So I am going to travel... alone. I know, you'll never actually be alone, since there are many solo backpackers who you'll meet along the way. But it's nice to have at least some gadgets to enjoy yourself while on long train rides or when you can't sleep at night, like an e-reader. Also, I'd love to take pictures of the amazing places I visit, so a camera is kind of a necessity. Furthermore I'd like to keep in touch with the home front. In short: I have a list of gadgets which ideally would all get a little spot in my backpack. Let's take a look:
Digital mirror reflex camera
I have a camera, a Nikon D3100. It's a digital mirror reflex camera for beginners and I must say I'm still very happy with this baby. I took several classes to find out how to work with the thing, and those classes paid off. I can take some decent pics now, and I'd love to shoot some amazing views in South East Asia. Problem: this thing is heavy and bulky, so not ideal for travelling. And I'm not even taking extra accessories into account, like a tripod, extra lenses and other small accessories. Oh what to do.
Any of you readers have experience with taking such a camera on a backpacking trip? Was it worth the hassle?
Compact digital camera
I know, it's kind of stupid to take two camera's. But imagine going on a long hike, going to the full moon party on Koh Phangan or doing a bungee jump (which I'm actually planning on doing in Nepal). You don't take your expensive, heavy and bulky digital mirror reflex camera on such trips. So ideally I'd pack my small compact camera as well.
Mini Laptop
I really love writing and I'm certainly planning on writing stories about my 'adventures' while away because it's impossible to memorize every single little thing you've done in 5 months. A mini laptop would be a convenient device. Since my mom isn't really happy with me going on a solo backpacking trip through South East Asia, she kind of demanded me to keep in touch on regular basis. That's fine by me of course, and a mini laptop can be very handy for these kind of things since it has a small webcam for skype.
E-Reader
I don't have one yet, but an e-reader is certainly on my list of gadgets to take with me. I'm a solo traveller, so it's nice to have something to read for those lonely moments. Of course I cannot fill up my backpack with books, so an e-reader is very convenient. (I want a Kindle, is it any good?)
iPhone
I'm not going anywhere without my phone. It's not the most practical phone to take on a backpacking trip, but it's my connection with home/ bf/ family/ friends. Thank you WhatsApp!
MP3 player
Luckily I have a very small mp3 player, about 2x2 inches. It's perfect for a trip like this, since it's not taking up any space and it's very light weight.
Ideally I'd take all of these, but the annoying thing about those devices is that they also require separate chargers. All in all it's a big load of stuff, which I am not planning on dragging along for 5 months. So let's speak up, you folks:
- Should I take the big camera, the small camera or both?
- Should I take the mini laptop?
I recently bought a bigger camera and I find that I still take most of my photos with my iPhone. I think in the end it will depend on what kind of trip it is. Is this a mostly outdoor sleeping and hiking? If so, I'd probably only take the small one. If it's a hosteling and train-ing type trip, the bigger camera would be nice, especially since you're so able to utilize it. Just my two cents :)
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