Perfect Travel Charging

I'm always in search of both the best and minimal setups I can get. Camera, computer, EDC, you name it. And that is especially true for when I want to have solid charging when I'm traveling. I've had setups previously that did the trick, but over time my needs have changed. The computing hardware got better, became capable of charging faster, and the technology and features of the devices that charge them get upgraded. GaN made a huge splash a couple of years ago, and has only continued to get better. We have cables capable of high data transfers and high-speed charging. And the wall chargers are getting more sophisticated.

I wasn't originally going to be upgrading my setup, but there were two major events that forced my hand: first, my son needed to upgrade his charging setup, and there was zero chance I was buying him new things; and second, and probably most importantly, there was finally color in the iPhone Pro lineup – Cosmic Orange. When the Ultra was first released, I immediately wanted it for the design and the orange accents/bands. So when I heard that an orange hue might be coming to the Pro, I knew I'd be getting it if that were true. And I couldn't hit buy fast enough. It wasn't long after the announcement that other manufacturers started creating their own Cosmic Orange items to make it all match. The first two companies that I saw to do this were KUXIU and ChubbyCable, which are at the core of my setup. Who knew a color could lead to so much change…

Before I get to the components of the setup, I need to talk about what I charge while I travel so this all makes sense. I'm going to focus on my personal devices and not anything work related, though this charging setup is flexible and robust enough to handle both. For most trips, I take my iPhone 17 Pro, Ultra 3, 11" iPad Pro M4, and AirPods Pro 2. There are other items that I take on a per-trip basis – like a light or gimble – which are all USB-C devices. In fact, I'm completely on USB-C at this point, and I couldn't be happier. At the most, I need 4 USB-C ports to charge devices. I used to have a 5-port charger, but it was too bulky for my bag when I've been trying to use a smaller, more compact 9L sling. When my son needed to charge more things, I looked for a new one. I quickly found the new Anker 160W 3-Port Charger. That's plenty of power for my needs, but only 3 ports.

As it turns out, having 3 ports isn't a limitation after all. Implementing a good 3-in-1 charging stand for travel only takes one port. Enter the KUXIU 3-in-1 Charging Stand: this one is Qi2.2 capable, and best of all, comes in Cosmic Orange, a perfect color match to my iPhone Pro; it's extremely sleek, requires a minimal footprint, and folds up compactly. In the second port, I just use a cable to charge my iPad Pro, and the ChubbyCable 2m USB-C Cable – also in Cosmic Orange – offers the fastest data speed and charging rate, while being aesthetically pleasing. My only complaint with the cable is that the connector ends aren't flat enough for me to use this with the 3-in-1 charging stand, so I have to use a normal USB-C cable for it. And for the last port, by using the ChubbyCable Duo-Flex, I can turn that third port into two giving me four USB-C charging points total.

But what about charging while out and about with no wall outlets? I'll need a battery pack. I already have several, but I could not resist another orange item: the KUXIU Foldable Charging Bank. This is advertised as a 3-in-1 battery bank: a MagSafe charger for the phone, a Watch charger, and a USB-C charge port. The other features like a kick stand and a rated capacity of 10,000mAh – large enough to top off my iPad if needed – make this a solid battery bank for me. Depending on the trip, I might carry an additional battery bank, but this is my new go-to carry. I'm usually only charging one device at a time, but it's nice to know I have options.

When I ordered the Anker charger, one thing I did not really look at was the connected app, which actually provides quite a bit more features than just a standard charger. Anker, like everyone else, is using some AI-magic to adjust the output of ports according to what you're charging. This is generally what I use, but there are few specific times traveling that I want to make sure I'm getting plenty of power to the 3-in-1 charger. Once the app was connected, I.. updated the firmware. But I was then able to create a 'travel' configuration to change the output of the ports: 45W for my iPad, 40W for my 3-in-1, and 75W for the dual cable. If I'm traveling for work, I can also switch it to a fixed distribution to charge my work laptop at the maximum capability using a single port. Most of the time, I do leave it on the AI setting and forget about it, but it's nice to know I have options. Having this charger made me realize: I can get around fewer ports, but I need the power behind them to be great and customizable to fit my needs. That has been the game changer with this entire setup.

I really feel like I now have the perfect travel charging kit, one that fits my needs and my perosnal aesthetics. This has handled all the trips I've taken in the fall and the holidays, even as I experiment with different situations. I don't feel compelled to keep looking at something better, to constantly tweak and chang it. And based on the devices I use, I'm confident that this will not need to change for a long while.

For all the other gear I use, you can check it out here.