“If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears.” – Cesare Pavese

If there is one thing that any well-traveled individual could go back in time to tell their teenage-self, it would be, “Travel now. Not later. Do not wait!”

The second thing would probably be, “Travel lighter.” One of the most irritating things, while traveling, is having to lug around heavy bags, slinging abrasive straps around your shoulder, and pulling luggage that feels like its filled with small boulders, only to realize that you didn’t use half of the items in your bags by the end of the trip. That, and coming unprepared and realizing that you don’t have compatible electronics for your host country.

To help prevent discomfort and some of these other unsatisfactory travel experiences from happening, a beginner’s list of recommended items is detailed below.

Bags/Backpacks

 ful Refugee Laptop Backpack

For a great all-purpose travel backpack, this bag provides years worth of durability and convenience that every traveler needs in a carry-on & laptop bag. The style is sleek, the material is durable, and straps provide the comfort necessary for both light and heavy-weighted loads.

North Face Base Camp 90L Duffel

For the active traveler, you don’t like to pull around the usual boxy luggage bags with wheels. You’d find it much more convenient to carry a maneuverable duffel bag in your hand. For this reason, we love the North Face Base Camp duffel bag. It has just enough space to carry all of necessary belongings, and is durable enough to endure through any weather conditions and keep your items protected.

Laptops/Tablets

Lenovo ThinkPad / IdeaPad

Here at Immersion Traveling, we’ve been big fans of both the Lenovo ThinkPads and the Lenovo IdeaPads. Both are known for their legendary reliability and security. These laptops are geared more towards the business oriented, which makes a suitable companion for the Laptop Lifestyle, as we work and explore interchangeably.

 Samsung Galaxy Tablets

Sometimes a laptop can be the wrong choice to carry around to certain places, such as the beach. Regardless of the terrain, you still want to stay in touch with your blog, office, social media, etc. At these times, when traveling on foot in unstable conditions, a tablet is much more convenient. Samsung makes very reliable and durable tablets with both sufficient business & entertainment capabilities. Overall connectivity, lightweight design, HD display, office apps, wireless printing, WIFI or 4G LTE, and an 8mpx camera, make the Galaxy tablets a perfect choice for staying in touch on the road.

Electronic Equipment

Technology is making the world smaller, but there are still major differences around the world when it comes to electrical standards. When traveling, it is a necessity to have the correct electrical equipment. The electrical systems in the US and most of the Western Hemisphere use 110-120 volts. Almost every other country uses 220-240 volts. An adapter & transformer will help prevent your equipment from frying. An adapter will change the plug shape to match the outlet. A transformer will reduce the voltage of the electricity going through the outlet. When in doubt, always use a transformer. The Hilo Travel Combo comes with both the transformer and 5 different adapters, as well as a converter for low wattage equipment.

Hilo Travel Combination Converter/transformer Kit

Phones

If you are planning on staying in a country for a longer period of time, it may make sense to purchase a new phone with the ability to have a transferable SIM card. If you current phone isn’t already unlocked, these phones will allow you to buy a new SIM card in your host country, place it into the new phone, and get going as usual. The local SIM card will allow you to use the phone under the new plan without incurring enormous roaming & data charges.

Motorola Moto G – For GSM

This phone has been a recent, big hit with travelers, receiving rave reviews due to its durability, user-friendly design, lightweight & portability, and overall ease of operation while overseas. In addition, it comes standard with a 4.5 inch, 720p HD screen, and a 5 mega pixel camera.

Microphones

Jabra UC Voice 750

These Voip headphones make a great companion while traveling due to their fold-able design and travel pouch. In addition to mobility, the specs are impressive, allowing for good all around audio; A high frequency response, comfortable design, Apple & Microsoft compatibility, USB connectivity, noise cancelling microphone, and PeakStop, which protects from damaging your ears with Acoustic Shock. All of this, at a very reasonable, budget price. The only drawback – No wireless.

Logitech Clearchat PC Wireless

What the Jabra lacks, this Logitech Clearchat follows through. It has become one of the top-rated Voip headsets on the market today. At 2.4GHz wireless, you can walk up to 33 feet away from your computer, and still be connected. Mac/PC/USB compatible. With laser tuned audio, you get what you pay for, at a cost of around $120 per set.

Cameras

For a lot of Laptop businesses, a high-end camera may not be a necessity. In fact, the camera on your smart-phone will likely do just the job. However, for some businesses, a good camera may be required; Travel blogging, Photography, Social Media marketing, etc. For these jobs, quality photos and integrity of the hardware is essential to limiting the amount of time lost in dealing with malfunctions, blurriness, and editing.

Olympus Tough TG-2

If looking for the ultimate in durability, then the Olympus Tough TG-2 is for you. Waterproof to a depth of nearly 50 feet, crush-proof to a force of 220 lbs, freeze-proof to temperatures of -14F, and shockproof from heights up to 6.8 feet; This HD quality, 12 megapixel, LED displaying, compact camera is perfect for guaranteeing you escape with amazing quality photos while trekking through the rough edges of the world.

Nikon Coolpix s9500

Labeling itself as the perfect travel companion, the Nikon Coolpix s9500 is a great camera for both beginners and more avid travelers alike. With 22x zoom, 18.1 megapixel sensor, WIFI & GPS finder, and full HD capability, this camera makes taking great photos as simple as pointing and clicking. As well, its very compact and versatile.

GoPro HERO3 White Edition

This 2013 Emmy Award winning camera has brought the video-camera market back on its feet. As most smart-phone cameras have taken over the demand for basic video, the GoPro HERO cameras have filled the void in the market for the crazy action shots of X-Games type of activity. Features include video resolutions up to 1080p30, 5MP photos up to 3 frames per second, an ultra wide angle lens and built-in Wi-Fi, waterproof to 131’/40m, and being both wearable and gear-mountable. If your Laptop business includes video in fast moving or action paced situations, this camera would be suitable.

WebCams – Logitech HD C615

The Logitech brand of webcams have been a leading name in the industry for years. The HD c615 model makes a great travel & stationary camera, for both quality and versatility. Capable of up to 1080p HD video and 8 megapixel quality images, the camera meets the needs of most internet businesses. It has a clip for a fold-and-go design that will help in portability. As well, it can rotate 360 degrees, which is hard to find in any webcam, and includes a 6-foot long usb cord.

Fully immerse yourself into your new location, beginning with the language…