Accoutrements

My current arsenal of devices for lightweight packing whilst remaining entertained on a long-term trip:

1. Swiss universal adaptor (image courtesy of http://www.tjproducts.com)


So it doesn't matter where you go with your current electrical goods or where you buy any future electrical goods. Mine is red.

2. Motorola E1000 mbile phone with camera, mp3 player and headphones jack (Image courtesy of http://www.trustedreviews.com)


Entertainment, happy snaps and calls, all in one pocket sized device. It also happens to have a calculator, alarm clock, calendar with annual alerts (great for remembering birthdays and to pay the credit card bill each month), blue tooth and internet capabilities and memory can be augmented with an SD card which happens to be compatible with my laptop. The size and convenience can't be beat when you spend most of your day wandering around a city and its sights. Even if I very rarely use a mobile phone to make calls whilst travelling (international roaming charges are highway robbery in comparison to internet cafes and free email), it's always very reassuring to know that I have something in case of emergency. I love my phone. I've had it since 2005. If I were to upgrade, the only improvements I would be looking at would be mp4 capabilities and a higher resolution camera.

3. BenQ Joybook laptop with DVD burner, bluetooth, wifi, and a stack of music, movies and electronic books (Image courtesy of http://www.itechnews.net)


When you're chilling at the hostel or whoever's couch it is you're surfing, it's nice to have something a bit more substantial. Besides the movies or music, you can download and store your photos, write a cheesy travel blog (case in point right here), surf the internet if there's a network available or read a book. Although I despise reading novels on a screen and would rate the look and feel of a proper book over a laptop any day, there's no arguing with the fact that books are bulky and heavy, whereas a laptop is significantly less so. (The one concession I make about lugging books is my Lonely Planet -- it's worth it to have an easily accessible map of almost wherever I am, or at least a description of where the nearest tourist office [with maps] is.) It could be argued that the Kindle or any other electronic book reader is even lighter than a laptop, but I prefer the versatility of a laptop. Opt for a small and light version that's not too expensive. The latter is important, because it affords a little peace of mind, knowing that travel can be tough on electronic devices in terms of jostling/dropping/theft. You might have to sacrifice processing speed, but then again, you're on holiday! You can afford to wait 5 seconds more whilst Windows is loading up.

So there you have it. Everything I find entertaining in my normal life, reduced to 2 electronic devices and a power charger. I have allowed myself the luxury of bringing a drawing tablet with me, which I haven't used as much I could have, especially since coming to France (what is it about looking after kids that makes you want to sit and stare at a wall when you've got some free time?) but it's nice to know that if I feel artistic that it's there. If I were to expand, the next thing I would go for would be a portable hard drive, but for now I'm content with carrying around a few DVDs and periodically erasing useless stuff (movies I've seen, books I've read, pics that are just ugly) from my laptop.