Preparing Yourself and Your 'Book for Time in the Field
Page not found | Low End Mac
Welcome Image and Text
We believe in the long term value of Apple hardware. You should be able to use your Apple gear as long as it helps you remain productive and meets your needs, upgrading only as necessary. We want to help maximize the life of your Apple gear.
I just
got back from "the field" today. In the Army, "the field" is going
on a field exercise located in a remote wilderness area. Its mostly
just grown-up Army camping. Being there gave me a great idea about
writing this article on what you should bring with you when you
venture into the "field" (a campout in civilian terms).
The first thing you need is a nice solid computer case or pack.
There are hundreds available in all price ranges. Cases are very
good because they are made of hard metal alloys or hard plastic and
keep you laptop from getting crushed, smashed, or otherwise broken
after a drop.
Another important factor is that some cases are watertight, so
they are guaranteed to keep your laptop dry even if you drop the
sealed case in water. Examples are the expensive Pelican cases that are used by the
military, the SKB
case (it's like the Pelican), and the Vanguard case, which is the
one I own. It survived Iraq and keeps on going.
The other option is a soft case, such as a carrying case or
backpack. These are a lot more mobile and comfortable to use, and
they hold all your accessories and documents. I don't recommend
taking your expensive laptop to the woods with a soft case due to
the fact that if there is a rain storm your laptop will get wet. If
you choose a soft case, you must try to keep it in your car or near
the center of your tent and elevated from the ground.
Examples are Booq
bags, which are very stylish, and tons of other brands - too
many to mention.
Now that you have your laptop protected, there are a few things
you would like to have on hand:
Boot disk - for fixing you Mac in critical moments
Backup media - always back up your data
Security lock - uses the security slot on your Mac so no one
can run off with it while you sleep
Ethernet cable - a long one for when you must be wired
Ethernet crossover cable - for quick data transfers between 2
computers
Extra cables - FireWire and USB
Extension cords - get power closer to you comfortably
Mouse - a whole lot more productive than a trackpad
Cleaning supplies - always keep your equipment clean
Headphones - hear your music without disturbing nature
Media card reader - helps save camera battery life and fast
transfers
This is the essential stuff you should bring. Extras might be
speakers for sharing your movies or music with friends and a
wireless access point.
You should feel almost at home with all this stuff and can enjoy
a nice week or two in the field with friends watching movies and
playing games.
Page not found | Low End Mac
Welcome Image and Text
We believe in the long term value of Apple hardware. You should be able to use your Apple gear as long as it helps you remain productive and meets your needs, upgrading only as necessary. We want to help maximize the life of your Apple gear.
We believe in the long term value of Apple hardware. You should be able to use your Apple gear as long as it helps you remain productive and meets your needs, upgrading only as necessary. We want to help maximize the life of your Apple gear.
