I thought some people on this board would enjoy seeing this article. I found it interesting. My apologies if someone else has already posted this article--I did some looking around and haven't found it posted, but I could have missed it.
Here's the article:
http://offtrackplanet.com/tipsandadvicehowto/5-gadgets-that-may-ruin-your-backpacking-experience/
The only gadget I usually travel with is a digital camera and the tools I need to recharge the camera. I definitely agree with the article about the hair straightener (although I would have broadened that category to include all devices that style hair).