If you frequent this site, you probably are a tech fan and travels with gadgets on vacation. Here are some suggestions you may or may not already be doing that will make the tech portion of your trip a success.
1. Chargers
It should go without say that you should bring every charger you need for your devices when you travel. If you have several different chargers you might want to look into a multiple-device charger. These chargers have one base with several connections for different devices, meaning you need to carry less chargers with you.
I also highly suggest charging all devices before leaving home. This way if you forget your charges you’ll have some power already stored up.
2. More is better
Speaking of charging and power: If you’re using a digital camera, it’s a good idea to travel with a spare battery. I always have a battery on hand if the one in the camera dies, so I can just swap it right out and continue shooting.
I also highly recommend getting a second power source for your phone. This could be in the form of a battery, a phone case with a built-in extra battery, or a separate battery that connects to the phone via cable and can also be used as backup for your tablet. A case with a built-in battery is probably the most expensive, and once you get a new phone it will probably be obsolete. You’ll get more for your money with a spare battery.
3. Bring a camera arsenal
I always travel with my phone and at least two cameras. One camera is my compact DSLR and the other is an inexpensive lighter weight pocket camera. I like the DSLR for when I know I need a fast shutter. The other camera is for when I don’t want the heavier DSLR, although the compact DSLR isn’t that heavy. Plus, my wife hates the compact DSLR.
I also travel with a waterproof video camera that can also take stills. They can be found for under $100 and great for trips to the beach or other wet destinations. I love not having to worry about my camera getting wet in the pool or ocean.
Smartphones have great cameras, but they still are not good enough to be an everyday camera, especially for vacations. They are too slow to capture that one quick moment you don’t want to miss and they don’t have a true optical zoom for getting close to your subject. You also don’t want your smartphone falling into the pool or getting splashed by a wave. It drives me crazy when I see people using an iPhone at the edge of the ocean without a case, and don’t even get me started on tablets!
4. Don’t forget the memory cards
If you do take a camera, make sure you have at least two memory cards with at least 8 GB of memory each. Memory cards are cheap these days and you want plenty of space to store photos and video and it is always good to have a backup card.
I also have the camera connection kit for my iPad. I can take the memory card out of the camera at night and load the pictures onto my iPad to preview, edit, and share pictures before getting home.
5. What you don’t need
If you are taking a camera, you probably don’t need a traditional video camera. Modern cameras take great video and a video cams is just one more thing to drag along, even if it is a small and light weight one. It also means another charger to pack.
If you have a tablet like an iPad or a smartphone, you’ll have to decide if you need a laptop. For me, the iPad is enough. I don’t even have a laptop. Plus, like the video camera, it means more bulk and another charger to pack.
Conclusion
In the end, it is up to you what tech you need on your vacation. It boils down to how much you want to take and how much you want to spend on what you don’t already have. Either way, the most important thing is to have fun and enjoy the trip! The tech is just a tool to help make that trip more comfortable and to help preserve those memories.
Image credit: John Mueller
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.