Road Warrior Travel Tips

If you are reading this blog you probably know me personally. If you know me personally you have probably asked me a technical question or asked for a recommendation at some point. If you haven't, you eventually will. And I enjoy answering your questions.

As we travel this road together I will regularly drop some tech tips...just to shake things up a bit. I mean, really, how much can I gripe about Bush and still keep your interest. So here are a few of my favorite road warrior tips.

Both my wife and I are serious road warriors with extensive international and domestic travel experience. We have had all sorts of internet connection methods from hooking up to a cellphone to searching in vain for an open WiFi network. The only method that is reliable and works worldwide is the tried and true dial up connection.

For that reason we maintain a minimal AOL account. It costs $4.95 a month and is limited to just 5 hours of connectivity but it ALWAYS works everywhere we go. Five hours is just enough time to log in and grab email and do some casual web surfing while we're traveling. There have only been a few times we have gone over 5 hours and those were extended trips. You don't need to really use AOL to benefit from their worldwide network. I just get connected and then use my normal email
program and web browser.

Since many hotels, especially in foreign countries, have limited electrical options I have had to become adept at avoiding a tangle of cables around the power outlets. Between my laptop, cell phone, digital camera, iPod and Sleep Apnea gear it can be a real mess of cables.

The key my tip is to never leave home without a laptop travel power adaptor. I use an IGO adaptor. It comes with all the cables and plugs I need to get my PowerBook juiced anywhere. I also carry a USB cable for my cell phone and the firewire iPod cable. That way I can charge directly from the PowerBook and I don't need to carry multiple power bricks or worry about not having enough outlets and adaptors. I just plug in the PowerBook and daisy chain the other devices off the firewire and usb ports.

I also carry a portable CF card reader so I can easily download any pictures I take while traveling. It's a little extra something to carry but using a USB cable hooked up directly to the camera really eats the cameras batteries.

For my final travel tip I find that for 80% of my needs my Treo 600 outfitted with Sprint's vision plan and SnapperMail email application is more than adequate. I always bring my laptop but unless I have work to do or want to watch a DVD, I just load my laptop into my checked luggage. No hassles at the security queues, one less thing to lug around while waiting and less baggage to put into the overhead bins. I
can check my email, plan my schedule, listen to MP3s and even play games on my phone. It syncs up perfectly with my Mac and is indispensable. I can't recommend the Treo highly enough.

Hope these tips help!