Taking an adventure trip can be amazing fun, full of excitement and adrenaline. The challenge is keeping your gadgets safe during this trip. There are so many ways in which your gadgets could be compromised – pickpockets, you drop it in a river, canyon, from a moving vehicle, and so on.
You could just leave without any of your gadgets and go completely off the grid, but that may not be such a good idea, especially if you’re going on an adventure trip. These gadgets help you find hotels at short notice, making sense of the local public transportation system, translating languages to help you communicate better, money transfers, GPS, etc.
So, how do you ensure that these handy little devices are protected during your adventures? Here are a few tips to help you out.
Get Some Gadget Travel Insurance
Before you do anything else, get all your gadgets insured. Most good travel insurance policies will offer gadget travel insurance which will cover your gadgets. When you’re on adventure trips, there are chances that your gadgets could be lost, stolen or damaged. However, if they are insured, it will take just a few days to have them replaced.
Do NOT Have too Many Gadgets
If you carry fewer gadgets, there are also fewer chances of damage, loss or theft. Having too many gadgets attracts attention, which means that there is a higher chance that your expensive devices could get stolen. It is also easier to lose track of them when you have too many gadgets. The best thing you can do is just keep one or two gadgets with you on your trip; usually a smartphone and a camera are enough.
Use a Simple Over-the-Shoulder Bag to Store Your Gadgets
If you are carrying a fancy bag in which you have put your gadgets, you are inviting trouble. Instead, get a non-descript over-the-shoulder bag that you can clutch in front of you in a crowded area. You can even invest in one of those anti-theft bags that are available in the market today.
Change Your Camera Strap
Nothing invites more unwelcome attention than a camera strap that advertises the brand of your camera. Change your camera strap to something low-key and non-descript, so that even if the strap hangs out of your bag, no one will pay attention to it.
Make Use of the Hotel Safe
Most hotels provide a safe in their guest rooms. So use it. Your insurance company will not cover thefts from hotel rooms if the gadgets were not kept in a safe. And if you’re going to be out the entire day participating in an adventure activity, then you don’t want to be encumbered with too much baggage.
One way is to know where damage is most likely to happen. Research by Puls.com, a phone repair company, suggests that 20 percent of phone damage happens in the bathroom, while one in three customers report that they damaged their phone getting into or out of the car, or by accidentally sitting on it when they got into the car.
Another is to protect your devices from the elements. If you don’t have a watertight case, use a Ziploc bag to keep sand and water away from your phone or tablet while you’re at the beach this summer. Extreme temperatures can also harm your sensitive technology. For example, Apple recommends storing iPhones between minus-4 and 113 degrees. “Don’t leave the device in your car, because temperatures in parked cars can exceed this range,” the manufacturer advises.
These ideas may sound like overkill, but remember those devices you have can cost a pretty penny when you add it all up. And don’t forget, all people are not evil, you can get lucky and find a Good Samaritan who will locate your lost or stolen gadgets and return them to you.