Brigada

“Brigada: Since 1995… Buckets full of Resources, Trends, Challenges — all in a weekly e-zine & website…”Compiled by Doug Lucas, Team Expansion, Louisville, KY(Thanks for your patience as we ‘catch up’ with the publishing date.) In This Special Issue…1) Special “Cool Tools” Edition2) The Back Page: Tools For The Road3) Determine To Beat Jet Lag4) [...]

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One of the most often requested “Back Page” editorial “reprints” is the collection we did in 2007, entitled, “Cool Tools for the Road”. In this issue of Brigada, we reprint that list exactly as it appeared in 2007, with the hopes that Brigada participants will help us *refresh* the list with up-to-date offerings, as needed. [...]

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It occurred to me last week, as I was traveling through Bosnia, that more than one person has asked me about some of the tools I use for “the road.” I thought I’d just go ahead and do a series on some of the tools that have become dear to me over the past nearly-30 [...]

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How many times have you heard someone say, “I’m jet-lagged.” They usually are referring to the disorientation and “heavy eyelids” one feels after switching 4 or more time zones. The human body seems to have a kind of “memory” for the previous time zone. So when the individual arrives at the destination, it takes him/her [...]

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Memorize it. Then traveling transoceanic on those 8-hour (and sometimes 16-hour) flights, if you’re headed eastbound (e.g., from the USA to Europe), get to sleep as quickly as you can. Flights tend to depart around 6pm. Settle in, eat, then hit the sack. Remember, it really doesn’t matter if you sleep or not. The truth [...]

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My own philosophy is — no sleeping pills. I have this theory that you need to be in charge of tricking your body. If you turn that power over to a drug, you’ve given up control. Besides, what if an emergency occurs and you need to be at your best. (For example, what if someone [...]

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[Note I said "herding" not "hurting" :-) ] Truly, this is a heartbeat item, as is evidenced by the email I recently received from a faithful Brigada participant from Taiwan, who wrote, ” In my experience… when a small child has jet lag… EVERYONE has jet lag… no matter how much I *believe* that my [...]

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Maybe this seems like overkill, but, for malaria-infested areas, there’s something deeply secure about knowing that wherever you land to sleep, you’re covered. I recommend taking along something like the Epco Tropicscreen II. (Google it and the Campmor.com version will probably come up in the top 5 for about $70. Worth every penny of it. [...]

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Read the fine print on the AC Adaptor for your camcorder, laptop and/or digital camera. Odds are, if it’s less than 5 years old, you really don’t need an adaptor/transformer for it. (It’ll probably say something like 110-240V.) Just get a “tip adaptor” to change the shape of the plug so it’ll properly plug in [...]

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If you need to stay connected, consider renting a cell phone and/or SIM card from the folks at Telestial. http://www.telestial.com/If you use a US-based cell network like I do (I like Sprint’s plans), you’ll have to pick up a cheap GSM phone on ebay. Ask Telestial for help. Then ask them for a SIM card [...]

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If you’re unsure about relying on cell coverage for any reason, for dangerous or “out back” areas, see Telestial. (See link above.) They might not be the cheapest, but they know their stuff. Again, the cost is prohibitive … unless you’re about to be kidnapped and you need to get a call out. Then the [...]

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If you’re not sure there will be good connectivity in your area and you simply *must* remain connected, consider a Thrane Sat Modem or its equivalent. Something like the Thrane Explorer 500 (via the BGAN network) shouldn’t set you back more than $115/week. Granted, that’s too much for the typical instant messaging with your kids, [...]

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Make a checklist. Take it with you on trip so you can add things as you “miss” them. Prioritize them according to a scale where 1 is “imperative” and 5 is “luxury”. When you pack, try to always stay within one checked bag, one carry-on. Go light!

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