damian 0 Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 I go to Switzerland for 2 weeks in Jan. Should I also take my laptop for all my digital snaps... hmmm. Hang on, I don't even have a digi camera anymore, some knuckle in Japan stole it. Don't bring more expensive gear than you need unless you want to increase the risk of theft. I wouldn't take a laptop unless your hotel room has a safe (many do), most are to small for the laptop. Unless you are flying bus/1st class, you only get 15-20 kgs luggage allowance anyway, which you will breach without the laptop. Additional kgs cost a bomb (bad pun when talking air travel). This leaves you with the option of having the laptop as carry on luggage. Hint: when you arrive at narita, or go to narita for departure you have to do a fair bit of train travel and platform switching. More than two bags per person becomes a big pain. Narita airport and the travel to/from it is a pain in teh neck compared to Sydney. YOU WILL NOT just jump in a cab and say "Hotel Okura with it's nice big in room safe and high class clientele who own companies that make laptops so they certainly aren't going to steal one, onegaishimasu". Plus when you depart Aust. you will have to remove the battery and have the lappy, bag and battery screened as separate items, another travel pain. You will also need to buy an adapter to fit Jap. plugs, plus, depending on your make of machine, it may not have the correct converter of 110 volts (although this is very rare). I assume that being smart young aussies that you will take out comprehensive travel insurance before you leave. Don't forget to send in the special hand written form stating that you are carrying an item of increased value (the laptop) and while you are up you had better dig out the original receipt. The increase in insurance premium should come to about the same value as teh 128MB stick, which you will be able to use 1000 time again in the future. These are things you should take into consideration. Link to post Share on other sites
Markie 0 Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 No, no, don't attach the digi-cam to the belt, unless your belt is inside your fleece. The digi-cam must be kept in an inside pocket to keep warm, otherwise the battery goes bonkers in the cold. Only take it out quickly and put it back when you take those snaps. Another suggestion worth trying is to make a tight fitting case from material with good insulation and cut small holes for the lens, screen and buttons. This will give your digi-cam a few extra precious seconds before it goes "low-battery....off". That's when you put it back in your suit to warm up again because the battery actually isn't out yet, so you can continue your shots once it's warmed up again. Link to post Share on other sites
snowboard_freak 0 Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 Sam and I have already taken out travel insurance. I wouldn't travel without it. Our computers fall under the amount covered for electrical items (ie - laptops, digital cameras and the like) so receipts and organising extra cover hasn't been necessary for the computer. My snowboard gear on the other hand........ Abou the theft thing - my impression bout Japan was that it is a very safe place and that crime is quite low. We can always get locks for the computers. They have a special port for a lock to be snapped into. Very handy. cheers Drew Link to post Share on other sites
sam_casper 0 Posted November 14, 2002 Author Share Posted November 14, 2002 Geeez.... dont we all have options today! there is no way i would just "pop" my digi cam on my belt that would just be silly, id just put it around my neck and it would sit on my chest, nice and warm! how hard is that! Im still not sure whats happening with the lappy situation but i still dont get y ur all soo concerned.... i mean really if you guys had the option of taking one i bet u would, when it came to the crunch.... you also have to remember that drew and i would prolly be taking one between the 2 of us. and then its soo light it dsont really mater... its only 2kg... man thats a back braker! As for the niseko thing... sorry if ur all getting the shits that tourist are going there, but ur country advertisies it! so we go, after a lot a lot a lot of saving... we could say the same thing bout sydney that its so full of tourists but we dont cause its a part of everyday life and to be honest i dont care who comes here, heck y not come and see the country theres likely to only be once in a life time operturnity! so thats my 2 cents... everyone here is so high sturng at the moment..... you all need to go and have SEX! Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 Weeeell, you have been warned. Japan is safety country ... mmmmm, right, except when it's not... I reckon your best bet is to get those disposable film cameras. They always work, and nobody steals them. That's what I'm going to use this year, as being told by my digicame everytime that I need to change the battery annoys me too much. Link to post Share on other sites
Markie 0 Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 Good advice, S_F_G_/sam, I think I'll go right now and have some sex. Thanks. BTW, if you hang you digi-cam from your neck over your chest, unless your suit is very tight, doesn't it feel annoying when it sways from side to side when you are curving those turns? Of course, if you're well built, you can tuck it in the cleavage, then it won't sway much, its well protected and nice and warm, and you will have no shortage of volunteers to help you take it out if you don't feel like taking off your gloves! Link to post Share on other sites
boarding pants 0 Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 Japan doesnt advertise Niseko. Australians do that. Link to post Share on other sites
sam_casper 0 Posted November 14, 2002 Author Share Posted November 14, 2002 we adverise with the help of niseko!.... how could we with out japan!? im over it... ... ocean thats great i dont think im the type that if i had soemthing stolen to come back to u and bitch say it was ur fault u didnt warn me.... get off you high horse! hey Markie, it dosent bother me having a cam around my neck, the "cord" hangs low enuff that it just sits on my powder cuff, so its just below my ribs...! (depending on the camear i take out) but it seemed to be fine! i couldnt feel it most the time even had a stress cause i couldnt feel it thought it had fallen off! but it was just comfy and hidden! heheahehae! oh dear! have FUN! SEX SEX SEX! Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 Quote: Originally posted by s_f_g / sam: [QB] get off you high horse![QB] Yes dear. You have a nice time now. Link to post Share on other sites
klingon 10 Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 Behave now Science Fiction Girl Link to post Share on other sites
woywoy 0 Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 ****** Australians.... Link to post Share on other sites
