Many people ask me about traveling with portable electronics and there is a lot of confusion out there about the difference between an adaptor and a converter. Let’s clear some of that up! Ireland and Scotland's electrical systems (and most other countries for that matter) run on 220 volts. America’s systems are all running at 110 volts. One of the main reasons other countries use a higher voltage system is so that they can install less outlets in a room and still meet power demands. This is beneficial in countries with a lot of old buildings (it’s difficult to retrofit old buildings), or buildings that are primarily made of brick and masonry. This has a significant impact on travelers. For starters, finding an open plug while on the road can be problematic. You may have to unplug a lamp in you hotel room to charge your phone or dig around behind a dresser to plug something in. Also, you will be sharing hotel rooms with other travelers and they will need plug space too. This can also be an issue in airports and other busy travel depots. Other travelers may have already taken all the open outlets. I usually travel with a small plug splitter like this to alleviate this problem:

You can find this particular one on Amazon for about $15.

The next issue is voltage compatibility. Most electronics that have been produced in the last decade or so have been designed to run on 110-240 volts. Look carefully at stickers on cords, plugs and the back of your device to confirm this. What this means is that you will not need a power converter. A converter takes one amount of voltage and changes it to meet the needs of your device. If you device already accepts the voltage in your intended country then you don’t need a converter.
That being said, I need to make a disclaimer about hair dryers, curling irons and any other device with a heating element. These devices don’t handle the change in voltage well, especially going from the American 110 volt to 220 volts in another country. Most of the time the device can’t handle the extra voltage and will die in a blaze of glory. Most of the hotels on our trip will have a blow dryer in the room so the best option is just to leave yours at home. If that doesn’t work for you then look into buying a power converter, or adopting a different hairstyle while on tour.
The next major issue to discuss is the fact that the sockets and plugs in Ireland and Scotland are different from ours here in the US, and there is relatively little conformity in socket style usage throughout the country. Many places will have this type of socket:

Notice the large flat prongs and the switch on the socket itself. That switch controls the power at the socket. If this is off then no matter what plug in it or what other switch you turn on, there will be no power. This plug is typical in the UK but there is usually little conformity in other countries so be prepared for anything.

The way around this plug issue is to bring a travel adapter. Adapters do not change the voltage, only the plug configuration. You need one that will accept the plug from your device (make sure it accepts 2 and 3 pronged plugs) and will then plug into a local socket. There are many different types (universal adapters, ones with removable plug ends, etc.). A few years back I purchased this “Universal’ adapter:

I’ve used it in a few different countries now successfully. The only issue I have with it is that it can be bulky when trying to fit other plugs in the same socket or on a power strip. Also, sometimes the sockets in another country will have a recessed portion and this adapter does not fit. You can find this one on Amazon.com for under $5.
Another important item to consider is the battery life of your devices. When it’s difficult to find a place to charge your device or you’re on the go and don’t have time to wait for things to charge, a backup battery comes in really handy. Nowadays there are many options for this. Be sure to find one that is compatible with your device and will hold enough juice to charge your device a few times before it’s empty.
Another issue travelers face when toting electric devices is the amount of stuff it takes to make them “portable”. Cords, plugs, backup batteries, adapters, converters, etc. etc. etc. It can really start to add up! Usually the only device I bring is my smart phone. It has a great camera, I can use wifi to keep in touch, I’ve loaded books on it with an Amazon Kindle App, it’s a music player, I pre-load some Google maps so I can access them off-line, I use the airline apps to keep track of flights and sometimes I can even check in and get boarding passes on it. It does pretty much everything I need and I only need one cord and one adapter. Carefully consider the items you want to bring. Can one device perform the same function as another? Can one cord fit other devices? Can you do without it for a week and a half? Just remember that every item you bring you have to carry around for days while we roam from hotel room to hotel room, board different flights, jump a bunch of different buses and potentially walk mile after mile. Sometimes less really is more.
What devices do you plan on bringing? What has worked for you on your past adventures? Leave a comment below.