Don’t Get Spiked on the Road!

More and more people are protecting their computers and sensitive electronics with high quality surge protectors and battery back up units. This is a good trend, and it makes sense that this is happening as society becomes more educated about technology and the cost of quality power protection continues to fall. However, many people, while doing a good job at protecting their technology in their homes and businesses, completely neglect to protect their technology while they are traveling. I know several people who have had their electronics zapped while in hotel rooms! Fortunately, it is quite easy to protect your technology while on the road.

Since it would be impractical to travel with a battery backup, our focus must be on portable surge protectors. Most people travel with laptops, cell phones, and other small electronics. While I do recommend battery backups for devices with hard drives in them, since a laptop has its own battery, it is not as critical to protect a laptop with a battery backup. The battery in your laptop will generally ensure that your laptop is working with consistent power. So it is OK to only protect your electronics with a surge protector while traveling. The trick to to make it convenient enough for you to consistently use the power protection.

Most people think of surge protectors as the stereotypical long strip. However, there are many shapes of surge protectors now, many designed for portability. I personally carry around a single outlet surge protector, cost about $15. I use this any time I plug my laptop in to any unprotected outlet. When I travel more extensively, I have a 6-outlet surge protector that I plug in my laptop, cell phone, and other electronics. I don’t remember how much this surge protector cost, but I’m sure it was less than $20.

While it’s never a good time to have your technology damaged, when you are traveling it can be devastating. By using these simple and low-cost devices, you can protect your technology while away from the safety of your home or business.

Please let me know if you have further questions about protecting your electronics and I’ll be happy to answer them.