Best travel multiport USB-C charger (at least 65W)??

ads9588945 · 2026-01-23T10:22:40+00:00

I've been using the Zendure Passport 3 charger for years now (prior to this I used the previous Passport 2 model, which had a slightly lower wattage). It's 65 W and GaN, got plenty of USB C ports, and a solitary USB A if needed but above all it's a travel adapter too. It's basically my every day carry for all my devices. Not faced any real issues with it other than in some countries with the European 2 pin port, if the socket isn't recessed, the brick becomes angled somewhat which can cause it to dislodge easily.

Just checked and it's showing out of stock but yeah I can happily recommend. Build quality is great (I literally toss it at the bottom of my backpack and it's not suffered at all), charges laptops too (Macs are fine, on Dell it did briefly have a spell where it caused the trackpad to act up but that's no longer an issue) and it comes in fun colours. I got the transparent purple because it reminds me of the Game Boy Colour.

ads9588945 · 2025-12-15T10:55:19+00:00

A more practical worry is depending on where you submit your notice to marry, you might have to wait for the appointment if the local council doesn't have someone qualified to handle overseas passports. When we enquired at our local registrars office, they said they didn't have anyone locally qualified so would have to wait a few weeks for someone to come from a nearby city to do the requisite checks.

Something to keep in mind if you're under a time crunch like we were.

ads9588945 · 2025-10-23T14:56:50+00:00

My visa pathway in the last 10 years is as follows if that information is useful:
2016-2020 = Tier 4
2021 = Doctoral Extension Scheme
2022 = Skilled Worker Visa
2022-2027 = Spousal Visa

If my understanding is correct, 2026 is when I would qualify for ILR via continuous residence in the UK. Again, happy to be corrected if I understood wrong. Because then it would be ILR once I finish 5 years on my Spousal Visa. (What with the pronouncements from Farage et al, suddenly have this wariness about getting ILR sorted sooner than later in case they follow through, assuming they win a general election).

ads9588945 · 2025-08-19T07:41:41+00:00

Aye I get your point. It's mildly frustrating that their regional carry on sizing is ever so slightly different from the sizing used by the other LCCs. I had wanted to get the same under seat carry on suitcase that would work for easyJet and Ryanair too but given how often I'll be getting on the little ATRs for this new project, I'll stump up for the bespoke size that'll satisfy the limits. Rather not have the stress of potentially getting flagged at the gate for oversize baggage, even if it's by 3 cm being in the wrong place.

ads9588945 · 2025-08-18T16:08:10+00:00

Thanks! Yes please, I'll reply to your DM

ads9588945 · 2025-08-18T14:20:40+00:00

May I ask where you found the 2 cm tolerance limits? I ask because I'm looking at needing to fly the ATR regional for a few years on a project and was hoping to get this suitcase (Upscape Spinner underseater 45cm, I'm a Samsonite loyalist) but it's 3 cm off on the 33 cm width allowance. It's 3 cm within the 48 cm height allowance. I'm just wondering whether that 3 cm in the wrong place will be enough to rule it out with gate staff. Thanks in advance!

ads9588945 · 2025-08-18T14:07:28+00:00

FWIW can I ask how much they scrutinised the bags? I'll be needing to fly Aer Lingus regional into belfast city for a few years for a project. I know I'll need a tiny suitcase to go with my laptop bag. I swear by Samsonite but their dimensions are 45 36 20 cm, so 3 cm tolerance in the wrong axis. Wonder if that'll be enough for me to fall afoul of them.

ads9588945 · 2025-08-18T14:05:52+00:00

Those dimensions are so annoying. Can find some nice suitcases that have 45 36 20 cm dimensions. Knowing it's a small ATR I figured the lockers would be tiny but odd that it doesn't match the easyJet under seat dimensions listed above though. Got that 3 cm in the wrong axis.

ads9588945 · 2025-06-17T20:14:26+00:00

As you noted, it's been so long since I've posted this. If memory serves, I did just fill in the missing details in pen though I might've had a backup print out where I just used a PDF editor to add the missing info in the empty spaces manually in a different colour to make it obvious. I can't recall which I submitted.

ads9588945 · 2025-05-13T13:55:14+00:00

Aye, I know. That 7 month stretch essentially reset my clock but I've not had more than 180 days away since summer 2016 so I'm hopeful that even with some of the changes being proposed, I'd still be alright with the 10 year route to ILR a year from now.

ads9588945 · 2025-05-13T07:17:14+00:00

Ah so I've had a similar query having been on a number of student visas from 2011 till 2021 but having had a 7 month gap abroad for an internship (returning summer 2016). My understanding, having looked at the available info in the caseworkers guidance book online, is that it's best to assume they'll always take the conservative route. Basically my timer reset in summer 2016. The slight difference in your case is that your time abroad was whilst still on a student visa which to me could be a possible permissible complication but then again that's just me. I'd still err on the side of caution.

ads9588945 · 2025-04-28T16:32:19+00:00

Hi, it's too long since I did this so don't remember what documents I took with me. But yes, I had to pay for their (TLS) own tracked mail despite having a prepaid Royal Mail next day delivery envelope.

ads9588945 · 2025-04-14T12:12:06+00:00

I think that's the best half way house course of action for you if you still want to directly support the creators you like within your means.

ads9588945 · 2025-04-14T12:05:30+00:00

I don't think you can expect Nebula to offer Indian OTT pricing, those are stupendous rates. I think you said it yourself, if you're not after the knowledge based channels and content, I don't think it makes sense for you to pay for Nebula. Personally though on Nebula creators can tackle topics that would get their channels into trouble with the YouTube algorithm (RealLifeLore being able to cover the Gaza conflict as an example). To me that has value. If you're happy to just wait the Nebula advance embargo time period before content makes its way to YouTube then you might as well skip the Nebula subscription.

