Travelling with Technology Tips for your next holiday
When you’re about to go on a holiday, do you make a list of things to pack? There are some obvious items which you’ll need – your passport, airline tickets, foreign currency – but you may want to give a little more thought to the hi-tech items which you’re putting in your luggage. These items can be the difference between an average holiday and one which will stay with you for a lifetime, but they also have a tendency to be fragile, heavy and expensive – all of which can be a problem when travelling from place to place. Here are some tips which will help you when packing your tech gear for your next vacation:
Camera
Of course, you need to document your travels. Bringing a camera is a must for any sort of vacation, but what sort of camera is best? A DSLR will give you the best quality and most features when taking photos or videos, but it’s a lot bulkier and heavier than point-and-shoot compact cameras, which can be an issue when packing your hand luggage. Portable HD video cameras are a good option for making home movies of your vacation, but their still-image quality usually isn’t especially stellar. A hybrid compact camera – which combines DSLR quality with a pocket-sized body – is probably the best option for most people. Check out cameras with Micro Four-Thirds or compact cameras like the Sony Nex5 or Lumix LX5 with interchangeable lenses. .
Laptop
No-one wants to bring work with them on a holiday, but a laptop is often an essential part of the modern traveller’s packing-list. The best laptops for travel are netbooks or other light-weight models which allow you to surf the -net and check email. Wi-Fi is a must (for connecting to free hotspots when you’re overseas), as is a reasonably large hard-drive and several USB ports so you can upload the photos you take during your trip. Laptop rental is one option which can keep you connected if you don’t own a laptop, or if you don’t want to risk carting your valuable office documents around the world. Tablet PCs or smartphones can also be portable, convenient replacements for a laptop.
Smartphone
Smaller than a laptop but powerful enough for most of your holiday needs, smartphones are rapidly becoming the technological Swiss Army Knife for travellers. When bringing your phone, however, make sure it’s compatible with the cellular network of your destination: Australian and US phones, for example, won’t usually work on the Japanese cell network. A tablet PC like the iPad 2 may provide a compromise between phone and laptop in terms of features and portability.
The most important thing when packing your tech gear is to plan ahead and be prepared: don’t bring anything too fragile, and insure the things which you do take along. Do so, and you’re set for a safe and happy holiday.