Originally posted on November 11, 2016 @ 8:36 am
Imagine the sound of the waves as they lap on the shore. The smell of the fresh beach air. The feel of the sand pressing through your toes as you walk to the water. You’re ready to pack your bags after a long work week, right? Not so fast, you’ve still got a couple of things on your job list to do. Before you get yourself looking good for sitting in the sun, you need to get together a couple of things to help you get your work done. What do I need to get around so I can get those last few boxes checked?
Get Mobile
If you don’t have a mobile Hotspot as a part of your service, contact your mobile provider and add that service to your plan. Make sure you walk through the process and test out your setup. It is important that your laptop is authorized for your hotspot and that are password protected. Good security protects your access point, so you can sit in the sand and finish off those last few emails without worrying about someone accessing your connection point.
Backup power
You should plan to run out of power while you are on the beach. Acting as a hotspot burns up a lot off power on your phone and wifi connection unplugged on your laptop will draw your battery pretty fast. There are a number of options for portable power for your mobile devices. Backup batteries are available in sizes that can charge a single device or a laptop. So pick up the model that suits you best and charge it fully before you go.
Stay sand free
I know it will be difficult to exercise restraint when you get near the ocean, but your devices are worth waiting. If you have weather-proof cases for your mobile device, your phone will be okay, especially if you can keep it in your bag. Your laptop will probably not be so fond of sand. If sand blows its way into your laptop, your keys, hard drive, and connections can be severely affected. So try to do your laptop based work before you hit the beach or use a tablet if you have access to your files through the cloud.
Good bags make good trips
Look for bags that will protect your devices in whatever conditions you may be in. Over the shoulder laptop bags have padding for your laptop and multiple pockets for storing all the cables, bits, and pieces that you may need to get your work done. Another option for you might be a backpack. Laptop focused backpacks are also padded in the compartment you would use for your laptop. These bags have multiple pockets and extra room for storing some of your beach stuff, water, and snacks. Having a good bag makes your life easier and protects your expensive and valuable gear. Just be sure you keep a good eye on this bag, nothing is more demoralizing than losing a few thousand dollars of hardware while you are trying to have a good time.