PSA: My laptop charger died right before a client call in Chiang Mai

I was setting up at a cafe in Nimman, plugged into a sketchy power strip, and the charger just stopped working with a quiet pop. I had to run three blocks to a computer store and pay $80 for a new universal charger, barely making it back in time. Anyone know a good brand for a tough travel adapter that can handle different voltages?

3 comments

3 Comments

river_allen1d ago

That "quiet pop" is the sound of your plans for a chill work day instantly catching on fire. Running three blocks in that heat sounds like a special kind of panic I'm glad I only had to read about. I'd probably have just accepted my fate and told the client my laptop was eaten by a street dog. Did the new charger at least come with a free side of stress sweat?

the_aaron1d ago

That "quiet pop" is the worst sound when you're traveling. I felt that panic just reading it, the scramble to find a new charger in an unfamiliar place is so stressful. I've had cheap adapters fail on me too, usually at the worst time. For a tough one, I've had good luck with Anker's travel adapters because they seem to handle weird power surges better. What kind of laptop do you have, maybe that changes which adapter works best?

theagibson1d ago

Yeah that scramble in an unfamiliar place is the worst. My friend had her adapter fry in Lisbon and spent an hour trying to explain "charger" with hand gestures to a shop clerk who only sold phone cases.