Travel Considerations
When you travel, you will need to plan for power considerations. Domestic travel may give you more options with Internet access and compatible power connections, but nevertheless you will have to plan carefully. Foreign travel may require a good deal of planning.
You will need to ask yourself these questions:
How often will I be able to recharge my batteries when on the road and how often will a power source be available?
What is the longest I will need to take pictures without being able to recharge my batteries?
Can I find stores along the route that will sell disposable batteries at a reasonable price? Will these stores be easy to get to or will they be out of the way?
How long will I be on the road or away from home?
Other considerations to keep in mind include:
When you travel you should take all the power cords, rechargers, and downloading cables that came with the camera. If you are bringing a laptop computer, make sure you have all the cords for that as well.
If you are using disposable batteries, it is always a good idea to stock up on high-quality inexpensive alkaline batteries in bulk as you cannot count on finding a good deal in your travels.
If you are using a flash, you will need to bring batteries for that device as well.
In addition to batteries, you may need to carry an extra memory card or two, depending on your needs. If you stay in a place with a fast Internet connection, you may be able to upload your most important pictures to a free picture-album site on the Internet.
If you are traveling out of the country, you will need to plan even more carefully. You will need an adapter, for example, to accommodate the electrical specifications of the foreign country.
Electrical compatibility is a major problem when traveling outside the United States. Before leaving, use the Internet to find out what problems you might encounter and what devices and adapters you will need. If you can correspond with someone who has been to your destination, you might be able to find out exactly what you need to know.
If you take a recharger, you must make certain that it can handle the power requirements of the foreign country and that you have the correct plug for that country's electrical outlets. If you use AA disposables, you should probably take a full supply as well. You should not assume that you will be able to buy AA alkalines readily or at a low price.
