Hola from Valencia in Spain. It’s been quite some time since I last posted on here. I am probably more active over on my hiking blog called Long Trails. That said, I plan to blog more now on this site, as it seems a shame to let it sit and rot after nearly 12 years.
You will see from the picture above that the biggest change is that I am no longer carrying a laptop. Laptops are always heavier for starters! Here are some reasons why I have ditched the laptop for a leaner mobile office.
Carrying less weight
Since I now hike a lot in between working, I have become obsessed with carrying less weight. I also dreamed of being able to carry everything, all of the time. That means when I turn up to do a month long hike in Spain, I don’t have to worry about finding storage for thngs such as my laptop while I am hiking.
My overall setup of Samsung tablet, mini keyboard (which I am struggling with typing on, I think it’s too small and I cannot type as fast as normal which is frustrating) and mouse is a very lightweight combination.
The other major point is that all my gadgets now run off Micro USB for power, this saves me carrying seperate leads and adapters. When I turn up in a new region or country I just buy a cheap double USB wall plug. Super lightweight and means I can charge two things at once.
Battery power
My Samsung Tab A 2016 model lasts over 14 hours, that’s continuous screen time. This means that I only have to charge it every other day, unless I do a very long day! My laptop originally would last for about six hours which is pretty good, but that went down pretty fast over time, and these days would struggle to last three hours.
Portability and Work
Of course a tablet is much more portable than a laptop. I am finding that I am more productive on the tablet rather than wasting time surfing. I am also finding that using a mouse with the tab works very well and almost replicates the laptop experience.
Overall I am very happy to have finally made the jump from laptop to tablet. A big thing is not having to go searching for power points in cafes. Makes a huge difference being able to set up anywhere and not worry about running out of power!
Valencia in Spring