Everyone has their own style when it comes to packing for travel, especially when it comes down to which gadgets to take and which to leave at home.

I personally prefer a minimalist approach with everything - I pack light - REALLY light. I absolutely hate trudging around the countryside with a 7 ton backpack with all the bells and whistles. It makes me stand out when I don’t want to stand out and it is just too damn heavy for me when I am trying to cover a lot of ground.

The only thing that this “pack light” rule doesn’t extend to is my Nikon D-70 camera and a few lenses.

Other than that, if I can get a lighter and tougher model of any gadget, I will.

I take a light laptop (weight is always a big consideration when I buy a new one) and an MP3 player to store my photos and music. If I am really going off the beaten path I will take a hand held GPS.

The catcher is though, that I love travelling a long way from civilization. I enjoy countries where there aren’t a lot of modern amenities.

If I enjoyed places like New York and London, my packing habits would be a lot different.

For starters I probably wouldn’t have to pack so light because I wouldn’t be carry everything I owned everywhere - I’d leave a lot of it at the nice, secure hotel. I’d be able to take my laptop around in a day pack so its weight wouldn’t be such an issue.

The point of this little diatribe is to suggest that you consider HOW you travel when you are buying travel gadgets.

If you rough it, then light, ugly and tough is always going to beat big and flashy as far as tech goes.

If you are a 5 star traveler then weight and strength may not be as big a consideration.

Think and plan ahead.

Horses for courses!