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What’s Your Tech for Traveling Abroad?

July 21, 2011, 11:00 am

By Mark Sample

US Navy Parachute TeamWe talk about travel a lot on ProfHacker, probably because conferences and research trips are a fact of life for many of us. Erin has shared best practices for international travel, Heather has talked about digital tools for organizing travel, and recently George has suggested five ways that airlines and airports could improve travel.

I have an international trip coming up myself, and as I stared at the pile of cords, plugs, adapters, devices, and computers I could take with me, it occurred to me that I should ask our readers about their tech for traveling abroad. ProfHacker has touched on traveling with tech before at. Nels revealed his essential travel gear, Ryan has given tips on using Google Voice and video chat to stay connected while abroad, and guest writer Louise A. Burnham detailed her summer of travel using no computer other than her iPad.

Louise’s post has inspired me to seriously consider doing the same with my international trip—leaving the laptop at home and instead bringing only my wifi iPad and a bluetooth keyboard. For most writing and research tasks I’ll need to do on this trip, the iPad should work fine.

For reading, instead of the usual stack of books I bring on trips, I’ll have a Nook, loaded with both leisure and research reading. A Kindle would work just as well for this. Even better, given that Amazon’s 3G Whispernet works flawlessly (and for free) in dozens of countries. Snarkmarket’s Robin Sloan has even called the 3G Kindle the ultimate travel device because it has a web browser and is “almost miraculously connected.”

I also intend on keeping my Android cell phone with me, rather than powering it down for the duration of my trip. Because it’s a CDMA device, the phone won’t work on European cell networks (saving me from worrying about roaming charges). But, with Google Maps for Android’s new offline feature, I can download maps while I’m connected to a wifi network, and then use the GPS when I’m out and about. With downloadable map areas limited to a 10 mile radius, I can’t download enough map data to guide me through a cross-country tour, but I can certainly get street-level maps to help me if I get turned around in a winding city alleyway (say, in Santiago de Compostela in my case).

I also have an ancient, cheap GSM “dumb” phone I’ll bring with me. It’s not locked into any plan, so I can simply purchase minutes for it once I arrive.

Add in a Flip, a digital camera, and an AC adapter plug, and that’s about all I’ll need for my trip, as far as technology goes. Or is it? Am I missing anything? If you’ve been traveling abroad this summer, what was your tech? Do you have any tips for me or other ProfHacker readers about using technology abroad?

[US Navy Parachute Team photograph courtesy of Flickr user Charles McCain / Creative Commons Licensed]

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  • http://twitter.com/bluesweatergirl Jen Glaubius

    Thanks for your timely post. I’m leaving next week for a month-long excavation in Europe and am starting the packing process.

    One question: if you’re taking an iPad, why would you also take a Nook? Especially since you can download Nook for iPad (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/nook-for-iPad/379002216/).

  • sherbygirl

    I did my first conference ever with just the iPad. I took notes, read my presentation, and kept up on my emails. I also had my iPhone, but it wasn’t as useful, if only because it was an international conference, and so didn’t want to pay roaming. That’s the one thing that I find most appealing about the Kindle; international 3G coverage. 

  • eetempleton

    I took only the iPad on a 2 week trip to Ireland earlier this summer, and it was fine.  Granted, I wasn’t doing heavy archival work, but I think that even if I were, I’d be grand with just the ipad and a keyboard.

    For Jen, I took both the iPad and my Kindle because the Kindle is much easier on the eyes (no backlit screen), and while the iPad has a decent battery life esp if the wifi is disabled, it doesn’t hold a candle to an e-reader.  I charge my iPad almost daily, and I charge my kindle maybe once a month (I use them both about the same amount of time per day unless I get sucked into a Soltaire session).

  • tmangum

    Can I ask which keyboard you all are using the with IPad (mine is the earlier version).  And what program do you use for taking notes?  Lately, I’ve been taking notes into email so that I can just pop them out and into a Word doc, but that must be a more sensible way.  Thanks for your suggestions and this great column!

