We travel with not only clothes and belongings, but a whole lot of technology as well. The ubiquitous phone, the camera, the tablet, even the laptop, have all at some time or the other, been an integral part of our trips. There’s nothing scarier than contemplating damage or loss of any of them.
Fear not! There are ways to keep your tech items safe while travelling
Protective cases – one of the first things to do to help your gadgets stay safe is to invest in good cases to protect them from the bumps and scratches that often occur when in transit. Don’t go in for looks alone with your iPhone case – it needs tough materials that can protect it from falls too. The same goes for your tablets, get a nice leather iPad portfolio. Get a folding cover and a padded sleeve as well. Cameras come with cases, so make sure you safely put your photography equipment back, when not in use.
Carry-on luggage – it goes without saying that you need to always take tech items with you as carry-on luggage – don’t check them in. Airlines are notorious for the damage they do to luggage of any kind, and delicate tech equipment doesn’t stand a chance at all. Keep you things safe and close to you in your carry-on luggage.
Insurance – travel insurance is a great way to compensate for damage or loss of tech items. It is more expensive, yes, but it is a small price to pay for peace of mind and preservation of property. Extra insurance is needed for certain things like cameras and laptops as they may not be covered in standard insurance. Do check with your insurance company before you embark on a journey.
Safety in hotels – hotel rooms come with built-in safes in the rooms and larger safe rooms in the reception area. Do find out how to work the safe or talk to the hotel staff about the larger safe and keep your things locked up when you’re out about town. If you are in a place with no safe option, put your things in a hard top suitcase and lock it up before you step out.
While out – it is tempting to charge your phone or tablet in the public charging ports at airports and other spaces. But do keep an eye on them at all times so as to discourage theft. If you’re carrying a backpack with your tech items in it, make sure you get one with locks. If there are zips, let them meet at the bottom of the bag, and not at the top. If you’ve used GPS to get around, exit it before you leave your car or mode of transport. It can be attractive to a carjacker and that’s something that you need to avoid. It’s also prudent to just be aware of your surroundings as you go exploring to your heart’s content.
Tracker apps – regardless of whether you lose your tech stuff or not, it makes sense for you to install a tracker app on your device. A physical tracker is a good idea too. You needn’t worry if you leave something behind on the plane or at the hotel- you have a tracker to help you find it.
Data talk – tech items also carry tons of data in them. Photographs, documents, music- the list goes on. Back up all your data to cloud or drive, or send the smaller stuff to your email id. While here, make sure that your Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are switched off. If you keep your connectivity on, make sure it’s a powerful security key. You should consider a VPN from a reputed company too. It encrypts traffic, which means even if unscrupulous people get on your network, your information remains private. The lesser the interaction between strangers and your devices, the better it is for you.
Password protect – every device of yours should be password protected. Add fingerprint protect for good measure too. That way, even if your items get stolen, you have enough recovery time to delete data, protect information or to do a factory reset.
Choose wisely-you might want to but you don’t have to take every single gadget on the trip. Think about where you’re going and what you might need there and choose a few that you need.
