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:

1. lose access to your maps, making it difficult to find your way back.
2. not be able to use your digital wallet for payments or metro tickets.
3. lose access to the flashlight (which can be critical at night).
4. not be able to capture that amazing photo or video you really wanted.
5. 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.

- Per Christensson