Travel Gadget: High powered USB charging AC DC Adapter

Category: [Travel Gadget]

Tags: Travel Tips, Carryon Luggage, Flights, Flying, Electronics, Gadgets

For the purpose of continual space and weight reductions for personal and environmental reasons, I have embarked on a focused effort to analyze each parcel which accompanies me when I pack for a trip. This includes both the personal and business trips. I keep a different packing checklist for each to ensure I did not forget to bring anything. The checklist has some clauses within for each season rather than multiply out the number of checklists. For dual purposed trips I just use two checklists.

Today's article will show a decent size and weight reduction for charging USB devices due to a new-ish (is it?) product on the market. The product is an ACDC adapter which converts to dual USB charging ports with each port capable of offering up to 2.1 Amps (2.1A or 2100mA) up to a combined total of 3 Amps (3A or 3000mA) at 5V (5 volts). Wattage is 15W (5V x 3A).

Pictured here:

To calibrate what that verbose description means, usually tablets with their massive batteries are asking for 2.1A x 5V for charging. Especially the new iPad (iPad 3, but unofficially so named) with it's huge battery capacity will want as much juice flowing as possible. Smartphones typically like to see 1A x 5V for charging as they have 1300maH - 1500maH batteries. At 3A, this charger can handle a tablet and a smartphone reasonably well.

Previously I was carrying the items on the left side of these two photos (quarter shown for size comparisons):

The single USB port item shown is the Apple charger which has high wattage charging capability. The two black adapters are 1A x 5V converters. These three have now been replaced by the innergie on the far right, since I don't need to charge the tablet at the same intervals as other devices I carry with me. With a quick look you may observe volume savings exceeding 70% with this new gadget. Quite pleased with that savings alone.

This gives me comfort in enabling me to rapid charge a tablet and a smartphone together using one electrical socket. Many hotels have been short-sighted in providing power strips or multiple charging sockets. Internationally, many have no or limited socket adapters. Packing many space consuming socket adapters is also far from elegant. This device helps to alleviate much of that.

Later posts will show another useful area and weight saving that I was able to attain from this gadget. The only thing I would alter with the innergie, if possible, would be for retractable or fold-able prongs. It's a solid A grade for this contraption, the plus was reserved for making the prongs more compact.