So what is a Flashpacker?
Flashpackers have been defined as tech-savvy adventurers who often prefer to travel with a mobile phone, digital camera, iPod and a laptop, although none of these is required in order to be a flashpacker. As with other forms of travel, the term flashpacker is mainly one of self-identification. (description from wiki)
What is your description of a flashpacker?
So if a flashpacker is someone that is tech savvy, that denotes almost all of modern society that travel today. However I do understand that not everybody is travelling with a laptop, but more and more travelers need to be connected in some way. Below are some guidelines on flashpacking.
When we began to plan this trip, and decided that there would be taking along many of the conviences of home with us, we thought that it would add to the pressure of not unplugging. However in this modern world, we all need to communicate with loved ones and having your own technical equipment can make it easier and also cheaper in the end.
Before you become a flashpacker and take along all the extra equipment, make sure that you don’t let “the things you own, own you”. What I mean by that is, the world is a wonderful place and you don’t want to spend your time with you head stuck in your laptop or iphone. Go out experience it and then encourage and inspire others to do so using your technology.
The following items keep us connected to our families and the world:
Macbook, hypermac external battery, Nokia Phone, ipod nano 8Gb, digital camera (point & shoot), WP external Hard Drive, additional camera batteries, portable speakers for our ipod.
We would also to add solar panels to this list to make us totally mobile but at the time of writing we can’t justify the expense and extra weight in our packs.
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So what are the reasons for all these extra items in our packs?
The macbook is to update our website, talk to friends and family via skype, and to do research for places that we will be visiting. It allows us to save on internet fees by utilising free wifi areas and we are not restricted to internet cafes.
Our external hyermac battery is to give our macbook additional power, allowing us to use our laptop for up to 16hours. This battery also has the capabilities of charging our ipod and camera also.
Our simple Nokia phone is one for communication within each country if necessary, which allows us to be contacted by employers and give us a point of contact for friends within the country. We will simply buy a new sim card in the country we are travelling.
Our ipod and speakers are for our music and the speakers don’t need batteries and are powered off the ipod’s battery, we can’t go anywhere without your music from home, aswell as picking up new music on the road.
Our camera is a vital item for those important memories of your trip. We have selected the Panasonic Lumix which has a superzoom and shoots video in HD, and is very compact in comparison to many other cameras on the market and it capablities.
The external hard drive is for additional storage for our laptop and a backup for all out photos and videos that we will be uploading to our website.
Flashpacking is a form of backpacking that adds to your experience of the world with technology. I agree that to fully unplug you need to leave all the mod cons behind, but this modern world doesn’t totally allow you to walk into the wilderness naked and forget about every convience that we have grown up with.
I believe there needs to be a happy balance of technology and experience from your travels, and this will make the journey more enriching.
Let us know what you can’t live without on your trip. Or if you travel with none of the above.
You can find out more information on any of our flashpacking items at our Travel Gear Shop.
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