sal_angel2

I know this is stupid as I am going travelling but I am also training as a Photographer, I get carried away with taking photos and could easily take over 100 at each destination! Therefore I wanted to take my laptop to store my photo after each day to ensure they are safe. Is there a gadget to store and backup photos without having my laptop?

I know you are travel experts rather then tech experts but any ideas would help.

jamikins

Multiple memory cards? Or an iPhone or iPad?

We always take our laptop on vacation with us and haven't had a problem yet (knock on wood)!

sal_angel2

Thanks that's good to know. just a bit nervous about trusting other people if I stay in hostels!!

hetismij2

There used to be image tanks, simple hard drives with a built in card reader. Sadly they don't exist anymore.

If you were staying in hotels I'd say take the laptop, but if you are staying in hostels I would seriously consider taking multiple SD cards. You can get them with huge amounts of memory nowadays and most DSLR camera will accept those. Make sure you lock each one as you swap it out, and don't fill it completely - that increases the risk of card error. Also have some sort of labelling system so you know which card you used when. Of course if you have a smart phone or GPS logger then you can log your trip and tag the photos later (or at the time if you have the right logger) Which makes life easier.

If you run out of cards they don't cost a fortune to buy. Certainly a lot less than a new laptop costs, and they are lighter to carry with you too!

jamikins

Totally agree, I would never bring a laptop, iPad etc if I stayed on a hostel. Multiple memory cards would be the way to go for me

nytraveler

Taking a laptop to a hostel - or a hotel without sizable room safes - is IMHO just asking to have it stolen. Agree multiple cards is the answer.

Naturally I take my laptop on business trips but it is either with me - or in a secure room in a business hotel with good security - the whole time.

Myer

My photos are important to me.

I take a couple of memory cards.

But if I had a very small/light laptop that I could always have with me I would consider it as an extra backup of the photos.

adrienne

I take many 2gb cards and only use 1 per day, changing the cards each day. I keep them in snack size baggies labeled (on the inside of the bag) used and blank and keep all my camera peripherals in a quart zip lock bag. I always carry extra blank cards with me during the day as one time a memory card went bad after only 8 shots and my hotel was too far to get back to it for another card.

I agree that a laptop in hostels is not a good idea. I carry a small notebook with me to view my photos at the end of each day and to make trip notes. I also use it for the internet while traveling but if you're only looking for storage then multiple cards are the best.

sal_angel2

Thanks for all your advise I think I will leave my laptop and go with the cards...

Finecheapboxofwine

Are you staying in a location that has a safe? Then maybe take the laptop but I enjoy traveling light and would ditch the laptop in favor of a memory card that you could carry in your passport pouch or somewhere secure on yourself.

thursdaysd

I travel with a laptop or an iPad, but I don't flash it around. If I were staying in hostels I would take it if I knew that the hostels had lockers (take your own padlock) - in fact I wouldn't book hostels that didn't. I used to rely on memory cards, but when one was full I would have the contents dumped to CDs and mail one home (I kept the second until I knew that the first had arrived). I need the laptop/iPad for posting to my blog, and confirming/making reservations. I used to rely on internet cafes, but they seem to be a thing of the past in countries with a good standard of living - i.e. much of Europe.

Dukey1

OK, if you are staying in hostels what are you gonna do to safeguard all your other stuff?????