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Adapter Plugs and Converters

If you have never traveled outside the borders of the USA, you may not be aware that all electrical outlets are not created equally. North America uses a 100-125 volt outlet system for small electrical appliances, while most of Europe and Asia relies on good ole 220-250 volts. Actually, most of the world runs on the later, but not entirely. Well, what does this mean for you?

Adapter Plugs

Travel Adapters

Travel Adapters

First of all, do a little research. Check your shaver, MP3 player, or phone charger to see if it will run on dual voltage. Most small appliances will be marked with 100-250 volts, 100-125 volts, or something similar. If your item has 100-250 volts, you will most likely only need an adapter. A good example is a laptop computer. Most laptops come ready for 220-250 volts, but the plug won’t fit foreign receptacles. Prime situation for an adapter. Adapters are easy to use and quite inexpensive to purchase.

The common North American plugs are two or three pronged. The third (rounded) prong is for grounding the unit. Quite often, wall receptacles in other countries are not grounded, or have unusually shaped prongs. The travel adapter plug conveniently allows you to plug your two flat and one rounded plug into whatever outlet a particular country provides.

CAUTION: An adapter does not convert electricity, it only allows you to plug in your three pronged plug into a foreign country’s outlet. If your unit is 110 volts, an adapter will allow you to plug it into a 240 outlet, but your unit will be destroyed! Do not do it!

Travel adapter kits come with an assortment of adapters. A good kit will provide adapters for most of the developed world. So if your electrical appliance is already 220-250 volts, all you need is a good adapter kit. However, if your appliance only runs on 100-125 volts, you will need an electrical converter.

Converters

If your hair dryer, shaver, or whatever else electrical you may be traveling with is 100-125 volts, and the country you will be visiting is 220-250 volts only, you will definitely need a converter.

A step down converter is plugged directly into the wall outlet (it may require an adapter as well if the plugs are different). You will then plug your shaver into the converter. The electricity is converted from 220 volts to 110 volts so you can use your shaver without destroying it.

CAUTION: Most small travel converters will not work with a high watt hair dryer or curling iron. Most converters are for small items like a shaver, MP3 player, or phone charger. If you must travel with high watt items, make sure the converter you purchase can handle it.

Adapter plugs and converters are a travelers friend. Get a good set and you will enjoy it for years. Happy traveling!

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Hardside or Softside Luggage?

Lighweight, hardside suitcases, blue, black, gray, orange, light grayWhat are the advantages of owning and traveling with hardside luggage? What should be an obvious answer is that it protects your belongings inside. While airport baggage handlers are usually nice folks, they can be hard on your bags.

Often in a hurry to get bags on the plane, they throw suitcases onto the travel belt, then toss it onto the luggage train, then fling it onto the plane’s travel belt, and finally it is thrown into a pile in the hold of the plane. That’s a lot of potential for damage.

Hardside luggage is capable of standing up to most travel abuse, but not forever. Even the most durable suitcase eventually will give in to the wear and tear. Having said that, if your lifestyle means trains, planes, and automobiles with a few buses, taxis, and boats mixed in, you need a hardside suitcase.

Many of the new suitcases are made from a durable lightweight polycarbonate shell that really looks good and holds up to traveling. The polycarbonate is flexible, so it gives when stressed. ABS (acrylontitrile-butadiene styrene) is usually added to give it strength and durability. This combination makes for a suitcase that is lightweight, yet durable.

Well that is all fine and dandy, but what about softside luggage?

Most major luggage manufacturers make a softside bag. Don’t let the softside language fool you though. These suitcases are built to last when used properly. OK, that is somewhat vague and hard to quantify. After all, we have already determined that baggage handlers may get a little rough with a bag.

So, let’s just say that some softside bags come with a 10 year warranty. So that’s something. The reason they can do this is that the bones of the product are pretty durable even though the exterior may be made of polyester. This polyester is not your Uncle Ned’s polyester pants material. It is strong and durable, but polycarbonate with ABS it isn’t.

Softside bags have more options when it comes to print patterns. Hardside bags are usually one or two colors, although manufacturers are attempting to make bold statements with color.

If you are a casual traveler and like your luggage to make a statement with prints or fancy colors, softside may be for you. If you travel for a living, you will certainly want to choose a hardside suitcase for the endurance. Either way, you will be excited when the bag makes it to your destination at the same time you do. Happy traveling!

Tags: , , , , , , | Category: Luggage |