Laptop to safari?
 

hi..we are going on safari to Kenya and Tanzania on Setember...I'm carryng digital camera and digital video camera...do you think it is going to be a mess to carry my laptop? It should be great to download files...thanks

While I'm happy with my Epson P-2000 for downloading photos, I don't see why you would have a problem taking your laptop. You should be able to find power points to charge it up, as you would your camera gear. Is the laptop's charger dual voltage? East Africa is usually 240V. Make sure you have the proper electrical adapters for all your gear. Is it heavy? Will that be a problem where you are traveling?

The main issue I can think of is weight, but if that's not a concern (i.e. driving safari), I don't see why it would be a problem either.

I took a laptop and a portable storage device with me on my 9-day safari. As noted, the only worry I had was my luggage weight. If you're carrying a digital camera, digital video camera, laptop, and other stuff in you carry-on, it can get pretty heavy. And, the only concern here is the carry-on weight restrictions. I didn't worry about carrying the stuff around as there was always a porter nearby on safari.

To be honest, other than downloading my photos, I didn't use the laptop for anything else. I didn't even view my photos that much. Another concern I had was theft. You can't really carry everything with you when you go to dinner or whatnot, so you're stuff will be in your room unattended for some time. I put my valuables in a locked duffel, and didn't worry about it too much.

Btw, why don't lodgings provide a lockable footlocker or something? You always get something like this in a hostel, and a heavy wooden/steel box is a lot more secure than my duffel bag.

Like lifelist, I carry a portable storage device and a laptop. I guess if I had 2 PSD's for backup I would leave the laptop at home. And I worry about the weight also. I think mine is 6.5 lbs.

We bought a small laptop for our September trip. Our plan is to burn CDs on our laptop each day as a backup. For us it seemed to make more sense to buy another computer instead of a storage device. Hope it turns out to be a good decision.

Personally, I think you should always have 2 copies of your digital images while out on safari. I bring a laptop for download and viewing my images, as well as an Epson P2000 for backing up my images. The P2000 works great in case my laptop fails. I also have an external USB 120GB hard drive that I keep with me at all times, and can act as a boot disk in case my MacBook hard drive decides to tank on me.

So in the end I have 3 copies of my data at all times. No exception. I am not a fan of cd or dvd burning, as the medium and media are not known for being very robust. Hard drives have a lower likelihood of failure, given that you don't throw them around. Optical media break down, and I have never felt great about them lasting very long, espcially if scratched.

I think a laptop is a great idea out on safari, as it allows you to improve on your photographs on a daily basis. The feedback is wonderful!

We take a laptop, an Epson P-4000 (80 GB external HD) and a 100 GB Wolverine, but this is for two people who shoot a lot of images. Download the CF cards on the laptop, preview and cull about 1/3 out and save copies to the externals.

Laptop is invaluable for previewing shots so you can correct any problems right away, like sensor dust or exposure or flash issues. If the laptop dies or is stolen we can still download CF cards directly to the Epson and Wooly ...

People mention weight but unless you're flying in small planes I don't think it's a problem. Our camera bags weigh about 35 lbs and the case with the laptop just under 20 lbs (with other stuff in it) and we've hand-carried this dozens of trips without a problem.

Get a UK power plug and make sure you are 120-240 V compatible and you're set. Would take at least one more backup disk for safety.

Bill

Virginiaush,

I carry a laptop, two DSLR camera bodies (Canon 20d's) and 3 different zoom lenses (17-85mm, 70-200mm and 80-400mm).

Providing you don't overpack, you should be okay. I love being able to come back from a gamedrive, downloading my photos immediately and look at them within 5 minutes while others may not get to see their own photos until they return home. Also, with the downtime on safari, I enjoy editing my photos and anything I don't edit before I get home, usually does not ever get edited.

This way, by the time I return home I am able to print photos immediately.

I just picked up a new HP laptop w/ 120 GB hard drive and 2MB of memory (RAM). I expect this to work like a dream for me on my upcoming South Africa/Botswana safari.

Nope, i like to travel light....with already heavy camera equipment, and a 12kg weight restriction for Moremi Air....my lap top stays at home or the office.

However, i dont know about East Africa weight limits.

