I’m currently doing planning for an 85 day trio to Asia. Along the way I’ll be visiting more than a few countries. While I’m there I plan on doing a little writing and a little posting to my blog. This means that I’m going to be needing to use a computer quite a bit and that implies that my computer, as well as my smartphone and lots of other gadgets, are going to need a charge. That means I’ll need to connect to the local power grid. That can be a problem as there are about 15 different types of electrical outlets in use in the world today and, sooner or later, I may find one that I do not have an adapter for. I know this because it’s happened before.

The problems caused by not being able to charge my electrical devices can be avoided by a little forethought. The first thing you have to think about is where you are going and what type of outlet will you find there. For a list of countries and the specific type of electrical plug that is needed in that country you might start here. This will get you started and, in many instances it will get you where you need to be. Over the years, I’ve accumulated a few adapters. They weigh very little, typically an ounce or less per adapter, so the weight is not a big problem. What can be a problem is that you can never be absolutely certain about the adapter type in use in certain parts of a country if the plug guide lists more than one type of outlet in a given location. At that point I suggest you get on the Internet or go to TripAdvisor and simply search for the term “electrical outlet” along with the name of the country. Usually, you won’t have any trouble finding out which type of outlet is actually in use in the majority of the country if there is more than one in use. I can also tell you that you will be able to find adapters for sale in virtually any country on Earth, it’s just that it may take you several hours of looking before you find one. Also, sometimes the location where you will be parking your head at night may have one available for you to borrow, or, if you’re staying at a place where a lot of your fellow countrymen are staying, you may be able to share or borrow one for a while. I carry an electrical extension cord with me that has multiple outlets on it so that I can share an outlet if I need to on an occasion. I even take it with me to my local public library when I’m going to be plugged into their system for longer periods of time.