Who here travels with a high end smartphone/electronics? | Squat the Planet

Who here travels with a high end smartphone/electronics?

Everymanalion

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Thinking about taking my samsung galaxy note 4 on the road with me next time, it is huge and was expensive but I take great care of my stuff and have an otterbox on it, wrap it in a bandana and keep it in a ziplock waterproof bag when not in use so it made me curious, who else here travels with a high end phone/ipad/tablet/laptop? I know its stupid to reveal to other people what you have on the road incase you get robbed but im curious if it worked out for the better for you or were you stressed about breaking/losing it the whole time?
 

Matt Derrick

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it depends on how you like to travel and what you need it for. if you like to drink under bridges and ride trains, i can't really justify it unless you have some extreme need for it. if you're like myself on the other hand, someone that has a website to run, it makes perfect sense. the key really is to try and judge your situation and the people you're with and not flash that kind of stuff around if you don't absolutely trust them.

for a while i was carrying my video editing laptop, and a canon t3i with a super expensive lens. what i was documenting was great, but i didn't pull it out very often due to being paranoid about people wanting to jack it, but more so it became a drag because i was constantly afraid of breaking it. since it was so expensive and i knew if i broke it i couldn't afford to replace it, so it became a constant nagging on my mind that after a while just wasn't worth it, so i sold the camera (and this week i sold the laptop, but it served me well for 3 years and i didn't have to worry about it all that much).

i've most recently decided to move to using gopro cameras and maybe a mirrorless camera (haven't bought that yet, it's expensive) which would save a ton on weight (something i sorely need) and the mirrorless camera would be about the same size as a point and shoot but with dslr quality pictures. i'm also going to move to a windows surface pro tablet for video editing.

but i'm getting off track here. basically it's a balance of what you need the item for, versus it's weight and if you're comfortable taking the hit when it breaks (or gets stolen). i (like you) take really good care of my shit, so i've never had anything break (or get stolen), even when train hopping, but i still go out just assuming something is going to break, because eventually it will.

so... how much do you like that samsung tablet? would you use it enough to justify it? are you okay with it getting broken? keep in mind you can get a very nice nexus 7 tablet for around $150 bucks if you need a replacement.

also, people used to talk a lot of shit on train hoppers that had even a simple flip cell phone (until i showed them i could trace cars from the yard, ha) but now every gutter punk has one, so having tech gear on you isn't nearly as big of a deal as it used to be, as long as it's not outrageously expensive/ridiculous.

anyways, hope that helps.
 

VikingAdventurer

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Just before I left Seattle a little over a month ago, I saved up basically a whole paycheck and bought myself a refurbished Galaxy S5. I like it because I can get on a WiFi and contact people I know that are close to my next destination(s), and I can post pics and videos so that my static family & friends can worry about & live/travel vicariously through me. I also use online maps quite frequently to help me plan out my route. I also have a 2+ years old GoPhone that I use for calls & texting. If I feel that I'm in a sketchy area, or around sketchy people, I'll simply NOT whip out my Galaxy; I'll wait until I get somewhere more private if I wanna look at a map or something. I also invested in a power pack that I can use to recharge the Galaxy whilst on the move.
 

Matt Derrick

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I also use online maps quite frequently to help me plan out my route.

yeah, and keep in mind that you can save google maps for offline use when you don't have internet.
 
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Kim Chee

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My iPad4 with case is too heavy and bulky for me to consider going anywhere with it. An iPad mini would probably work for me just fine with the same functionality. I got tons of use of my iPod, it was small, got on wifi just fine and didn't weigh much at all. Plus, the screen emitted much less light than larger devices and helped in the stealth department.

Sorry for all the iDevice references, at least there are other companies out there producing electronics and keeping the marketplace competitive. You better step up your game Apple or i'm going to drop your sponsorship.

...but more so it became a drag because i was constantly afraid of breaking it. since it was so expensive and i knew if i broke it i couldn't afford to replace it, so it became a constant nagging on my mind that after a while just wasn't worth it...

