Back up photos while travelling

A few cameras have dual media slots and allow you to copy your pictures from one card to another. However, saving copies of your image files on a second set of memory cards isn't the most convenient or economical way to ensure that all of your photos make it home with you.

A better option is to carry a portable storage device--either one that's made specifically to store image files, a personal video player or a hard drive-based MP3 player that can store image files. You may need to use a separate linking device to connect to an MP3 player.

Look for a storage device that will display the file type you're using (some devices can't display TIFF or raw files) and that offers a file-transfer verification function. Another option is a portable disc burner. Read our overview of portable photo storage devices and get a comparison of a few current models.