I am an infamously light traveller.
I once flew to one of Germany’s oldest towns for a wedding with a suitcase weighing in at exactly the airline limit. Around 18 kilograms of that allowance was food and snacks from home for the bride, plus a bottle of Midori.
Everything else I needed for the wedding, a fortnight travelling through Germany, London and Hong Kong before heading back to Australia somehow fit into what little space remained.
Travelling alone for leisure is simple. Leave everything non-essential behind and wing it.
I’ve also done plenty of domestic work travel around Australia, usually just a few nights at a time. Those trips are easy too.
This Shanghai trip, though, is different.
As a guest of Ecovacs Robotics, it will be my first international trip while wearing the Editor-in-Chief hat for Digital Reviews Network. Planning what needed to come with me started weeks before I even zipped the suitcase shut.
Over the next few days I’ll be splitting my time between Shanghai and Suzhou, getting a behind-the-scenes look at Ecovacs, exploring one of the world’s most connected cities, and somehow keeping DRN ticking along from the other side of the world.
If everything goes to plan, there’ll also be plenty of dumplings, tea, the occasional Moutai, and late-night walks to make the trip memorable.
Travelling as the editor of Digital Reviews Network creates an unusual challenge. There was a time when travelling meant deciding how many shirts to pack. Today it’s deciding which ecosystem comes with you. Every device depends on another device. Lose the wrong cable and half your kit becomes dead weight.
Everything I take has to earn its place.
Every gram has a purpose.
My gear choices aren’t just gadgets. They’re solutions to problems.
Some of the equipment is there because I genuinely rely on it every day. Some of it is being put through real-world testing while overseas. And some of it exists because the modern traveller seems incapable of surviving without carrying enough USB-C cables to wire an office building.
So, here’s what’s making the trip to Shanghai, and why.
This isn’t necessarily the newest gear, or even the most expensive. It’s simply the equipment I’ve come to trust enough that it earns a spot in my backpack.
Productivity Without Carrying Half My Office
I might not be in DRN HQ physically, but the conduit to everything Digital Reviews Network is coming with me.
My Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is an obvious inclusion. The more interesting question is what I’m using to charge it.
Surprisingly, it’s the Satechi 108W Pro USB-C PD Desktop Charger. Yes, I’m taking a five-year-old desktop charger that has recently found its way back into my daily rotation (read: I reclaimed it from the kids).
That might seem like an odd choice when I’ve recently reviewed newer, more powerful chargers like the Belkin BoostCharge Pro 4-Port GaN Wall Charger 140W and the Novoo RG140 140W GaN Charger, both of which can comfortably handle everything I’m carrying.
The decision came down to one very simple detail.
The Satechi uses a separate figure-eight power lead, leaving the charger itself with a very low profile. The Belkin and Novoo are both self-contained wall chargers with integrated power pins.
When you’re travelling, you don’t always know what you’ll find waiting for you. Hotel power outlets can be recessed behind furniture, tucked into awkward corners, hidden beneath conference tables or partially obstructed by built-in fittings. A bulky wall charger can sometimes be impossible to plug in properly. The Satechi doesn’t have that problem.
As long as I can connect the power cable, the charger itself can sit wherever it’s most convenient. On the floor, on a desk, beside the bed, under a conference table or even in-flight, where space around the power outlet is often at a premium. It also means the weight of the charger is not just hanging off a general purpose outlet.
It’s a small design detail, but one that makes a surprisingly big difference.
Of course, the charger is only half the equation.
I’ve packed a 240W USB-C cable for the ThinkPad, a 100W cable for faster charging on other devices, plus a handful of standard USB-C cables for accessories that don’t need high power, like my Shokz OpenDots 2 and the Plaud Note Pro.
Years ago I’d have travelled with three or four chargers, a power board and a tangled mess of cables. This time, one charger does almost everything.
Power Is Everything
My original plan was to pack a monster 25,000mAh power bank capable of charging my laptop. Then China changed the rules and the decision was made for me to take just one power bank: the Xiaomi UltraThin Magnetic Power Bank 5000.
