TheAirGorillaBlog

NYTIMES: Top 10 Travel Gadgets Under $50

The New York Times Frugal Traveler posted 10 travel gadgets. We have seen a few of these before which probably reinforces validity.

I wanna know how to get the Leatherman through the airport?

I would like a Leatherman, the Belkin Portable Surge Protector and the Gorillapod for obvious reasons. lol

What Camera Do You Need for my Vacation?

Of all the items you take on a vacation, probably the one people put at the top of their list is the camera.  After all, what is a vacation if you can't pull out pictures afterwards to bore, er, thrill friends and family for months after?  But just what camera is right for you?  Today we take a quick look at some basic types and give you a few tips.

For most people, probably the first question is "film or digital?"  Although more and more vacationers are going digital, there is still a place for the "old school" film cameras.  Each has its own benefits and drawbacks.  For instance, film cameras tend to be less expensive when you compare similar types.  Also, a good negative can give you much better resolution, especially if you are going to enlarge the picture above say an 8x10.  You can buy and use a very inexpensive 35mm camera and come up with some good shots.  In fact, it really depends as much or more on the photographer as on the camera.

Digital cameras have a number of pluses over film - most obviously in the sheer number of pictures you can take.  The limit depends on the size of your camera's memory card.  Also you can generally preview the pictures and delete or retake any you don't like right away.  No more waiting until you get home to find out that "perfect" picture is out of focus or has someone's finger over the lens.

Let's say you have decided to go with a digital camera.  What type of camera do you want?  There are basically two types of digital camera - the "point-and-shoot"(P&S) and the "single lens reflex" (SLR).  What's the difference?  Basically an SLR is any camera with a removable lens - they also generally have more "bells and whistles" than a P.  For many travelers the P&S is the best choice because they are generally smaller, easier to use, and still give you a good quality picture.  You can whip out your P&S and shoot away without worrying too much about such things as lens speed, f-stop, and such.  On the other hand, if you are a hard-core traveler, you might want to go with the SLR to give you more options.

So, you've decided you are going with a P&S - what next?  There are several things to look at when you choose your camera: megapixels, zoom, memory, and battery.

• Megapixels refers to the sensitivity/size of the of image sensor.  For example, a sensor that is 2048x1536 has about 3.1 million pixels, and so is considered a 3.1 megapixel camera.  The more pixels the greater the sensitivity of the sensor and the better prints you will get.  With the cameras available today, it's easy to get a P&S with 6 or more megapixels.
• Zoom is how "close" you can get to your subject.  There are two types of zoom: optical and digital.  Forget about how much digital zoom a camera has - it doesn't really do any more good than simply enlarging the picture in your computer at home.  Optical zoom actually moves the lens to zoom in on the subject, so it is the same as moving closer to your subject.  The greater the optical zoom the better.
• Memory is generally a function of the size of the memory card.  Most cameras come with a very small memory card, so you should always buy a larger card at the same time.  A good size is a 2 gigabyte card - it can hold plenty of pictures without costing too much.  Also, sometimes larger capacity cards can have problems.
• Batteries, of course, are important for running the camera.  You can get a camera that uses traditional batteries or one that takes rechargeable batteries.  Personally I prefer rechargeable batteries, and I make sure I have a fully-charged backup battery with me.  Most rechargers are very compact and easy to carry, and even if you travel overseas you can generally buy a converter that will allow you to use it in other electrical systems.

This is by no means the be-all-and-end-all of camera information.  If you have time before your trip, take the time to check out many different cameras and talk to some experts.  But by all means, take along that camera so you can torment, er, thrill your friends and family after you get back.

Check out Tim Leffel's Blog on, "Practical Travel Gear"

This is a gadget gear website is just really cool.We will be checking this blog out often for cool stuff like this. Time Leffel is author of "Make your Travel Dollars Worth a Fortune"

A Bracelet That Could Save Your Life

This is made up of 550 lb test paracord at all times. You never know when you'll need it.
SurvivalStraps.com

The stuff on the website rocks. There are several cool stories on this website that we will cover later.