There are a lot of technology and tools that you can take with you when you head out on a big trip.

Anyone who does a lot of traveling and writing has probably gone through a lot of these tools, cos… well we travelers tend to treat technology pretty roughly.

We also know that packing light and tough (are you beginning to see a theme on this site?) are the keys to comfort and practicality when you are on the road.

But what do you really NEED?

Well, for the sake of the article, I am going to assume that, like me, you love writing from the road. You want to show off your digital photos and witty reflections on the place you are in to your family, friends and adoring fans (cough cough) via your blog or website.

These are the tools you might want to consider:

Digital Camera - This is a must have. I use the Nikon D70S, but there are plenty of good options and they are just getting better all the time. You need to think about your ability and what type of shots you are likely to be taking. If you are just going to be taking indoor people shots then you might get away with using a point and click type digital camera. If you want a bit more umph to take everything from landscapes to intricate closeups, you might want to consider moving up to an SLR (and learning how to use it properly) with a few different lenses.

Forget about film cameras unless you plan to be blowing up your prints to anything above about A4 size. Film is too fiddly when you are on the road and you also have to carry all those cannisters. If you take a lot of shots (I average 200 per day when I am traveling) then the cost of film and developing can also add up (unless you are lucky enough to be a professional and financed by an agency or magazine).

In most scenarios a digital camera will be the best option. Even professional journalists and photographers are switching to the top end digitals like the Canon D1X. Any of the mid to high end Canon or Nikon DSLRs will be plenty good enough for most people - including those who are hoping to get their shots into magazines or newspapers.

Storage - If you are going to be taking a lot of digital photos then you are going to need somewhere to store all of that data. There are a few options which include uploading from your camera to your laptop (very inconvenient) or taking lots of memory cards for your camera (very expensive). I find the most convenient way is to take a decent capacity iPod or MP3 player. That way you can transfer the photos directly and convenienctly from your camera to your storage device. And if you need to listen to some tunes, you are also covered. Make sure there is plenty of capacity - get the 30 Gig Video iPod if you can afford it (the iPod video lets you view the pics you have stored which is very handy) - the more storage capacity, the better.

Laptop - You are going to need somewhere to Photoshop your new pics and to write your blog/story/website from. Your laptop need to be light and tough. I use a presario V2000 which is quite light at 5.4 pounds which is nice - but it is not the fastest machine I have ever owned performance-wise.

At a minimum you want something with over 1.6GhZ processing and 512 MB RAM if you are going to be using programs like Photoshop and switching between them (ie if you have Photoshop, Firefox and MS Word all open at the same time). Even more RAM would be nice if you can afford it.

But you also have to weigh up performance against the cost because your laptop WILL get knocked around a lot. Getting dropped, being thrown and being sat on are all par for the course for most traveling laptops - make sure yours is up to it (I have heard that the Sony and Toshiba performed very well under tough conditions for the US army in Iraq and Afghanistan).

Internet Connection - You will need to get on the internet somehow. Wireless is usually the best option for this so make sure that you have a decent wireless card. If you are near a decent size town then you will probably be able to find an unsercured or free wireless connection so you can upload your stories and photos to the internet.


54Mbps 802.11g Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter with HotSpot DetectorWireless Network Detector - One problem with that is that you don’t want to have to boot up your laptop every time that you need to search for a wireless connection. That is why it is a good idea to also carry a little wireless detection tool with you (the one on the right also doubles as a USB wireless adapter). They are small enough to fit in your pocket and it certainly beats dragging your laptop out of your pack and booting up only to discover that there is no way to connect to wireless.

Now, if wireless isn’t available and you need to resort to going to an internet cafe, then there is another tool you might like - it’s a little USB Data Transfer Device that lets you connect your laptop to the PC at the internet cafe without too much hassle so that you can transfer files accross and use that PC to upload them or send them off. It’s just a glorified piece of wire, but it can come in handy. It’s a timesaver and it’s pretty small so you should probably carry one with you.

Satellite Internet - If you are a long way from anywhere, then connecting to the internet through a wireless connection or an internet cafe is not going to be an option. That is when you need to start thinking about getting satellite internet. This can be a little expensive, but if you make even a little money from your writing or photographs then you may be able to cover the cost.

There are a few options available to you. Inmarsat has a unit called RBGAN that you can use (rent or buy) that will let you connect to the internet from anywhere between Paris, acrross Europe and the Middle East, all the Way to India and parts of East Asia. The RBGAN is a little unit that is slightly smaller than a laptop. This is what many journalists and aid workers within that geographical confine use and the connection isn’t bad (144 KBPs), but it isn’t cheap either. If you are uploading large files (like uncompressed digital photos) then this could get expensive. If you are only uploading small files like text, then it is quite resonable. The providers of this service are also planning a major upgrade this year (BGAN) so the coverage will get a lot better. You can also make telephone calls using this unit.

Telephones - If you want to be able to make calls from anywhere (and you don’t want a RBGAN unit) then you could think about getting a Thuraya sat phone. At about $500 plus about $1 per minute for calls, it is expensive without being prohibitive. This is really only necessary for people who are going WAY off the beaten track, because most small towns in most countries will have phone services that you can use.

For most countries you will be able to find a little kiosk at the airport that will let you hire a normal cell phone that will let you make and receive calls. This is usually the best idea for most people, but always make sure you ask about the coverage, as many countries have dead spots where cell phone coverage does not reach.

Rechargers - All this stuff is great, but it all takes electricity. If you are traveling internationally then the different power setups will also add to the headache. I find that one solution to this is to take recharging devices that will plug into a car lighter socket - most of the time your travels won’t take you out of range of some friendly guy (or cab driver) with a car you can use to charge your gear. You can car chargers them for your iPod and laptop and it saves a bit of messing around. You can of course also take your normal rechargers with a universal power adapter but BE CAREFUL of the different voltage setups for each country - you don’t want to fry your gear.

Now these are the core pieces of tech that you will need - especially if you are heading off the beaten track. There are plenty of other little pieces of kit that can add to your comfort and every traveler has a different style. You’ll have your own favourite pieces of kit too, but I’d be willing to bet that your favs will include at least some of the kit mentioned in this article.

Happy travels!

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