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My laptop charger died in a small town in Portugal and it changed how I pack
I was in a small town in the Algarve last month, two days from a client deadline. My only charger sparked and went dark. The nearest electronics shop was a 40 minute bus ride away and closed for a local holiday. I had to borrow a cafe's outlet for hours, nursing one coffee, with my battery at 12%. It made me realize my entire income depends on a single, fragile piece of gear. I now carry two universal adapters and a backup power bank that can charge my laptop to 50%. Has anyone else had a close call like that that made you double up on essential gear?
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lisa_carter316mo ago
Oh man, that story gave me chills. I read a travel blog once where a guy got stuck in rural Thailand with a dead charger. He ended up paying a crazy amount for a sketchy knockoff in a market that ruined his battery for good. Your backup plan is totally the way to go. I never used to think about it, but now I always pack a second charger cord. It's so cheap compared to the stress of being totally stuck.
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patel.keith7mo ago
My buddy in Lisbon had to buy a whole new laptop once because his charger fried the port. I keep a spare charger in my checked bag now, not just the power bank.
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abbyrodriguez7mo ago
That "fried the port" thing is a real fear. I started checking the voltage on every charger before I plug in now. It takes two seconds and saves you from a very bad day. A spare charger is smart, but making sure the first one won't kill your stuff is smarter.
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