Bring a Portable Charger When You Travel
July 2025 — Tip of the Month
I travel often, so I'm typically prepared with all the documents, clothing, and gadgets I need. But one item has become increasingly important in recent years — a portable charger.
Few things are worse than being a long way from your hotel and seeing your phone battery drop below 20%. You turn down your screen brightness and stop scrolling through social media because you know if your phone dies, you might die as well. OK, that's a little extreme, but it can feel that way.
If your smartphone battery dies, you'll:
- lose access to your maps, making it difficult to find your way back.
- not be able to use your digital wallet for payments or metro tickets.
- lose access to the flashlight (which can be critical at night).
- not be able to capture that amazing photo or video you really wanted.
- not be able to call or text anyone.
To prevent those undesirable situations, I always bring a portable charger when I travel. It removes the stress of running out of battery since I always have backup power available. Keeping a charger in my bag or pocket allows me to enjoy my adventures without fretting over whether my battery will die.
I typically bring a removable MagSafe charger, which is part of the standard charger I use to charge my iPhone every night.
While you can bring a charging block and USB cable, those are only helpful when you can access a power outlet. They are worthless when you're on a mountain or hiking in the wilderness. They may not even help you on a train or bus, which is when I often recharge my phone with a portable charger.
While I typically use a MagSafe charger for my iPhone, other portable chargers are more flexible. Some can recharge laptops and more power-hungry devices when you don't have a power outlet available. Whatever your situation, bringing a mobile charger can save you a lot of hassle and help you focus on your adventures rather than your battery life.