In previous articles I’ve given advice about what to look for in a perfect travel laptop, essential items to have in your pack to go with it, and how to keep it from getting lost, stolen or broken along the way.

But do you even need to bring it in the first place? Here are 3 questions to consider when you’re unsure of packing your laptop.

1. What, specifically, do you plan on doing with your laptop?

If you cannot answer this question with anything other than, “because it might be helpful,” or, “I might want to use it,” then perhaps you don’t need it. Increased responsibility can be a real bummer when you’re traveling, so if you don’t need something, why bring it along?

Write down a list of the specific ways you intend to use it. Typical travelers may come up with something like this:

• Internet, email, Skype
• Back up, edit, and manage photos
• Maintain a travel blog or website

A laptop will handle all of these with ease, along with the added bonus of saving you money on Internet fees in cafes. Plus, you can find free wireless at airports, hotels, and cafes, and watch the odd DVD movie. But you still haven’t convinced yourself you need your laptop yet.

Taking your list from above, answer the following question:

2. Can you do any of that without the laptop?

Chances are the answer is yes. Thanks to the abundance of Internet cafes in areas frequented by travelers, you are usually never far away from a connection. As well, plenty of computers at cafes today have Skype installed with headsets.

Many cafes will also be more than happy to burn your digital photos from a memory card to a CD (for a small fee, of course). If you get CDs burned and upload your photos to a photo sharing site like Flickr, you don’t have to worry about losing any of your amazing travel shots.

With a special adapter you can even download your digital pictures to your iPod and store them there, or back them up on a USB thumb drive. And most blogging platforms have easy to use interfaces that don’t require any special software.

One excellent laptop alternative is an iPod or USB storage device loaded up with portable apps. They are applications that can run without being installed on the computer you use them on, so you never have to worry about what programs are installed on the Internet café machines.

The range of applications available is pretty amazing: everything from Firefox to Thunderbird, FTP and photo editing programs. The best part is they’re free. And if you’re worried about online security, using Portable Firefox keeps sensitive data stored on your iPod or USB drive, not the computer you use it on.

If you still have some tasks that can’t be achieved without your own computer, such as video and intensive photo editing, special software for business, or anything else, then you have a compelling reason to bring your laptop.

But hang on: there’s just one final question to ask yourself before you go:

3. Do you really need to be doing that stuff while you’re traveling?

I’m not one to talk; I brought my laptop, video camera, audio recording equipment, and everything that goes along with it on my journey around the world. It was worth it, but at times I questioned my decision to have a travelogue with so many multimedia trimmings.

To keep you from regretting your decision, just make sure you can confidently answer these three questions before setting off.

Of course once you are out there with your laptop, you can enjoy the benefits of having it with you: working on your photos and emails in your hostel (or at a street café) sipping a cold beer is much more enjoyable than a busy Internet café on an ancient computer.

To sum it all up, packing a laptop can be a great idea if done for the right reasons. Just keep in mind that unless you have very specific or heavy use requirements, you might want to leave it at home.

Between Internet cafes and portable apps, you could get by without the extra responsibility and liability that comes with the decision to bring your laptop traveling with you.

Kevin Allgood and his girlfriend Valerie Marhsall are currently traveling around the world and blogging about it via Big Trip Blog. Their site also features some great vodcasts, travel tips and more.

When traveling with a laptop, there’s a significant risk that it could fall victim to one of three potential disasters – lost, stolen or broken.

You don’t want to constantly clutch your laptop while exploring a new city or be afraid to let it out of your sight. But nothing can sour your day quite like having something expensive – like a laptop – get lost, stolen or broken on the road.

While even the best-laid plans may fail to prevent disaster, a few practical precautions can help safeguard your belongings – letting you keep your mind off your stuff, and on what matters most: your adventure.

I’ve divided these tips into the three categories, but of course there will be some overlap, as they tend to be interlocking parts of a general game plan to keep your laptop out of harm’s way.

Stolen

For some reason I’d rather my laptop get lost or broken than stolen. There are a number of things you can do to decrease the odds of this happening to you.

First, you need to be aware of your surroundings. This is a general rule of traveling and it needs to be heightened slightly when carrying a laptop.

When selecting a case for your laptop, get something that doesn’t scream to everyone in the world that it’s for a laptop. Get a small form-fitting case and then carry it in your backpack or shoulder bag, along with your other valuables. Never let go of it when on the move.