Hari

We either take the laptop and one additional portable back up device OR we take two portable back up devices.

Laptop wins IF we think we will have time to review/ do a rough first edit on the images during the trip OR if there is some element of learning on the trip - for example on my recent trip to Ranthambore in India I took the laptop with me partly so I could learn from some of the pros there and also because I was giving one of the presentations on digital photography to other passengers and had my presentation and examples on the laptop.

Hello,

So far I've lived dangerously with only one PSD -- while I plan to buy a second one, I'd never bring a laptop because my camera gear already puts me perilously close to the weight limit on light aircraft flights in Botswana. As a solo traveller who does not have a companion whose weight allowance I can 'borrow', keeping the weight down is a priority. I also don't want to worry about keeping the laptop safe and secure while I'm on holiday -- that's enough of a pain when I'm on a business trip.

From a more philosophical standpoint, if I had my laptop with me I'd probably be tempted to do some work (as an academic, there is always writing or reading to be done), and for me one of the points of going to Africa is to mentally free myself from work obligations entirely. Leaving the laptop at home is part of that. I don't mind waiting until I get home to process my photos - spending time with them at home is almost an extension of my trip, reliving those wonderful moments in the bush.

Cheers,
Julian

The last two trips I took (places other than Africa), not only did I download photos onto the hard drive, I uploaded (when I had a fast connection) onto my web page. No one is going to steal the whole internet. I also use the laptop for keeping a running diary that I intersperse the photos into.

Presumably you'd be able to upload at hotels in CPT, JNB, and NBO. Heck, for all I know internet speed is fast in the middle of the bush.

Lemme tell you - at least in the Serengeti, it was pretty darn slow. But, I was amazed I had it at all.

Upload pictures over the internet? Upload 2 maybe 4 maybe 8 gig per day? if you've done this, I'd like to know more details.
regards - tom

Julian
I have to admit, I have NEVER EVER been tempted to do any work when travelling so that's not an issue for us! :D
Even with two of us we can easily go over the individual weight allowance with the cameras, lenses, charging units, accessories, filters, laptop, portable storage devices - so I can imagine it's harder when travelling alone.
I have taken it all with me when travelling alone though! It's always heaviest on the international flight because stuff like chargers usually lives in our main luggage but we keep it with us on the international flights so that it doesn't go missing should our luggage go missing - we wouldn't be able to recharge our cameras and that, to me, is far worse than losing the odd pair of knickers! :D

I am interested in purchasing a PSD to use while out in the field. I am by no means a pro, but do take quite a few pictures. I see that the Epson P-2000 and the Wolverine are mentioned above. What about the Giga Vu Pro?
Also, as the price for the 40GB Wolverine seems more reasonable, I am leaning that way. Any comments/suggestions would be appreciated.
Bill

"I see that the Epson P-2000 and the Wolverine are mentioned above ... the price for the 40GB Wolverine seems more reasonable, I am leaning that way. Any comments/suggestions would be appreciated."

We have an Epson P-4000 (same as 2000 but with more storage space) and a 100 GB Wolverine ... the Wolverine we have doesn't have a preview screen so you can't look at any pics (some of the newer models do, I think) ... the Epsons have a nice bright 640x480 screen and can play music or slide shows as well as store files. So the Wolverine is much less expensive and small enough to fit in a shirt pocket (and reads more cards per battery charge) while the Epson has the nice preview screen. If you're not taking a laptop then the Epson is probably a better choice. We almost always take a laptop except when fly-in camping in Alaska but for Alaska we rely on the Epson to check images.

Bill

I uploaded from 4-to-5 star hotels in places like Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Phuket, Lima, and Quito (to name a few), which had good internet connections. Obviously, on a safari I wouldn't expect to be able to do this every day, but I have to assume that in some of the nicer hotels in Nairobi, Cape Town, Johannesburg, etc. there are facilities that would allow for major uploads. Normally I would just start uploading as soon as I got in the room, and let the computer do its magic while I ate or slept or whatever.

Hi! thanks for all your comments and suggestions....I'm carrying my laptop as we don't carry heavy photo stuff...and I should love to download the pictures and videos and watch them...it is a pity the laptop battery is not lasting very much...