Traveling With a Laptop: 9 Tips You Need to Know
If you're a frequent traveler, there's a good chance you bring your laptop along in your adventures.
The beauty of traveling with a laptop is that it doesn't add very much to your luggage and you can essentially have your entire life with you wherever you're headed. But, are you really fully maximizing your laptop's abilities? And are you ensuring its protection at all costs?
Today, we're going to give you 11 valuable tips for traveling with a laptop. The simple fact is that we take our laptops for granted. We're so used to having them with us, but we lack so much knowledge on how to properly travel with them.
1. Get a Good Bag
Don't shove your unprotected laptop in your checked luggage or even in your carry on luggage. You've seen how the baggage folks at the airport handle that stuff, haven't you? Your laptop won't survive one flight.
Get it it's own bag and make sure it's a good one. You can find quality laptop bags on Amazon and many other online shops for a reasonable price. Try to get something with a lot of pockets so you can store other things in it as well and turn it into a day bag.
2. And a Special Case
It's always good to give it a little added protection as well. Depending on how protective you actually are, you can get a heavy-duty hard case for your laptop. There are cases out there that you could drop from a 3-story building and they'd keep your computer safe, but those are also quite expensive.
Most of us survive with something simple that'll keep it clean and safe on flights and excursions.
3. Don't Bring It If It's Too Valuable
One thing to consider is how heartbroken you would be if you were to break or lose your laptop during your travels. If you can't live without it, it might be better to buy a cheaper computer, like a Chromebook, and travel with that instead of your MacBook or Surface Pro.
4. Universal Adapters
If you've never left America before, then you probably assumed that all wall outlets are made the same, but that's not true. Europe, the UK, Australia, and Asia all have their own styles of outlet, so you'll need to purchase a universal adapter if you're ever going to charge your laptop.
Plenty of people have made this mistake before, which is why airports are always well-stocked with these. It's better to get one from your local electronics store, though, because you're going to pay a lot more at the airport.
5. Get Used to Asking for Passwords
Chances are, you're going to need to access the internet if you're bringing your laptop with you on your travels. The internet isn't universally available everywhere, but you can usually find a pretty reliable connection at any coffee shop wherever you're going.
Before you take off, add "can I have the WiFi password?" to your list of phrases, if they don't speak English where you're traveling. Many roadside stops in the UK and Europe will ask you to sign up (to what, no one knows) before you can access the internet. Use a throwaway email address because they're going to send you junk mail.
6. Keep Everything Important Stored Elsewhere
In the event of a disaster (theft, loss), make sure that you have everything on your laptop backed up before you leave. Bring along a thumb drive to save anything that you'll be working on during your trip as well.
You never want to run into a situation where you lose your computer, but it's an even bigger kick in the gut when you lose all of your data too. It's always better to be safe than sorry, so take the time to back it all up, every time you travel.
7. Buy a Portable Battery
There's going to come a time when you're in the middle of nowhere in some strange country and you need to use your laptop. When you open it up, you see that you've only got 3% battery left and when you look around, you see that there aren't any outlets anywhere, even though you have your universal adapter with you.
This is when a portable battery comes in handy. If you don't have one for your phone and laptop, you're living life on the edge. You can get a good one with multiple USB ports for relatively cheap at any electronics store; it's worth the investment.
8. Be Careful in Airport Security
When you go through the airport scanning machines during your security check, you'll have to remove your laptop from its bag and case. It goes through the machine and pops out the other side and you retrieve it.
However, if you've got a number of other things going through the scanner, you'll have to grab each tray and retrieve your items. This leaves your laptop vulnerable to theft. To avoid this, make sure to grab the laptop first and hold onto it until you can place it back in the bag it belongs in.
9. Make Sure It's Travel Ready
Lastly, is your laptop travel-ready? You've got to remember that this is going to be your source of entertainment when you're on planes, trains, and buses, so you'd better have it well-stocked with movies, TV shows, and video games.
If your MacBook isn't set up for games, visit https://setapp.com/how-to/set-up-your-mac-for-games. The last thing you want is to have to play solitaire or hearts on an 8-hour flight.
Traveling With a Laptop Is the Only Way to Travel
Traveling can be a bit of a drag, especially when you've got a long flight or train ride with nothing to do. That's why traveling with a laptop is so crucial — it helps you pass the time during the more mundane parts of your adventures. Follow these tips so you can enjoy the comforts of home on the road.
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