My travel blogging setup

I travel blog when I am home, and when I am traveling. By taking the right equipment with me when I am traveling I reduce my luggage, my work load and get my information online more quickly. Let me show you what I use and how I do it.

At home

At home I have a desktop computer which makes writing easy.

I use the Drupal system for my blog. If I were not already familiar with Drupal I would use WordPress. I setup my blog settings before I leave home. I check and double check all the settings, to make life on the road easier.

When travelling

I use a few different items to write when I am traveling

• Moleskine pocket notebook - Perfect for taking notes. I always keep it on me when I am exploring and want to keep my possessions to a minimum. I note down anything of interest I find on my travels. If I am going out for the evening I note down any restaurants I want to try, which saves me taking a guide book. Used by many famous travelers and writers, including Ernest Hemingway.
• Larger notebook - I also carry a larger note book with me for writing articles or blog entries. I use any type of book, preferably a paperback which I can roll up into my pocket. If I am by the beach enjoying a drink I do not want to have a laptop on display, this only attracts thieves. I write in my notebook, and then transfer my writings to the laptop in private. Perfect for writing when there is no power, on a plain, train, etc.
• Laptop computer - I carry a very small laptop computer with me. This allows me to write my notes as I travel. This saves a lot of time, and allows me to publish my work as I travel, rather than when I return home.
• Digital camera - I like the flexibility a digital camera provides. I love having photos from my trips. Photos are essential on a travel blog or website.

My travel laptop

I am currently using an 8 year old Toshiba Portege 3110CT. It is a dated and slow laptop, but its very small size (10 inch screen) allows me to easily carry it. It also weighs half of most modern laptops. I obtained it for free from a friend, although I noticed on eBay that they cost about £50 ($95).

My Toshiba Portege 3110CT travel laptop

This laptop is only used for writing, preparing photos from my digital camera and the occasional email. It does not have a CD or DVD drive.

I considered buying a new compact laptop which cost about £500 ($900), or a used compact laptop for about £200 ($370). But, I always travel very light, and "only take what I am prepared to lose".

I use BlogDesk to write my travel blogs and articles offline. This allows me to format, spell check and add images to my posts. When I go online I can then simply upload my posts. This is the perfect setup for me, but I spent many hours experimenting with different options, preparing the laptop and my blog system before leaving home.

My digital camera

I travel with the compact Casio EX-Z110 digital camera. I like Casio cameras, and chose this model for its compact size and easy of use. It easily fits in my pocket, is 6 mega pixels and has 3 x optical zoom. I use a 1GB SD card. I used to have a smaller model, but that required a power supply for charging and a docking station for image transfer. The EX-Z110 uses AA batteries, which of course I can find just about anywhere, and a simple small usb cable for image transfer.

Casio EX-Z110 digital camera: My compact Casio EX-Z110. Fits in my pocket, takes AA batteries, and takes good photographs.

I have thought about trying a larger camera, and even an SLR. I am put off by the size of these cameras though. In 2008 I will be traveling with Abby. She is a professional photographer, and will have her trusty Canon SLR with her. Depending on how she finds traveling with such a large camera I might try one myself on future travels.