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No, all the caressing, hugging and singing in the world won’t do
them any good. Your gadgets need a different kind of TLC this summer
with all the traveling vacation calls for.
Heading to the beach is practically a must and bringing a camera is
definitely a plus during this season. Your camera should have a bag
by now but if not, there are camera bags available for as low as
Php80 at CD-R King. Seawater, sand and your camera don’t mix so be
careful with little particles that may get inside your camera while
you’re frolicking on the beach. It’s best to wipe your camera
afterwards with something as simple as a clean cloth or cotton, or
if you really love your camera, with a camera cleaning kit which has
brushes and compressed air used to clean the lens and other tiny
crevices of the camera. The cleaning kit is £0.99 to £3.99 (Php80 to
Php320) in eBay excluding delivery cost.
A semi-waterproof jacket can also be used to protect your camera on
the beach. Its smooth texture lets small amounts of water slide off
of it as your camera stays dry inside. It’s perfect for protection
against the occasional water spray or tilamsik.
 For
hardcore water resistance, there are waterproof camera cases which
come in the guise of transparent bags in different sizes. It’s great
for shooting pictures underwater with your regular camera. You can
still use all the functions of your camera when it’s inside the
waterproof case.
Taking it a step further are camera armors. These can protect your
camera from impacts and scratches. Some are also waterproof.
If you’re headed instead to Tagaytay, Baguio or anywhere cold, it’s
best to pad, pad, pad your camera to prevent moisture from settling
and wreaking havoc to its insides. You could pad it with something
as simple as towels.
As for laptops, like your cameras, these should have bags by now
too. There are laptop bags for as low as Php250 at CD-R King but
they aren’t necessarily durable. LapDance sells bags for around
Php1000 and they’re pretty durable; this writer bought her backpack
laptop bag for Php1200 three years ago and the bag is yet to show
any signs of wear.
There are laptop sleeves available but these aren’t a wise choice
when traveling, unless the sleeves are shock-proof and thoroughly
padded.
Laptops should ideally be inside the car when you travel. If you
can’t help but place them in the trunk for lack of space inside the
car, they should be properly padded. Towels would work too. It’s not
so much to protect them against the heat but to protect them against
vibrations which could shake the internal parts and possibly render
your laptop useless. Take care not to pad it too tightly, however,
because the screen would be squished and if it’s a long drive, the
screen might actually break.
Laptops should not be brought near the beach because water, sand and
all the tiny crevices of your laptop are a disastrous combination.
But if you have the MacBook Air and you just have to show it off and
a huge tidal wave wets it then maybe you really deserve it. Kidding.
What you can do is turn the laptop off the normal way or do a sudden
shutdown by pressing the power button until it automatically turns
off. Then blot, not wipe, the water with a clean cloth. Drain the
water by tilting the laptop from side to side and putting it upside
down. Blow-dry it for an hour and let it dry for at least a day. Try
running it. If it doesn’t work, it’s off to the service center. If
it does work, it’s still better to bring it to the service center
just to be sure.
If you’re really unlucky and it’s not water that you drenched your
laptop with but a soda or something, it’s best to use a slightly
damp cloth soaked in warm water to clean it.
For other gadgets such as cellphones and MP3 players, some general
protection include buying quality cases for them, keeping them far
away from liquids, food and dirt, and taking care not to expose them
to too hot or too cold climates.
Yes, stroking your gadgets while pleading for them to work could
sometimes work but this is just by coincidence. Or maybe they can
really feel your desperation and have pity on you. But the
abovementioned tips do work and it’s definitely not by coincidence.
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