In between shuffling in and through the airport, checking itineraries and hotel bookings, you also need to safeguard your belongings during a trip, particularly those that cost more, are very functional, and crucial for any trip: gadgets. After all, why would you bring a bulky laptop or an even bulkier SLR camera to a trip except for that they are really useful, even essential, for a trip?
Unfortunately, it is during a vacation when our gadgets are placed in different types of safety risks. Fortunately for you, you’re reading this article so that the next time you travel with your gadgets, you’d be 84 percent less worried.
Against theft
• Do not attract attention to your gadgets. If you use a camera bag that screams Nikon or Canon, it’s much like screaming, “I have a camera! Come and get it!” You don’t want to go through all the hassle of filing a police complaint in a foreign land. Worse, you simply don’t want your things to get lost. So get a laptop sleeve or a camera bag that do not seem like one and does a good job of hiding what’s inside it.
• Do not leave your things unattended. Wow, how cliché! But why is it that everywhere you go, you see this sign? Maybe because you do the exact opposite of what it says? Take care of your gadgets. Do not underestimate the risk of leaving your laptop on a table to get water in the nearby drinking station. You might get back to your table with laptop gone and your jaw dropped.
Against carrying troubles
• If you really need to bring a laptop, bring a small and basic one. You don’t really have to bring your MacBook Pro to a trip just so you can blog during downtimes. Take your old but functional notebook for simple tasks like blogging and email.
• When it comes to bringing a camera, choose which lenses to carry. If you’re going to the beach, you won’t have to bring a long lens. An 18 to 55 lens is enough to capture moments and portraits. If you really want to bring an extra lens, make it a prime lens for bokeh shots and blurred backgrounds perfect for portaits.
Against physical damages
• Do not check in your gadget bag. Have you ever seen a ground crew unload or load checked in baggage in and out of the plane? Whether it’s Zest Air or Cebu Pacific, they wouldn’t take extra care of your gadget bag. It will be treated like any checked in baggage, tossed and piled over each other. You don’t want your gadgets to be tossed and piled under a heavy weight of luggage bags. Carry your tech gadgets with you inside the plane.
• Invest in high quality bags that give sufficient protection to your gadgets. The operative word is “invest”, meaning it can be expensive to buy bags that have enough pads to ensure your gadgets are protected as you move from one location to another. The price of your laptop and the value of the data and photos in your cameras will always outweigh the cost of buying a good bag.
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