Unlocked mobile phone: Though unlocking a phone will typically break your manufacturer's warranty, a locked phone means you'll pay for roaming charges internationally. An allows you to swap out any old SIM card around the world, saving you considerable money for talking and browsing the Web anywhere.

USB multiport hub: This turns one USB port into four, since you can never have enough.

Extra SD Card for your camera: SD Cards, like all other storage devices, have a limited life span, and like many electronic devices they tend to go bad at the worst possible time. An extra, emergency card will set you back about $10 to $20, but it could save you the nightmare of missing wonderful opportunities to catch, say, a sunset in Fiji.

Veteran globetrotter Anil Polat plans to visit every country on the planet. The author of the ebook he blogs about travel and technology.