Alaska 2014

[hehbr]

We are planning an Alaska trip this summer. Will be going to Dawson City and plan on leaving the trailer in Tok while gone. Looks like a 2 night, 3 day trip since it is 180 miles each way with a lot of it on dirt road.

[NukeRef]

Originally Posted by Graydust

We are planning on buying a Lap top for the trip. Our Cell phone is one of the cheap one's not smart phone. We would like to pay some bills on the net and watch our accounts along with phoning the kids while in Canada and Alaska. If the answer is on the iRV what words do I use to find it? I am also interested in good security. Some people say WI-Fi can be bad when traveling. How do a couple of old phone people do this when traveling on a trip like this. We are pretty good with the computer but this is off the desk top. Thank you Rich & Mary.

Thanks Ray,IN for your help. I think I am over thinking this. I keep thinking I should upgrade my phone to make it a Hot Spot but I don't like the expense for such a short time. We use Verizon. Thanks again Rich

Be aware that Verizon will charge you international rates while you are in Canada, and that extends to Tok which is in a Canadian tower zone. Data rates are outrageous, $2.05/mb, and talk rates are $.89/min.

BEFORE you leave the Lower 48, you can get a Canada-Mexico plan that gives you 1000 minutes of talk for $15, and you can get a Global Data plan for $25/100 MB. Once you leave the States it's too late to switch. I learned the hard way.

[AKBradley]

Security is concern on wifi; I take a few extra measures that may help or at least make me feel a little less exposed.

Change passwords often.
Use my device in my motor home not in MDs.
Use hot spot from cellphone provider, encrypted router transmissions.

Banking and bill paying set up auto pay bill pay.
Bank America offers a free service (Shop safe number) this allows you to create a fictitious credit card number that can be setup as a one time use or recurring number with exact credit limits and date specific expiration date, to limit exposure. It's best use is shopping on line, one time purchases

To be honest you are probably more exposed when you hand your credit card to the waiter in a restaurant.

Smart phones are great but most people keep to much personal information on them. Clean all your passwords and clean up other personal information.
Lock them down password protect everything.

[tom2500]

Originally Posted by NukeRef

Be aware that Verizon will charge you international rates while you are in Canada, and that extends to Tok which is in a Canadian tower zone. Data rates are outrageous, $2.05/mb, and talk rates are $.89/min.

BEFORE you leave the Lower 48, you can get a Canada-Mexico plan that gives you 1000 minutes of talk for $15, and you can get a Global Data plan for $25/100 MB. Once you leave the States it's too late to switch. I learned the hard way.

Very helpful. thanks!

[tom2500]

Originally Posted by AKBradley

Security is concern on wifi; I take a few extra measures that may help or at least make me feel a little less exposed.

Change passwords often.
Use my device in my motor home not in MDs.
Use hot spot from cellphone provider, encrypted router transmissions.

Banking and bill paying set up auto pay bill pay.
Bank America offers a free service (Shop safe number) this allows you to create a fictitious credit card number that can be setup as a one time use or recurring number with exact credit limits and date specific expiration date, to limit exposure. It's best use is shopping on line, one time purchases

To be honest you are probably more exposed when you hand your credit card to the waiter in a restaurant.

Smart phones are great but most people keep to much personal information on them. Clean all your passwords and clean up other personal information.
Lock them down password protect everything.

Very helpful. Thanks

[AKBradley]

Computer

We use apple products.

This allows us to face time our grand children. A little more personal than a phone a call.
We all have Apple ID s for each device so that we can find them if lost.
We can also lock them with a message to return the devices or completely wipe the devices.
We carry prepaid phones when we tvl with nation wide, works in Canada not in Mexico. Unlimited long distance, unlimited text; data is less than ideal.
Most carriers have a plan similar to that offered by our carrier. $35 per month.

[Wackado]

We will be going to AK this summer starting June 14 as we have to wait for the kids to get out of school. We are going to drive to AK as quickly as we can then take July to see AK. We then will have 4 weeks to get back through Canada to get home. We know it's a bit rushed, but it's better than not going at all.

[Graydust]

Thank you so much for all the information on this subject. We studied all of it and just bought a new smart phone with hot spot capability, and a lot of other stuff. Now we have some learning while the snow melts, if it does. We have so much I think I am in Alaska. Now we want to get a Lap Top. Another new toy. We have a Desk top but no room for it on the trip.

