Packing All Those Guide Books

I'm a big believer in guide books.  The more research you do before going somewhere, the more you will get out of your vacation.  Guide books are a vital part of that research.  Yes, they cost a few dollars, but when you are spending thousands on a vacation, it makes sense to spend a few more dollars to ensure the vacation goes smoothly.

Guide books for upcoming European Vacation

For our upcoming trip to Europe, since we will be travelling to Venice, the Amalfi Coast, Rome, Orvieto, Munich, Salzburg, Paris, and Disneyland Pars, we bought a lot of guidebooks.  Some I bought using the Kindle app on my iPad (which is coming with us on the trip), but most I bought as regular books.  The size and weight of those books makes it impractical to bring them along on the trip.

As a solution, we photocopied the relevant sections of the books that we will need on our trip to save room and weight in our luggage (a later post will detail how the four of us are travelling on the three week trip in only 2 carry-on size bags, an internal frame hiking pack, and a school backpack).

After photocopying, this is the guidebook info we're packing

16¢ Waterproof iPad Case

For our upcoming trip 3 week trip to Europe I've decided to leave my laptop at home and travel with only my iPad.  Naturally, the two things I worry about most with this plan are theft and damage.

To mitigate the chances of theft, I'll be carrying a Pacsafe Metrosafe 200 bag.  I found a great deal on REI's website a few weeks ago and got one for less than $45 with free shipping.  The bag has many great security features including slashproof eXomesh lining.  Along with a cheap travel combination lock, I'll be able to lock the bag to a piece of furniture in a hotel room and keep the contents safe.

When it comes to damage, my #1 fear was rain.  Obviously electronics and water aren't a great combination.  When I looked on-line, there are a couple of different companies that make waterproof cases for the iPad.  Prices seem to start at $20 and go up from there.

Being an avid hiker and photographer, I've often had to keep my equipment safe in rain.  I've found that gallon sized Ziploc bags have always worked well.  It turns out that the iPad fits inside one perfectly.  As an added bonus, the touch screen on the iPad works just fine through the bag.