International Field Engineer Travel Tips? 85
ShamelessHero writes "I was recently hired as a Field Engineer, deploying servers, workstations and peripherals to sites around the globe. I try and travel light, but try as I might, the Emergency Repair Kit has ruined three sets of luggage so far. I know there are Slashdotters here who travel internationally and through some treacherous environs. What are the best travel tips you've come up with? Recommendations for durable, light yet large luggage are much appreciated."
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What is an "Emergency Repair Kit"? (Score:4, Insightful)
Is it possible to ship the hardware you need to the site a few days before you arrive?
Can you learn to pack so that you don't ruin one set of stuff with another set of stuff?
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The maintenance and move/add/change crews, ya they could plan and schedule.
When he called it an 'emergency repair kit', i equate that with the service side, not the maintenance/MAC side.
Anvil Cases (Score:4, Informative)
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The one I swear by, and use it for my toolkit when travelling, are pelican cases (model 1500).
http://www.pelican.com/ [pelican.com]
Condoms (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Condoms (Score:5, Funny)
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Condoms? (Score:1)
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One word: FedEx (Score:5, Insightful)
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One Acronym: DHL (Score:2)
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Obligatory (Score:4, Insightful)
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Being half plastered always helped me going through other companies clean room prep process. Especially Fujistu and stripping buck naked and letting some tech dress me in a damp-skin-sticking bunny suit.
An Italian fab worker once told me that if you can't function on half a bottle of wine, its time to floor it and get home as soon as possible.
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Ship the gear (Score:5, Informative)
Since airline regs mandate that your tools go in the checked baggage, you will have a better chance of actually having your tools arrive at the same time you do if you ship them.
Re:Ship the gear (Score:5, Informative)
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And sometimes it's countries you might not expect. E.g. Laptops have a tendency to find new homes as they work their way through New Zealand post.
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I assume he's not carrying the stuff on, because anyone who repeatedly ruins his own luggage is just being a moron.
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several suggestions (Score:5, Informative)
Get another for your stuff.
They come with removable foam, and you can customize spots for each tool.
Some other tips-
Carry some cash somewhere on your person other then your wallet. Carry more then one type of credit or debit card. (machine ate one of mine in china when I arrived in China. It was NOT a good day)
Printout maps to all the hotels you are staying at-its handy to show cab drivers that don't speak english.
Carry some basic things like a small travel toothbrush, and hand napkins on your person. If the plane you are about to board has the luggage loading door torn off-you will appreciate this as you spend the night somewhere with no luggage.
Deodorant is your friend-yeah they don't sweat in the 110 degree 90% humidity heat. If you were born in Minnesota, odds are you do.
Don't assume things. Some fun examples-
Going out to eat Pussy, in China refers to the district you are going to have dinner in NOT the activity.
When Chinese are saying "nigga" they are NOT referring to any color of your skin, its not related.
When asked if you want a "Chinese girlfriend" they are asking about a hooker, not if you want to meet nice Chinese women to get a girlfriend. Try to avoid conversations where at the end of it they assume you are gay. God that was funny later. Not so much at the time.
Buy tools and shavers that take both 110 and 220.
Bring adapter plugs.
Hotel networks are often horrifically infected with spyware etc-keep a firewall up, and up to date anti-virus.
If you don't think you can eat those chicken feet, or bugs without throwing up-decline.
If you CAN eat horrific things, and the locals are messing with you to make you look foolish-suggest a better place to eat, and take them somewhere where they turn green. Evil...but funny.
Re:several suggestions (Score:4, Funny)
not everywhere has a "generic American burger joint"
Depending on the location... (Score:5, Funny)
When he came to visit in Paris I brought him to an "only cheese" french restaurant. And we really have delicious but very smelly cheeses here 8)
(for cheese lovers, they have a "Crescendo" plate, where you start with a light, fresh goat cheese and finish with something called ""Le Gris", which is like the strongest goat cheese ever, even stronger in taste and smell than "l'Epoisse")
The next time in Japan, I got an invitation to the best non-sushi restaurant in town. Seems he got the message all right.
