Travel Technology - Do you use a surge protector for your laptop/netbook?

Am I the only one who still uses a surge protector when traveling? Probably because I live in an area with frequent power surges and outages, I'm compulsive about using it whenever I plug in my laptop (except with a power adapter on an airline). But I've never seen anyone else use one in an airport.

I don't when traveling since I think the additional bulk & weight just aren't worth it. Almost all notebook travel adapters can handle 110/240 VAC input so if you're using it in the US you already have a 100% safety margin. Yes spikes can be of 400V or more, but rarely occur over 1-2 cycles which is easily handled by the power supply. Also most switching supplies are designed to crowbar the output if the voltage goes too high. I haven't heard of anyone who's fried a laptop with the exception of a lightning event.

At home however everything's on a UPS, I'm retentive.

You're not going to fry the laptop. At most, and as previously posted even that's unlikely, you'll fry the AC adapter. A new one costs $40. (Maybe not the one with your computer manufacturer's logo on it, but so what. The third-party supplies that reputable stores sell are fine.) Not worth carrying another piece of gear to improve the odds.

I travel with a $19 refrub power adapter for the netbook, so should it get fried I'm not overly concerned. My problem with the small portable surge protectors is you really don't know if they have already been fried or not, many of them will take a few hits and then be totally useless as a surge protector again, just an expensive entension cord.

I always travel with this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002ARYXI6

$9.18 is pretty cheap insurance against some crappy wall socket destroying my laptop and/or power supply.

I travel with one as an extension, but only use it if I need more outlets. Not critical for laptops / netbooks in most locations.

I have been using 6-9 ft extension cords from the local Dollar Store (eg 99 cent) without a problem for 5+ years in the US, SA, E and W Europe etc. I tossed the surge thingees long ago.

MisterNice

Also most switching supplies are designed to crowbar the output if the voltage goes too high. What does this mean?

I travel with one and use it religiously ... both for my laptop and travel router.

What does this mean?

If the electronics detect that the voltage presented to the laptop exceeds a certain threshold the power supply shorts the output (in effect throws a "crowbar" across the terminals) to immediately protect the expensive electronics. Originally the thinking was that it would blow the fuse or circuit breakers while presenting zero volts at the output, but these days there's usually some weakest link component which is designed to fail on overcurrent.

Better that the power supply commits seppuku. That said I've still never heard of anyone frying a modern laptop or switching power supply.

I travel with one and use it religiously ... both for my laptop and travel router.

Just make sure you don't use it overseas...240 volts makes some metal-oxide varistors go bang.