This power bank is just 6mm thick, adding little bulk or weight to my phone. It’s exactly what I needed to ensure I can comfortably make it through a full day of navigation, photography and messaging.
A series of lithium battery-related incidents prompted the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC, 中国民用航空局) to introduce new restrictions. Passengers can now only carry power banks bearing a valid CCC (China Compulsory Certification, 中国强制性产品认证) certification mark. Power banks without a CCC mark may be refused during security screening or boarding, even if they comply with the usual watt-hour limits.
After checking my collection, I discovered that the Xiaomi was the only power bank I own carrying the required CCC certification mark. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that travelling lighter is rarely a bad thing.
Capturing Ideas Before They’re Gone
One tool that has recently earned its place in my travel kit is the PLAUD Note Pro.
Its ability to record meetings, transcribe conversations, and generate summaries, action items and even mind maps has made it an incredibly useful companion for interviews and briefings.
One challenge I’m expecting throughout the trip is the language barrier. My Mandarin is limited to picking up the occasional word or phrase. Once conversations return to a normal pace, I’m quickly out of my depth.
I’m hoping the Plaud will bridge some of that gap. Rather than trying to understand every word in the moment, I can capture the conversation, generate a transcript and summary in Chinese first, then translate it afterwards. That should preserve much more of the original meaning than relying on live translation alone.
For a technology journalist covering factory tours and briefings, that’s less about replacing note-taking and more about ensuring that no important detail gets lost in translation. No Bill Murray or Scarlett Johansson required.
Wearing Protection
Of course I am referring to USB data blockers.
A couple of these have found their way into my bag as cheap insurance. If I ever need to plug my phone into an unfamiliar USB port at an airport, hotel or conference venue, I want to know that I’m only taking on power and not whatever might be lurking on the other end of the cable.
Hopefully they’ll never leave the pouch. But if the only charging option available is a random USB socket built into a wall or table, I’ll be glad they’re there.
Like travel insurance, they’re one of those things you hope never to need, but you’ll appreciate having them if the situation arises.
Storage Insurance
Tucked away in my bag is the SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Go.
I looked at the collection of USB drives and portable SSDs sitting on my desk before settling on this little drive.
Realistically I don’t expect to need it. But having a compact flash drive with both USB-A and USB-C connectors means I can plug it into just about anything without having to think twice.
Whether it’s copying presentation materials, transferring photos, or grabbing files from another source, it’s one of those tools that is far more valuable when you have it than when you need to go looking for it.
Tiny, capable and almost universally compatible, it earns its place in the bag simply by being prepared for the unexpected.
Audio That Doesn’t Shut Out The World
For about twelve months, the Shokz OpenDots One were my go-to earbuds. Those have been dethroned by the new Shokz OpenDots 2.
One of the biggest advantages of an open-ear design is maintaining situational awareness in unfamiliar cities. Whether I’m navigating a busy Shanghai street, waiting for a boarding call at the airport or listening for announcements on the aircraft, I don’t have to keep taking my earbuds in and out.
They’re also exceptionally comfortable. If I manage to stay awake on the flight, they’ll almost certainly be feeding me a steady diet of podcasts, music or the occasional movie.
Wearables
Long-haul flights and jet lag are rarely kind to your body. Fortunately, I have a couple of secret weapons.
The first is a somewhat unusual travel superpower: I am a terrible travelling companion.
Put me in an aircraft seat and there’s every chance I will be asleep before we’ve even pushed back from the gate. Whether it’s a 40-minute hop from Hobart to Melbourne or the day flight from Melbourne to Shanghai, if I decide it’s time to sleep, I am usually out like a light.
The second is thanks to Ecovacs, who have very generously booked me into Business Class on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with lie-flat seats. I certainly won’t complain about stacking the odds in favour of a decent catch-up sleep.
