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Electrical Appliances
Worried about getting the right electrical adapters while you're overseas?
Leave Your Electrical Appliances At Home! Don't know how? Follow my suggestions:
Hair dryer: Visit your hair stylist or barber a week or two
before your trip. Tell your stylist that you would like a style that is
easy to style without a hair dryer. It might mean a light body perm, or
a simple wash-and-go cut. This should work for most people. If you MUST
take a hair dryer with you, consider getting the smallest model you can
find. That for me was a Sharper Image/Brookstone hair dryer that fit on
the palm of my hand.
Curling Iron: As with the hair dryer, try to get your hair styled
so that you don't have to have it curled. There are some new models that
are very tiny and are easy to pack, such as the butane-fueled models from
Braun. However, butane is an inflammable fuel that should not be taken
onto the flight. You could take an empty curling iron with you and purchase
a butane cell at your destination, although I would simply advise not taking
one at all.
Irons: This gets to be pretty tricky for most people, who can't
seem to get away from ironing their clothes. Those who must take clothes
with them that wrinkle, they should take canisters of things like "Wrinkle
Away" that help soften the wrinkles in your clothing. The best thing
to do is to purchase clothing labeled "hard to wrinkle." Many
have a polyester blend--and are easy to find in the TravelSmith catalog.
If you DO take clothing with you that wrinkles, hang it in your bathroom
and give it a full steaming by drawing a hot shower for five minutes. This
should relax the wrinkles.
Steamers: Travel-sized steamers still take up too much space
for the traveliter. Again, best to try to steam out your clothes in the
bathroom.
Remember that by avoiding taking any appliances with you, you don't
have to worry about adapters. You also have less chance for being held
up at security gate for having electric gadgets in your carry-on.
If you must take electrical appliances with you on an overseas trip,
you will need to pick up some electrical adapters. Most travel stores carry
them. Want a diagram of the different types, and which countries use which
adapters? Get a free catalog from Magellan's, as they list them in there
(they sell the adapters too, if you want).
Personal Stereo: I have received email from people who swear
by their Walkmans (Walkmen? Walkpeople?). Whether to avoid having to listen
to local music, avoid boredom, or avoid being bothered, personal headphones
are a wonderful way to isolate and insulate yourself from your surroundings.
Is that good? You decide (my preference would be to take a short-wave radio
with me. There are quite a few models by Sony, Grundig and others, that
are both affordable, and small).
Techno Geeks Like Me! So you can forego most modern conveniences except
your computer and 'net access?! ("Please sir, anything but my PowerBook!")
Go visit Patrick Jennings' "Outfitting the Multimedia Guerrilla"
web site to start. He has a comprehensive packing list he used for his
own travels. It's one thing to wanna take your laptop with you--it's another
to worry about adapters and cables and all that stuff. If you have the
foresight to shop for a laptop with travel in mind, I would recommend that
you get something small and lightweight. So what if you can't get an SVGA
screen?
Instead of carrying a separate computer case, I recommend the neoprene
"WetSuit" from Silicon Graphics (available from MacZone at 800-555-1212,
APS Technologies at 800-874-3197, or Mac Wholesale at 800-531-4622). They
come in various colors and run about $40 each. Unlike standard carrying
cases, Wetsuits "hug" your computer even when it's open. It serves
to provide padding for your notebook, and can be stuffed into your carry-on
bag.
Converters or Adapter Plugs?
[The following from Charles Drummond.] There are electrical converters
and then there are adapter plugs. The plugs don't weigh much or take up
much space. The key is to buy appliances that automatically switch to the
correct voltage and need only the adapter plug. Braun, for example, makes
a very nice electric razor that converts automatically. Many tiny travel
hair dryers do the same. So, for those of us who *must* use electric appliances,
the key is automatic convertibility.
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