echineko 1 Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 It's always a good idea I think Link to post Share on other sites
Higuma 0 Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 Sam, didn't you just purchase that Digital Camcorder in the last month or so... I also felt the same you you did until the first time I travelled internationally with my laptop... It was a royal pain and now I don't take it anywhere I don't have too.... And I love my laptop too... I have a 5.3mp digital Camera that at full resolutions yeilds about a 15mb file and I still wouldn't bring my laptop on a 2 week vaction now.... just lots of cheap reusable, not so easy to knick memory cards... Now this is not advice just practical experience but - if I were a young aussie coming to Niseko for 2 weeks - I would come sans laptop, buy a shiitt load of cheap memory while I was here, take pictures to my hearts content and then sell the memory cards for a profit when I got back to Oz.... Sam, this info comes from real life experience so please don't get silly and argue about it.. it is not a suposition it is based on "my" experiences.... I don't mean to tell you what to do just offering some of my experiences for you to think about.... Regardless, I'm sure you're gonna have fun... Link to post Share on other sites
sam_casper 0 Posted November 14, 2002 Author Share Posted November 14, 2002 ah yes, i did just by a dv cam... im tossing up with the lappy thing... i didnt take my lappy to Thailand when we went there but the theft rate is like 99% sure! so it was a bit different + there was internet cafes everywhere i mean everywhere.... the lappy reason thing is we posted a topic agers ago bout access to internet and internet cafes, and lots and lots of people told us that the computers are in japanese and that you wouldnt be able to connect and external device up to the computers in the cafes! i donno i was just an idea thats been blown outta proportion! but yes i will get memory over there cause its lots cheaper i did get prices... but, we dont go to toyko first we go to the snow first, so this is were i need ppls help, will we be able to get memory cards at the snow? is there eletronic shops and things up in niseko? mmm... i didnt think that there would be so there we pose another problem becayse we are going on a hoilday we want to save our money for the trip rather than spend it on memory over here which is like $89 for a 16mb card! silly! I mean i dont wanna take my lappy but for convienciance it was a thought! Im not to fussed either way.... i mean traveling with a snowboard will be fun enuff so heck a lappy in ya back packs not going to take much more effort! were away for 3 weeks, 2 in the snow and then a week in tokyo for a week! im sure drew and will sort it out and yes we we'll have a ball! enjoy kids! Link to post Share on other sites
Higuma 0 Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 Sam, when you come to Sapporo on your way to Niseko - you absolutely have to go through Sapporo station - likely with a transfer?? unless you are getting picked up by one of those cheapo aussie run Niselo fun bus tour thingies... Regardless, both BIC camera and Yodabashi are less that 1 minute walk from Sapporo Station and in the case of BIC you don't even have to go outside... It would be easy to buy memory there on route and not hinder your schedule for more than 1/2 an hour.... Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 My question is this, why the hell are you going to Tokyo for a week rather than an extra week in the snow, or ANYWHERE besides Tokyo. Link to post Share on other sites
sam_casper 0 Posted November 14, 2002 Author Share Posted November 14, 2002 i'll have to check if we have time there i know we get a flight to the snow, so i gather theres an airport thats were we land... then we get a bus... so i gather the airport or were we get picked up there might the train station! man i wish we had the itinery! we will be getting in a week or 2! our flights are all confirmed we just have to pay! yay! less than 2mths! like 57 DAYS! Link to post Share on other sites
sam_casper 0 Posted November 14, 2002 Author Share Posted November 14, 2002 ah the toyko thing we wanted to travel a bit over there we infact wanted to go to HK on the way and go to hirosima and travel a bit more, but we could only get flights to Osaka (i dont know if im spelling that right...it looks wrong) so Sydney Osaka to snow to toyko to sydney... we didnt get the chance to go anywere else... so the flights to the snow are only on Sundays right.... so sunday to sunday 11th to 26th we needed to be back by the 31st jan so we couldnt stay the extra week in the snow! so we had to leave that sunday... man i donno if that make sence but hey! its a fair rant! heahheae.... drew will explain better ! Link to post Share on other sites
Higuma 0 Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 Sam, you will have to fly to Chitose airport and then it sounds like your catching a bus from the airport to Niseko... Do you know the name of the tour opperator in Niseko... Are they Aussies?? If so, I heard that some of them are on the cheap.. I know a guy from Oz who is a part time LM - language monkey - here in Sapporo and has scored a "job" picking up aussie boarders at the airport then escorting them to Niseko.. he told me it was real scammy and the guys he met during the recruit were doing it strickly for the snow and didn't really give a crap about the customers.... If you can get the name send it along and I'll check with him... Link to post Share on other sites
woywoy 0 Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 I wonder if they are Aussies too Higuma... do you reckon they could be?!?!?! Link to post Share on other sites
Higuma 0 Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 Yes, to be clear Aussies working for Aussies, picking up Aussies.... Link to post Share on other sites
woywoy 0 Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 But its Japan Higuma... why are there so many Aussies there? Link to post Share on other sites
Higuma 0 Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 The only thing I can think of is it must be better than where they come from somehow???? There is also a disproportionate amount of them in Canada as well.... Link to post Share on other sites
sam_casper 0 Posted November 15, 2002 Author Share Posted November 15, 2002 SKI MAX is the company we are going thru to get the accom and lift passes and transfers and all that jazz! mmm.... i wonder if its the company ya talking bout? Link to post Share on other sites
snowboard_freak 0 Posted November 15, 2002 Share Posted November 15, 2002 Quote: Originally posted by s_f_g / sam: im sure drew and will sort it out and yes we we'll have a ball! what am i sorting out?? Link to post Share on other sites
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