Geek Week: How To Travel Like A Tech-Savvy Geek

Traveling is an art by itself. First and foremost, you have to master the art of packing and next to that comes the talent of choosing what essential gadgets you need to haul during your trip. Traveling light is still of course of the utmost key. And choosing the right gadgets to feed your inner geekness (like me) makes for a pleasant, if not pleasurable, travel experience.

By the time you're reading this, I'm probably zonked out in my hotel bed in an oceanfront hotel in California napping jet lag away. But I'm sure one of my geek gadgets is playing away right now and lulling me to deep sleep. While I melt away the time zone difference in my sleep, here are the geek gadgetry I brought with me and why they are essential to your own travels as well:

My geek travel arsenal

1- Smartphone - This is my ultimate travel buddy. Can't leave the house without it. You can take pictures and videos with it, play games and music and whatnots. Best of all, you can browse the internet and check your emails and schedule journals while you're on the go! (Just make sure not to leave the charger at home though! - this is me talking by experience)

2- iPad - My little all-in-one entertainment inside the plane and my back-up gadget for my smartphone. The same applications in my smartphone are also available on the iPad so it's a win-win option! Not to mention, it's wifi capable so your online world is still within your reach! Besides, I'd rather save the battery life of my phone which is essential when you're traveling and you needed to make those important calls.

3- Kindle Fire - This do come in handy when all you need to do is tune out that annoying guy or gal who is snoring pretty loudly next to you. Or perhaps you just need a bit of brain stimulation to while the plane travel away and calm your nerves down. Just play Pandora, put on your headset, "open" your favorite book and voila! You're in your own world.

Note: Though the iPad can provide the same access to books and music, the huge difference between these two is that you can access your books without perusing internet connectivity. Books can be stored in cloud option in kindle which is a no-brainer.

4- Camera - A good camera like DSLR is a great gadget to bring when traveling to places that promises a bountiful of beautiful photo settings. Though point and shoot makes traveling lighter, sometimes, they just don't provide the great results that you can get out of a DSLR. But the point here is, never leave home without a camera either! It's always priceless to capture memories of your trip forever especially if you're not sure if you'll ever go back to the same place again.

5- Netbook - This is probably one of my brilliant investments in lieu to traveling. I can't imagine hauling my 17" laptop every time! It's cumbersome and can really weigh you down. My netbook has been very reliable and though it's small, it still let's me do huge work on it.

Note: To make the most out of your netbook, upgrade it's memory. I currently have 2GB on mine and it works like a charm!

6- Video Camera - There are moments where the camera just won't do! I love taking videos and making one during my travels. They make good for entertainment and also great for sharing it to family and friends who can not be there to see the place in person. A visual experience that a camera just couldn't capture!

Note: Though a DSLR has the capability of taking videos, having a gadget that is solely intended for taking videos does makes a whole lot of difference in the quality of the videos.

Bonus Tip: Make a checklist prior to your intended trip and make sure to double-check it a day before you leave. This will greatly eliminate leaving essential items off your "must-bring" list. Also, invest in a good noise-canceling headset. Trust me, it's a life-saver!

In all my travels, I do love to travel in style but I usually go for a great backpack than a stylish tote bag which most often than not will give you one very sore shoulder.

Have any travel tips to share?