By Becky Waring

Even the most well-equipped mobile warrior can use a good new gadget. Herewith, our top 5 travel gadgets (that double as great gifts) that you wouldn’t want to embark on any journey without:

Shure SE530 Sound Isolating Earphones
CNET readers rate these audiophile-quality sound-isolating earbuds nothing short of "spectacular." For $500, they'd better be, but owners swear by them. And you can't beat earbuds for packability. Good noise-canceling headphones in general cost a lot of cash—compare it to the venerable Bose QuietComfort 3s at $350. On a lower budget, try the Sennheiser PXC 250s which comes with a pouch and airline adapter.

eBags Universal Plug Adapter Kit w/USB Charger
Toss that messy pile of plug adapters and replace them with this well-built and ingenious universal device that works in more than 150 countries. Not only does it plug into most any socket, you can also plug devices from almost any country into the universal receptacle on the other end. So you can use that Japanese camera charger you picked up on your last trip to Tokyo in the US or on your next trip to Europe. But the piece de resistance is the included USB charger top. Now you can charge or run any device that powers off USB wherever you are. Add a mini-hub, and charge multiple devices too. And it all comes in your choice of six colored drawstring bags.

iGo Everywhere130
Now that you have the universal plug, you need the universal power adapter too. The iGo Everywhere130 is simply the Mercedes of the genre, a workhorse with enough wattage and add-on tips to charge almost any laptop, cell phone, music player, camera or other device while in your hotel, car or on the airplane. What's more, it can charge a laptop and a low-power device like a cell phone simultaneously, with the included dual-power accessory. A starter set of tips that fit many popular brands is also bundled; others can be purchased for $10-$13 each. For smaller notebooks up to 70 watts there's the iGo Everywhere85.

Power Monkey & Power Monkey Explorer
This palm-sized wonder battery provides your cell phone or music player with enough juice to last you for several days away from civilization (or on an airplane)—40 hours for iPods, 96 hours of standby for cell phones and 1,600 pictures for digital cameras. It includes a dual-voltage power supply, connection tips for most phones and interchangeable power plugs so you can charge it up in 150 countries around the world.

If you're truly going into the jungle or on a safari, however, get the Power Monkey Explorer instead. This version adds a solar charger and more ruggedized design to the Monkey. Six hours of sunlight provides one full cell phone charge or about 1/3 of the Monkey's capacity. Both versions hold their power for 6 to 12 months, so you don't have to worry about them going dead in your travel bag. But you might want to keep your Monkey close for use around home too.

Skins
Help protect your precious gadgets on the road with fun and personalized skins. Check out SkinIt.com for a variety of options. Skins are available for everything from laptops to iPods and game players in patterns from leopard print to Guitar Hero. You can even upload your own pictures and create custom skins interactively online.

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