Overseas Travel - 2 tips

colinr

1. Scan all your important documents - passport - driving licence - trip insurance documents - credit cards - etc - send them as attachments to an email to yourself.

Should you be unfortunate enough to loose your bag (read have it stolen) then you have access to all details which will help you recover

2. Overseas electrical - what are you taking? - camera battery recharger - laptop - battery recharger - etc etc

Buy a normal domestic extention cable with a four socket bar - remove plug and put the screwdriver in camera bag

On arrival in overseas country buy local plug fit - fit on cable (you brought the screwdriver) and now you have four sockets available for your equipment

When you return - Sell overseas plug on e-bay and help someone else !

Skippy

I don't think its a clever thing to tell people to mess with Electricity.
If your not an Electrician why risk your life?

... Skippy
.

Foochar

colinr wrote:

2. Overseas electrical - what are you taking? - camera battery recharger - laptop - battery recharger - etc etc

Buy a normal domestic extention cable with a four socket bar - remove plug and put the screwdriver in camera bag

On arrival in overseas country buy local plug fit - fit on cable (you brought the screwdriver) and now you have four sockets available for your equipment

When you return - Sell overseas plug on e-bay and help someone else !

Unless you know what you are doing with electricity this isn't a good idea. Keep in mind that different regions of the world have different electrical voltage standards. The United States is at 120 Volts, Japan is at 100 Volts, and much of Europe is at 240 Volts, and some countries run their electrical systems at a different frequencies as well. If your equipment is designed to handle multiple voltages and frequencies, and you wire the plug correctly it will work, but if the equipment is not designed to handle multiple voltages you may damage the equipment, or worse yet cause a fire or explosion.

As for selling the cord on e-bay afterwards, that is opening a whole can of worms with regard to liability. By selling it for this purpose you are implying that it is fit for this purpose. If it somehow damages the buyers equipment or causes a fire etc. there is a good chance that they will come after you for the damages, and since most of us aren't licensed to do this kind of work we would be on very thin ice legally speaking.

There are commercial plug adapters out there for equipment that can work at multiple voltages, and voltage adapters out there for equipment that can't. When you buy these products you are not only paying for the product, but for the testing to prove that the product is safe (in the U.S. look for the U.L./Underwriters Laboratories stamp) and the for the companies insurance that covers them if something goes wrong with the product and you go after them.

Disneysw

You should also not email this information anywhere unless it is encrypted. Email is not a safe medium and you don't want to be the victim of identity theft!

Gareth.
www.eyeforphotos.co.uk

Bodwick

Not much to add. A Canadian came over to Dakar and because she had a plug converter thought it ok to plug a battery charger into the 240v mains.

It melted and nearly started a fire.

A plug converter does not change the voltage.

OsirisPhoto

Keeping copies of all your docs is a good idea..

One thing I always took great care over in my travels.. and I've been around is how I pack things, I use a 3-tier approach..

Super-important: Money, cards, passport - never leaves my person.. ever. If I'm on a plane, I'm wearing them.. if I'm in a hotel, they are under my pillow.

Important: Expensives and essentials, like camera, phone, house / car keys (I still cannot believe it when I hear of people losing things like keys 'cos they put them in checked luggage ). These things will be in a 'carry-on' bag that I will keep within easy reach.. I never trusted overhead storage in planes. Also have a way of locking the zips and fixing the bag to a chair / table.

Checked (aka lost) luggage: things that would be really nice to have arrive with me, but not too difficult to replace.. like clothes, etc. Packed into a good size rucksack.. anyone wants my stuff.. this is the bag they get in the face as I make off.

Also, for travelling in not-so-familiar places, I would carry a second wallet stuffed with cheap notes and fake / useless cards in case of mugging.

For many countries, I'd recommend taking a first aid kit (with infusion set and suturing kit, if you are still allowed that sort of thing ) At least take any details of prescribed meds / illnesses!