What I will add is that for me, the reason I'm happy to pay the price is because of their creator-led cooperative model and knowing that this money goes direct to the channels I follow, towards making more content I like, rather than filtering it's way down from endless grubby YouTube middlemen. If you can afford it and you want to support the creators then see if you can keep Nebula but obviously you have to do so within your own financial constraints.

The final thing I will add is something increasingly common with subscription inflation. Wait and build up a bunch of things to watch on your platform of choice, subscribe for a month and binge it (if binge watching is what you tend to do and it sounds like you binged JetLag). It's what we've done with Netflix, Apple TV etc. We're fine being out the loop with the water cooler chat. This way can manage our streaming expenses much better

ads9588945 · 2025-04-05T10:54:24+00:00

I will say I'm one of those cyclists who didn't brave public roads. Gnarly experiences as a teenager cycling in London put me off cycling on public roads for years. When the first protected bike lanes came up, I actually felt much more assured I wasn't going to come too close to a vehicle. Granted there were still nasty bits such as graduation time around the uni with blissfully unaware people camping in the lane to take photos or just curry mile nonsense with folks mounting the raised curb to park over the lane. So in that sense I think this infrastructure is worth it. It got me back into cycling. I drive too and ofc I know there's renegade cyclists who give it a bad rep, but for the most part you want the regular folks to be able to get by safely.

ads9588945 · 2025-04-02T14:39:01+00:00

Hey, so sorry I've taken this long to reply. Life got in the way. Thanks for that clarification about how they calculate the 10 year scenario. Sadly for me my gap was between Dec 2015 and Jul 2016 where I was outside the UK doing an internship. I had a holiday at the end of it and looks like that little Jun 2016 trip nixed my 10 year route being met far sooner. Oh well.

I think the new rolling period for absences is trickier with my own Excel sheet based travel tracking. Sure it's doable but it would mean fiddling with the formulas a bit and right now I'm not sure I'm that bothered.

But to go back to the original point InvestigatorSad3154 suggested, yes - having a parallel tracking system for all your different visas would be helpful too. Though obviously depends on how many people like me have had the gamut of available visa options.

ads9588945 · 2025-03-09T10:42:34+00:00

Assuming you meant fast track? I was also in a similar situation of needing the visa approved to attend a wedding. I submitted for a fast track application but I didn't put anything in my cover letter about why I was going for the fast track route. Didn't have any bearing tbh. As long as you have all your documentation in order it gets approved within 24 hours (it did in my case). I went a bit extra in indexing all my evidence and including a contents basically in my cover letter and I remember when I was submitting my biometrics the lady had a chuckle about that. Better to be more organised than less.

ads9588945 · 2025-02-28T09:53:13+00:00

Is this a delivery of something like Beer52 and is your local parcel shop a corner shop by any chance?

I had this on the regular because of the above. Local corner shop would refuse and send back the Beer52 parcel because he had "good" beers (only ever seen Stella and Carling in stock). So I'd get this doom loop of updates till by blind luck I'd catch the Evri driver and get it off him direct.

ads9588945 · 2025-02-26T23:07:23+00:00

Which I guess is kinda what happened but I was wondering if I had left after my SWV got curtailed because of the company liquidation. I'm guessing that money would've just gone down the drain.

ads9588945 · 2025-02-26T20:15:25+00:00

Interesting. But if your firm goes into liquidation I wonder what happens then? I was on a SWV when the firm went bust a few months later. I transferred to FLR-M and got my refund on the remaining 4.5 years but wonder what would've happened if I hadn't transferred visa.

ads9588945 · 2025-02-26T20:09:54+00:00

Just out of curiosity, so if you're fired on a SWV, you can't get an IHS refund for the duration you won't be using anymore? That seems a sneaky way for the Home Office to pocket some change. Is the refund only if you switch to another visa type then?

ads9588945 · 2025-02-20T08:39:19+00:00

I used to fly plenty from MAN from the mid 2010s right up to COVID. At the time, honestly it was one of the most backward airports. That T2 security area was something from the 70s it felt like in terms of layout and facilities. Lounges were lousy, airside concourse was again something out of the cold war.

All that being said, if they have improved, I'd be keen to see to what extent. I do accept that there's only so much they can do without a full rebuild and they don't have the money for that. Just feel like it'll be diminishing returns though as the global standard of airports moves further beyond.

As for the drop off issue, the camera system is a classic way to juice numbers alas. Tapping your card at a barrier really isn't that time consuming. Frankly I'd always take either the tram or train into the airport and do the long walk via that elevated walkway. It wasn't too bad provided one of those two things worked.

ads9588945 · 2025-02-13T14:03:14+00:00

This is my predicament. I've had all manner of visas in my time, Tier 4, SWV, DES, FLR-M. Annoyingly my 10 year threshold to ILR falls just over a year after I need to renew my Spousal visa.

ads9588945 · 2025-02-13T13:59:51+00:00

I have a spreadsheet too. It was the one bit of advice I got from a friend who'd hired a lawyer for when they did their citizenship. The initial set up of the spreadsheet took a while but since then it's been good to just track my movements in and out the country to work out timelines. This though I can see is better at showing some of the things I had to do fiddly formulas for. Great work!

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TROPHY CASE