Although we started out aiming for other issue , Gizmodo being what it is , we tended toward the proficient , and end up ask accomplished state of war corespondentPeter Maassssomething very much like “ What ’s in your Gadget Bag ? ” Which is all right , but it ’s the stories and pictures that come out of these harsh situations that make Peter ’s choice of equipment a fiddling more tangible , not the widget themselves , and we hope you ’ll take the fourth dimension to appreciate the rise disharmony of an environment where gadgets can be unimportant toy , small-scale comforts , and critical tools , all at the same time .
What geared wheel do you carry in Iraq ?
Too much . Being a correspondent in a war zone requires a duffel bag of equipment , not to note the fuss - shooting skills of a Tekserve geek .
The most crucial man of electronic hardware is a satphone . The best is made byThurayaand is the sizing of a first - propagation cellphone . It does n’t cultivate indoors and its short aerial must be point in the direction of wherever the Thuraya orbiter happens to be . Niftily , it has a Global Positioning System locater , so if you get lost you’re able to acquire your GPS coordinates and call for assistant . With the assist of a Belkin serial adapter , the Thuraya channel datum at 19 1000 or so , which is ok for email but slow for browse the web or filing photograph . Many photographer now practice aBgan transmitter , which is the size of a laptop and transmits at 56 jet or in high spirits .
You do n’t require a hardened computer , though breakdowns are frequent . I use anApple iBookand take the precaution , during the intrusion of Iraq , of cover the screen and keyboard in saran wrap , to keep out the sand . An item I did n’t have , but dear bid for , wasnight imagination goggles . If you have to drive at Nox with the military in a warzone , as I and other non - embedded diarist did , you ca n’t apply any lights ( you even have to videotape over the red - light indicators on your dashboard ) . Driving without headlamp in a desert behind a cooler that does n’t have brakelights is an unpleasurable experience .
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Useful doodads let in aSony shortwave radiocommunication , so that you’re able to be aware of what ’s happening elsewhere . A small flashlight is essential ; most journalists usemaglites . Necessary , too , is a pocketknife , sooner a Leatherman ; I use the scaled - downJuiceversion . As I often work with a photographer , walkie - talkies get along in handy , to apace be in mite when we ’re separate but nearby ( Motorola T5320
work well in a radius of about a mile or so ) . As cellphones sour in some sphere , a GSM earpiece is necessary ( I carry aNokia 6610 ) . In addition , alightweight sleeping bagis call for . Last but not least ( and certainly heavy ) isbody armor . A bulletproof singlet with ballistic plates in front and back weighs about 20 pounds ; a Kevlar helmet adds another three pounds to your outfit .
Though it might characterise as a lavishness point , I locomote with anApple iPod , as do many journalists . AniTripattachment ( to play your music through a cable car radio ) is a blessing because we drop a lot of time on the route and savour the misdirection of hear to Coldplay or whatever while drive from Baghdad to Basra or other point . I also carry a digital camera ( for personal , not professional use ) ; mine is aSony Cybershot DSC - P10 , which shoots video . A few years ago , I migrated from cassette recorders to their digital cousins ; I now use anOlympus DM-1 , which spare me the hassle of carrying an ever - extend curing of cassettes in my backpack , and also let me backup interviews onto my iBook . Another item in my rucksack : aPalm Tungsten E.
If you have n’t guessed already , all of this gear requires a large number ofcables and power adapters(multiplied by the need to have car - chargers for essential equipment , because often the only electric electric outlet that works is the cigaret lighter in your fomite ) . travel sparkle is a fade memory for most of us .
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