Have eReaders, Tablets, Etc Made Travelling Easier?

I travel a lot – for work, for pleasure, for family, and because my wife says I need to visit the in-laws once a year (sigh).  I’m also a book and magazine nerd / hoarder making travel a dredge.  I constantly over pack.  I dread the thought of being stranded for hours in an airport with nothing to peruse but the overpriced options at Hudson Booksellers or sitting through slow breakfast service watching the second hand of my watch slowing tick by wondering how many of those grounds in the bottom of my coffee cup I actually swallowed.  eReaders should be the perfect solution for the constant traveler like myself then, right?  Sort of.

A Snapshot of my Travels from Starwood. In total, I traveled to 3 countries, 12 states, and 26 cities. Some destinations earned multiple visits.

The eReader Solution

eReaders pack plenty of benefits like lightening the load, allowing access to your personal library on the go, providing a near unlimited supply of reading options with a simple wireless connection, and offering prices far below brick-and-mortar retail.  I am also visually impaired so the ability to increase the font size is a welcome bonus.  But ereaders are not without their obstacles making me often wonder if they help or hamper my travel experience.

The first obstacle is the obvious.  Airlines force passengers to power down ereaders during take-off and landing.  I’m not complaining about airline regulations here.  I get it.  I don’t want to be the guy who takes down the plane because I am caught up in heated scene in my latest erotica novel…  But what about those flights when the plane pushes off only to park for three hours while the Nazi flight attendants threaten to stomp my Kindle if I don’t power it down?

The second obstacle that presents itself is reading magazines.   The ink-technology common in the basic ereaders and the small size of the screens are not advantageous to magazine reading.  If the ereader is not a touch screen, browsing the pages can be even more difficult.  And newspapers?  Forget it!  It’s easier to fight ink stained fingers and elbowing my seatmate as I fling pages to manage the crease just right.

Packing Before the eRreader Revolution – The daily newspaper, travel magazines, business magazines, guide book, fiction, and nonfiction.

The Tablet Solution

The quest for a digital rescue of overstuffed carry-on bags then turns from traditional ereaders to their color version and tablets.  Not only can I then read my favorite magazines, books, and newspapers, but I also have access to helpful travel apps and Web browsing making it easier to plan the next leg of that backpack experience across Europe.  I have also lightened my load further by eliminating the need to carry a laptop.  I have found my answer.  Maybe.

Will the tablet last the 12 hour flight from New York to Hong Kong?  My Kindle Keyboard can go 5 weeks without a refuel.  What if I want to read at the beach where I often find myself?  The glare from the sun makes reading impossible.  Does my magazine or newspaper subscription give me free access to the electronic version?  If yes, is the app available in both Apple and Droid formats?  Apps that were available on my ill-fated iPad are not available on my Galaxy tablet (Damn you publisher of Inc Magazine and Fast Company).

Packing in the Mobile Age – eRreaders, tablet, work smart phone, personal smart phone.

The Cost of Being Digital

So now I need to carry both a tablet and an ereader to effectively join the digital revolution and still be a book and magazine hoarder.  Let’s throw in my smart phones as well (Yes, I carry both a work and personal smart phone).  Chances are the devices are still lighter and less bulky than books and magazines.  But what happens if I get robbed?  The replacement costs are astronomical:  Kindle Keyboard $65, Kindle cover with light $50, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 $380, Samsung Galaxy S3 smart phone $600, company issued iPhone $0 (I’ll let them worry about that cost).  That’s $1,100 in electronics that are supposed to make life more convenient.  If Mrs. G is travelling with me and has her smart phone and Kindle Paperwhite the total cost climbs to $1,800.  Yikes!  Maybe old-fashioned books and magazines are the best solution.  If I am robbed, I might be out what?  $50?  But what about those chiropractor bills from lugging around a 50 pound side bag?

What are your thoughts?  How do you read on the road?