5 Raspberry Pi projects you need to set up before your next vacation

The Raspberry Pi lineup is mostly used for tinkering or self-hosting, but with a little bit of planning, it can also be a valuable productivity or security tool. Here are 5 ways to put a Raspberry Pi to use at home or in your backpack while you’re on vacation.

Build a Raspberry Pi travel router

A DIY travel router can do more than a dedicated unit

A Raspberry Pi 4 configured to work as a travel router.

I first built a Raspberry Pi travel router as an experiment, but after using it for a while, I’ve found that it generally performs better than the off-the-shelf travel router I purchased.

The biggest advantage of the Pi travel router is flexibility. I can install any additional programs on the Pi that I might want on my network. So besides providing quick and easy access for all of my devices, it also serves as a file sharing hub, runs a Pi-hole to block trackers and ads, and a WireGuard VPN so that I can securely route all of my traffic to my home network. It also ensures that I can access any of my self-hosted services at home too.

Of course, those are all pretty standard features—most off-the-shelf travel routers can do that too. However, I’ve also used my Pi travel router as a small game server and media server while on the road. That makes it pretty unique compared to travel routers.

Additionally, the Pi 4 (or Pi 5) can be converted into a full, albeit low-power, PC if necessary.

It is versatile, easy, and will save you money if you already own a Pi. Just be sure to buy a Wi-Fi adapter that is compatible with Linux—not all of them are.

Set up a VPN on your home network

Self-hosting without reliable access is wasted potential

I host a number of different services on my home network, including a media server, multiple game servers, a Joplin server for personal and professional note-taking and writing, a file server, and a handful of other things less consistently.

I also run a WireGuard VPN server on my home network to ensure that I can always access my essential services, even when I’m away.

This is the one Raspberry Pi project I leave running 24/7 in my homelab

Any Raspberry Pi will do to start, even a Pi Zero.

You can configure a WireGuard Server manually, but I’d recommend PiVPN instead. It streamlines the entire setup process and will prompt you when you need to make a decision. Just make sure you remember to pick WireGuard—you can also install OpenVPN, which is a bit heavier than WireGuard.

Automatically water your plants

Your plants will thank you

A soil sensor embedded in the soil of a potted plant.

I’ve occasionally returned from a trip only to find my plants desperately in need of water.

You can make your automatic watering system as complex or as simple as you’d like. The most basic system would just use a Pi to toggle a water pump or solenoid on or off according to a timer, which ensures plants receive water on a set schedule. Alternatively, you could take it a step further and make your Pi actually read the soil moisture content and only water your plant after the soil gets dry.

Try to use a capacitive moisture sensor instead of a resistive moisture sensor. Resistive moisture sensors will corrode aggressively due to electrolysis.

Use Home Assistant to toggle your lights

No one will ever know you’re gone

If you’re away from home for an extended period, you may not want anyone to know that you aren’t at home.

Home Assistant on a Raspberry Pi can be used to automatically toggle your lights on and off at normal times, randomly turn on a light or two during the night, or even open your blinds during the day and close them at night.

With Home Assistant and enough smart devices, you can perfectly recreate your normal routine so that no one would ever suspect you’re away.

A home security camera system

Pi security camera can be even more private

The Raspberry Pi isn’t designed to be a security camera exactly, but thanks to a dedicated camera port and reasonably powerful hardware, you can easily turn a Pi 4 or 5 into an AI-enabled security camera for your home. It’ll be able to automatically identify movement, pets, people, and anything else that you may want to keep an eye on.

I’d recommend starting with MotionEyeOS, since it is an out-of-the-box solution that will remove most of the tedious setup you’d face otherwise.

Best of all, because you have complete control over the Pi, you can be sure that video footage of your home isn’t being stored insecurely on the cloud.

The Raspberry Pi is the ultimate smarthome companion

The real strength of the Raspberry Pi isn’t its power—it is its flexibility. With handful of components, you can turn a Pi into a home security camera or an automated watering system, a smart home hub, or VPN server.