[AKBradley]

If you are a PC user stick with what you are familiar with it makes life easier.
If you are interested in switching to Mac jump in the learning curve isn't as high as it was when you first learned your PC.
If price is your main concern PC's are much less expensive. It is mostly personal preference.

To quote Popular Mechanics:
"Last Words
The battle between platforms is over. In our tests, raw performance was almost identical."

See this comparison.

Comparisons PC vs Mac
Mac Vs. PC: Ultimate Laptop Lab Test - Popular Mechanics

Mac Air 11 vs 13
MacBook Air 11-inch vs. 13-inch: Which ultralight laptop should you get? | iMore

Refurbished mac airs on Apple site; I don't work for Apple just enjoy the product even though they are more expensive. I use both PC and Mac but must admit to a bias for Mac.
Both these Mac Airs are the ultra thin note books. Battery life on mine (the 13 inch) is about 7.5 hours. They come with nearly all the software for lite users. If you purchase one of these take it to the local Apple store to let them help you set it up it will save you a lot of time.

Apple Certified Refurbished: to see these units.
Refurbished MacBook Air 13" - Apple Certified Refurbished Notebook Computers - Apple Store (U.S.)

Fast, free shipping on all refurbished products. Test and certify all Apple refurbished products and include a 1-year warranty.
Limited supplies, but updated frequently. Availability is guaranteed upon receipt of full payment.

Originally released June 2012
13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen display, 1440-by-900 resolution
4GB memory
128GB flash storage
720p FaceTime HD camera
Intel HD Graphics 4000
$849.00
1.8GHz i5 processor

Originally released June 2013
11.6-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen display, 1366-by-768 resolution
4GB memory
128GB flash storage
720p FaceTime HD camera
Intel HD Graphics 5000
1.3GHz i5 processor
$849.00

Price is the same but the 11 is one year newer with newer graphics processor.

Hope this helps.

[ChileRick]

Originally Posted by AKBradley

If you are a PC user stick with what you are familiar with it makes life easier. If you are interested in switching to Mac jump in the learning curve isn't as high as it was when you first learned your PC. If price is your main concern PC's are much less expensive. It is mostly personal preference.

X2. BUT, if you use financial or business software on your PC, and you are temped to switch to MAC, take a look at the MAC version of the software first. It's very different than the windows versions. We use both platforms, PC for finance, Mac for everything else only because we use software, not just online services. If you just use online financial services, then no difference.

[taylorgso]

Originally Posted by ChileRick

X2. BUT, if you use financial or business software on your PC, and you are temped to switch to MAC, take a look at the MAC version of the software first. It's very different than the windows versions. We use both platforms, PC for finance, Mac for everything else only because we use software, not just online services. If you just use online financial services, then no difference.

You can use a program named "Parallels" which will allow you to run your PC programs on your Mac. Very effective, price is reasonable.

[twogypsies]

How about getting back to topic - ALASKA?

[jquinlan]

We've been trying to plan a trip to Alaska with our fiver for the last 3 years. Looks like 2014 is the magic year. We plan to take I-10 from Florida to the California coast and then drive the coastal roads through California, Oregon and Washington.

The trip back we will take the Ferry stopping at Wrangel before ending up in Prince Rupert. Then SE to Banff, Lake Louise, Glacier NP and Custer in SD. Plan to leave early May getting back sometime in August.

In 2008 we rented a 29 foot Class C RV from Great Alaskan Holidays in Anchorage and loved our 3.5 week Alaskan adventure. The Kenai Penninsula was without a doubt our favorite part of the trip. Loved Seward.

Looking forward to hitting the road and may even meet some of you along the way.

[Superslif]

Top of the World Highway*
The road is in good shape early in the season as soon as it is open, later it becomes wash board. If you take your RV or TVL take yor time, travel to Alaska is not about hanging out at Walmart it's seeing the country and enjoying a unique life style.
If you take an RV or TVL trailer check to make sure it can fit on the ferry at Dawson.

On the Top of the World hi-way. How many miles would you say are gravel? Is it mostly after Chicken going east?

I saw a few Youtube videos of the paved section where there appeared to be many pot-holes and locals driving very fast. Thanx for the link to Dawson City.