8 Travel Tech Gadgets You Didn’t Know You Needed

The monotony of a 15-hour flight or 5-hour train ride requires a small library to keep your mind from imploding. Your choices: 15 pounds of books or a lightweight E-reader. We love Amazon’s new Kindle Oasis. The 4 ½-ounce e-reader has the highest-resolution display in a Kindle (300ppi), stores thousands of books, and thanks in part to the Kindle cover/external battery, can hold a charge for up to two…damn…months.

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Using your phone as a way to record everything isn't new, but the Note 5 lets you do it old-school, in fresh way. The integrated stylus turns your 21st-century phone into an old-school journal, letting you jot notes, sketches, and the occasional haiku on the 5” screen. And when words won’t do, the rear camera takes 16mp images and Ultra 4k video, so you won’t miss a beat.

Let’s be real – these days, checking your bag is risky business. If you want to make sure your clothes follow you to your destination, invest in a good carry-on. Eagle Creek’s Tarmac bag is up to the task with a 40L capacity (expandable to 44L), lockable and self-repairing zippers, and extremely durable exterior which will come in handy when you rage-shove it into the overhead compartment. Bonus: The integrated bottle opener is a thoughtful touch, especially after a rough day of travel.

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Want to travel lighter? Volcom’s Vorta Form jeans are the only pants you’ll have to bring. They sport clean lines that work for both day and night, and they’re made with a silane-based quaternary ammonium treatment, which means they’re completely stink-proof. Literally. We’ve been wearing a pair for two weeks straight and we’re still going strong. (For men only; for women, see volcrom.com)

This water-, snow-, and shock-proof battery is equipped to survive anything you throw at it (or anything you throw it at), plus it will charge most phones up to 6 times. You heard us – 6 times. Not only that, the Scosche GoBatt 12000 can detect whether you’re using an Android or iOS phone and will optimize the charge for either one, and two output ports mean you can share your charger with the cute passenger sitting next to you. The downside: Power doesn’t come light: at 10.5 ounces, you’ll feel it in your pack.

RELATED: Our Travel Tech Checklist

If you only have room to pack one pair of shoes, go with the eVolv Cruzer Psyche Shoes. We’ve worn them in different ways across the world, from dinner in Barcelona, to crossfitting in Aspen, to bouldering in Phoenix, to running stairs in Acadia. Bonus: The kick-down heel turns them into slip-ons – a huge help in cruising (ahem) through security.

It’s not enough for sunglasses to just look cool anymore: they’ve got to be multi-functional. Electric’s Stacker sunglasses not only passed the first test (they look awesome on this writer), but they’re loaded with high tech: the melanin-infused lenses block UV rays, and the removable frame shields block light and wind. The downside: We give you a week before you lose the frame shields.

The North Face Access Pack stands out from the rest with its firm, protective EVA foam shell body and a spring-loaded main compartment that snaps the pack open with the push of a button. Bonus: Ejector tabs in the compartments pull your laptop, wallet, and other gear up and out of your pack for you, so you don’t have to dig around for your mouse while you’re crammed into a coach seat.

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