Brand: Raspberry Pi
Storage: 8GB
CPU: Cortex A7
Memory: 8GB
Operating System: Raspbian
Ports: 4 USB-A

It’s only recommended for tech-savvy users, but the Raspberry Pi 5 is a tinkerer’s dream. Cheap, highly customizable, and with great onboard specs, it’s a solid base for your next mini PC.

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Stephan Dorsey

Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.

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I Wish My Brother Had Been Diagnosed With Schizophrenia Before He Turned 18

Do you ever walk past a person on the streets exhibiting mental health issues and wonder what happened to their family? I have a brother—or at least, I used to. I worry about where he is and hope he is safe. He hasn’t taken my call since 2014.

James and his brother as young children playing together before his brother became sick. James is on the right and his brother is on the left.

When I was 13, I had a very bad day. I was in the back of the car, and what I remember most was the world-crushing sound violently panging off every surface: he was pounding his fists into the steering wheel, and I worried it would break apart. He was screaming at me and my mother, and I remember the web of saliva and tears hanging over his mouth. His eyes were red, and I knew this day would change everything between us. My brother was sick.

Nearly 20 years later, I still have trouble thinking about him. By the time we realized he was mentally ill, he was no longer a minor. The police brought him to a facility for the standard 72-hour hold, where he was diagnosed with paranoid delusional schizophrenia. Concluding he was not a danger to himself or others, they released him.

There was only one problem: at 18, my brother told the facility he was not related to us and that we were imposters. When they let him out, he refused to come home.

My parents sought help and even arranged for medication, but he didn’t take it. Before long, he disappeared.

My brother’s decline and disappearance had nothing to do with the common narratives about drug use or criminal behavior. He was sick. By the time my family discovered his condition, he was already 18 and legally independent from our custody.

The last time he let me visit, I asked about his bed. I remember seeing his dirty mattress on the floor beside broken glass and garbage. I also asked about the laptop my parents had gifted him just a year earlier. He needed the money, he said—and he had maxed out my parents’ credit card.

In secret from my parents, I gave him all the cash I had saved. I just wanted him to be alright.

My parents and I tried texting and calling him; there was no response except the occasional text every few weeks. But weeks turned into months.

Before long, I was graduating from high school. I begged him to come. When I looked in the bleachers, he was nowhere to be seen. I couldn’t help but wonder what I had done wrong.

The last time I heard from him was over the phone in 2014. I tried to tell him about our parents and how much we all missed him. I asked him to be my brother again, but he cut me off, saying he was never my brother. After a pause, he admitted we could be friends. Making the toughest call of my life, I told him he was my brother—and if he ever remembers that, I’ll be there, ready for him to come back.

I’m now 32 years old. I often wonder how different our lives would have been if he had been diagnosed as a minor and received appropriate care. The laws in place do not help families in my situation.

My brother has no social media, and we suspect he traded his phone several years ago. My family has hired private investigators over the years, who have also worked with local police to try to track him down.

One private investigator’s report indicated an artist befriended my brother many years ago. When my mother tried contacting the artist, they said whatever happened between them was best left in the past and declined to respond. My mom had wanted to wish my brother a happy 30th birthday.

My brother grew up in a safe, middle-class home with two parents. He had no history of drug use or criminal record. He loved collecting vintage basketball cards, eating mint chocolate chip ice cream, and listening to Motown music. To my parents, there was no smoking gun indicating he needed help before it was too late.

The next time you think about a person screaming outside on the street, picture their families. We need policies and services that allow families to locate and support their loved ones living with mental illness, and stronger protections to ensure that individuals leaving facilities can transition into stable care. Current laws, including age-based consent rules, the limits of 72-hour holds, and the lack of step-down or supported housing options, leave too many families without resources when a serious diagnosis occurs.

Governments and lawmakers need to do better for people like my brother. As someone who thinks about him every day, I can tell you the burden is too heavy to carry alone.

James Finney-Conlon is a concerned brother and mental health advocate. He can be reached at [email protected].

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