Whether you are trekking through the wilderness or riding a chicken bus in South America, an mp3 player such as an iPod is a godsend. Load it up with your favourite music, a selection of hearty audio books to curl up to and the odd audio language guide to practice your skills and it's an instant boredom killer.

The best part is that some of the older or smaller-capacity iPods can be snapped up on eBay for a song. Check out their bargaineous nature below.