Oh, and always be polite to hotel staff.. less chance of 'losing' things from your room

claudermilk

A thought on the scanned docs. Instead of using email, how about leveraging our SM accounts (we all have them here at dgrin, don't we? ). Put the images in a passworded, private gallery. Probably a bit more secure than email & the end result is the same.

colourbox

You can scan your docs into a PDF and encrypt the PDF if you have software like Acrobat. That means someone would need a password to open it. You would want your loved ones to have the password, though, in case something happens to you. And be aware that PDF encryption can be broken.

Mac users can consider putting their docs inside an encrypted disk image and email that to yourself, but I didn't do this because I wanted to be able to get into the docs from a PC if necessary.

Buy enough electrical adapters for your gadgets. I had one, which means my laptop and camera charger had to take turns. Good thing I didn't bring my phone charger too.

And I learned a lesson about the UK. I had a "universal" power adapter that had a 2-prong plug labeled "UK," but it physically won't work in the 3-prong grounded outlets at Heathrow airport. You have to buy another, grounded outlet adapter.

gus

Im a lic'd spark. The real thing to remember here is that whilst a lot of small transformers will recognise the supply voltage & adjust accordingly, the freq cannot be changed with a simple plug in device (unless you change the speed of the generation device ie the power station/generator) That said...ive never had any issues with freq/voltage in my travels to maybe 8 diff countrys. Most portable stuff these days is designed to accom it all.

colinr

Travel tips - update
Thanks everybody for the contributions - I remain of the opinion that this is sound advice but can see how you may be concerned

This being a photographers forum all modern equipment (chargers and laptops) are multi-voltage and auto-regulated (at the transformer) - so no risk on different voltages

If you can use a digital camera and upload photos to a computer I am confident that you can change a plug

If you can't change a plug maybe you should not consider travel to a foreign country

Re email security - if you must, embed the scans in a word document and save with a password - Also, given that globally we send trillions of emails daily the risk is miniscule - plus your email account is password protected

last point - I was suggesting that you sell the plug only not the kit - no point in having a UK or Australian plug collecting dust in the garage

At my last count I have been to 44 different contries - so I can claim some experience in foreign travel

Thanks also for taking time to repond - I hope my further comments can allay all the concerns

zacker

I stuck a key in a wall outlet once.. I didnt die..

it just tingled some.. thats all. of course, I have also been run over by a motor cycle of all things and broke a collar bone jumping off a table as a child ( i had a cape on so I thought i could fly!!) so who am I to say

I dont see how changing a plug is all that difficult or dangerous.

Trying to get a screwdriver onto a plane, now THATS livin on the edge!

gus

zacker wrote:

I stuck a key in a wall outlet once.. I didnt die..

it just tingled some.. thats all.

It only tingled because your body did not have a sound established path to earth (or another phase). If you were also in contact with a grounded object at the same time it may well have killed you. Sort of russian roulette. I work live everyday on cables an inch in diameter but i 2nd think my every move, slowly. They touch my body but my body is not earthed just as a bird is sitting on a live wire.

gus

colinr wrote:

If you can use a digital camera and upload photos to a computer I am confident that you can change a plug

If you can't change a plug maybe you should not consider travel to a foreign country


At my last count I have been to 44 different contries - so I can claim some experience in foreign travel

Thanks also for taking time to repond - I hope my further comments can allay all the concerns

There is very little to worry about & from my point of view...or never a need to change a plug. I used a small plastic universal plug between my equip & any wall outlet. It was similar to this. As i said i took mine through 3 countries in africa..several in europe & the US. Its all good, you just config the universal plug adaptor on the day to fit what ever style/country outlet. Its up to the device to see the voltage & adjust itself accordingly.

Its honestly that simple.

wxwax

1/ Gus, you're saying that the chargers which come with our cameras, laptop computers and phallic vibrators all recognize the difference between 120 volts and 240 volts? So I don't need a transformer to pleasure myself?

2/ I understood there to be limits on carry-one luggage, at least to the UK. What are those limits? Do folks really have the courage to check luggage that contains lenses and camera bodies?

gus

wxwax wrote:

1/ Gus, you're saying that the chargers which come with our cameras, laptop computers and phallic vibrators all recognize the difference between 120 volts and 240 volts? So I don't need a transformer to pleasure myself?

