show respect and communicate with non-English-speaking locals when traveling overseas. Not that you shouldn’t, because learning a new language is worthwhile, but this user-friendly translator will help you read menus, understand airport announcements and overcome language barriers when visiting a foreign country. It’s not perfect, but it’s definitely handy in a pinch.

This travel charger from Twelve South may be the only one you’ll ever need, what with its adapter plug set and USB-C ports that’ll let you charge all your devices just about anywhere in the world. It’s travel size, and it even comes with a built-in tracker, a brilliant addition that doesn’t affect its portability. You can even get the 120-watt version so you can keep your laptop juiced up as well.

An action travel camera is great to have, especially when you’re planning to go on a few adventures during your trip, but it can also distract from the experience. This is why I prefer the Go 3S from Insta360, which is extremely portable and intended to be used hands-free. The pocket-size camera can be worn around your neck or strapped to your shirt or baseball cap so you can press and forget, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the experience.

Keeping your packed clothes wrinkle-free isn’t easy, let alone straddling that line between wrinkle-free clothing and fitting as many pieces as possible into your luggage bag. Luckily, there are many portable clothes steamers that will easily fit inside your carry-on, including this one from Nesugar. It’s on the expensive side, but it’s very effective in smoothing out shirts and dresses for those fancy dinners and work events you’re attending during the trip.