So you’re going on a ski trip, but you need to bring along your work, school or other important documents as well. How do you do it without adding to your travel weight?
The key is to put everything you want online, using some very simple tools. This way you’ll be able to access it anywhere you go, without having to carry it all over the place.
The process
1) You scan all your paper documents and upload them to your online note storage.
2) You store all your files via an online file storage box
3) You access it anywhere you want via internet or your iphone/android phone.
No mess and you have access to all your documents whenever you need them.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Scanner
I recommend a small document scanner because they make it easy to quickly scan multiple pieces of paper. In addition, smaller document scanners are powered by your computer and fit easily into your bags if you need to bring them with you.
Recommendations:
High end – Canon P-150
This is the same scanner I use. It’s tiny, portable and can scan 15 pages per minute. I scan all my documents and throw away the paper versions. It’ll set you back about $250 US if you buy via Amazon.com
Budget – mid range – Doxie
The Doxie scanner will set you back about $119-149 US depending on the model you buy. It functions very similar to other high end scanners, except it focuses on giving the bare essentials for a lower price.
Evernote
Evernote is note storage on steroids. Not only can you scan documents and store them on evernote, their software will read any text on your notes and make it searchable. In addition, the scanners that I’ve mentioned above will offer you the ability to scan your documents straight to Evernote.
There’s also a handy iPhone or Android app for you to access your documents from your phone.
For example:
Got a call from your friend asking for your physics study notes while you’re on the ski slopes? You can search for ‘physics’ in Evernote and send your notes directly to his email.
You can sign up for a free account at Evernote.com
Dropbox
This is where you can store any work documents such as excel spreadsheets and word documents and access it anywhere.
Dropbox creates a folder on your computer that you use like any other folder. You store your files in there like normal, except they’ll also automatically upload all files inside that folder to your online storage account. This means your files are available anywhere in world, as long as you have internet.
Sign up for a free 2 GB account here: Dropbox Sign Up (Full disclosure: That’s my referral link. I don’t get any money, it just gives my account extra storage if you sign up via my link.)
That’s it! That’s the same system I use for keeping my work files with me whenever I travel.
Happy travels!