When it comes to travel, everyone seems to have an opinion about technology. Technology is ever-changing, so it’s tough to stay current with what’s available, what’s best for travel, and what’s totally unnecessary. In fact, just now, a new technological advancement was made – we’re sure of it. So, basically, this article is already out of date.
While that may be a bit of an over exaggeration, the changes made during the course of a year is amazing. When BootsnAll editor Adam went on his RTW trip in 2008-2009, he says “the iPad wasn’t even a thing yet – hell, it wasn’t even announced when we got back – and now it’s a part of the great travel technological debate.”
Even though people feel passionately about their gadgets and toys, let’s set the record straight from the get-go. No matter what the Apple fanboys try to tell you, and no matter what the Mac haters think, there really is not a right or wrong answer when it comes to bringing a laptop, iPad, smart phone, or no tech gizmos at all with you on your RTW trip.
What you decide to do is, of course, ultimately up to you. What we want to do is give you the knowledge necessary to make an informed decision. Everyone has different wants and needs when it comes to technology on their trip, so everyone is going to have a different opinion. The key is to figure out what you need, and go from there.
Laptop
With only a few clicks on a Google search results page, you can find very strong opinions on both sides of the argument on whether or not to bring a laptop on your trip. The hard-core travelers often think it’s totally unnecessary. You travel to get away from daily life, they say, and get a chance to be one with the world. Staying connected all the time via a laptop just isn’t part of the travel experience, according to many backpackers. While that is a legitimate point, you have to ask yourself how tethered to you computer you think you’ll be, and then factor in how beneficial you think it would be having your own laptop with you at all times.
Pros of Bringing a Laptop
- If you have a travel blog, whether for fun, family, or business, it’s much easier to keep up with if you have your own laptop.
- You may be able to score some work while gone if you have some digital nomad skills.
- If you like taking a lot of pictures, it’s nice to have a laptop so you can regularly download them from your camera. You can then easily back them up to hard drives, CDs or DVDs, or upload them to photo sites like Flickr or Smugmug.
- They’re great for entertainment. Some people like to be able to keep up with their favorite TV shows, movies, and sporting events, and having your own laptop allows you to do that more easily.
- It’s great to have privacy for Skyping with family and friends back home.
- It’s nice to be able to take care of your banking from your own computer instead of a public one in a hostel or internet cafe.
Cons of Bringing a Laptop
- Sometimes people stay too connected and don’t get out to see the city or country they’re in nearly as much.
- Do you really need to watch Glee while you’re gone?
- While laptops aren’t really expensive anymore, they’re still not free, so that’s one more added expense.
- It’s also one more expensive item you have to carry with you and risk getting broken, lost, or stolen.
- Computers are fragile. One drop and it could be totally done. With all the jostling and moving around one does on a RTW trip, chances of it coming home unscathed aren’t terribly high.
- It’s extremely frustrating when technology doesn’t work, and even though it’s come a long way over the years, it’s still a pain to get online in lots of places. Internet is unreliable in many parts of the world, and if you count on having it and then constantly run into connectivity problems, frustration sets in very quickly.
iPad
The iPad is quickly becoming a favorite among travelers today. It’s small, lightweight, and the battery lasts for about 9-10 hours, making it perfect for long bus and train rides. The ease with which you can move around with it makes it great for bringing on trips. But what about a RTW trip? Is an iPad sufficient for all your RTW travel needs? Is a netbook better? Would it just be easier to bring a lightweight, durable laptop or smartphone with you instead?
Proponents of the iPad say it’s perfect for your basic traveling needs. It may be difficult if you plan on blogging a lot as typing on the touch screen can get a bit tiresome for long posts. But you do have the option of getting a blue tooth keyboard to bring with you that makes things a bit easier. Typing on the iPad isn’t much more difficult than doing it on tiny netbook computers (especially when you get used to it), which some argue is a reliable alternative to the iPad. And while netbooks are quite nice and can be found for about half the price as an iPad, you do get what you pay for. Most cheap netbooks are exactly that, cheap – and durability while traveling RTW could be an issue.
Pros of Bringing an iPad
- Extremely small and super lightweight.
- The battery lasts up to 10 hours, which is much better than any laptop or netbook.