I chose to travel with a Crumpler messenger bag, so I could easily sling the bag to my front when walking through crowds.

Whatever bag you choose, make sure you carry your laptop in a separate bag from your main pack. This way you never get separated from your most valuable possessions when jumping in buses, rickshaws, taxis, or donkey carts.

Once you get settled into your room and are ready to go exploring, an accessory or two can keep your laptop from disappearing.

I chose to travel with a Pac-safe to protect my valuables, which is a large steel mesh net that slips over your pack, safeguarding it from slashing and keeping all but the smallest items inside.

It can also be secured to anything stationary or heavy, like a bed, table or overhead storage rack. Pac-safes are a little expensive and far from lightweight, but I enjoyed the peace of mind that came with it.

Another cheaper and lighter option if you’re only securing a laptop is a cable lock, which will fasten your laptop to a desk or table. If you bring your own padlock, you can take advantage of hostel lockers or safes.

Lost

Sometimes you are your own worst enemy. Traveling is not always a picnic, and the stress or confusion of a situation can make you forgetful.

Likewise, it’s easy to get distracted when you’re in the midst of an overwhelming experience.

At several points on our trip, both my girlfriend and I forgot bags full of goodies and walked away, unaware that they were still sitting on the chair in the restaurant, or under the table in the Internet cafe.

Fortunately, both times we got our belongings back – once because I remembered just in time and once because a nice employee chased us down; but they were close calls that happened well into our 11 month trip.

The best way to keep from losing your stuff is to be organized and develop a routine with your packing. If you know where stuff is supposed to be in your pack, then it will be harder to lose.

Also, if you always check for the same things when you get up to leave, you stand a better chance of remembering everything. Practice that heightened sense of awareness.

Broken

Unless you go with a Toughbook or some other “ruggedized” laptop, your computer is somewhat fragile.

Rough roads, rickety buses, people-swallowing potholes, sand, dust and moisture are all potential enemies of your laptop.

If your laptop is so fragile that you will be worried about it the whole time, you probably shouldn’t be taking it. But there are a few ways you can prevent it from taking too much abuse on the road.

If you keep your laptop in a separate backpack or shoulder bag, it will help you protect it from bumps and vibrations. Try keeping your bag on your lap to help dampen vibrations when traversing rough terrain.

Take a dry bag to protect your laptop from the elements. If you are in a sandy or extremely dusty environment, only use your laptop indoors, or if you must use it outside, watch for dust carefully.

Remember, don’t be so paranoid about your laptop that you let your concern detract from your adventures.

Just know that if you make the decision to bring a valuable tool with you on the road, you should take a few extra precautions to keep it safe.

Kevin Allgood and his girlfriend Valerie Marhsall are currently traveling around the world and blogging about it via Big Trip Blog. Their site also features some great vodcasts, travel tips and more.

Got any tips of your own to share? Leave a comment below!

So now that you’ve got your perfect travel laptop picked out, what are you going to take with it?

Here’s a run-down of accessories you’re going to want in your pack before heading off into the great unknown.

1. Charger. A no-brainer really, but it’s got to be on the list. The best thing about laptops is that because the wall charger has to convert AC to DC for the computer to work, they almost always have a voltage converter. Meaning it will work fine whether you’re in London, New York, Tokyo, or Delhi.

2. Plug Adapter. Don’t forget this one, because what’s cheap at home will certainly cost more when you really need it. Get an assortment so you’ll always have the right one on hand.

3. Case. Make sure you have something durable to keep your laptop from getting nicked and scratched, and to dampen any vibrations caused by moving around on bumpy roads or ancient buses.

4. Dry bag. Protect your laptop from a sudden deluge during monsoon season, an accidental dip during a river crossing, or even fine dust and sand, which can slip through standard cases and packs. They roll up nice and small, so carry it with you and you’ll always have peace of mind.

5. Blank CDs/DVDs. Prepare for the worst by backing up your data often on writeable cds or dvds. You can also use these to transfer data to internet café computers when you can’t get a connection on your laptop.

6. Thumb drive. Another way to back up information (depending on size). Especially handy for moving data between your computer and an internet café.

7. Software backups. Bring backups of any essential software you’ll be using on your trip, as well as the operating system (OS), just in case something happens and you’ve got to reformat the harddrive.

8. Warranty information. If you’re still covered under warranty, make sure you’ve got everything you need to make a claim (and how you could do this where you are going) in case something stops working.

