What do you do with large items like a laptop or camera?
 

...when you go out to dinner or just don't need them for the day, when travelling?

I know there's been discussion about the room safes not being secure. Do you check them at the front desk, lock them in a suitcase, take them everywhere, or have some other solution?

When on vacation I leave them home and just enjoy my trip.

ditto sera's plan

No camera on vacation?!

Re the laptop, it's part vacation, that's why I need it.

The laptop is needed for business and GPS navigation. I just chain it to something substantial in the hotel room.

The camera goes with me wherever I go. I carried it 5,000 miles so I could take pictures.

No laptop, small camera. We usually carry the camera with us but have never, in many, many trips, had a problem locking it in the room safe if we don't want to carry it.

Just about everywhere I go on vacation I take my camara with me. If I truly am not going to use it then I would place it in the hotel safe. Of course, my camara is about 20 years old (but still takes terrific pictures!) and is just a simple 35mm. So, if it is lost or stolen, it can be replaced. (Although it was a gift from my parents, so there is some emotional value) I just make sure all used film is stored separately. Losing pictures would be hard!

I don't bother with a laptop at all. Never could figure out exactly what people do with them while on vacation.

I'm a very mediocre photographer so after taking scores of disappointing vacation photos, I decided to ditch the camera and just buy postcards.

My husband and I have two Sony cybershot cameras, the first was a 2.0 and the next was the 3.2 megapixel camera, with interchangeable memory sticks. We took them both to Europe last time, and took fantastic photos. So good, in fact, we're not bothering buying new ones. We downloaded pictures and burned them onto CDs as we went along from London to Istanbul, and this time we'll unload the pictures onto our new photo iPod.

I have a nice Nikon with a bunch of lenses, etc...but found it all too cumbersome, so the smaller Sony's work well, and function on easy-to-replace AA batteries to boot. Plus you can review your pictures and delete the bad ones before you burn the CD.

I'd leave the laptop at home. You can duck into a cybercafe on practically every corner and check your e-mail, and party at night not having to wonder if you hid your laptop far enough under your mattress.

Good luck,

Jules

I use an assortment of disposable cameras, have for years, supplement with post cards, again ditto sera's plan.

I use internet cafes to send and receive emails every other day or so.

"Never could figure out exactly what people do with [laptops] while on vacation." - Chele60

Well, how about

Writing computer programs
Buying and selling stocks
GPS navigation
Burning photo CDs
Playing movies

My camera goes into the in room safe if I don't need it with me. I've never had any problems storing valuables in a room safe. On occasions when I've brought along a laptop, I've never thought to secure it in anyway. It usually stays right on the desk.

I'm one of those self-proclaimed "avanced amateurs" of photography.
I get completely nuts about bringing equipment and one of my lenses alone weighs about 4 pounds (I bring 2, plus a large flash and camera body).
I also bring some smaller pocket cameras (one film/one 7 mp digital).

I LOVE taking photos when we're away but I realize I've gone insane.
What I tend to do now is carry the pocket cams nearly all the time and reserve a couple of days throughout the trip, after we've been in a certain place for a day or two, and designate a couple of hours of those days for photo time with "the rig" .
That way, I get a feel for what my pictures might look like and what I'll want to shoot.
Now my ratio of print-worthy pictures to film spent has improved dramatically and I'm much better able to enjoy my trip a bit less conspicuously.

To answer your question, finally, depending on the quality of the hotel and my comfort level of my surroundings, I either ditch the gear in the room or check it with the front desk.

>"Never could figure out exactly what people do with [laptops] while on vacation."

Well, how about

Writing computer programs
Buying and selling stocks

On vacation??

((I))

Hi Barry,

If you must have a laptop and a large camera ask the hotel to put it in the hotel safe for you.

The room safes are not safe.

((I))

I carry a rather substandial shoulder bag with everything my wife and I might need, up to and including an emergency bottle of water, camera, rainjackets, maps, medicines, etc. Its no more burdensome than a woman's purse.

Agreeing with some of the sentiments above. Who needs a laptop on vacation? Nobody. And there are great digital cameras that will fit in a pocket.

Some of you guys (and gals) are editorializing too much.

My mistake in the original post was mentioning vacation. Let's assume I'm going on a business trip, and I have an extra day or two at the end for a little vacation time. I need some of the stuff on the laptop (Powerpoint presentations, Excel spreadsheets, etc.) for the meetings. I don't need the laptop for Internet access.

Sooo... What do you do with the laptop when not needed for your presentations?

BTW, thanks to those who DID answer my question without presuming I'm one of those guys who sits on the beach with a computer and cellphone.

I would ask the hotel front desk if you can leave those items in their main safe.