I’ve also been wearing an Oura Ring for the past seven months, making this a great opportunity to see how the new Oura Ring 5 copes with multiple time zones, unfamiliar hotel beds and days where I’ll probably walk well over 20,000 steps. I’m genuinely curious to see what happens to my readiness and sleep scores over the course of the trip.
The Devices I’ll Actually Be Using
My trusty Google Pixel 8 Pro will still be doing most of the heavy lifting. Sure, it’s a couple of generations old now, and if I somehow manage to lose it on the trip I’ll only cry… a little.
It will be handling everything from navigation and translation to contactless payments, messaging and, of course, the inevitable stream of photos. I’ve also loaded it up with a holiday.com eSIM, courtesy of ExpressVPN, so staying connected shouldn’t be a problem.
At heart, though, I’m still a photographer.
Instead of hauling my faithful Canon EOS 5D Mark III and a backpack full of lenses halfway around the world, I’ve borrowed my niece’s Sony α6400. It’s compact, lightweight and far more practical for this trip.
Smartphone cameras have become astonishingly good, but a dedicated APS-C camera still offers the creative flexibility and image quality that make a difference when shooting for editorial publication. It also means I can travel all day without feeling like I’m carrying half a camera store on my shoulder.
And who knows? Somewhere between Shanghai’s skyline, Suzhou’s classical gardens and a few late-night wanderings, I might even stumble across my next entry for the Epson International Pano Awards.
Also tucked into the kit is Logitech’s Mobi Fold. It isn’t the best mouse I’ve ever used, but that’s not why it’s coming. It folds down into almost nothing, weighs very little and is infinitely more pleasant than spending a week living on a laptop trackpad.
The Review Bench
I’m never really off duty, and this trip is no exception.
Tucked into my kit is a wearable that’s currently on the DRN review bench. Long-haul flights, changing time zones, unfamiliar routines and days spent walking well over 20,000 steps make for a far more interesting test environment than sitting behind a desk.
With my Oura Ring 5 already providing a baseline after several months of use, it’ll be fascinating to compare the two when faced with the realities of international travel.
After all, the best place to test a travel wearable isn’t in the office—it’s halfway around the world.
The Wildcard
Also on the review bench is a pair of AI glasses.
I have had this one for a few weeks, but China feels like the perfect place to find out whether AI glasses have finally become genuinely useful.
I am looking forward to real-time translation, hands-free navigation and contextual information. Marketing promises are easy. Real-world usefulness is harder to prove.
Analogue Still Works
Yes, my Star Wars-themed Moleskine and an Uniball One are coming with me.
Sometimes the fastest way to capture an idea is still to scribble it onto paper. Meeting notes, a sketch, an observation, or simply something I don’t want disappearing into a sea of notifications.
Not everything worth remembering has to start life as ones and zeroes.
Besides, I’m far more likely to remember where I was when I wrote a handwritten note. Years from now, flipping through those pages will bring back Shanghai in a way a note buried inside my phone probably never will.
The Bags
The ThinkPad travels inside a tomtoc 360° Protective Laptop Sleeve, which has done an admirable job of keeping it safe through countless domestic trips.
Everything else disappears into an ageing Think Tank Photo Cable Management 10 V2.0 pouch. It is so old that you can’t get this version anymore. It isn’t glamorous, but it keeps dozens of cables, chargers and accessories organised in one place so I’m not rummaging through my backpack every time I need a cable.
Sometimes the best travel gear is the stuff you stop noticing because it quietly does its job.
To Be Continued
Travelling used to mean packing clothes and toiletries. Now it means packing an ecosystem.
Every device has a charger. Every charger needs the right cable. Every airline now has rules about batteries. Every piece of technology promises to make travelling easier.
Whether everything really earns its place in my backpack is something I’ll find out over the next week. I’ll tell you how it all went when I return.
Looking around the pile on my desk, it’s the most technology I’ve ever packed for a trip.
Hopefully that’s the last time I have to think about any of it.
Once I’m on the ground, the technology should disappear into the background and let me get on with the real reason I’m travelling.
