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"Travail" and "travel." Have you ever noticed how those two words sound similar?

It's no coincidence--they come from the same Middle English root meaning to torment, labour, strive, or journey. And sure enough, even today, travel can be hard work. You have a lot of things to keep up with, especially if you fly with a bag full of electronics.

Trying to keep your gadgets charged? Wish you could put a lid on mobile phone bills while roaming internationally? Want to stay connected to the Internet, without paying for yet another wireless carrier contract? I'll show you what you need to stay in the know when you're on the go.

Prepare to Adapt

When traveling abroad, you'll need a power plug adapter specific to the country you're visiting. The adapter lets you plug a two- or three-prong power cord from North America into a wall socket in a distant land.

If you'll be traveling to multiple countries, try Kensington's $30 Travel Plug Adapter with USB Charger . The adapter lets you plug in a device, such as notebook, in any of more than 150 countries. You can also use it to recharge a USB device, such as an iPod.

Alternatively, you might get an adapter or two that are specific to the country you'll be visiting. Single-plug adapters are cheaper (about $5 to $6 each) and more compact than Kensington's adapter. Steve Kropla's World Electric Guide and Magellan's are good resources for figuring out which adapter you'll need.

(Image courtesy Steve Kropla's Help for World Travelers.)

Adopt a Multitalented Adapter

To minimize the number of power plug adapters you'll need outside the United States, consider Kensington's $45 Power Adapter for Netbooks. It can simultaneously recharge various netbooks (using interchangeable tips) and one USB device.

And you can keep it in your netbook bag as a spare power brick. The adapter operates in a range from 100 to 240 volts, so it's compatible with the level of electric current used in most countries outside North America. (You'll still need to use a power cord adapter to insert the Kensington Power Adapter for Netbooks plug into a wall socket outside North America, however.)

If you frequently fly within the United States, pack a multidevice recharger from iGo, Targus, or Belkin. These power bricks let you simultaneously charge a laptop and another device (such as an Apple iPhone), and they cost $60 to $120.

Depending on the model you choose, you may be able to recharge devices in a car or from your airplane seat, as well as at a wall socket. The downside: Some multidevice adapters don't support voltage in the range of 100 to 240 volts, so you may not be able to use them abroad.

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