9. Phone and ethernet cables. Believe it or not some places still use cable connections. Keep these on hand for just such an occasion.

Those are what I would call essentials. Here’s a list of optional accessories to help you get the most out of your laptop on the road.

9. Wireless adapter. If your laptop doesn’t have one built-in, getting one of these will allow you to surf the internet in some pretty surprising places.

10. Wireless network detector. Small enough to fit on a keychain, these useful devices are fairly cheap and will tell you if you’re in range of any wireless networks. Saves you from breaking out your laptop and booting it up only to find out that there’s nothing in the area.

There are also plenty of websites that list known wireless hotspots, so be sure to have a look at where you’ll be heading before you leave.

11. Mouse. Some people prefer to use a real mouse.

12. Headset. Use this to make cheap or free VoIP calls from services like Skype when on the road. Helpful for internet cafes too, as some places don’t have them, or if they do they are often broken or charge a fee to use.

13. Webcam. If you plan on staying in touch or teleconferencing, a small one of these can be useful. Keep in mind that many digital cameras can double as webcams when plugged in via USB.

14. Small speakers. Everyone loves music. A small set of travel speakers will sound infinitely better than the built-in speakers on your laptop.

15. Extra battery/external power source. An extra battery can come in handy, or better yet, get a nifty external battery or portable charger. These are rechargeable batteries that can power a range of devices, like a laptop or digital camera.

16. Travel surge protector. You could take your chances, or you could protect your gear with one of these. If you’re going to be plugging in to a phone jack or wired ethernet, get a room for these inputs too.

Of course there are plenty of other accessories you could bring along, but this list should get you started.

In the next episode in this series, I’ll talk about how to keep your computer from being lost, stolen or broken.

This is Part II in our series on Laptop Travel. Read Part I here.

Kevin Allgood and his girlfriend Valerie Marhsall are currently traveling around the world and blogging about it via Big Trip Blog. Their site also features some great vodcasts, travel tips and more.

Any other essential laptop travel items you would bring on the road?

Many people choose to travel with their laptops these days. And I’m not talking about business travelers; I’m talking about backpackers.

I should know. I lugged my 12″ Powerbook G4 around the world. And I couldn’t help but notice other grungy backpackers whip out laptops in hostels, backpacker cafes, and airports.

It isn’t really surprising when you consider how many people are blogging about their travels or working or staying in touch on the road. Traveling with a laptop has some distinct advantages, but I’ll talk about all that later.

For now, we’ll assume you’ve decided to take one with you, for better or worse, on your next adventure. But what kind should you bring?

First things first: PC or Mac?

If you want to bring a Mac, make sure you do it for the right reasons.

They tend to be heavier, more expensive, less conspicuous, more fragile (cosmetically at least), and probably dearer to the owner than their PC counterparts.

If I hadn’t a specific reason for bringing mine, I would have opted for a PC, no question.

If you go with a PC, you have a lot more choices. It will also be much easier to pick up parts, accessories, and software, as well as get your laptop repaired if something breaks.

Choosing A Model

If you’ve got the budget for it, and are planning on getting into some pretty gnarly situations (or just want the license to be very, very careless), then you might consider a Panasonic Toughbook.

They come in three different flavors, but they don’t come cheap. (If you are sure you need one of these, I want to come on your next trip).

Another great travel laptop would be one of the smaller Sony Vaios. They are small and light, but pricey. They also have the same problem you run into with a Mac; they’re not just expensive, they look expensive.

And who wants to bring such a pretty piece of equipment to exotic, electronics-destroying locales?

Considering the Specs

Now that I’ve covered what’s out there for those with particular needs, budgets, or desires, let’s talk about specs.

If you’re looking for a laptop but still want money for plane tickets, you can choose from standard Dell, Toshiba, Acer, Gateway, etc. laptops on the market.

I’d suggest the following considerations before making your selection:

• 1. Weight – You don’t want to be carrying around extra weight, especially if that extra weight is valuable. A lot of standard laptops weigh around five pounds. Getting one that weighs less is preferable, but be prepared to pay for it. Five pounds isn’t too bad.
• 2. Size – 15″ is a fairly standard size for most laptops, which is fine for traveling. 12″ will fit into your day bag a lot easier, and of course it will weigh less too. But again, smaller costs more, so don’t fret about it.
• 3. Price – The higher the price, the more it will hurt if it’s lost, stolen or broken. Remember: the less you spend on your laptop, the more travel budget you’ll have left over (read: beer money).
• 4. Battery life. Battery life is depends on how you plan to use your laptop. If you’ll mostly be working in hotel rooms, airport lounges, coffee shops and other places with power, then it’s not such a big deal. If you plan on being away from power sources a lot, then make sure your travel laptop gets 3 hours or more per charge. (Things like listening to music, using wireless internet and watching DVDs all drain the battery faster.)