  • sbair

    Why not read on the iPad or the smartphone? It’s seems that input has still not been hit by the device makers when users feel the need to add a keyboard to type. Based on my experience, I agree that it is not easy to type a longer work on a device like an iPad. 

  • http://whytheology.wordpress.com/ Trey Medley

    I’d just recommend some additional backups. Of course for some of these devices you’d need chargers, but I’d recommend an extra battery for the camera and an extra memory card (SD card or equivalent). Though this depends on how many pictures you take and how long it stays on. Since I tend to take a lot fo pictures, having an external hard drive or, at the least, a thumbdrive has been useful. Plus, I’ve found it nice to have a portable battery unit with me that any device can plug into. This is particularly helpful in environments with somewhat spotty electricity, because sometimes you just need a few extra minutes of battery power. (Most can power a laptop for 2 hours or work to chrage batteries, etc.). But then, I wouldn’t bring the extra e-reader and generally only bring one phone or else get one onsite I’ve found prepay phones have gone down in price, and its one less thing to worry about (particularly if it gets taken or lost there), that way you’d have room for some of these other items.

  • http://www.samplereality.com Mark Sample

    Jen, as Erin notes below, the iPad and an e-reader really serve two different functions, at least for me. The lightness of the new Nook makes it easy to hold (say, for five hours in a row on a transatlantic flight), while the e-ink makes it easy to read outside (say, in a sun-drenched plaza in Madrid)—something that’s nearly impossible to do with the iPad. And also , there’s always the fact that my kids want to steal my iPad to play World of Goo…

  • http://www.samplereality.com Mark Sample

    sbair – I have the Bluetooth wireless keyboard that Apple sells. I wish it would fold in half like some more compact bluetooth keyboards, but it still is lighter than carrying an iPad. It’s also easy to use for longer writing sessions (I’m typing on it right now.)

  • rafasolis

    Bring a $4.99 power strip. This way you’ll only need one electricity plug adapter (i am assuming that all your chargers are 110/220). I just came back from a 2 week trip in Switzerland and this proved very useful. And yes, no laptop this time, only my Ipad and 2 paperbacks (for the plane). One more thing, get CityMaps2Go ($1.99) a wonderful offline maps app.

  • allencar

    OK That is brilliant! I am leaving for South Africa next week and was considering if I would need to purchase multiple adapters or if I could coordinate my device charging so only one adapter would be necessary. A power strip will definitely be in my bag. 
    A lot of the tasks I need to do involve working with BlackBoard and my iPad just doesn’t support most of the functions I need :( So, I am contemplating whether to pack the iPad at all.

  • AlexHalavais

    In particular, I rarely travel without one of these:

    http://www.amazon.com/Philips-SPS2100WA-3-Outlet-Travel-Power/dp/B001DFVJJM

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=68702040 Francesca Socolick

    I recently just got back from a 2 week international backing trip within the UK – and the only piece of technology I brought with me was an ipod touch. It was perfect – small, portable, served as my camera, GPS, communication device. Before I left, I downloaded a series of audio tour guides, etc. I’ve traveled with a laptop before and my biggest concern this time around was portability, especially since I was only bringing a backpack with me and moving around every few days. I also didn’t worry too much about safety – it was small enough to conceal and easy enough to store. Above all else – definitely bring a power converter with a built-in power serge protector, depending on where you stay (and how old the building is) you could end up frying something (RIP to my travel hair dryer…)   

  • drnels

    Thank you for confirming why I bought a Touch in April.  And, yes, I learned about the need for power surge protection on a trip to Russia.

  • elsie

    After trying several Bluetooth keyboards with my iPad1, I settled on the Kensington keyboard case. It works well, is rechargable, and is easy to carry with the iPad.

