My main goal in packing is to avoid this wherever possible.
I’m heading to Telenav’s annual Waypoint conference next week. Since this is a fairly short trip, I’m looking to keep my baggage fairly light. I’d like to minimize my time lugging items around the airport, and with some careful planning, I think I can cut way back on my tendency to turn every trip into “my backpack is a mobile Radio Shack.” What’s on my packing list? Read on…
First and foremost is computing power. I went back and forth about what to bring, but decided that for simplicity all I really need is my iPad. Sure, I could toss a computer in the mix, but that means carrying a bag big enough to hold a computer, plus a bulky charger. The iPad can handle my in-flight entertainment plus act as a blogging machine for me at the conference.
With Blogsy and my external Bluetooth keyboard, I really don’t need a full computer, and not carrying one saves me weight and space in my bag, since I can use the same charger and external batteries for my iPad and iPhone. And on my very long flights each way, I can use my iPad to keep me entertained … I have season 5 of “Breaking Bad” to watch before the summer premier!
While I could just use my iPad for all forms of entertainment, I don’t travel anywhere without my Kindle. For one, nothing touches the battery life on an eInk device, which means I can top the battery off before I leave and not worry about it the whole trip. Second, the Kindle Paperwhite is simply the best reading experience I’ve ever had. I can read in low light, bright sunlight, and in the dark easily. Plus, after I spend all day looking at my iPad, I will need a break when I unwind!
I thought about lugging all this in my trusty LL Bean backpack, but if all I have is my iPad, Kindle, and Logitech keyboard, I think I can keep things even more streamlined. For my birthday Sarah bought me a Tom Bihn Medium Cafe Bag, and I absolutely adore it. It’s light and simple enough that I can use to just carry the basics like my wallet, keys, and a book, but through some sort of magic (or excellent design) it can also hold my iPad, Kindle, magazines, wallet, keys, iPhone, hotspot, and other random almost-everyday carry items without feeling overstuffed; it’s perfect for a quick trip like this one!
So that’s my quick inventory of how I hope to travel connected but light. What’s your go-to setup when you’re looking to keep a trip streamlined? Let us know in the comments!