One of the many joys of hitting the road is the chance to swap glaring screens and endless beeping notifications for the serene beauty of Australia’s natural environment; however, a few simple touches of technology can greatly improve your travelling experience and ensure that your trip runs smoothly.
GPS and satellite navigation
For any trip, great or small, your first investment should be a reliable GPS or satellite navigation system. No longer a luxury item, there are many affordable navigation devices to meet your budget. Fortunately, GPS systems are now widespread across handheld technologies; most smartphones have a basic inbuilt GPS. A good sat nav goes one step further, combining GPS with special technology to calculate time and distance, retrieve up-to-date traffic information, and locate speed cameras and upcoming rest stops.
Portable wi-fi
Half the fun of travelling is sharing your stories with others. Keep in touch with family and friends – especially on those lengthy trips – by investing in portable wi-fi. There are many options available to suit different budgets and data consumption rates. If you’re expecting to stream movies and surf the internet, consider installing a wi-fi router specifically designed for caravans and RVs, which will guarantee a good connection and a wide coverage range. A premium wi-fi set-up takes the stress out of staying connected.
Keep yourself entertained
After a long day of driving and exploring, it’s nice to wind down and enjoy some relaxing entertainment. If you’re in a remote area with no power connection, there are many portable home entertainment options for you to keep your creature comforts.
First of all: music. With a wireless speaker, you can sit back with a glass of wine and listen to your favourite tunes wherever you may be. Wireless speakers are a must-have entertainment device for any trip, especially if you don’t have a speaker system in your caravan.
Reading while on holiday is also great entertainment, whether you’re in the car or your caravan, out sunbathing, or enjoying a few chapters before bed. Books can be pretty bulky and heavy, so an ereader is an excellent solution if you’re light on space.
Wearable technology
If you’re curious about keeping track of your exercise habits while on holiday, the latest wearable technology is smarter than ever. Strap on a smart watch or activity tracker to monitor your movement, heart rate and even your UV exposure. If there’s bad weather on the way, your smart watch can send you a warning, and many have an in-built compass and GPS to ensure that you never get lost out in the wilderness. Wearable technology is a highly useful travel companion.
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