Going on holiday is an excuse to buy that much need gadget. Invariably this 'good idea' turns out to the equivalent of hiding under a table and covering yourself in Bacofoil during a nuclear attack - as seen in the Young Ones episode "Bomb".
Not this time though: I've got the best gadget in the world!!
A Powertraveller Powermonkey eXplorer. Cost £35, new-ish on eBay.
It's a LiIon battery that you can charge from the mains, usb or the solar panel. Add a car cigarette lighter with USB output and you can charge it in your car too. There a few mains charging options which allow you to charge the battery in 150 countries, but not, of course, India. Doh! (One does fit shaver sockets though and I think/hope/guess they're universal the world over.)
Various power tips (actually called Monkey Nuts) mean that you can charge up a whole collection of devices from the lithium battery. The monkey nuts also fit direct onto the leads from the charging plugs (mains/USB/solar) so you can charge a few things at the same time; one from the mains; one from the battery; one from the solar panel. For the main charging there are a few different connectors, so you can charge the device from the main in 150 countries...but not, of course, India. Doh! One of the charging plugs will fit shaver sockets which are universal the world over.
Just think, the next time you're nipping out for the day, you pick up your keys and your phone...damn, it's nearly out of charge. Who cares, pick up your powermonkey battery and the appropriate tip, plug the together et voila. Hold on a minute. You did charge that powermonkey didn't you? Another scenario, you're going out for the day, taking your kid's DS Lite, which of course is fully charged, they watch a film on it, it's dead: Charge it up from the powermonkey and you're the best Dad in the world. "No Dad you're not a real geek, that Powermonkey really is good!".
But the best bit isn't the use of this whilst travelling, it's the use of it at home. We used to have five different charging leads in our kitchen (nokia, sony and HTC mobiles, DS Lite, iPod). Now we've got only one lead and selection of monkey nuts. Pop on the required tip and you're ready to charge your device and suddenly you're the best Husband in the world. "Yes, Kev that Powermonkey really was worth the money, look only one wire". 
When we changed one of the phones the other day, we just bought a new monkey nut, cost £2.50 including postage.