There is one more factor that needs to be considered when choosing your prefect laptop: functionality.

To be suitable for the road, it’s going to have to meet a few basic requirements. You should have a hard drive with at least 40GB of memory; more if you plan on taking lots of pictures, listening to music, or editing videos.

It should have USB ports, so you can move data around with a thumb drive, or plug in peripherals. And it should have a CD-RW or DVD-RW drive for backing up data. The DVD drive is helpful for watching the odd pirated DVD, too.

Optional accessories, (though very useful while traveling), would be a wireless Ethernet card and the ability to plug in a headset/microphone for Skype or VoIP.

These minimum requirements should be enough for basic uses, like writing emails and blogs, surfing the internet, backing up and resizing pictures, listening to mp3s, watching DVDs, etc. If you have additional needs, like editing pictures, audio or video, adjust your specs accordingly.

Find Your Perfect Laptop

Now the hard part: finding the computer that has the functionality you need, at the right price, size and weight, and you’ve found your perfect traveling laptop.

Browsing eBay, Craigslist, or similar sites online, you can usually pick up perfectly good laptops that will fit these general specifications for a few hundred bucks.

They might be a little bigger and heavier than some ultra small, thin and light numbers out there, but they’ll do everything you need and you won’t form an emotional attachment to them.

Next in the series: What To Bring With Your Laptop On The Road

Kevin Allgood and his girlfriend Valerie Marhsall are currently traveling around the world and blogging about it via Big Trip Blog. Their site also features some great vodcasts, travel tips and more.

What’s your experience with choosing a perfect travel laptop? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Online banking makes accessing and managing your cash while traveling a breeze.

There are only a few countries left that don’t have an army of ATMs scattered across the main tourist zones, making it easy to head out the door with a few crisp emergency bills, your trusty ATM/check card, and some backup plastic.

But with such convenience comes risk every time you use your card or log into your account from a public internet terminal.

Online fraud and scams, or even the small chance of being robbed at your ATM or forced to make a large withdrawal, are all things to consider before leaving.

If you’ve got your hard-earned travel cash sitting in a lump sum in your checking or savings account, you’ve still got all your eggs in one easy to empty basket. You should protect yourself and your funds from an accidental or malicious travel disaster.

It’s time to diversify your funds, and make some sweet interest while you’re at it.

Enter the separate, linked account.

I use the emigrant direct American Dream Savings Account, but search around Bankrate.com and you can find several such accounts. You should be able to find one that’s free, easy to set up, and offers a very competitive interest rate.

The Emigrant Direct account is basically just an internet savings account that is only accessible online. Once you set it up you can transfer funds back and forth between your checking or savings account and your new travel account.

You can even set up automatic transfers in or out – great for budgeting while gone or enforcing a savings regimen before leaving.

And with interest rates of around 5%, chances are your travel nest egg will be earning more for you than it would be in that vulnerable checking account.

If you’re saving up for a big trip, this can translate into extra cash for your travels. Or if you’re in the middle of one, the returns can continue coming in well into your adventure.

The best strategy is to keep about two weeks’ budget in your checking account. The only catch is you have to plan ahead – it takes up to 3 days or so for the transfer to complete. But this way you keep your main travel funds, which can be substantial for a long trip, out of the reach of your ATM card or online bank account.

It’s impossible to be entirely wiped out by a con artist or thief, both in person and online.

Even if someone got hold of your ATM card and PIN number, they could only clean out what was in the checking account.

And if that same person somehow managed to access the linked account (because you accessed it in an internet cafe), they couldn’t get at the money; it only goes back and forth between accounts, not out of an ATM.

You simply add one more step between potential thieves and your money. And you earn enough to cover some of those pesky ATM withdrawal fees along the way.

Kevin Allgood and his girlfriend Valerie Marhsall are currently traveling around the world and blogging about it via Big Trip Blog. Their site also features some great vodcasts, travel tips and more.