Budgets and baggage allowances will determine what travel blogging tools can be packed for a big trip and what might be left behind. Researching what equipment will work at particular destinations will help inform decisions for a successful travel blogging experience.
The tools needed roughly fall into two categories: essential and “wishlist” or non-essential. As the names suggest, essential tools are the basic tools of trade for a travel blogger and virtually non-negotiable if blogging on the road is the objective. The “wishlist” set of tools are not essential, but will help bloggers be more efficient and possibly more creative too.
Essential Travel Blogging Tools
At the most basic level a pen drive is essential. Two gigabytes is usually sufficient, photo and video storage included. However, carrying two pen drives is ideal. One is for “live” work, and the other serves as a back up for precious writing, photos, videos and, most importantly, for when internet café viruses wipe everything from the “live” work drive.
Storing an antivirus or trial antivirus program on a pen drive is a prudent move. Many internet cafes have no anti-virus or out-of-date antivirus. They often don’t set PC settings to prevent users from installing programs (unfortunately), but travel bloggers can take advantage of this and install antivirus on a PC they are using and scan their drive before they remove it, so they don’t infect their own lap tops (for those who don’t wish to connect directly from their lap tops) or other PCs.
A digital camera with memory card is essential for taking snaps and clips. Professional photographers will need more fancy equipment.
Bloggers are also writers and it is essential to have a notebook and pencil or pen handy to record events as they happen because sensory experiences and dialogue are easily forgotten as time elapses. Scribbling events as they happen is the best way to ensure evocative travel writing. It’s much easier to recreate a scene if notes are available to refer to, often sparked by a particular line of dialogue or overpowering scent or taste, sound or scene.
A plastic A4 folder can store bits and pieces related to blogging and keep it separate from general travel items.
Wishlist Tools for Travel Blogging
At a more expensive level and adding to baggage weight, but almost essential for serious travel bloggers, are lap tops. They can truly speed up the blogging process so that content can be written, photos can be edited, and videos transferred while traveling anywhere with a power supply. They can also be connected directly to the internet via cables or wireless connections, preventing many of the problems associated with working on public computers.
In some countries USB modems that use the local telephone services can be installed on lap tops and connected to the internet even in remote areas, but the costs tend to be higher than connecting via internet cafes.
Some handheld devices are also sophisticated enough to use for blogging and have interfaces that even allow editing and formatting of posts.
At minimum, travel bloggers should pack pen drives, pens, pencils, notebooks, cameras and a plastic folder to hold it all. If possible, they can add lap tops, USB modems purchased in-country, their own handheld devices, and more sophisticated photographic or video equipment, if preferred. As with most travel endeavors, planning is key. Introduction to Travel Blogging provides an overview of travel blogging basics. Free Travel Blog platforms discusses the advantages and disadvantages of free Blogger and Wordpress for travel blogging.
Gayle Pescud - Co-founder of G-lish Foundation in Ghana, an award winning non-profit that welcomes volunteers in Africa.
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