My laptop charger died in a tiny town in Laos with no tech shops

I was in Muang Ngoi, a village you reach by boat, and my only charger just stopped working. I had a client call in two days and no power bank. Ended up asking at my guesthouse and the owner let me borrow his son's old charger for a few hours each day to get my work done. It was a close call and made me realize I need a better backup plan. What's the weirdest fix you've had to find for gear failure on the road?

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3 Comments

elizabeth2206mo ago

Man, that's a real close call. I used to just pack one charger and hope for the best, but a dead phone in Cambodia last year totally changed my mind. Now I carry a universal adapter with a spare USB port, just in case.

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cole_hall5mo ago

Modern life is just carrying backups for backups now.

5

rowanfoster6mo ago

Oh man, @elizabeth220, that hits home. I learned the same lesson the hard way when my only charger gave up in an airport lounge. I spent the whole six hour flight staring at a black screen like some kind of cave person. Now I travel with so many cords and bricks my bag looks like I'm smuggling electronic spaghetti.

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