Charging on the go. Photo Credit: Mophie.com.

Even with the supposed ease of modern technology, travel can get confusing, especially when you are wondering off of a red-eye and into foreign countries for the first time. So here we collected OTPYM’s version of the top travel gadgets and FREE apps that we use to make our lives on the road – and in the sky – a bit more efficient.

3 HELPFUL TRAVEL GADGETS:

#1 Mophie Juice Pack Powerstation duo: Extra battery for any of your USB devices. Running multiple apps on your smartphones can deplete battery life faster than you can reach your next location. This Mophie pack allows you to charge two devices at once. Also worth checking out for those that don’t like carrying extra gadgets: Mophie’s battery cell case.

Waterproof, dustproof, fallproof. Photo Credit: otterbox.com.

#2 OtterBox iPhone Case: The quintessential hardcore protection for an iPhone that finds itself in compromising places: heights to fall from, waters to drown in. The Armor Series is everything-proof so you don’t have to hold your breath…unless you’re underwater that is. Your phone will survive a six foot submersion and a ten foot drop onto concrete. And the company’s warranty couldn’t be better: any damage to the case and you just snap a photo, send in and they send you a replacement.

Log in to see where your bag is and where it’s been. Photo Credit: Trackdot.

#3 TrakDot: We’ll admit, there’s a lot of technology here that we don’t 100% understand, but what we know for sure is that this little guy – battery operated and connected to cellular networks – allows us to geo track our luggage no matter it’s location. Let’s face it: no one wants to think about lost baggage when en route to your hard-earned holiday (Amalfi or Bhutan anyone?) but it’s a travel reality that unfortunately to many of us have experienced. TrakDot slips into your bag, won’t raise any problems with airport security as it is FAA approved and keeps you apprised on your luggage’s proximity via your mobile device(s).

4 FREE TRAVEL APPS

Scan-able boarding pass and play-by-play of your location and trip; Apple App Store.

#1 Fly Delta App: A seamless, easy-to-navigate app for mobile devices. The Delta app is so useful because it offers a similar user experience to and functionality of the actual website. Book, search, update, check-in. Boom!

Camera controls, video and photo share; Apple App Store.

#2 GoPro App: Our GoPro Hero3 was one of our top 10 summer finds we don’t travel without. Fast forward to an intense North American winter for the Eastern Seaboard, Mid-Westerners and even some friends in Alabama, and we’re all escaping to warmer climates with our GoPro in hand from swimming with giant tuna to surfing in Australia. The perfect pairing: the GoPro App. Join fellow GoPro-ers out there who are capturing their hikes through The Alps to dives in the Caribbean. With the GoPro app, you can connect and control your device and share your best adventure vids and pics without removing your iddy biddy camera from it’s waterproof casing.

Conversions made easy; Apple App Store.

#3 Oanda Currency Converter App: For quick math on the go, in almost every country you might find yourself in, whether you are buying or selling – the Oanda app is super useful. It converts just under 200 currencies in a simple, easy to use interface. Versions are available for Apple, Blackberry and Android through Oanda.com.

An instant “aha” moment with the Word Lens app. Apple App Store.

#4 Word Lens Translation App: For when those language courses in college fail you, this app does the translating for you…just by taking a photo of what you want to read. The concept is smart but even cooler to see in action.

Journey on (efficiently)!