What travelling light means nowadays (part 2)

Techie Mommy Talks

By JAYE C. BAUTISTA

August 17, 2011, 8:00am

 

MANILA, Philippines -- These days, when we pack for a vacation, we also make sure we throw in some kind of gadget.  I recently came back from a U.S. trip and brought a lappy, 2 phones a Nokia and a dual SIM one.  Got back home without having to use any of those.  Sorta regretted having over packed.  We are guilty of toting phones, iPads, portable games, cameras to whatever. And everyone probably knows the feeling of realizing that they have forgotten their chargers at home.  A sure-fire bummer for one’s vacation, eh?  Let’s continue on where we left off…


Charger/power adaptor

No power is an absolute nightmare for a “gadgeteer.”  When traveling with gadgets, there are a lot of things to remember. This article is a guide to remind you to make a list and check it twice. The PowerFreakz Evolution Solar 2500 charger is a great solution for the traveler as you’ll not only get a wide variety of tips with this, but it also comes with a worldwide power supply adaptor and is chargeable via USB, mains power supply or the sun’s glorious rays. This charger weighs in at 105g and measures 117 x 64 x 14mm.


Watch

Our initial suggestion in terms of a timekeeper is don’t bother to take one but get one but if you need to, the obligatory 50m waterproofing, but the rule of thumb is keep it light and free from protrusions.If you’re planning on doing some serious adventuring, however, water sports for that matter, I strongly advise you look at the Timex Expedition which gets a night-light, digital compass, 100-hour chronograph and all the shock and waterproof qualities you could ever want.


Indestructible case*

Ideal for any small, delicate electronics you may have decided to take with you. Ideal foriPods and the like, the Pelican 1040 could make all the difference.Made of Copolymer Polypropylene, the case is watertight, airtight, crushproof and has an automatic pressure purge valve. *It’s actually destructible.


Knife

A good knife is a must, and you certainly can’t expect to go without it if you’re doing the ourdoorsy trip and traveling by land.  Knives are seen as weapons and will be confiscated at airports. On the presumption you’re not going to be felling trees, making your own base camp or whittling wood to make your own bow and arrow, we reckon the Rucksack from Victorinox will do the job nicely. You not only get a can opener and essential lockable blade, but there’s also that all-important tool for getting stones out of your shoes.

Last but not the least…

Back Up

If you’re carrying a notebook computer or something like that, be sure to BACK UP! Even if you swear to keep it in your sight at all times, you must always back up your files. Accidents and thefts are unpredictable. Sure you could always save up to buy another lappy  but the data on your computer is irreplaceable and you know it.


There’s this thing called Dropbox that you could use. It lets things synchronize on their own all the time. I use the free version and back digital photos onto an external hard drive. External hard drives are quite affordable now and of course there’s USB flash drives. 8/16/32 megs they’re just too darn convenient and affordable to pass.

With technology evolving every second there’s really no need to bring a lot of gadgets on a trip.  For one thing, there’s Smart phones that may very well replace most of your gadgets. If you have a good camera on your phone, youmight choose to leave your camera behind. It may also be a great music player and read/send email as well.