I'm backpacking through Europe this summer!

[Rajahal]

I'm planning a trip to Europe for about 3 weeks this summer.  I've written out all the details here.  I'm still very much in the planning stage, but I at least have some general ideas about where to go.

 

I'm open to any and all advice regarding where to go and how to go about it.

 

To throw a bit of a storage-related discussion into this, I'm trying to figure out a way to keep my photos safe while I travel.  I have a pocket-sized digital camera with an 8 GB SD card, and I may bring a spare 2 GB SD card as a backup.  I'm trying to think of a way to periodically backup my pictures as I travel, so that I won't lose everything if I lose my camera.  I probably won't have a laptop with me, but I'm considering bringing a netbook, ebook reader, mp4 player, or some multi-function gadget that will help me with my trip.  I'm leaning towards a Kindle, since it would provide in-flight entertainment (books and music) and would allow me to peruse hostels and places to visit on the go.  Perhaps it could also be used as a phrase book?  I'm not terribly familiar with them.

 

Some thoughts I've had:

• Carry a spare 8 GB SD card and a two card SD to USB converter.  Periodically stop into internet cafes and use their computers to copy all my pictures from one card to the other.  I could also do this with a large flash drive.  
  
• Find an eBook reader or mp4 player that would allow me to backup pictures onto its internal memory via either SD or USB.
  
• Find an online backup service (Crashplan?) that will let me upload my pictures from internet cafes.
  
• Use a 'cloud' service, such as iCloud or Dropbox.
  
• Perhaps there's some device that just copies from one SD card directly onto another?
  
• Carry quite a few SD cards (probably about 4), and periodically mail them back to my home in the US as they fill up.  Big risk here is if they get lost in the mail...this may also be one of the more expensive options.
  

 

Most of these methods assume that internet cafes will have computers with USB ports that I can use.

 

[WeeboTech]

I would go with some kind of netbook if possible. Many of them have sd card readers built in.

If you can find an internet cafe with WiFi, you can back them up over the internet.

 

once you have a netbook you can do any of these tasks. media, browse, search, destroy, backup, restore, ,etc, etc..

 

 

EDIT:

 

I was thinking of one of these at one time.

http://usa.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=xK9O0XZhFswxrTrn

 

but I still have a Fujitsu LifeBook P1510D

http://www.tabletpcreview.com/default.asp?newsID=416

 

 

[Rajahal]

The Asus netbook looks great, but I'm a bit worried about bringing along a $500 piece of hardware.  I wouldn't be too heartbroken if I lost a $200 netbook, but $500 is a bit over my limit.  Still, I'll keep it in mind.

 

I would also prefer to have a device with 3-G or some sort of anytime wireless, like the Kindle.  If I have to go to an internet cafe to use my device, then it seems I would be better off just using one of their computers.

[WeeboTech]

True, just presenting some ideas.  $200 netbook.. do they have them?

 

If I needed internet everywhere, might consider a phone that could be tethered.

A card reader and extra cards is the cheapest and easiest.

For the geek in me, I would not be without a computer. heh. 

[NAS]

There are devices dedicated to backing up camera cards on teh go but the last time i looked they are not cheap.

 

Also if you are backpacking (inter railing I assume) your more likely to get all you stuff nicked than the odd thing. Personally i would go the money belt route and literally never take it off.

 

In my youth I done the grand tour a few times so heres my tips (feel free to laugh

 

 

Money belt with more than one pocket (the around the torso kind). You will be using your passport more than you think so keep it by itself.

Dont give your passport away to hostels/hotels. Many ask for them just say no. On most passports it actually tells you not to do this anyway. (Ive seen one nicked from a hostel and spent a day in a scary police station in the arse end of no where)

Bike chain. Theres is always something you can attach you pack to when you put it down especially on trains. Chain it up so you cant see it they tend to grab and run so they always drop it (seen this happen twice).

 

SO if you can keep your passport safe you can at the same time keep your data safe assuming you use lots of small cards and change em out alot

[WeeboTech]

Sheesh.. sounds a bit scary.

[Rajahal]

Good tip on the bike chain, that definitely didn't occur to me.  I already have a money pouch (not quite a belt, more of an around-the-neck deal, but it can attach to a belt and sit on the inside of my pants).  Nobody will touch my passport except for border officials.

 

The cheapest netbooks I can find are around $250.  I'm still hesitant to take a netbook, even if it is cheap.  If I have a full-blown computer, I'll want to do full-blown computer type of stuff with it, such as watch movies on planes, write music, surf the web, etc.  I expect that I'll consistently be disappointed with performance.

