Electrical and Medical
In this chapter I'll focus on my plans for vaccinations and for keeping all my electrical items charged up.
Hardly a battery in sight but …
what a minefield! There are plenty of gadgets that will need charging and it’s time to think through a charging plan. In Europe, I expect to be able to access plug sockets at campsites and cafes. Further afield I’ll need to rely on power banks, residual power in my laptop and a good old dynamo hub fitted to my front wheel. Starting at the weakest point, the dynamo only gives out a low powered AC current which is not suitable for most gadgets. Fortunately I have a small gadget (Sinewave Revolution) that smooths out the power and converts it into DC. This is still not suitable for most gadgets that have safety features built in to switch off charging when the current is up and down - and there will be a lot of that. To solve this I’ve opted for a dual power bank strategy including a small, lightweight (Flextail) power bank that will be happy to be trickle charged from the dynamo each day. I’ll use this to charge up my Garmin cycle computer and Garmin Satellite device during the night when wild camping. All my gadgets apart from my cycle computer are USB C which makes the leads fully compatible. I have spare USB micro to C adapters for my cycle computer.
Electrical Device List
Kindle
Earbuds
Rechargeable Head Torch
GoPro Hero 10 - Digital Video Camera
Macbook Air - Laptop
Garmin InReach Mini 2 - Satellite Tracker
IPhone 16
Garmin Edge 1030 plus - Cycle Computer
DJi Mini 4k - Drone
Flextail Zero Power 10,000c - Small Power Bank
Anker 737 Power Core 24,000 - Large Power Bank
Sinewave Revolution - Dynamo - USB converter
Son 28 Dynamo - Fitted to the front wheel
USB micro to C mini converters
Various USB C to C leads
Two USB A to C leads
For the gadgets that are a bit more power hungry I’ll use a high capacity power bank that will charge multiple items at the same time. From experience this will last for about a week before needing a top up. Without any specialist knowledge, I’ve worked out that not all wall chargers are equal - some take a few hours to charge a device; the same device can take many, many hours to charge when using a different wall charger. A little research later I’ve settled on an Anker 140 watt GaN power adapter. Apparently it’s referred to as the “Swiss Army knife’ of power adapters. It runs cooler due to its design which allows it to be less bulky which is also aided with the folding prongs. I should be able to get a good top up of phone, power bank etc while stopping for coffee where power is available.
I will have a set of priorities in mind if the gaps between mains sockets get longer. Phone, Satellite tracker and Cycle Computer are the priorities for communication, safety and navigation with things like laptop, drone and camera earmarked for charge when available.
Vaccinations.
I haven’t got the full picture on this yet but I’ve been advised to get as much as I can via my GP then fill any gaps with a specialist travel clinic. A phone call to my GP led to me being issued with a ‘Travel Vaccination’ form to support the practice nurse in selecting the appropriate vaccinations. There was a tiny box to enter my ‘Destination’ which led to a ‘Please See Over’ and a lengthy list of countries on the back of the form. I hope I don’t need the full list of possible vaccinations as it’s rather extensive. I also asked about my statins as they are only dispensed by my chemist on a 4 week basis. This led to an immediate call back with the receptionist asking for proof of travel; which hotels I’ll be staying in and proof of return flights. There was a long pause when I explained that I was cycling and the only thing booked is the Hull to Rotterdam ferry. In the end it’s my GP’s practice policy to only issue prescription medication for a maximum of 3 months. She says that I’ll have to source a prescription in whichever country I’m in after the three months is up. That will be fun I imagine. I’m booked in for jabs on the 18th of March so things might be a bit clearer after this as I imagine that some jabs will need a top up.