Some Thoughts on Travelling With a DSLR Kit

Just got back from a 7 week round-the-world trip. I got lots of good advice here about various things during the preparation, so I thought I'd share a bit about my experience.

I took a 60D, 70-300L and Kenko 1.4 teleconverter, 15-85, 50/1.8, extension tubes and 250D close-up, 430EX II, 10" netbook, and 8x40 binoculars, in a Lowepro Fastpack 350.

I'm very happy with the pack. It never got a second glance as a carry-on item on flights, even though it was well over the cabin luggage weight limits. There was only one flight where it didn't comfortably fit under the seat in front.

I started out using the Fastpack as a day pack, but switched to going out with the camera and 70-300 or 15-85 on a Black Rapid strap, and the other lens in my little knapsack if I thought I was likely to use it.

Most of the photos I took were of zoo animals, wildlife, and landscapes, so I didn't use the flash or the macro gear. I'd probably take them again anyway, unless I really needed to travel light.

My strategy was to clear the cards onto the netbook each day, review, cull, and share using FastStone, then back-up on two 32GB thumbdrives. I kept one on my keyring and my companion kept the other. Since I often had access to home broadband when we stayed with family and friends, I purchased 50GB of space on Dropbox and backed up overnight as well. If I did it again I wouldn't bother with the online back-up.

I regret not getting a better netbook. This one is 1024x600, which messes with applications like the EOS Utility. I had to install an accessory to allow me to move windows around to get at buttons that are off the screen. So my advice is don't get anything less than 1024x768, or smaller than 11". I also found that things like Photoshop CS5 and MS Office simply refused to install on such a low-spec machine. I found no mention of these limitations in the research I did before buying. I got Elements 9 working, and Lightroom runs okay, but I found editing on such a small screen to be too much of a pain to worry about, and it has a limited range of resolutions to drive external monitors.

All the Canon gear performed flawlessly.