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I'm looking at doing a 6+ week trip next year and I don't think my trusty 30GB x-drive will cut it anymore (I have at least that amount of space in CF cards).

So I need to find some form of storage for my photos while I am on the road.

I could potentially take my netbook (MSI Wind) with me and copy the images to an external drive. It would be good if I was able to copy the data with out having to switch the computer on, something similar to the x-drive with a built in battery and CF / SD card reader.

Any recommendations, or otherwise how did you handle all your photos when you were last on a trip.

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4 Answers

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Don't forget media devices like the Epson p-3000, wolverine and hyperdrives. essentially a Hard drive with a LCD screen and CF/SD card reader.

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thanks I'll have a look at those devices, I've look at one of the epsons in the past, but it may be more than I need if I end up taking a netbook. – dstrom♦ Oct 28 at 4:38
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I used my netbook for that, but as you noted, that may not be enough for you and my trip wasn't as long (11 days).

Anyways, one option is USB keys as you can get them in 32 or 64GB models now (in Canada, a 32GB flash key is $70 at places like Tiger Direct). So basically you would use the netbook as a means of copying from the CF cards to the key. I suggested that approach, rather than additional CF cards, because the 32GB CF cards were twice the price...

Another option is more powerful notebook (with a more powerful price tag, of course). Some of them can be purchased with massive drives and still be quite small. This option gives the added bonus of a machine that can be used to work on your images if you want as well. With a supplier like Dell, you could even tailor the machine specifically to photography needs.

Neither option, by the way, means you have to forgo the drive you already have.

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I'd rather add the weight / bulk of a full sized laptop ... I'd be more likely to open up the netbook and install a bigger HD, which is also an option. The only issue with this is that I have to boot in to the OS to copy pictures. Flash drives are certainly an option, I'll look in to how much they are at the local computer stores ... – dstrom♦ Oct 28 at 1:11
Bear in mind that you could just keep the laptop in hibernate mode. That cuts a lot off the boot time. Nevertheless, in the end, any device that could take a large volume of photos for you is going to boot into some OS. If it's a "device" then it will be a Linux box, almost guaranteed, otherwise it's in your hands. Nevertheless, an OS is going to boot. – John Cavan♦ Oct 28 at 3:49
true ... but a light weight OS will boot faster than a full Windows / OS X / Linux system. – dstrom♦ Oct 28 at 4:36
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If you could find an internet cafe and bring along a media card reader you could use a service like Amazon S3, Dropbox or any number of online backup services to host your photos while on the road.

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I already use drop box for syncing files to my computers, that might not be a bad idea! – dstrom♦ Oct 28 at 13:01
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Memory card sizes are getting so big now that you might be able to get by just with plenty of memory.

I just bought 2 x 16Gb cards for an upcoming event and hiking trip, and I reckon I'll manage ok.

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