Gadgets

Long border waits and remote stations rarely offer a reliable socket. A power bank keeps your phone, notes and maps alive until the next outlet.

Twenty-one countries mean twenty-one kinds of wall socket. One adapter means a dead plug never stops the writing.

Terminals, buses and night crossings are loud. These headphones make a quiet room anywhere, so thoughts can settle into sentences.

A writer on the move must carry everything on their back. This pack fits the laptop, notebooks and clothes in one cabin-size bag, so there is less to lose and less to wait for.

You can't carry twenty books over mountain passes, but you still need to read. The Kindle holds a whole library and reads well in harsh sun or a dim room.

Most good writing starts as a rushed line at a roadside stop. A sturdy journal catches those details before memory softens them.

Connections vary from one country to the next. A personal hotspot lets you send drafts, check facts and stay in touch with readers without hunting for a café.

Sharing the journey means filming and photographing it alone. A small tripod steadies the shot, so the story reaches readers while you travel.

Passports, visas and tickets matter as much as the manuscript. A waterproof pouch keeps them dry and in one place through rain, ferries and crowded checkpoints.

Losing a manuscript or field notes on the road would be a disaster. A small, shock-resistant drive keeps a second copy of everything.