Laptops, smartphones, tablets, cameras: exclusive toys 15 years ago, everyday items today. Given how useful and commonplace our devices have become, it’s only natural for us to take them everywhere we go. However, as sophisticated as these items have become, they are not immune to inclement weather or thieves, both of which you could encounter on your travels. Here are a few tips to keep everything in working order.
Plan ahead
Since our gadgets keep getting smaller and lighter, it’s natural to think we can carry more of them—this is a bad idea when travelling. For one, it’s easier to lose or damage the things you carry than the things you leave at home, and on the other hand, travelling light is a more pleasant experience. Stick to the essentials: you probably don’t even need a full keyboard unless you travel on the road.
You will also want to take a long, hard look at your roaming charges. Even with limits in place to curb data carriers’ enthusiasm for overcharges, there’s no point spending more than you have to. Ideally, take care to buy unlocked devices: they can be used abroad with local prepaid cards, a much cheaper alternative to roaming charges.
And, as a final tip about planning, always carry a power bar and a universal adapter. They will save your good mood on rainy days spent in crammed rooms.
Travel insurance: not a question
The benefits of travel insurance make it a must, there is no room for debate: health expenditures abroad can be catastrophic, among other things. And since you are getting coverage for your health, ring up your insurance provider to discuss the protection available for your personal belongings, including electronics. And take note that if you use electronic devices professionally, it might be smart to look into a complementary professional insurance!
It’s all about protection
For some reason, water really likes getting into electronics. No matter how unlikely, it seems like drinks will find a way to get spilled on keyboards, rainstorms will happen when you have no way of protecting your tablet, and your crafty smartphone will find its way into your swim trunks just before you jump into the pool. Alas. The thing you absolutely should do, then, is shop for cases, sleeves, and waterproof bags and take great care to keep your electronics dry and safe at all times. Even then, gravity is a harsh mistress, and you would do well to layer sensitive equipment in padding for bumpy rides and turbulent hikes.
Provided you take a lot of pictures or work on the road, it’s also crucial to protect your data. A daily SD card backup can do the trick, but for added convenience, you can look into cloud storage, provided you have decent Internet access while you’re abroad.
Now, costly items are sometimes engraved to discourage thieves or, failing that, help retrieve stolen goods. While this might work at home, it would be significantly harder to use the engravings to track items in foreign countries, as it all relies on cooperation with local law enforcement. Thankfully, thanks to to the Internet, most devices can now use free “find my device” software. Installing this software prior to important travels will allow you to track your phone, tablet or laptop remotely and allow you to retrieve it much more easily.
If you have some ideas on how to protect your gadgets while travelling, we’d love to hear them!
Photo Credit
Image is from fotolia
Guest Author Bio
Christophe Belanger
I am a freelance web consultant who has spent over a decade helping businesses improve their image and better manage their resources. You can find me blogging, commenting in many blogs and surfing on the Web but also travelling here and there and surfing on waves of water.
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