 

It looks like older iPod versions support direct from camera backup, but I'm not sure I would trust it since it is older tech:

How can I transfer photos from my digital camera to my iPod?

 

NAS is right that all the dedicated photo storage devices are too expensive.  Perhaps I should just carry multiple SD cards of smaller denominations (2 GB or so) and store all the full cards in my money pouch....

[Msan]

I have something like this: http://www.digitalfoci.com/photo_safe.html and works great.. Mine is 40GB and I got it for $40 on ebay last year..

[Joe L.]

Just an FYI.  Trying to upload 8Gig worth of pictures from an internet cafe is going to take FOREVER (maybe even longer than the three weeks of your trip).  

 

Even though it is a bit more weight, I strongly suggest an external 2.5inch usb hard-disk.  You can fit a 500Gig usb drive in the backpack very easily.  Then, you can copy off the photos in their full resolution.

 

In October of 2001 my wife and I took a 17 day tour of Europe. 14 countries and principalities... We had with us an older 2.1 Megapixel Olympus C2000-Z camera.  Resolution was 1600x1200 but picture quality was better than many of today's smaller cameras since it had a full sized glass lens and decent optics.

 

I took many smaller memory cards with me (I think they got as bit as 64 Meg back then) and took over 1000 photos on the trip. (Actually, I took many more, but I deleted the bad ones as I went)  Today, you can easily get 8 and 16 Gig memory cards for cameras.  I'd copy them to the portable hard-disk as you travel, but keep the original flash memory too.  

 

I ended up crashing the new digital photo center at the brand new Costco that opened a year or so later.  I decided to get all the photos printed.  I put them all in a single folder on a CD as per the manager of the photo center.  He loaded them all into his digital photo processing machine.  It printed about 200 before it crashed.  He tried again, it crashed again.  He tried again, he thought it worked, but all the images were mangled. (memory corruption) I think it ran out of memory.

 

He ended up doing them a hundred or so at a time, and having to have me come back three times before they were all ready.  I called and asked? Are they printed?  he said yes.  I got to the store and it was a stack only about 2 inches high.  I said it should be enough photos to fill a shoebox.   He ended up giving me a really good price. (somewhere about 9 cents per photo)

 

As far as being safe, I picked up an armored fanny-pack, and two money-belts for the passports, etc.

Similar products are available here (just found via a google search) http://www.walkabouttravelgear.com/pacsafe.htm

 

Joe L

[WeeboTech]

The cheapest netbooks I can find are around $250.  I'm still hesitant to take a netbook, even if it is cheap.  If I have a full-blown computer, I'll want to do full-blown computer type of stuff with it, such as watch movies on planes, write music, surf the web, etc.  I expect that I'll consistently be disappointed with performance.

 

You will want to do all that anyway... Plus you will have lots of time on the plane.

I think carrying it is more of the drag then anything.

That was why I bought a Fujitsu 12" tablet. then about 6 months later bought the 9" P1510d. I went from subway ride with a 4lb tablet to a 2lb tablet.

 

Then again with the crowded NYC subways, I really needed the smaller machine.

[Rajahal]

Understood, Joe.  Even though I have an 8 GB card, I doubt I'll completely fill it, even over my entire 3 week trip.  I remember during one day trip I attempted to fill the 8 GB card in a single day, and even taking pictures constantly I only got a bit over 1 GB's worth.  I'm happy to bring along an external hard drive or a large flash drive, but that means I'm still reliant on finding a computer to use.

 

Thanks for the link, some interesting gear there.  The PacSafe seems like a good idea.  I've already got a snowboarding lock that looks exactly like the Retractasafe 200 Cable Lock, so perhaps I should bring that along as well.

 

Obviously I'll keep my passport, money, and other essentials on my body at all times.  I would like everything in my pack to be expendable.  So I'm really more concerned with saving the data off my camera, not necessarily the camera and SD cards themselves.  Hence, the online storage option appeals to me.  Then again, I could carry a 16 GB flash drive in my money pouch just as easily, and probably save some time during the transfers.

[Joe L.]

Understood, Joe.  Even though I have an 8 GB card, I doubt I'll completely fill it, even over my entire 3 week trip.  I remember during one day trip I attempted to fill the 8 GB card in a single day, and even taking pictures constantly I only got a bit over 1 GB's worth.  I'm happy to bring along an external hard drive or a large flash drive, but that means I'm still reliant on finding a computer to use.

 

Thanks for the link, some interesting gear there.  The PacSafe seems like a good idea.  I've already got a snowboarding lock that looks exactly like the Retractasafe 200 Cable Lock, so perhaps I should bring that along as well.

