Eurostar, Northern France, heading straight for the English Channel at 183 MPH If I could only bring one piece of electronic equipment when traveling, it would be my handheld GPS. When riding the bus in a strange city, I know when to get off. When exploring, I can find my way back to the starting…… Continue reading Travel Gear: Handheld GPS
Category: Travel Gear
GPS
If I could only bring one piece of electronic gear when traveling.
Travel Gear: Portable Router
In Japan I like to go off the beaten path where guide books are not helpful. Daily research using the Internet becomes essential for me to navigate that often-opaque country. I use a portable wireless router because most Japanese hotel rooms have (free) wired Internet, but no wireless Internet. I’ve set up my router with…… Continue reading Travel Gear: Portable Router
Travel Gear: Mobile Internet
My SIMs from UK, Japan, USA, Turkey Once, while traveling in the UK, T-Mobile billed me $400 for 25MB–that’s $16,000 per GB! This was a surprise as, under that same plan, I had not been charged for data use during previous overseas trips. I asked T-Mobile to waive the charge (they did), but I cancelled…… Continue reading Travel Gear: Mobile Internet
Travel Gear: Makeup and Mirror
I noticed the woman when I was riding the Busan (South Korea) subway at morning commute time, earlier this year. She was middle-aged, and quite unremarkable until she started her morning makeup routine. Seated in the crowded carriage, out came her creams, brushes, and other makeup paraphernalia. She then painstakingly, unselfconsciously transformed her appearance, right…… Continue reading Travel Gear: Makeup and Mirror
Travel Gear: OpenStreetMap
Minnesota in the summer is just too lovely, so I won’t be traveling far this month. That doesn’t stop me thinking about the mechanics of travel. When I was in Japan earlier this year, handheld electronics hugely contributed to my ability to navigate the geography and the culture. Or, to be more precise, the software…… Continue reading Travel Gear: OpenStreetMap
Travel Gear: Water Purification
Until recently, when we went back-country camping, we’d bring a lightweight camp stove. That meant safe water from streams, hot meals, and an unlimited supply of the best Kona coffee… ever. (We also brought a Melitta coffee filter cone.) These days, when we back-country camp, we carry a very effective ultraviolet water sterilizer, which lets…… Continue reading Travel Gear: Water Purification