(and seniors)
Pre-planning for a Travel Adventure
Around Christmas time in Toronto, I was thinking about where my next travel adventure would take me. December is also that time of the year when tennis disappears from most people’s radars. As a tennis player and lover, I was itching for a tennis fix.
So as I started scratching ideas off my list using my personal checklist. Cuba bubbled up to the top of my list. But I wanted a little more than sitting on a beach this year. A return to Puerto Vallarta was a possibility but again having been there twice in the last few years, I put that on the back burner.
Since I wanted to include some tennis watching on the trip, I started looking at the ATP and WTA tournament lists. The opportunity to return to my university haunts in Barcelona became too much to resist. I decided to go to Monaco for the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 tournament then travel to Barcelona for the 500 level tournament there the following week.
In the future, I will have some blogs on how I chose to use agents for this trip as opposed to my grand slam tour where I planned the trips individually.
To this end, in this article, I want to walk through the five things that as a photographer (in particular a sports photographer) I would need on this trip.
Apple Air Tags
Even though over my forty-plus years of travel, I have only had my luggage lost twice (all on the return home trip and all returned within 2 days). The news of the past six months where there had been multiple failures in baggage transfer systems had me worried.
I have purchased the Apple Air Tags – 4 pack to place in my luggage, camera bag, and my laptop bag. I decided that the fourth would go in my wallet.
Using my Apple iPhone, the installation was super quick and easy. I feel the purchase will be worth it.
Get a VPN - Norton VPN
I cannot believe how many of my friends travel without adding a VPN to their phones. As the advertisements go, cybercriminals are out there waiting for you.
Yet, even after my warning, I have a friend who got home from a trip abroad to find her bank account had been drained. Every morning, she would walk to a café near her hotel for coffee and to plan her day. There she would log onto the café’s public WiFi to buy tickets and research.
My recommendation is to use Norton’s VPN. It is one of the best on the market and they take your security seriously
SanDisk - Memory Cards
Photographers beware! Ensure you have enough memory card space to hold all the pictures you may be taking. Especially if you shoot in RAW format like me. Space can quickly disappear.
Since I fancy myself as a bit of a sports photographer, the space will disappear in double time when using the rapid exposure settings.
Therefore, I am a loyal supporter of SanDisk memory cards. They have not let me down yet. I will be packing four of the 128GB disks.
An External Hard Drive
Even when I am at home, I never leave my pictures on just the memory card. Further, when I travel I have only a small laptop on which I would not want to load and leave my pictures. Finally, I will also want to do some quick editing while I can on vacation. Hence, an external hard drive for me when traveling is a must.
Seagate has external drives in 1TB up to 18TB. The amount of space you choose would be dependent on how many pictures you feel you are going to take. I personally buy two 5TB drives.
Why two? As soon as I get back home, I back up the drive I traveled with onto the second drive so I do not have to worry about losing all the work I did while away. All drives could fail so a backup is essential.
An eSIM Card
On my last big trip, I trusted the advice that I received from my mobile phone provider that I was covered under my plan when I switched on my phone. They were wrong. I was hit with a large charge for every time that I used my phone.
For this trip, I have searched around and am going to try Airalo. It is one of the world’s first eSIM stores that promises to solve those high roaming bills. They have a wide range of packages for almost 200 countries. Check it out if you plan to use your phone a lot.
Two other suggestions:
- Check out your laptop’s USB ports. You may need a USB card reader and a USB adaptor with multiple ports if you plan on editing pics on the fly during vacation.
- Some form of rain protection. I just bought this rain poncho earlier this year and it is wonderful. It covers me, my camera, and my camera bag. Check it out.
Conclusion
Ultimately, these are the key items as a photographer that I have found extremely useful when traveling. I like to edit photos on the fly especially if I feel I need to go back to a site and get more or better pictures.
One other item that I will add here is not related to photography, but related to my old creeky knees and if doing a lot of walking. Stalk up on extra strength Voltaren gel. It will make those miles seem less inhibiting.
Didn’t find what you were looking for? Maybe check out a couple of my previous blogs on accessories for travel:
1. Best Travel Accessories You May Need.
2. Best Travel Accessories for 2023
3. What are the Best Canes for Travellers
If you want to check out my pictures, as I travel through the south of Europe follow me on Facebook here. Or on Instagram here. Or on Vero here – @alenvacance.
Finally, I am thinking of creating a Facebook group for mature adult travelers where they can share their ideas, and experiences and ask questions. Let me know if that would be of interest to you?
Please note: The opinions expressed in this document should never be construed as advice. The thoughts are based on my experiences after 40-plus years of business and vacation travel. My likes and dislikes may vary drastically from yours. Do your research and find products and experiences that align with your likes and dislikes. Most of all have happy travels and see you out there on the road!
Al of Al Murray Travel & Photography: From the time in my youth, when I would lay on our garage roof watching planes traverse the skies above me, I knew I wanted to see the world.
My passion grew after spending a semester of my university days in Barcelona. I spent more time on trains and buses than I did in class.
After earning my BA from Carleton University, life got in the way. It wasn’t until my “middle age” did I start exploring the world again. First, transversing the US and Canada to take part in tennis tournaments. Then later to complete my spectator “grand slam” of tennis.
I accomplished this while earning my certificate in photography from Toronto Metropolitan University. I am now combining the two passions and now sharing with you my many lessons learned.