On the road again? Whether you are off to an important business meeting, taking a family vacation, or making a romantic escape you are likely to tote along digital devices that have become indispensable tools for daily living. Along with their favorite fashions and carefully selected accessories, today’s travelers are packing up:

• Camcorders
• Cellular phones
• Digital cameras
• Laptop computers
• Handheld computers
• Pagers
• Portable DVD players
• Battery packs and power cords
• Portable CD players and other music devices

These digital toys and tools represent significant investments – of money, yes – but also of time, information and energy. The digital data we pack around today is as valuable as the devices that store, produce and present it (if not more). Relax. There are ways to protect yourself from a vacation crushing computer crash, lost luggage or unanticipated loss of services. Plan ahead and hang on for the ride.

What are You Taking – and Why?

Are you traveling for business or pleasure? Some people mix business with pleasure. If your trip is a business trip, by all means, make a long checklist of all of the digital and electronic devices you will need to set up an instant office wherever you go. If you are traveling for pleasure, rethink your plan to pack along tools that might actually hinder your ability to relax. Do you really want the office to have access to you through cell phones and computers while you are trying to take a break? Do you need the additional worry of keeping digital devices secure? Have you become so dependent on electronics that you can’t break away from them for a short period of time? Make a list of the electronic equipment you plan to pack up and then justify each one. Weigh the need for each item against the risk of loss, breakage, theft or unwanted interruptions.

Make a List and Check it Twice

Once you have made a list of electronic items you will take, make a detailed check list of the accessories, power cords, battery packs, disks and data storage devices you need for each one. It would behoove you to contact hotels in which you plan to stay to determine what kinds of Internet connections and services are available there. Be sure to research your Internet service provider’s local telephone numbers before you go. If you don’t know how to change the telephone number on your dialer, get help. Remember, most United States hotel and motel phone systems require your computer to dial “9” before reaching an outside line. In your dialer, preface the local ISP telephone number with a “9” in order to dial the outside line and tell your computer to pause briefly before dialing the ISP’s telephone number. If you are traveling abroad, make sure your provider offers local telephone numbers at your destination. You might have to temporarily sign up with an alternate ISP. Essentially, don’t spend your travel time dealing with details – know before you go.

Check with your cellular phone company to make sure their service is available in the area in which you will be traveling.

On your checklist of cords, cables and accessories, you might want to include:

• a long phone cord for dial-up connections. While many hotels and motels are catching up with the digital age, others still offer inconveniently located phone jacks. You may need a 20-foot phone cord if you still use a dial up connection.
• an Ethernet cable for in-room high-speed Internet
• a telephone adapter for phones outside the United States or your country of origin. Phone plugs are different in different parts of the world. Ask an electronics store sales person to help you determine what kind of adapter you will need when you reach your destination
• Power cords for your phone, laptop, PDA, and music player
• Extra batteries and battery chargers
• Headphones
• Digital storage devices. If you use a digital camera, take along an extra memory card or discs on which you can store digital photos through your computer to keep the camera’s memory card clear.
• Printing devices. Unless you have a portable printer, consider taking advantage of office equipment that most motels and hotels offer for business patrons’ use instead of packing your own printer along.

Back Up before You Pack Up

Think about all of the files and vital information you store on your computer. Imagine trying to rebuild the databases and files from scratch. If you store critical information on your computer, you should be creating back-up files anyway. It is especially important to store back up files and keep them separate from your computer. Compact discs are inexpensive. Burn a copy of your files to leave at home and duplicate the information on a disc to take with you. Be sure to “unlock” the disc so it can be read on any computer.

One of the most convenient new methods of storage available today is the USB Flash drive. Some people call it a pen drive, jump drive, thumb drive, key drive, or memory stick. These devices are about the size of a pen or a cigarette lighter. They plug right into the USB port on your computer. Within a few seconds of plugging it in, a new drive will appear on your desktop. These drives come in many different storage sizes and hold the equivalent of many disks worth of data. USB Flash drives with more storage are slightly more expensive, but well worth the cost. They are so small that they can be attached to a key chain, neck chain or stuck in your shirt pocket. There is no need for batteries with this device and they offer solid storage with good transfer speeds. They are durable, portable and should retain data for up to 10 years. They basically replace the floppy, Zip disk and CD-R/RW.

Lock up Your Laptop

If you plan to go site seeing, it is unlikely you will want to carry your laptop along. Ask the hotel or motel in which you stay for an in-room safe. If that service is not available, ask if there is a secure hotel/motel storage area where your valuables can be kept. If you plan to be away from your computer for short periods of time, invest in a computer lock. Many anti-theft devices are available for as little as $12. Research these on the Internet and purchase one before you leave. Again, if it is not absolutely necessary for you to take your computer along on your trip, consider using an Internet café, public library or hotel/motel business center to check e-mail, etc. while away from home.

Plan a Cover-Up

If you are traveling through high-crime areas or crowded urban areas, cover up expensive electronic equipment with inexpensive looking carrying cases. Use a grocery bag, cheap purse or canvas bag to carry this equipment. If you have an expensive carrying case, disguise it inside something else. Expensive-looking carrying cases are sure to attract the attention of ill-intentioned thieves.

Mark Your Equipment and Make a List of Serial Numbers

Buy an inexpensive engraver and mark all of your equipment or take it to a jeweler and have your identification engraved on a metal tag or some metal portion of the body. Some hard plastics can be engraved upon too. Make a list of the serial numbers, brands and types of equipment you take along just in case they are lost or stolen. Take a copy with you and keep it separate from your equipment – and leave a copy at home.