Confessions of a Flashpacker

I have a confession to make. I am (going to be) part of the movement of budget-travelers, called ‘Flashpackers’.
Flashpackers are those people in the middle of the hostel who whip out their laptop whilst drinking a latte, or that guy who’s at the Great Ocean Bight trying to get signal on his iPhone so he can tweet how amazing the 12 Apostles are in-real life.

It appears that flashpackers are generally put into two categories – the 30-to-40-year-olds who need a break from their careers and have saved up a decent sum of money to travel in-style or the university student aged teen who seems to travel with more technology than clothes!

My definition of flash packing combines the two terms.
Flashpacker noun : used to describe a person who travels with an excessive amount of technology to not only record their own experiences but share them with friends, family, the world… Commonly used objects include smartphones (iPhones/blackberries), laptop/netbook, cameras (DSLR, high-end point&shoot…), and video recorders. Often found trying to pick up Wi-Fi signal through the country of travel.

Seeing as I have only 30-days until I head off on my trip, I’ve started to buy bits and pieces I will need and they are quickly mounting up fast. It’s surprising when working out the sheer amount of technology I want/need/have convinced myself I want to bring. This is my flashpackers list so far:

Please take into consideration that I will be working as a radio specialist at a Summer Camp as well as that I am a journalism student keen to expand on my skills whilst away. 🙂

Travel Bug FlashPacker List

• MacBook Pro + extra battery/mouse
• DSLR Camera (unsure if I will be bringing mine from home or if purchasing one in the US (come on Aussie dollar! Catch up to the US dollar!!!) + extra batteries
• Point-and Shoot Camera + extra battery
• Cam-corder + extra battery (for video posts!)
• iPhone
• Spare unlocked phone (for International sim cards)
• 2x Spare SD card
• External Hard-drive
• Apple Adaptor Kit (for iPhone and MacBook)
• General adaptors (US/UK/EU – for other electronics)
• Tripod

That’s a lot of gear for not really much! (and I have a feeling I’ve missed things off the list.)

So, is all of this gear really necessary? Is there a way I can cut it out? I mean, I could use my Point-and-Shoot or DSLR as a vide recorder, but it doesn’t have the same quality. Or I could use my Video-camera as a point-and-shoot camera, but its doesn’t have the flexibility.

I actually believe that I will find a use for all of these pieces of equipment + more that I plan on buying along the way (my eyes are set on a decent flash and a new lens for my DSLR).

What do you usually travel with? Are there any gear recommendations or gear I could ditch?

This series of posts will be updated when new information is available.

(Last Updated: 31/05/10)