Pre-trip Planning: Gadgets

While you can’t beat the convenience of having a laptop with you on the road, the idea of lugging around a heavy and expensive piece of electronic equipment wasn’t exactly something we were excited about.  After having valuables stolen from a hotel room on a prior trip to Istanbul we were reluctant to bring anything we’d be heartbroken about losing, but at the same time we knew relying on internet cafes probably wouldn’t suit our computing needs.

We decided that we really needed some kind of gadget that would allow us to perform the following tasks:

1.)    Storing photos

2.)    Checking email

3.)    Social networking

4.)    e-Reading

5.)    e-Banking

6.)    Web surfing

We also decided that we wanted this device to be feather light so that we could carry it with us at all times in order to reduce the likelihood of it being lifted.  Finally, as the device was to be shuffled and moved, used and abused, we wanted it to be relatively inexpensive in case it was damaged or broken.

We ultimately ruled out laptops and netbooks and settled on a tablet, specifically the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.0.  Priced at only $250, this tablet is itty-bitty and has a fancy Andriod Ice Cream Sandwich platform (which not only sounds yummy but allows the tablet to do all the nifty tech things we need it to).  The coolest feature is the microSD slot which will fit our camera’s memory card, allowing us to send photos directly from our camera to our digital dropbox.  This means the photographer in the relationship can take many, many photos of our adventures that can all be safely and easily backed up in cyberspace.

Pre-trip Planning: Backpacks

Having traveled abroad using roll-aboards previously, we initially toyed with the idea of taking traditional suitcases on our journey. Internet opinion on the subject is mixed, though the majority of long-term travelers who are vocal on the web seem to support the use of backpacks over roll-aboards. Smaller and easier to navigate down dirt or cobblestone streets, backpacks eventually seemed like the better choice for us (though the lady in the relationship is admittedly PANICKED at the idea of restrictive packing ability!). Our backpacking fate was sealed after we secured inner-European flights with restrictive luggage weight limits of 20 kg (44 lbs).

After two trips to REI and countless hours spent researching pack options, we’ve made our selections and purchased our packs. We present to you, our new homes: the Women's REI Venus 70L and the Men's Deuter ACT Lite 65+10L.

His: Men's Deuter ACT Lite 65+10L

Pros:
- Good fit.
- Multiple compartments for packing.
- Optional 10L additional packing space.
- Ultra lightweight at under 4lbs.

Cons:
- Will require separate duffel for airport check-in so that straps won't be damaged in flight.
- Isn't completely waterproof.

Hers:
Women’s REI Grand Tour 80 Travel Pack
Though I liked many features of this pack I ended up returning it due to shoulder pain caused by improper fitting.

Women's REI Venus 70L

Pros:
- Great fit.
- Great price ($199 at REI – Plus we had a 20% member coupon and store dividend to use).
- Top and front-loading for easy access.
- Dark in color to hide stains.
- Multiple inner-compartments allow items like dirty laundry to be held separately.
- 70L is the sweet spot size between “too large” and “too small”.
- Backpack can later be repurposed for camping and hiking trips.
- Not an ultra-lightweight pack, meaning it’s made of heavy duty fabric and should hold up well.

Cons:
- Will require a duffel-stuff bag for airport check-in since straps aren’t self containing and could be damaged during travel.
- Doesn’t have a separate removable daypack.
- Top drawstring access isn’t lock securable, making it vulnerable to theft.
- At 5 lbs 6 oz, it’s not the lightest pack on the market.

Pre-trip Planning: Passports and visas

Visas are required for entry to many places across the globe and can be both time consuming and costly to obtain. While certain countries allow visas to be obtained immediately upon entry, other countries require that visas be obtained stateside prior to trip departure. This means you have to mail your passport back-and-forth to embassies or enlist the help of third-party agencies to do so on your behalf. The whole process can not only be expensive, but it can take weeks or months and you’re without passport the whole time.

This was a problem for us, because both of us needed service completed on our passports. Prior trips had left us with very few blank passport pages, which meant that we needed to ship our passports off to a passport agency and pay the $82 fee required to add additional pages. This service had an estimated processing time of six weeks and presumed added delivery time meant we were a bit close for comfort on obtaining any special visas.

Our required passport service immediately ruled out travel to countries with finicky visa policies, which in some ways has been a blessing in disguise as we’ve had a hard enough time limiting our travel scope and sticking to our budget.

Pre-trip Planning: Financial stuffs

We’ve been fortunate to travel abroad quite a bit and our banks have hit us with foreign transaction fees on every trip. On shorter vacations we chalked these 2 -3% transactional charges (+ ATM fees) up to the expense of going abroad. On a trip of this length, however, we realized our bank fees were really going to add up to a substantial amount. Determined to find a bank that didn’t charge foreign transaction fees we eventually came across the High Yield Investor Checking account through Charles Schwab.

We cannot say enough good things about this amazing checking account! There are ZERO foreign transaction fees associated with the Schwab debit card – meaning that when we use our Schwab Visa/MasterCard in Europe, or Asia, or wherever we might land, we won’t be charged a thing! Yup, ZILCH! The exchange rate offered is very competitive and, also, Schwab provides unlimited ATM fee rebates so we can grab cash from any ATM, anywhere, without paying fees!

In addition to our fabulous Schwab accounts, we have backup debit cards from three large institutional banks that we’ll use if money in our Schwab accounts is ever inaccessible for whatever reason. For added protection, we intend to leave letters on file with each of our banks that details our predicted itinerary so that our accounts are (hopefully) not frozen for suspected fraud. We’ll also store all card and account numbers, along with bank contact info, in an email and with trusted state-side loved ones in case of theft.