Backpacking Asia this summer - I'll need a portable harddrive right?

[cgennoe]

A laptop or a netbook would be absolutely ideal to have on the road with me for a number of reasons cited above. However, I've been checking the weight of both bags i'll carry with me (camera & backpack) and believe me - every ounce counts. Especially b/c i've decided to go with the following lens combo: 17-40, 50 1.8, and the 70-200 F4 IS; as well as an external flash, batteries, etc.
I've decided to simply carry a usb card reader along with 3-4 4 gig CF cards. At each hotel/hostel I stay at, i'll simply upload my pics onto a computer.
This leads me to the final piece to the puzzle, which is, what site should I use to upload my batch photos to?
As recommended, I do want to create an online backup of my photos while I am traveling. This to avoid the risk of only having a single copy of hard storage until I return home in September.
What do your recommend for online storage?
Flickr offers unlimited online storage for a descent fee, yes?

Thanks for reading and responding thus far! You know it is appreciated!

Sincerely,
Colin

If I were him, whether or not to bring a laptop wouldn't even be an issue - it would be #1 of things on my list to bring.

 

[blash]

A laptop or a netbook would be absolutely ideal to have on the road with me for a number of reasons cited above. However, I've been checking the weight of both bags i'll carry with me (camera & backpack) and believe me - every ounce counts. Especially b/c i've decided to go with the following lens combo: 17-40, 50 1.8, and the 70-200 F4 IS; as well as an external flash, batteries, etc.
I've decided to simply carry a usb card reader along with 3-4 4 gig CF cards. At each hotel/hostel I stay at, i'll simply upload my pics onto a computer.
This leads me to the final piece to the puzzle, which is, what site should I use to upload my batch photos to?
As recommended, I do want to create an online backup of my photos while I am traveling. This to avoid the risk of only having a single copy of hard storage until I return home in September.
What do your recommend for online storage?
Flickr offers unlimited online storage for a descent fee, yes?

Thanks for reading and responding thus far! You know it is appreciated!

Sincerely,
Colin

I wouldn't use a photo site because they have restrictions, i.e. no bigger than 1280x1024 or some crap like that. Get a subscription to a website like Rapidshare.com - zip the photos together into 200 MB zip files and then upload the zip files. This way you have full quality un-altered pictures waiting on the Internet for you to download again when you get home.

 

[Seefutlung]

I'd go CF cards and possibly back up to a iPod or equal. Additionally, if your backpacking every ounce counts ... so pack very carefully.

Non-Photographic-
Zip lock bags. Get 2 different sizes, sandwich & quart(or gallon) and take several of each (they don't take any room if you fold them). They're good for rain and random stuff ... like to ice a sprained ankle. Also take at least 2 large trash bags folded thin. These can be used for carrying things in a pinch or make a raincover for your bags. You can even separate wet from dry things with the trash bags. Get a couple of silica gel packs to put in your camera bag (couldn't hurt).

Also, take clothing which is designed for humid climes, like moisture wicking shirts. These are much better than cotton. Even in humid climes (like Korea) you always feel dry.

Gary