2/ I understood there to be limits on carry-one luggage, at least to the UK. What are those limits? Do folks really have the courage to check luggage that contains lenses and camera bodies?

Have a look under your canon battery charger as an example. You will see

INPUT 100V-240V AC50/60
OUTPUT 8.4v DC

It only wants power in that parameter so it matters not if you plug it in to US power or UK power etc etc it even says it does not care about freq...as long as its between 50 & 60 Hz (which nearly all places are, certainly aust/US/UK/europe/NZ etc etc etc etc).

Thus as long as the multi use plug you have bought from nearly any travel shop fits into the wall socket then you pop your US/UK etc battery charger into that multi adaptor...it will work perfectly.

Why someone would cut & change a plug is beyond me...its a $15 part that is universal

wxwax

gus wrote:

Have a look under your canon battery charger as an example. You will see

INPUT 100V-240V AC50/60
OUTPUT 8.4v DC

It only wants power in that parameter so it matters not if you plug it in to US power or UK power etc etc it even says it does not care about freq...as long as its between 50 & 60 Hz (which nearly all places are, certainly aust/US/UK/europe/NZ etc etc etc etc).

Thus as long as the multi use plug you have bought from nearly any travel shop fits into the wall socket then you pop your US/UK etc battery charger into that multi adaptor...it will work perfectly.

Why someone would cut & change a plug is beyond me...its a $15 part that is universal

Thanks.

gus

wxwax wrote:

Thanks.

No wukkers mate. They start at $1

Beats cutting all your plugs off ...buying new ones & putting them on any day 'eh ?

z_28

zacker wrote:

I stuck a key in a wall outlet once.. I didnt die..

it just tingled some..

That's so American Way

gus

wxwax wrote:

2/ I understood there to be limits on carry-one luggage, at least to the UK. What are those limits? Do folks really have the courage to check luggage that contains lenses and camera bodies?

A lot of flights (cattle class) seem to have a cut off set at 6kg. My gear i took to the USA last time was 7 kg in my crumpler. If there was a problem at the bording gate then i would have removed a 1kg lens & put it in a coat pocket...no rules with whats in your pocket if its inside the rules of carry on baggage safety. Most people do carry a light jacket on the plane as we all know how cold it can get during long flights. No-one mentioned a word to me though as im tall & this makes my bag look smaller...i also carry it like it weights nothing as i walk past them.

No way in hell would i ever put my gear in the hold. I did put my tripod in though & i simply bought 2x $5 pillows & tightly wrapped & taped the head & legs with these & then wrapped casual clothes around the main body & legs. No problem at all for me this time.

Skippy

gus wrote:

A lot of flights (cattle class) seem to have a cut off set at 6kg. My gear i took to the USA last time was 7 kg in my crumpler. If there was a problem at the bording gate then i would have removed a 1kg lens & put it in a coat pocket...no rules with whats in your pocket if its inside the rules of carry on baggage safety. Most people do carry a light jacket on the plane as we all know how cold it can get during long flights. No-one mentioned a word to me though as im tall & this makes my bag look smaller...i also carry it like it weights nothing as i walk past them.

No way in hell would i ever put my gear in the hold. I did put my tripod in though & i simply bought 2x $5 pillows & tightly wrapped & taped the head & legs with these & then wrapped casual clothes around the main body & legs. No problem at all for me this time.

It also clearly states on many TRAVEL INSURANCE Policies that if you put gear such as CAMERA Gear into the Cargo it is NOT COVERED BY INSURANCE, it must be carried on board as hand luggage.

... .Skippy
.

jogle

I carry my cameras and lenses but sometimes put flashes or other bits in my checked in baggage.

