This editor recalls the day when a monthly aerogram was all the family ever got! And when located in even more remote places this could expand out to a few months! Nice and compact an aerogram, keep things concise, no mention of what one had for dinner last night. Photographs, slide film was expensive so one learnt to make one shot count! Deleting, well that happened after processing which could be a while later. Camera batteries, my FE battery is still alive and I stopped film back in the 1990’s. My son uses it now, of course it’s back in fashion with some. Currently it is enjoying the Canadian Rockies in winter.
We now travel with SLR digitals and associated equipment. I love my Apple Air, which can be image manager, backup, communications (skype) and work connection if required. Wedged neatly into the water bladder sleave in a rustic day pack it is somewhat camouflaged and being super lightweight not an issue. Alongside the sunscreen and city guide books, electronic devices are now firmly at the top of travellers’ holiday packing lists. A poll of 4000 people conducted by phone company Nokia revealed that nearly half are packing two or more gadgets when they travel – and that doesn’t even include their smartphones.
Laptops, tablet computers, digital cameras, e-readers and MP3 players are the usual suspects, plus handheld games consoles for kids. Add to that all the associated chargers, batteries and adapters and that’s a lot of excess baggage. If there are two of you, many hotel rooms may only have 1 power outlet available, so you need a 2 place mini power board. This also means that even if there are more than 2 you only need 1 local converter!! It is a good idea to coordinate your camera gear so that only one charger needs to be carried. You should always have at least 2 batteries, so this should see you through the overnight charging routine!
Nokia also estimates that more than ten million electronic products will be taken on holiday this year. “Our research clearly indicates that the pressure to bring multiple devices on holiday is a real problem for a lot of people” says Thomas Messett, head of digital marketing and advocacy, Nokia Europe. That pressure primarily comes from the workplace, with a quarter of those polled admitting they check their work emails more than twice a day on holiday.
With all these items, security becomes an issue. Stolen phones, ask an insurance company about that statistic! A new industry has emerged with people designing more things to cope with the ‘more things’ you acquire. These coast and shirts are a neat idea.
