So you’ve decided to leave the comfort of your nerd-friendly lair and head out to explore the larger world. Perhaps a conference in Bangkok beckons, or maybe a Linux gathering in Europe. Even a trip with the family to some deserted isle?
Wired’s article for globe-trotting geeks highlights a lot of really good ideas for traveling with technology.
We’re planning a long trip sometime next year, and I know that I could easily use up my luggage allowance on “essential” gadgets to get me through the trip.
A laptop is a must, which is why I’m keeping a close eye on the Asus EEEPC as well as copycat systems from other suppliers. A very compact machine would be very handy, as would a multitude of SD cards to hold everything from happy snaps to music and videos for long travel stretches.
One thing that does bother me is security. Sure, you can encrypt memory cards and usb drives, but if it gets lost or stolen, then data is still gone.
Web based backups of all that stuff would be handy, but what if you can’t get access? What if the only access you can get is dialup?
I think, for me, the best option is one with redundancy – a laptop with wireless, ethernet and modem, and prepaid services for the country being visited. Offline storage as well as using something as simple as gmail to backup important documents (like passport scan, ticket scan, etc), is important. Other associated stuff like an ipod, that can be charged by USB are really handy, reducing the need for a power adapter to just one for the laptop.
But, the weight for all that can be prohibitive, since you must consider carrying all of it with you, depending on where you go. There are many places I wouldn’t leave technology in a hotel room, wall safe or not.
I guess I’ll end up like a pack mule – backpack, sling bag, bumbag, and lanyard all weighing me down with stuff!
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