I was flipping through the most recent issue of Time Magazine when I came across a highly favorable review of HP’s new EliteBook 2530p laptop. I’m not in the market for a new laptop myself, having just bought one before this summer’s Southeast Asian adventure, but maybe you are. The 2530p is being marketed toward business travelers, but we flashpackers know a good thing when we see it.
As with any new laptop introduction, there’s plenty of geek-speak to impress you: the 2530p meets MIL-STD 810F, is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo SL9400 1.86 GHz CPU, has 4 to 8 GB of DDR2 RAM, its HDD ranges from 80 GB to 160 GB HDD or 80 GB SS, Gobi dual EV-DO / HSPA wireless, and whatnot. If you’re really into specs, CNet has ‘em.
What attracted my attention were the travel-minded attributes, not the bonanza of acronyms. To wit…
Durability — The Time piece was called “The Klutz’s Companion,” and this is why. There’s an accelerometer inside the computer that senses when the computer is in free-fall. The laptop responds by locking the hard drive in place so your data don’t get damaged or lost on impact. The 2530p is encased in scratch-resistant, brushed aluminum that holds up to humidity, high temperatures, and dust. And if, like mine, your laptop is rarely more than a few inches away from a steaming mug of coffee, they’ve made the keyboard spill resistant. So if you’re prone to the odd graceless moment, or if your itinerary will see you down some of the world’s bumpier roads, this might be the laptop for you.
Mobile broadband – Thanks to the built-in Gobi chipset, you can connect to the internet just about anywhere in the world by buying a SIM card and jumping on to the local cellular network. Wherever a cell phone works, so will the broadband connection.
Lightweight – After lugging a nearly 6 pounds of laptop around in my backpack all summer long, the 2530p’s sticker weight of 3.2 pounds sounds absolutely feathery. It’s amazing how much difference a few pounds can make for your shoulders and lower back over the course of a long hike or a day of transit.
Long battery life – The new ’solid-state’ hard drive technology (optional) means that there are fewer moving parts to motor when the computer’s on. So the standard six-cell battery, which sustains my new laptop for about three hours when I’m actively using it, keeps the 2530p running for around seven hours.
The only major drawback to the 2530p seems to be the price tag: the starting price is around $1,500, but with added bells, whistles, and capabilities, that can balloon to nearly $2500.
In the past couple of years, digicam producers have been constantly innovative. It seems like every week, new models are released that up the industry standards for megapixels, zoom, video capture, auto-adjustment, even adorability. One of the more flashpacker-relevant advances is the fusion of digital cameras with global positioning systems. The first devices began to appear a couple years ago; accessories like the 
Moving into the athletic realm, Nike and Apple recently teamed up to give you the 
Out-hustled but not outdone, Adidas has joined forces with a Japanese mobile service provider to counter with the 
I.
— It might be a tad bulky to stash in your pack (11″x6″x4″, including handles and knobs), but this is one gadget you’d want to have in your arsenal in an emergency. Like an electronic Leatherman, the FR1000 is a two-way and AM/FM radio, clock, flashlight, siren, beacon light, and cell phone charger. If the batteries die you can recharge them with the manual crank on the side. I, for one, like the old-fashioned/modern compromise of being able to charge my cell phone by hand. It retails for $150.
II. 
III. 
then fill with water. The conical shape focuses sunlight into its center, heating the water and whatever you’ve chosen to cook in it up to 90°C (194°F). It requires no fuel other than sunlight, so there is virtually no environmental impact. However, you do need direct sunlight for it to work optimally; at night and on cloudy days, may I suggest canned Vienna sausages?
IV. 
— Unless you’re already sporting a state-supplied ankle monitor, you might want to look into buying this gadget before your next outdoor adventure. Little bigger than a computer mouse, Spot is a GPS-enabled device (not a GPS navigation system) that can trigger text messages to be sent to your friends and family with your exact location coordinates, so that they may track your progress as you travel. In case of emergency, Spot also has a 9-1-1 mode that will send a distress signal to an international monitoring station every five minutes until the emergency is resolved. The downside: Spot doesn’t yet work in parts of South America, most of Africa, and southern Asia. While it will knock your balance down a bit with a retail price of $169.99, think of all the money you’ll be saving on postcards.
