Home Office Computing: Pack Your Bags - Technology Information

Don't get caught short on the road--bring everything you need on a business trip

WHEN A SUPPLY MODULE RAMMED INTO THE Mir space station last year, the resident astronauts scrounged through their luggage for parts and saved the damaged station. Packing smart is essential, whether you're going into low Earth orbit or just on an overnight in Chicago. When you're 1,000 miles from home, there's no easy way to retrieve your forgotten modem, batteries, or connection cable. Like an astronaut, you have to make do with what you've packed.

That's why we've assembled this list of essential tools for the road-ready traveler. The next time you need to head for the open road, look here first.

Portable Essentials In most cases, your notebook PC is your lifeblood while on the road. Make sure it can do its job. Pack a recovery disk with tools you can use to restart your PC if Windows fails and you need to restore essential system settings. You can make one by opening the Control Panel and double-clicking Add/Remove Programs. Click the Startup Disk tab, put a formatted floppy into your drive, and click Create Disk. More comprehensive recovery disks can be made using Norton SystemWorks (800-441-7234, www.symantec. com; $70), or McAfee Nuts & Bolts 98 (800-338-8754, www.mcafee.com; $40).

You might want to look into an online backup system, particularly if your notebook holds mission-critical files. In addition to all your applications and data (which you back up however often you choose via modem), Reconnaissance Technologies's Global Replace service (888-673-1666, www.recon-tech.com; $44.95 per month) can overnight you a replacement notebook if yours is ever damaged or stolen while on the road.

For those late nights in the hotel room, you'll be better off with a mouse instead of your notebook's touchpad or pointing stick. The MouseMan for Notebooks (Logitech, 800-231-7717, www.logitech.com; $49.95) is light, packs easily thanks to a short cord, and feels great.

Driving through unfamiliar territory? You can bring a map, or simply pop a road atlas CD-ROM into your notebook. Door-to-Door 1999 (TravRoute, 888-872-8768, www.travroute.com; $49.99) can give you directions between virtually any two streets in the U.S. Or get turn-by-turn assistance with TravRoute's Door-to-Door CoPilot ($399.99), which includes a GPS receiver for satellite navigation.

Going international means packing for different kinds of power outlets. Most notebook vendors sell somewhat pricey multiple-adapter kits, like Dell's European Conversion Kit (800-WWW-DELL, www.dell.com; $130), though you can often get the correct adapter locally for just a few dollars.

Staying in Touch Be sure to pack your travel bag with all the gadgets you might need to check e-mail and maintain a link with home. That includes your modem and, if necessary, the adapter to link your modem to an RJ-11 telephone jack. Don't stop there--bring a male-to-male RJ-11 adapter and a short phone cord. That way plugging into the wall outlet won't be a gamble; unplug the hotel room phone and connect its line to your modem.

Most PC Card modem users know the dangers of jacking into a digital PBX line. Instead of playing Russian roulette with your modem, include a modem protection kit in your travel bag. The Road Warrior Survival Kit Plus from 1-800-Batteries (www.1800batteries.com; $69) makes sure that dangerous voltage levels or reversed polarities never reach your modem.

Since you'll need to stay in touch from the road, be sure that you know the correct number to dial into your Internet service provider. Don't assume that you can call long distance--often, you can't. Find out your ISP's 800 number or see what its local access number is for where you'll be staying.

Personal Organization These days, many professionals who wouldn't be caught dead without a notebook also carry a handheld PC. Casio's Windows CE-powered Cassiopeia E-11 (800-962-2746, www.casio.com; $400) puts all your essentials, like slim versions of Microsoft Office applications plus your schedule and contact list, right in your pocket. Best of all, it has a voice recorder built in for recording quick notes on the go.

Case Study Where do you turn when it's time to pack it in? A good bag is roomy, comfortable, and somewhat innocuous. Thieves look for travelers holding computer cases, so you want to avoid bags with obvious logos or traditional clamshell shapes. Instead, consider something more casual. Tops on our list is the Kerouac Notebook Backpack (Willow Designs, 604-433-4232; $116), which looks like a college backpack and provides several inches of thick padding between the notebook and all sides of the bag. If the Kerouac doesn't fit your style, try the Kensington SaddleBag (800-280-8318, www.kensington.com; $99) instead. This black nylex bag with faux nubuck trim looks elegant yet thoroughly casual.

If you insist on a more protective hard case, ShowCase Technologies's SH-01 (888-268-5441, www.showcasetech.com; $200) features a configurable compartment system that can protect your PC from Godzilla himself.

No matter which case you choose, prepare a checklist of the items you usually need and tape it to the inside of the bag. That way you can rest assured knowing you're prepared, even when you don't start packing until an hour before the red-eye.