10 ways to re-awesomise your holiday luggage
Techie tips and tricks to make your holiday packing less of a nightmare
Everyone loves going on holiday – but everyone hates packing for it.
The good news is, there are a load of gadgety solutions that make preparing for your trip a whole lot easier.
Check out our list below – and don’t forget to send us a postcard.
1. MaStrum packable Rain Tunic
We cling to the hope that our holidays will be a festival of sunshine, but the UK weather is rather prone to indecision. Make sure you avoid getting soggy with this emergency water-resistant jacket, which packs down neatly into a pocket in the back of its foil-backed reverse face.
Dodge the rain › Buy the MaStrum packable Rain Tunic (£200)
2. UrbanEars Humlan
Taking £300 noise-cancellers on your beach holiday can only end in sandy tears. For more adventurous trips we suggest these budget stand-ins, which are capable of taking a battering in your luggage and have washable ear cushions so you can refresh them after your morning seaside jogs.
Get better smelling sound › Buy the UrbanEars Humlan (£35)
3. Nikon Aculon – W10 8×21
Whether you’re spotting wildebeest or looking for the beach bar, a pair of hawk eyes is handy. These rubber-coated binoculars are waterproof to one metre and provide 8x magnification with a wide-ish field of view, making them equally useful for watching sport.
Engage your super-vision › Buy the Nikon Aculon (£65)
4. Crumpler Private Surprise
It’s generally not wise to advertise that you’re carrying a new £500 DSLR full of irreplaceable digital memories. This discreet camera bag will keep your camera secretly stashed in its lower compartment, while simultaneously cradling your 10in tablet in the padded divider above.
Carry a camera obscurer › Buy the Crumpler Private Surprise (£80)
5. Rimowa Topas Multi Cabinwheel
The fight for overhead locker space takes no prisoners, so make sure your luggage is armour-plated. Thanks to its sturdy aluminium-magnesium shell, this 45-litre case is the Rasputin of carry-ons. Its smooth-running wheels also move in all directions to give you a tranquil glide through the terminal.
WHERE’S MY SMART LUGGAGE?
Some excitingly techy suitcases have been spotted on the crowdfunding carousel recently. Bluesmart (€330, bluesmart.com) and Trunkster ($325, trunkster.co) both promise built-in scales, GPS tracking and USB gadget-charging. Bluesmart also includes a digital lock controlled by your smartphone, with Trunkster opting for a zipperless rolltop door that apparently offers enhanced ruggedness and security. Sadly, neither will be available in time for this year’s holiday season, with Bluesmart shipping in December and Trunkster in the autumn. Oh well, just think how sci-fi holiday ’16 is going to be…
Win the bag war › Buy the Rimowa topas multi cabinwheel (£630)
6. Chipolo
These Bluetooth coins alert your phone if you move outside their 60m range, and help you find objects on a map. Just attach them to anything you don’t want to lose, and you’ll have a headstart on your own forgetfulness.
Never lose anything › Buy the Chipolo (£20)
7. Cobra JumPack
Whether you’re nursing a sickly hire car or exploring the back country, it’s hard to imagine a more useful pocket charger than the JumPack. With a 400A peak current, it packs enough power to jumpstart most cars several times. And it’s also a 7500mAh battery for re-juicing your gadgets as well as an LED flashlight.
Pocket some jumpleads › Buy the Cobra JumPack (£80)
8. Satechi Smart Travel Router
Because hotel Wi-Fi is often about as powerful as a moth’s handshake, this crafty power adapter also incorporates its own wireless router. Plug in the hotel Ethernet cable and you’ll have a fast, private network for web browsing, Skype calls, and even (if you also take a Chromecast) a spot of foreign Netflix.
Take your Wi-Fi with you › Buy the Satechi Smart Travel Router (£35)
9. Le Cord
Yes, that is a hilarious amount to pay for a Lightning cable, even by Apple’s standards, and yes, it does come with a pretentious name (one colour is called ‘Broken Ocean’). It does come with a textile sheath that’s much tougher than your standard cable, though, and it goes nicely with your choice of swimwear.
Keep your charging cable alive › Buy the Le cord (From €55)
10. Animal Herman Boardshorts
Watersports opportunities can arise unexpectedly on holiday. Instead of carrying an emergency pair of swimshorts, wear these all-rounders instead. They look like "walkshorts" for landlubbers but are actually quick-drying performance boardshorts made from stretch fabrics.
Be secretly seaworthy › Buy the Animal Herman boardshorts (£50)
Justin Mahboubian-Jones
Contributor 
