September 22, 2009 12:51 PM PDT

Top gadget travel accessories

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(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

The requisite "what's in my gadget bag" feature is a mainstay of consumer electronics coverage these days--we now know what David Pogue (The New York Times), Joshua Topolsky (Engadget editor-in-chief), and Dave Zatz (tech blogger extraordinaire) tote around with them on a daily basis. But I wanted to get a bit more granular. If you want to know which laptop, camera, media player, or phone to buy, there's ~~an app~~ a site for that.

But what about the accessories you need to keep all of those gadgets juiced up and ready for action? Or ways to avoid traveling with three or four proprietary AC chargers stuffed into your bag? That's what I'd like to focus on: some tips that should help anyone who's traveling with multiple portable gadgets, whatever they may be.

First, a few ground rules: I'm going to assume that your minimum travel kit includes a laptop or a Netbook, a cell phone, and a pair of headphones. That may or may not be filled out with a media player, gaming handheld, e-book reader, and/or wireless headset.

"But wait," many of you will say, waving your do-it-all Apple handheld. "My iPhone handles all my communications, media, gaming, and reading needs--I don't need to stuff my carry-on with all those superfluous (and inferior!) devices." Fair enough. But there are plenty of others who won't or can't opt for the iPhone for a variety of reasons--say, lackluster 3GS battery life, AT&T's notoriously dodgy service, or just to protest Apple's control-freak App Store approval process. And plenty of others need to tote an employer-issued BlackBerry or just can't bear a coast-to-coast flight without their DS, PSP, or Kindle. So we're envisioning two travel gadgets as the minimum.

Obviously, I'm not suggesting that you necessarily need to get all of these accessories. Some of them are redundant, others are location-specific--obviously, you shouldn't get airline adapters if you never fly. On the other hand, you may find some of these items and tips useful at home, even if you're not a frequent traveler.

We've put the travel accessories and tips into a slideshow format (click on any photo). The last slide leads you back here, where we've collected all the accessories and links mentioned in one handy place.