 

Obviously I'll keep my passport, money, and other essentials on my body at all times.  I would like everything in my pack to be expendable.  So I'm really more concerned with saving the data off my camera, not necessarily the camera and SD cards themselves.  Hence, the online storage option appeals to me.  Then again, I could carry a 16 GB flash drive in my money pouch just as easily, and probably save some time during the transfers.

We were warned about pick-pockets in Rome, so fanny pack with dual steel cables in the belt made it lots less likely for it to be cut loose.  (Having spent my time riding the NYC subways, I guess I'm a tiny bit more street-smart than some tourists.)

 

Joe L.

[Rajahal]

I dislike fanny packs, but I'll consider something like the Slingsafe instead of the low-tech money pouch I currently own.

[NAS]

Just to put a smile on people faces.. another silly but genuinely useful tip.

 

Always wear sunglasses on the train:P When you fall asleep people don't always know you are and you get alot less hassle and potential thievery. Silly i know but it works.

 

I am quite jealous now... dammit

 

 

 

 

[Rajahal]

Thievery I could see, but why would you get hassled for sleeping on a train?

[NAS]

People just think your ignoring them and leave you alone. Some countrys are bad for it.

[WeeboTech]

(Having spent my time riding the NYC subways, I guess I'm a tiny bit more street-smart than some tourists.)

Joe L.

 

They are bad, but not that bad, or at least what I'm gathering here. It also depends on where and when you are traveling.

[Rajahal]

People just think your ignoring them and leave you alone. Some countrys are bad for it.

 

I see.  Well, I'm a pretty social person, so I'll probably be striking up new friendships on the train anyway. 

[Brandnewfatboy]

If you stop off in London, I'll buy you a pint.

If you're even faintly interested in history, spend some time in Rome. Fantastic historical stuff everywhere, great food, insane drivers. Loved it.

[/end non-storage]

 

[prostuff1]

If you want to carry around a little netbook i have one i am trying to sell for my Aunt.  She does not want it anymore and it is essentially unused.

 

I am looking to get about $250 for it and it comes with a little case also.

[Rajahal]

If you stop off in London, I'll buy you a pint.

If you're even faintly interested in history, spend some time in Rome. Fantastic historical stuff everywhere, great food, insane drivers. Loved it.

[/end non-storage]

 

 

Sweet!  I still haven't decided if I'm going through London or not, but I'll send you a PM with my contact info if I am.

 

If you want to carry around a little netbook i have one i am trying to sell for my Aunt.  She does not want it anymore and it is essentially unused.

 

I am looking to get about $250 for it and it comes with a little case also.

 

Interesting, can I have the specs?  If I can find a netbook that will allow me to use 3G in Europe, then I'll go for it.  Otherwise, if I have to go to an internet cafe to use the netbook's wifi anyway, then I don't see the point in carrying one.

 

I've been looking into other 3G devices as well.  I've decided the Kindle won't work because it's web browser is pretty atrocious (I've played around with a friend's).  I'm looking into the Droid now, but it seems that a lot of the Droid's features don't work in Europe (GPS, for example), and that it can't take pre-paid sim cards.  I don't really care about being able to make calls, but I would really like to be able to browse the web over 3G (not wifi) so that I can preview hostels and coordinate couch surfing, and such.

[prostuff1]

Interesting, can I have the specs?  If I can find a netbook that will allow me to use 3G in Europe, then I'll go for it.  Otherwise, if I have to go to an internet cafe to use the netbook's wifi anyway, then I don't see the point in carrying one.

 

When I get home tonight i will post the specs for you.  I don't think it has 3G built in but you could get something like a 3G USB adapter for it and that would probably work just fine.

[NAS]

there are lots of global wifi products you can use. i.e. you get an account and you can access tens of thousands wifi points.most do deals with big chains like MacDonalds, hotal chains meaning your never far from one.

 

better than 3G as the billing rate is flat.

[Rajahal]

Interesting, thanks NAS, I'll look into that.  I expect that would work just as well with something like a Droid or an iPhone, right?  Anything wifi compatible?

[prostuff1]

Rajahal the specs for the netbook are as follows:

 

Acer Aspire one D250-1325

Windows 7 starter

Intel Atom N270

10.1 LED LCD (1024x600)

1GB RAM

160GB HDD

No Optical

Multi-card reader

B/G wireless

No Bluetooth

Webcam built in

 

It is a nice little computer and if I was still taking classes in college I might have liked to carry this netbook around but I do not have a use for it now.