The essential mobile toolkit for road warriors

Smartphones and tablets let you do more things in more places, but they often require a little help. If you travel a lot, you’ll need to bring some of that help along, such as charging blocks and audio cables, to make the most of your mobile device in alien territory. The following are my picks for what you need for your iOS and Android devices, including specific tools I work with all the time and advice on using them for optimal effect.

The iPhone and Android smartphones are fast becoming most people’s digicams, thanks to their quality cameras. But SLRs remain critical for pros and even many amateurs — who like to transfer their photos to smartphones or tablets for image editing or simply to upload to Facebook or Flickr.

Some Android devices come with MicroSD slots to make such transfer easy. Otherwise, you’ll need a MicroUSB cable that works with your camera or need a card reader adapter to use various media cards.

For iPhones and iPads, you’ll need an SD or MicroUSB adapter. Apple’s Camera Connection Kit provides both for the Dock Connector. For Lightning devices, Apple offers a separate SD card reader and MicroUSB adapter.

Some people hate the onscreen keyboard of a tablet or find it suffices for only short bursts of typing. The answer to that is a Bluetooth keyboard. You can use any Bluetooth keyboard with an iOS or Android device, but you’ll prefer one designed for your OS to get its specific keys. Get one that protects the keys so that they aren’t damaged in transit.

I prefer Logitech’s Tablet Keyboard (available for iOS and for Android) because of its sturdy protective sleeve that doubles as a stand.

Many users love the Zagg Keyboard Case for iPad. It protects both your keyboard and your iPad’s screen, and it works as a stand.