My laptop charger died in a small town in Portugal and it changed how I pack

I was in a small town in the Algarve last month, two days from a client deadline. My only charger sparked and went dark. The nearest electronics shop was a 40 minute bus ride away and closed for a local holiday. I had to borrow a cafe's outlet for hours, nursing one coffee, with my battery at 12%. It made me realize my entire income depends on a single, fragile piece of gear. I now carry two universal adapters and a backup power bank that can charge my laptop to 50%. Has anyone else had a close call like that that made you double up on essential gear?

2 comments

2 Comments

patel.keith11h ago

My buddy in Lisbon had to buy a whole new laptop once because his charger fried the port. I keep a spare charger in my checked bag now, not just the power bank.

abbyrodriguez8h ago

That "fried the port" thing is a real fear. I started checking the voltage on every charger before I plug in now. It takes two seconds and saves you from a very bad day. A spare charger is smart, but making sure the first one won't kill your stuff is smarter.