  • leeannbanaszak

    I recently traveled with an iPad and keyboard but was flummoxed when at my Berlin stop the wifi advertised in the apartment was a USB port t-mobile wireless device. It meant that I lost connecting to the Internet at a vital time during a conference.

  • cc_smith

    Make that TWO AC Adapter plugs. Inevitably two will get your devices charged when you are short on time. A single adapter and a three-way added plug may blow the circuit…..definitely happened in Italy in Florence and 2 smaller cities.

  • mhward

    Yes, I found this in an apartment in Spain, too. Luckily I had my MacAir with me, not an ipad. I would add that if you are travelling with a laptop one of these USB t-mobile devices can be very useful. You can buy them in most countries to get cheap pay-as-you-go 3G connections where there is no wireless.

  • rafasolis

    I don’t think that 3 chargers (a phone/Ipad, a camera and a laptop) in a power strip will overload a circuit.  They draw very little current (50 Watts at the most among the 3).  Now if you plug a hair dryer and a curling iron that is a different story (they draw more than 1000Watts each).  Also are you sure that you connected  (universal) 110/220 V chargers/appliances to the power strip?  Anyway, your point is well taken, 2 plug adapters may take less room and weight less than a power strip.  The problem I found is that most hotels/homes in Europe have very few power outlets so a power strip solves this problem.

  • goodeyes

    Sounds like too much and too connected.  

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Barrett-Hartman/1433363573 Barrett Hartman

    I was looking over your list.
    1)ipad w/ BT keyBoard
    2)e-reader
    3)andriod cell phone
    4)gsm dump phone
    5)flip video
    6)digi camera
    7)ac adapter

    All is pretty close to what I bring
    1) netbook (cheap and functional)
    2) I-phone CDMA (apps, skype, internet in a hurry)
    3) e-reader
    4) flip video
    5) digi camera
    6) Guatemala has 110 so no adapter needed, but a 2 prong adapter for the old “”no ground outlets”
    7) surge strip with 3 outlets and 2 usb outlets by Belkin ( http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Mini-Surge-Protector-Charger/dp/B0015DYMVO )
    8) set of short usb adapters for charging or info exchange( http://www.amazon.com/Griffin-Technology-GC17097-USB-Mini-Cable/dp/B003T5KXJQ/ref=pd_cp_e_2 )
    9) ext.-hard drive for mass storage of pictures and video
    10)headphones, I use motorola S10-HD blue tooth.(http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-S10-HD-Bluetooth-Headphones-Packaging/dp/B004BHCSQC )  I can hook up to Iphone for tunes and having a mic can be used for phone calls in a pinch and it can be hooked up to my netbook (w/ a BT usb adapter) for listening to movies,music,videos and used for skype, would hook up to ipad too. no wires great sound.
    11) I am given a dumb phone to borrow while down there so I dont bring one, good idea though.
    12) portable battery for charging devices on the go. (http://www.amazon.com/i-Sound-Portable-Power-iPhone-Blackberry/dp/B00439G3WS ) This is a big battery. but you will be able to charge multiple times off of it w/ multiple devices. For ipads you need to make sure you have one with an “optimized port/ 2.o port” or it will only trickle charge and take for ever.
    13)I also bring an LED clip light, for reading mag’s or books and as a small flashlight when needed.

    dont forget to bring a usb adapter/card reader for the ipad. you will not be able to download your videos and pictures with out it.

  • mbelvadi

    If you’re serious about photography and don’t want to bring a laptop with you into a power-unreliable area (think Uganda rather than France), consider one of the portable photo backup devices – essentially a hard drive with its own processor and SD slot. Backup your SD cards without a computer. We got a HyperDrive which has a rechargable battery that lasts for several days so you can back up your pictures when camping in the Serengeti with no power plugs available. Even if you’re in more power-available areas, one of these drives can act as a second backup to your laptop, for extra protection for those once-in-a-lifetime vacation pictures.

Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.

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