The only damage I've ever had to camera gear in the hold was the Canon BG-ED2 grip for my old 10D. It wasn't on my camera and the stickie outie bit that goes into the camera snapped clean off. It was somewhere in the middle of my clothes at the time. :cry

Next time you are packing your bags, consider why they call baggage handlers "chuckers"

OsirisPhoto

jogle wrote:

Next time you are packing your bags, consider why they call baggage handlers "chuckers"

Sounds like the word I've used for them in the past

Malindi

The first picture you take should be of your business card, with an active cell number and address. That way, if they lose the film (in the old days), the lab can contact you.
In the digital world, this is a zero cost option that could save you lost pictures if you forget your camera somewhere.
My best friend had 18 exposed rolls of film stolen when he was in Brazil, basically all his Africa photos from 3 months travel.
Now, I burn 2 CD's at points during my trips and send one home, pack one with me. And back everything up to 2 thumb drives.

pathfinder

Does anyone know what the electrical outlets in Scotland are?

Will we be able to use a standard Canon battery charger say, or will we need the adapter gus described to get access to wall current.

240Volts in the UK isn't it? But what does the wall plug require in Scotland or the UK.

Malindi

pathfinder wrote:

Does anyone know what the electrical outlets in Scotland are?

Will we be able to use a standard Canon battery charger say, or will we need the adapter gus described to get access to wall current.

240Volts in the UK isn't it? But what does the wall plug require in Scotland or the UK.

www.kropla.com/electric2.htm

.

GREAPER

I am an electrician, and to suggest that a layman construct their own lead cords, and to suggest that they not worry about voltage difference is downright dangerous.

I am sure many people using great care could while following directions install a cord cap properly. Other people cannot open a bag of chips without dumping half of them on the floor. Suggesting that people do things like this themselves is likely to get someone hurt. Many times people will feel a tingle when electrically shocked but will not be hurt. This is because they are not well grounded at the time. This is the result of LUCK. How well insulted are the shoes you are wearing, the chair you are sitting on, the ground you are standing on? Touching live electrical parts is a risky way to find out. Many older pieces of equipment have the potential for their outer cases to become energized if the polarity of the plug is incorrect. 120v is Way more than what can be required to cause enough current to kill, or to start a fire.

Items that have motors in them, such as hair dryers, electric shavers, etc will certainly be affected by a change in frequency. In the US 60 hz is standard, most of Europe uses 50hz. This will cause motors to turn slower which can cause overheating and may cause the item to catch fire or get too hot to hold. Leave these items at home.

Many items will work on a large range of voltages, but some items will not. People would be well advised to be VERY careful to check each piece of equipment before using it without the proper adapter.

z_28

I'm sorry,
but this thread should be terminated at the very first post !!!

Angelo

something else I've done is keep a FedEx or DHL account number with copies of my important documents so they can be returned to me by anyone.

gus

pathfinder wrote:

Does anyone know what the electrical outlets in Scotland are?

Will we be able to use a standard Canon battery charger say, or will we need the adapter gus described to get access to wall current.

240Volts in the UK isn't it? But what does the wall plug require in Scotland or the UK.

Mate as mentioned..check here http://www.kropla.com/electric2.htm

There will be no issues at all with a battery charger/laptop etc etc. Seriously i dont know what would make someone remove a plug...you just go to any travel/big camping shop/ebay & buy a universal adaptor.They are so safe & easy to use you will be amazed.

Like i said im a lic'd electrician & i have traveled many countries with just a $5 plastic multi adaptor. You just open them & choose the config (basic stuff really) that suits your american plug on the charger & then the wall socket of the country you are in. I used mine in Glacier for my batteries with my australian 240v/50 Hz gear.

As mentioned...on the back of the charging device you will see the voltage/freq parameters that the unit will operate under. It will most often & almost always say ; Volts 110-240 and Freq 50-60 Hz As long as the supply is within those figs then no worries at all. And honestly without checking i would say that 99.99% of the worlds household ac power supply is within that range.

I would guess also that the most common multi adaptor made on this globe would be US-UK & vice versa.

Its no harder than that honestly.

john133

Re:Overseas Travel- 2 Tips
I think that it is a good idea that people should use the electricity facilities, but they need to be aware about its use.

gus

john133 wrote:

I think that it is a good idea that people should use the electricity facilities, but they need to be aware about its use.
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