V. 
— These have become standard issue for military personnel around the world, and campers swear by them. Slowly sliding the flat, magnesium striker down the FireSteel key creates a 3,000°C spark that will ignite dry kindling (like companion-product Mayadust, $4.50 a tin) in a flash! The bright spark can also be used as an emergency signal. The lifetime of the Army model ($16) is 12,000 strikes, with which you can start more fires than your average dragon.
VI. 
— This one’s such a cheapie (anywhere from $1.50 to $13, depending where you look) that I couldn’t resist throwing it in the list. Mylar is said to reflect up to 90% of your body heat back to you and it’s waterproof, so in case of emergency you can slide into one of these bags and pass the night without freezing. Or you can line your sleeping bag with one to effectively lower its temperature rating. Their weight is negligible and they fold up small enough to fit in your pocket, so tossing one in your pack is a no-brainer.
VII. I’d like to add a low-tech but highly useful item I brought with me on my current trip: 
. An extremely durable yet easy-to-tear tape, it’s come in handy on several occasions in the past week alone. I’ve used it to secure lids and store food, to patch tears in ziplock bags (which are infinitely useful themselves — here are some 
VIII. Finally, it’s not a survival gadget but a 
, by Steven Callahan. Think Alive, but on a life raft and without the cannibalism. According to the mental floss reviewer, after the author’s sailboat sank, stranding him alone in the raft, he devised ways “to collect fresh water, spear and otherwise trap fish, gather barnacles, plot his position using a sextant made from pencils, and much more…” in order to survive. I figure if I read this book and watch all seven seasons of MacGyver, I’ll be ready for anything.
— Doing double duty as an actual belt, a small zipper on the inside allows you to stash cash (and maybe a key) but not much else. Eagle creek actually has as range of styles to choose from priced around $15. (the above model is more like $40)
2. Fake hair spray, soda cans, shaving cream or any other “
4. The 
— Nice for convenience at the beach, my guess is any thief that stalks the dunes for quick cash could spot this distinct brand. But I think it could work in a hotel.
” — Use the empty PC card slot in your laptop to hide some extra cash. No word on how to keep the computer from getting stolen…
6. Make a 
— A mugger would probably find this one, but it would prevent pickpockets and bag snatchers from getting the good stuff. Try carrying a diversion, a cheap wallet with a few bucks in it while putting your real stuff elsewhere.
— It’s actually called The Fake Book. So much for subtlety.
— This one is kind of cool. It’s a slightly thicker version of a coat 
hanger that can be opened at the ends. Put a jacket over the hanger and it looks pretty inconspicuous.
The Lifestraw® Personal resembles a hand-held bike pump and works very simply — you just suck water directly from a source into the straw, and blow back into it to clean the filters. Plus, at a foot long, an inch in diameter, and weighing only 5 oz., it’s small enough to hang around your neck on a string.
The Lifestraw® Family is less compact than the Personal, but it’s designed to filter more than 15,000 liters (4,000 gallons) of water and should last for about two years. Also, it’s a more effective filter, killing and removing 99.9% of bacteria, viruses, and parasites from source water.
That said, there are times that circumstances really force you to pack light and lugging too much will put a serious damper on your travel high jinks. So here are some tips to prevent your contemplating the purchase of some hideous reversible shirt or an unfortunate item from Rick Steves’s light travel line…
4. Trade in your gear — If someone travels with it, then an entrepreneur somewhere out there has made a lightweight version, guaranteed. How cool is this thing? 
or a 
always find myself here. It’s not really too big a deal since I’ll use any excuse to live in flip-flops, but it’s easier to cheat and buy lighter-weight footwear than to actually figure out which strappy sandals I want to leave behind.
So, it’s official. Anything can now be made to come in “organic.” Witness the birth of
Soy candles burn longer and cleaner. Jasmine is one of my favorite scents.
is tech-chic and the backpack style is just geek. It’s 3 lbs., though, so I’m still deciding if I’m prepared to sacrifice a little extra back strain for mother earth.
So I have a real hard time remembering directions to a restaurant or the hotel without whipping out my guide book, which is so uncool. If you’re like me and want to avoid looking like a doofus, there are a few options these days.