This was on my mind way too much when I was traveling even though nothing ever broke.
 

drewski

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Personally, I just pay the extra $8.00 a month for insurance and I never use a case. I'm more careful with it when I don't use a case and I've never broken a phone without one. A pretty high number of people over the years have shown me how their phone broke even when it was inside an Otterbox or LifeProof case. Plus, you can actually fit the damn phone in your pocket when you don't use a case. An OtterBox makes it 2x-3x its original size and every time you pull it out, your pocket liner comes out with it. Insurance also covers if someone steals it too, so that's what I recommend.
 

wizehop

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Cell phones have become such a central part of life these days, I cant really see anyone not having one under any circumstance. Cell phones are disposable these days anyhow. No matter how hot of an item your phone is one minute, its worthless a week later. I wouldn't worry to much...at least not any more than say using it while living life "normally"
 

Art101

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I traveled with a laptop some I kept it wrapped in a hollowfill undershirt.It did just fine .I never took it out if it felt sketchy.The irony was after hopping out with it was I got to place I was staying and the screen cracked after a less then 1 ft fall.Kinda made me laugh.Usually I just carry a 20 dollar to replace phone so I can text and let people know where I am.
 
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Backpack Overland

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I've never had any problem travelling with any form of electronics, So long as you use some form of common sense then you should be fine. As has already been said previously simply don't use it if it feels shady/sketchy.
Happy Travels.
 

wombatt

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For the past little bit I have been traveling with an iPad I groundscored in boston it's in one of those waterproof otter box esque cases and it held up fine to being thrown on and off trains, sat on, tossed over fences etc. Also if you are traveling in sub zero temps (Celsius, I don't know Fahrenheit) put a bandana in the little space between the device and it's case cover this acts as insulation because the screens often crack when exposed to tempature extremes.
 
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Wawa

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Traveling with nice shit... no big deal. I got all kinds of goodies and no one has robbed me yet... for keeping the phone from breaking, got a big foam thermarest, cut off the extra length (I am not tall!) and made a very protective sleeve with the foam and duct tape, so I can still sit on my pack or throw it off trains. I did end up leaving my good camera behind, just too hard not to break.
 
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Anagor

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I did end up leaving my good camera behind, just too hard not to break.

Nowadays smartphone cameras are really good enough for taking high quality pictures on the road, in my opinion. Unless you are really into photography (as an artist) that is. In that case you would need the features only a (semi-) professional camera can provide. For me, smartphone is quite fine ... ;)
 
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OutsideYourWorld

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I carried a tablet through all my two years rambling around Europe. had it in my satchel for half that time until I found a leather belt pouch so it would always be at my side. Of course I did lose it when robbed at knife point... But what're you gonna do, eh? My biggest fear was crushing it.

I like the idea of one of those oversized phones, as it wouldn't be AS easy to crack, and it's still big enough to do the internetty thing as well as books and movies... But I also want to be able to type a fair bit when i'm writing stories or blogging... Which generally requires a keyboard. Which you can buy, of course, but you're still limited to a pretty basic word file in that case.
 

shabti

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macbook air 11'', galaxy note II.

After I got clean and sober, the chances of getting robbed dropped dramatically.
I'm way more worried about Cops and Gravity than about other people.
 

shabti

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@shabti
How have you found the 11" macbook air / what are you using it for?
I'm considering picking one up for my next trip for communications + light video editing.

It's stupid, stupid, stupidly powerful. Solid state storage is so fast is blows my mind. The only issues I run into is that if I want to plug in stuff, there's not a lot of ports. I had to buy adaptors and stuff, to use a VGA port, and an ethernet port.

It's my primary computer, and I see no reason why it can't continue to be for a long time to come. My only gripe is that when I run Linux as the primary OS, battery life gets shot to shit. :( So I'm stuck using OS X.
 
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