Tuesday, July 14, 2020

TRAVEL LAPTOPS


Very often when I travel, I need to take a laptop with me to work on writing projects. The one that I work on at home is far too large and heavy to stuff into a bag and drag along with me.

The good news is that there are several small, lightweight versions that can be had at ridiculously low prices. I love this one from RCA. It weighs a mere 2.4 pounds. You can't find one much lighter than that. It suites my needs just as well as a full-size laptop and it also fits quite neatly on those small airplane tray tables.




There are several other options as well, at several price points. These models also come highly recommended. I suggest that if you are shopping around for one, you carefully consider your individual needs. Some are better suited for gaming, while others are better suited for work-related projects.






In order to make sure that you can save and recover your files on any of your devices, be sure to use as service such as OneDrive or Google Docs. That makes switching back and forth between different laptops absolutely seamless.





Tuesday, July 7, 2020

DITCH BAGS


When I was sailing, I learned to keep a “ditch bag” handy at all times. My ditch bag contained everything that I might need should we have to abandon ship in an emergency situation.

Some people equip their ditch bags with everything they need to survive for 72 hours, including first-aid, food and water. Since our boat was always in sight of land, I didn’t worry about survival issues. I packed only the basics that I would need once ashore – my wallet, cell phone, car keys, etc.

Now you might be wondering why I’m talking about ditch bags on a travel blog. Well, here it is: You never know when you or a loved one might have some sort of emergency that will require you to be away from home for a couple days. If that happens, you will want to take along some basic grooming supplies, electronics and clothing.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I received such a call, summoning me to my hometown, roughly 75 miles away. Chances were that I’d be staying for at least one night, possibly two. No worries - I tucked enough clothes for two days into my prepared ditch bag and was out the door in five minutes flat.

The best time to prepare your ditch bag is when you return from a trip. Instead of unpacking those grooming supplies, stash them in an overnight bag that you can grab in a hurry. If you have an extra wall charger and/or cord for your phone, add that to the bag, as well. The goal is to get out the door quickly and efficiently when the time comes. Whatever you can think of that you might need for a two-night stay should go into that bag.

Keep the bag relatively small and the clothing that you pack quite simple. On my last emergency trip, I stuck to jeans and tees. I wouldn’t need anything dressier than that for the situation I was rushing into. It would be an odd emergency indeed that would require any sort of dressy clothing.

I love this bag I found on Amazon. Not only does the classic black and white design go well with any outfit, but the bag’s design is highly functional. It has a separate compartment in the bottom for shoes, as well as several interior pockets that will help keep you organized.





I hope that you rarely, if ever, need a ditch bag. However, you will never regret being prepared.