In the positive perspective, it is a new, expanding market for hostels (or at least it was before the financial crisis, will see in the near future), on the other hand it could be quicksand if this is just a passing fashion.

I think Vicky’s last line is important, and kind of what I was getting at in my post. Although the BnA post annoyed me with its tone…travelling without a plan can be just as good as travelling without it… but it isn’t black and white.

Perhaps the best way is the grey way.

That said, I wrote this reply on my smart phone.

I create what I call a Travelers Nest, I have been to 85 countries and traveled perpetually for 11-12 years. I want my personal area where I can do what I want to do. I leave the nest to go visit the country. Inside my nest I have a BlackBerry by Verizon that has global data that goes to 180 countries. I blogged with just the BB in East Africa, while in the Phillippines right now I use an Ethernet Wire in my room.

Cultural Fatigue comes to a person when they are outside their own culture, if you are going for less than one year, not a big deal. But the … heheheh TRUE Traveler, or hehehe maybe the REAL Traveler, not a tourist will have cultural fatigue. The link I show for my page is an explanation.

A wise travel will stop using Real, True, and all this realizing the “Prime Directive of Travel” is to enjoy ourselves, not prove something. We must choose our world, not allow others to outline a path on the map to misery.

I read books on my BlackBerry in East Africa, I could not carry 50 books, I downloaded them from Gutenberg site and read on a MobiReader.

The type of travel will determine the answer to whether you should carry your SmartPhone.

Andy Graham of HoboTraveler.com in Bauang, Philippines.

Really, the two quotes in the piece aren’t opposite sides of the coin. The BootsNAll quote tackles security element of the hardware; Benji’s looking at the general advantages of the internet on-the-hop.

So, it’s just a case of how much you think the hassle/paranoia of carrying the gear is outweighed by its usefulness.

So maybe I should also ask: are those of you that do take gadgets with you living in fear the whole time?

I travel with a laptop and nice camera, and every now and then I get a “shit-is-it-still-where-i-left-it” panic pang. But this lasts no more than five seconds and occurs very infrequently. Not a constant thought looming in my mind, stopping me from having fun. Plus I back up my data and have insurance, so if the worst did happen, well, it’d suck, but I’d get over it.

And as for iPhones, surely they don’t demand too much extra care than a regular phone? You just use common sense and don’t showcase it in places where you’d be looking for trouble.

So basically, for me, it’s worth it.

That said I still like the idea of travelling light and not giving a monkeys about my possessions. So I guess BootsnAll has a point too.

So yeah, I totally agree with Gary. And yeah, I’ve got an iPhone, and have many sweet memories sitting in the pavement in the late afternoon sun checking my mail/twitter, while the locals popped by for a talk.

I travel with a laptop but I purposely have a piece of crap so that I won’t worry about leaving it lying around a dorm room as long as I have my hard drive on me.

The most expensive gadgetry I have is my SLR camera and lenses and, while I am careful with it, I don’t find myself worrying too much about it. If I did though I would be inclined to leave it at home because always worrying about your stuff does put a damper on a trip.

I think people romantize travel into something which it is not. You certainly have adventures with an iPhone.

However, now that I’m home after 20 months, and the owner of a new Blackberry Curve, I have to say the Google maps function is enough to change my mind about the utility of a smart phone in a world traveler’s pack.

I first saw a guy demonstrate its accuracy while on the rooftop of an Egytpian cruise ship floating down the Nile River at night, on our way to the next ancient temple. While the Egyptians weren’t keen to keep us posted on our arrival time, my friend was able to estimate it based on GPS.

The light bulb went on for me at that moment.

I just think how bad I would be if I had the internet all the time. I’d never do anything. And for that reason alone, I’m better off without.