- Great for planes, trains, and buses because of the size.
- It can do most things a laptop can do – email, web surfing, maps, etc. – it just may not be as quick.
- Great for entertainment – watching movies and TV shows – especially with the great battery life.
- Has 3G capabilities if you want to get a SIM card while traveling and be able to use it everywhere.
Cons of Bringing an iPad
- They are expensive, so losing, breaking, or getting one stolen would be painful. Definitely a reason to look into travel insurance.
- While they can do most of what a laptop can do, they can’t do everything.
- If you plan on doing some serious blogging and/or working, it will be more challenging and time consuming.
- 3G is both a pro and a con. It’s really nice to have, but it’s going to be more costly having to buy SIM cards and data plans.
Smart Phones
Cell phones have come a long way in the past 20 years. From those giant bag phones to the Zack Morris phone to the iPhone, our little hand-held phones can do a lot these days. But are they smart to bring with you on a RTW trip? There are several schools of thought on this, and really, it probably comes down to money and budget more than anything else.
Just a few years ago, most people – let alone travelers – didn’t own smart phones, so bringing one on a RTW trip wasn’t even a question. Now that more people are accustomed to everything that smart phones can do because they use them regularly at home, it’s harder to imagine leaving them behind on a long trip. They’re small enough that the main question of whether to bring it with you or not isn’t size – it’s the expense of using it internationally.
Pros of Bringing a Smart Phone
- You have a mini computer in your pocket at all times.
- You won’t need to carry big, cumbersome maps and guidebooks as you can access them from your phone.
- It’s nice to be able to call hostels, hotels, restaurants, and booking agencies.
- Reviews are at your fingertips. No need to go to an internet cafe all the time.
- It can double as a music player and (depending on the type of phone you have) an external hard drive.
Cons of Bringing a Smartphone
- One more device, one more charger, one more thing to bring.
- Phones can be expensive, and the more gadgets you bring, the more worried about your pack you have to be.
- You will have to worry about unlocking, jailbreaking, and finding SIM cards for your phone.
- Buying SIM cards and data plans will add to your budget.
Au Natural
And then there are those who refuse to travel with any gadgets. You know the ones. The guys who have a 25-liter pack that isn’t even filled and seem to get buy on virtually no gear at all. These travelers simply like to travel and don’t want to fuss around with any technological advancements. An occasional trip to the internet cafe or hostel computer works just fine for this traveler, and if that’s the way you want to go, there’s nothing wrong with that.
Pros of Going Au Natural
- You won’t have to worry about any expensive gear.
- No second bag for all your chargers and cords.
- You can focus on traveling instead of staying connected to everyone at home. You did leave for a reason, remember?
- Your trip will cost less with less items to worry about. No expensive gear to buy, no data plans to worry about.
- You won’t have to worry about extra insurance just for all your electronics.
Cons of Going Au Natural
- It will be more difficult to stay connected to loved ones back home.
- Things like researching and booking flights will potentially be more time consuming.
- It will be more difficult and time consuming to back up all your photos. If you lose or break a camera or memory card, you are more likely to lose photos.
- If you plan on having a blog, you either won’t keep up with it or you will spend a lot of time in internet cafes.
There really isn’t a right or wrong answer to this debate. Everyone must decide for themselves whether or not they want to bring electronics on a RTW trip. They can certainly assist the RTW traveler and can be really nice to have, but they are also a pain to worry about all the time. It’s important to do as much research as possible and make an informed decision. It’s also important to be honest with yourself. Just because someone else has no problem traveling with no electronics whatsoever doesn’t mean that you’ll like it. If you’re a tech person now, that’s not going to change when you leave for the trip. So do your research, think things through, and trust your instincts.
To read more about this topic, be sure to check out the following article and peruse the message boards for more on this popular topic:
Bringing a laptop, iPad, and/or cell phone on your RTW trip is a personal decision that needs to be made by each individual person, the same as with cameras, iPods, and other electronic equipment. With all this packing talk, it’s probably time to start thinking about what to do about that pesky job of yours, which is the next subject we’ll write about in the RTW planning guide.
Next: Telling Family about Your RTW Trip »
