Rapid Travel Chai

I have systematized my IT routine on recent Africa and Pacific trips where connectivity was to be unpredictable and often slow. The nature of my solo travels is that I must be heavily self-dependent, so this may seem over the top to you, certainly is for US trips, yet is crucial for me.

As example from this afternoon, it would seem simple to get a taxi from Nigeria’s Lagos Airport to the Protea Hotel Select Ikeja nearby, yet after the driver insisting on taking me to two wrong Proteas, and the hotel phone not connecting, he relented to follow my maps.me offline navigation, I had pre-bookmarked the location, which whisked us right there. I thought maybe it was a scam, though he never asked for more than our pre-agreed price and appeared generally lost.

Getting Started with Travel IT:

• 2-step verification: I have 2-step verification set up for all my key accounts that support it, for those new to this topic, see Google’s tutorial
• Backup: I have a cloud backup of my laptop in case of loss (I use Backblaze, here’s my referral link that gives me one month if you keep it after free 1-month trial)
• VPN: I have a VPN to ensure secure connections on public wifi, and to have US connections to log in to accounts such as banks that might block logins from foreign locations (I use ExpressVPN, here’s my referral link that gives me one month if keep it after free 1-month trial)
• Boingo wifi hotspots: I have free Boingo with my Amex Platinum card (check eligibility and sign-up here); especially useful in Europe with many hotspots, even hotels that otherwise charge for internet

General:

• Power: pack the right power adapters for the trip and charge all devices
• Documents: scan and print hardcopies of all key trip documents (still crucial at, for instance, airport security, and a good safety precaution compared to showing a phone to someone)
• Prepare a backup USB drive with key documents in case of theft of computer, or need to print, including passport, driver’s license, international vaccination certificate, and any insurance
• Copy key pages of guidebooks, such as maps, for easy reference and to not stick out in public

Laptop:

• Mail: sync all (I use Gmail Offline in Google Chrome)
• Podcasts: sync all (I use an old version of iTunes that I refuse to update to the progressively worse new versions, anything better out there?)

Phone:

1. T-Mobile: check which countries I will have free data/text
2. Mail: sync all
3. Podcasts: sync all (I use an old version of iTunes that I refuse to update to the progressively worse new versions, anything better out there?)
4. App store: update all apps, then turn off auto-update apps, which clogs slow connections
5. Airline and hotel apps: refresh all with current itineraries, download new airline apps as needed such as those for free streaming in-flight entertainment
6. maps.me: download offline maps for all destinations and verify key places are listed, if not, bookmark (this is even useful in US states such as Vermont with weak phone coverage in many areas)
7. XE Currency app: add and refresh currencies
8. Google Translate app: add any needed languages, I always keep French and Spanish, then add/delete others for specific trips

Tablet:

1. Mail: sync all
2. App store: update all apps, then turn off auto-update apps
3. Pocket app: sync all articles saved for offline reading
4. Kindle and Overdrive: sync books, if guidebooks will expire mid-trip, return and re-checkout so not to have to download again
5. Amazon Video: download Prime videos for offline viewing until memory is full

Kindle e-reader:

1. Sync all books

Camera:

1. Charge batteries
2. Double-check charger is packed – most do not charge via USB!

Ok, yes, I carry too many devices. When I have this much time on planes and waiting in places I like to have a device that does each thing better than one multi-purpose device.

Readers, what do you do? What should be added to the my routine?