11. Smart phones and Digital Cameras for Backpacking and College/Student Traveling.
Capture the memories.
Everyone has a smart phone these days so just make sure you have enough storage space to capture as many photos as you can.
If you prefer to take a digital camera, then that’s a great option too. Digital cameras are so cheap these days that getting a good one can be done with no strain from your upcoming “backpacking trip to Europe” budget.
Get one with a video feature too, just in case you want to capture some real time action that you can replay over and over over. Hey, you may even have a European UFO sighting that will be the next Youtube sensation!
If money is an issue, you can get your parents to buy you one as a donation to your trip or an early birthday present or what not. After all, they’ll get peace of mind by following your travel blog and seeing the pictures of all the fun that you’re having with the camera that they bought you!
What kind of camera should you take?
Well, that all depends on what you’re using it for. If you’re just using it to capture moments, places, people, events, and famous landmarks, then a good inexpensive one will do.
IF you’re looking to capture some award winning shots, then you probably wondering what you’re doing reading this post! Hahaha…Just Kidding.
Actually, if you will be taking pictures on a professional level, then you will want to shop for a good Digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera.
For basic consumer style digital cameras for purposes of backpacking, an good inexpensive one will do.
Some great brands to look at that offer a whole range of cameras for consumer use to “prosumer” usage are Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Fuji.
Personally, I prefer Canon and Nikon as they top brand names in the camera profession and are exclusively camera companies and not electronics companies like Sony.
Some accessories that you should get in addition to your camera are-
– An extra battery. Trust me, you will find this handy almost every day!
– Extra memory card. Instead of one memory card with one gig, it’s better to have two separate memory cards of 512 megabytes each.
– Get a selfie stick, if you’re into that, so you can get yourself in every shot! (Whether you use the selfie stick or not, put yourself in as many shots as you can. Pretty please!
– Camera bag. Get a small one that goes around your neck and has an extra pocket or two that you can carry your extra battery and accessories in. Nothing fancy, but something that will do the job. This way you don’t have to keep opening up your day pack to pull out your camera.
-Online photo album. You MUST create one and get familiar with how to use it BEFORE you leave. This way you can “pump and dump” (pump out the photo’s and dump them in your online photo galleries) in a split second when you’re in high gear on your travels. The last thing you want to do is try to figure out how to unload your photos online while you’re traveling and accidentally lose all of your photos!
You can create a FREE online photo gallery at Flickr, PhotoBucket, and even here at TravelPUNK’S Photo Gallery.
Where should you buy your digital camera?
There are many retail establishments like BestBuy, Costco, Target, Circuit City, and Fry’s Electronic that offer a good selection of digital cameras. Even places office supply chains like Staples and Office Depot have a meager selection.
However, Amazon.com, offers a huge selection of the best digital cameras on the market today.
Also, they are much cheaper than retail shops because of the volume of products they sell and they’re commitment to competitive pricing.
Amazon is also the internet’s largest and most respected shopping center.
Check out the cheap digital camera specials (affiliate links, but you don’t pay a penny more for anything you buy. It’s just a way for us to support the site!) offered through Amazon and get your digital camera NOW before you leave!
