It may be the last thing on your mind when enjoying the wonders of a new place, but it is essential to back up your travel photos while travelling.
Saving those memories of the places you see, the people you meet and the experiences you have ensures you can relive those moments for years to come.
But, on the flip side, the last thing you want to do is spend time on what is, let’s be honest, a rather mundane but necessary task.
So, here are 5 ways to back up photos while travelling, and you can decide which is best for you.
The Video
What I am about to share below is, of course, all in a video too, so feel free to watch this, or continue to the next section.
Memory Cards
Simple, old-fashioned memory cards. A note though, this only really works when you have 2 memory card slots on your camera.
In a Canon Camera, you can set the Card Slots to record the same photos to each card, meaning you press the button once, but get two copies of the same photos.
The first card is usually a smaller one, say 32 GB. You could say shoot on this for 2 days, then take it out. Store it somewhere safe, and put in a fresh card. The 2nd card is a higher volume one, say 256 GB. I leave this in for the entire trip.
This means as you travel, you have an automatic backup of your travel photos without actually doing anything.
The Cloud
This is not one I usually want to rely on.
I never know where I might be able to find decent internet, and if that internet is sketchy, the last thing I want to do is to be hanging around in a coffee shop, or motel, waiting for a backup to complete.
I fear I would have a problem on one of the days, get behind with it, and then convince myself it wasn’t worth the hassle and not bother.
Mobile Device
A Canon R6 RAW file is on average 20 Mb. On our USA 2019 Road Trip, I took over 3000 photos. 3000 photos, each averaging 20 Mb, would be about 60GB of photos.
Depending on the storage of your mobile device, this could be a drop in the ocean, or it could consume all your spare storage.
But, it is an easy solution. You undoubtedly have a mobile device, all you need is to connect your camera to your phone, wirelessly or with a cable. Or, take out the memory card and use a suitable card reader for your device.
This may not be a feasible solution for some, but it is one certainly worth considering if you need to back up your photos while travelling, and perhaps don’t have 20 Mb files or expect to take 3000 photos!
Portable Hard Drive
This is my personal favourite and one I will utilise when we head off on our next major Road Trip to the Rockies.
This does require additional hardware, but for me, it is the easiest, and most convenient way to back up your travel photos when travelling.
It may sound complicated, but it is quick, robust, and thorough. Simply put, you connect a USB hub to your mobile device, in my case, an iPad.
You put your memory card and Portable Storage Device into the USB hub.
Then using the iPad as a conduit, you copy the photos from the memory card to the hard drive.
Simple, secure and for me, above all fast.
Back-Up Photos while Travelling – Pros and Cons
Here is a quick summary of the Pros and Cons as I see them. A quick snapshot if it helps you decide what method is best for you.
| Method | Pros | Cons | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memory Cards | Easy – Happens when you press the shutter | Camera must have two card slots | |
| Cloud BackUp | Probably the most secure No need for additional equipment | Dependant on good WiFi / Internet | |
| Mobile Device | Most of us have one! | Storage space may be limited | |
| Portable Hard Drive | Abundant Space | Additional Accessory to carry One off ££ outlay | |
Back-Up Photos while Travelling – Conclusion
So there are a few options to back up your travel photos, and I can’t tell you which is best for your situation.
Perhaps you are staying in one hotel for two weeks, and have no issues with WiFi, then the Cloud option may be best for you. But if you are camping in the middle of nowhere, or moving from motel to motel, the Portable Hard drive may be best.
Of course, you could utilise more than one of these if your situation requires it.
Hope that was useful, and don’t forget to check out the YouTube channel with lots of other great videos!