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Even if they suggest it, half the time they're afraid to eat it themselves and you can turn the tables on them. If they were really nonchalant about eating it, it probably wouldn't have occurred to them to snicker at you. (Just like you wouldn't think twice about ordering potato skins for Japanese...)
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Dude, if you're about to get onto an airplane that's had its luggage door torn off, don't get on it.
:-P
If you're in flight, and the cargo door gets torn off, the last thing you'll be worried about it your toothbrush.
Cheers
WTF is a emergency repair kit - surely that's exac (Score:1)
Good job the emergency repair kit caused those issues. Otherwise what would have been the point of taking it if you didn't have something to repair.. What's that? It's NOT a sewing kit?? wtf bbq
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Sport bags esp hockey bags with wheels work great (Score:2)
This isn't hard. (Score:2)
Aero, Anvil, Pelican, or hard-shelled Sampsonite will work.
There's also Zero Halliburton aluminum luggage [zerohalliburton.com], the favorite of movie drug dealers.
If it's for tools, get a real toolcase [toolcases.com], with the pallets and loops to hold tools. I have a big Jensen toolkit myself, in one of those cases.
"Rich guy!" ??? (Score:2)
Skyway Northwest Trails Westport 30" Rolling Duffle: $29.99 [costco.com].
McGuire-Nicholas Rolling Bag Set includes 14" Multi-Purpose Rolling Bag with 16" and 12" Bags: $39.99 [costco.com].
ATEC XL Pro Travel Bag Three Sidecar Pockets, Zippered Full-length Mesh Inside Pocket: $59.99 [costco.com]
Bags costing $200 do more than carry your stuff. They talk to everyone who
power strip (Score:4, Informative)
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I am currently being happy because the last 110V-only POS I had to carry around (NetGear FWG114P) has been handed off to another less fortunate colleague (and having it, she's even less fortunate!) and I'm now lugging universal-voltage kit at 1/3 the weight and volume.
How to move money internationally? (Score:4, Interesting)
All the banks we've discovered have big fees and numerous anti-customer arrangements. How do you write a check in Euros or Brazilian Reais? How do you move one currency to another without paying a bank a huge amount?
We need ATM cards that allow withdrawing money in the currency of the country in which we are working -- without paying the large fee banks charge, or the "3%" currency exchange fee that is, in fact 5%.
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Homeland security duly notified, (Score:1)
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Even with the fees, you will save money on any significant withdrawal.
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PayPal fees (Score:1)
https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_display-fees-outside&countries=ROW [paypal.com]
In the table, see the row "Multiple Currency Transactions". It says, "Exchange rate includes a 2.5% fee**".
Also: "** If your transaction involves a currency conversion, it will be completed at a retail foreign exchange rate determined by PayPal, which is adjusted regularly based on market conditions." (My emphasis)
What I understand: We decide what the exchange rate is, then we add 2.5%.
Notice that t
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Hotels decide the rate of exchange. (Score:2)
You pay the exchange rate, ... (Score:2)
What exchange rate do they use? (Score:2)
Exchange fees (Score:2)
OneBag.com (Score:3, Informative)
DJ Equipment works nice (Score:2, Informative)
Simple answer to luggage problems... (Score:1)
I really recommend them, the gear they offer is worth checking! (Now if they made some armored luggage for my camera, I would be really happy.)
Pelican Cases + Tumi / TravelPro Lugage (Score:2)
For your equipment, I'd recommend Pelican Cases.
For your luggage, I'd recommend either Tumi or TravelPro. If you go the TravelPro Route try to shoot for some of the higher end lines for TravelPro, as they're well padded, have reinforced corners and are generally well designed. I have a Platinum 5 wheeled laptop bag and a Crew6 25" expandable suitcase.
Tumi makes durable, stylish luggage that also holds up real well. I have a carry-on Tumi 22" Genera
Traveling to Asia (Score:2, Interesting)
You can get anything you need made here (Score:1)
Where do I send my resume? (Score:2)
Seriously. I'll explain in the interview that my UID is so high because I didn't get around to creating an account for a few months. Back in the days of Afterstep.
buy it at destination (Score:2)
If you can afford it you can just buy whatever you need at your destination (if it's available!).
I use (Score:2)