Camera & MacBook

[barebones]

Hi all

I am planning to walk from Saint Jean Pied de Port to Compostela later this year. Since I need to prepare for this I have set up a blog to use for planning purposes, and as a "notebook" along the way, as well.

I need to carry a (semi pro) camera and a MacBook to edit stuff along the way. Does any of you have experience with this?

Would it be a hopeless task to carry this much?

Oh, here is the blog: The Ways of St. James It's in the making.

Hope to hear from some of you.

Best

Knut

[Oak Hill Walkers]

I'm in the same boat with barebones. My wife wants us to carry a notebook computer so that we can maintain a fund-raising blog back in the USA, write a journal, and to organize pictures. We're looking at notebooks under 3 pounds like the Acer Aspire One at $299 US (2.76 pounds) and the HP 210-1032CL at $350 US (2.69 pounds). I'll be looking into a Mac also. My wife says that she'll carry the power cord and charger. There are lighter notebooks but they cost lots more, like $500 US and up. The main thing we want is a "real" keyboard with clicking keys.

Since we plan on taking 50 plus days to walk the French Way (10 miles per day), I'm hoping that we'll have the time and energy to use this gear.

We'll be packing a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 point & shoot camera.

[Covey]

Camera, notebook, mobile phone, at least two chargers and the weight is adding up!!

Given that most pilgrims aim for 10kgs on their back INCLUDING the pack, and you will be walking with zero weight for clothes

[ainsley b]

Hi

I haven't done the Camino yet, I leave for it at the end of March so I cant say for sure that there are internet cafes along the way but everywhere else I have traveled there are internet cafes. If your main reason to carry the extra weight of a notebook, charger and a power adapter (if you aren't from Europe) is to update blogs couldn't you save yourself some weight and just update from internet cafes? You could also post photos from the internet cafes. Its just an idea.

Does anyone know how common internet cafes are along the Camino Frances?

Oakhill Walkers what are you fundraising for? Is there a link to your blog?

Ainsley

[Covey]

Virtually all albergues have at least one PC with an internet connection and most towns have at least one internet caf?.

The Spanish do not appear to be in to free wireless internet so carrying a netbook has its limitations.

[barebones]

Thanks all.

I think that I have to decide if this is going to be a photo shoot, or a pilgrim walk.

In fact, I am no longer sure that you can combine the two if you need/want to do it within a reasonable span of time.

I would like to do both though. But maybe it has to be one at the time.

I have checked the weight and the prices of netbooks, but the problem is that they can't hold editors like Photoshop Lightroom and proper Photoshop. Also, it will be to expensive to buy programs for a netbook since I am on Macs at the moment.

In addition to that I need to have large harddisks (since I shoot a lot) and even a MacBook will not be enough for that purpose. So either I have to have extra harddisks or lots of cards for the mission. More money.

I have to consider this - carefully.

Please continue with your good advice.

One solution, of course, would be to take the tour on bike, given that option for extra weight, but I haven't really considered that yet.

BTW, is the bike route the same as the "boot route"?

Many thanks for your answers. When are you people taking the tour, and for how long will you be there?

Best

Knut

[Covey]

The majority of pilgrims carry a small digital camera to record their journey, but you occasionally see someone carrying an SLR camera, although that is usually digital.

The memory cards are very small and lightweight and depending on size will hold hundreds of pictures.

The internet speeds you get in the albergues are not really up to uploading anything more than a couple of pictures, so you might have difficulty in uploading a days worth!

Doing the Camino by bike is popular (amongst cyclists!!). The "official" cyclist route for the Camino Frances tends to follow the main roads, but a lot of the cyclists like to ride the same track that we baggage mules walk, as they feel it is a more authentic route.

The internet connections in the albergues is mostly hard wired and not wireless, so you would find it difficult to actually connect your NIC via a cable.

My advice is to take the camera and plenty of memory cards, ditch the laptop, walk the route and enjoy the life of a pilgrim!!

[Leslie]

Thanks all.

I think that I have to decide if this is going to be a photo shoot, or a pilgrim walk.

I think it is possible to do both, but it will be a bit more work and weight. It is what I will do the next time I get a chance to go.

I have checked the weight and the prices of netbooks, but the problem is that they can't hold editors like Photoshop Lightroom and proper Photoshop. Also, it will be to expensive to buy programs for a netbook since I am on Macs at the moment.

I bought a mini laptop because of the lack of functionality in the netbooks - they are a bit more expensive, but I have 250 hard drive and 3gb ram - so I can run photoshop, illustrator, etc.

BTW, is the bike route the same as the "boot route"?

It can be, but I would recommend a mountain bike or one with those tyres. road bikes have to at some points follow different routes.

On another point I will be updating the forum software and the backend software for the main site during the next month. (I have just finished a contract that has been running for the last 20 months, so will take some time to myself and enjoy this site for a while)

The new software will alllow registered users to add thier own blog to this web site - just the same as wordpress.com - it will be the same software they are using.

But I have to get the forum and the main site software to "talk" to each other and I have not had a chance to look at how much time that will take me - hopefully not too much. Once this is done there will be a kind of social network functionality to the main site and the forum will work a bit better and faster than currently.

In the meantime if any of the members that have been around the forum for a while want to add a blog just email me, (lesliegilmour{at}gmail.com) and I will set it up for them - the caveat of knowing the members is just a security issue for me on the server until the new backend is up and running.

Re storing photos for anyone walking the Camino - I suggest a website called Pixie Photo Sharing - Best place to share and backup photos online. - it can take larger uploads than most photo websites. For the sake of disclosure they are based in the same building as me in Dublin, but I have no connection with them.

[barebones]

Leslie, what can I say, I am impressed.

I really enjoy the design of you blogs. I did not know that it was your blogs.

What WP template are you using?

What minipc did you buy?

Isn't a minipc about the same size and weight as a Macbook?

Great work you are doing. Thanks.

Best

Knut

http://barebonescommunication.com/

[Leslie]

The mini pc is the same size and weight as the net books - they just have a bit more stuffed in - mine weighs 1.2 kg, (toshiba) - so okay. But they are not robust.

The template is am using on the main site here is the thesis one - it is a paid theme. It is easy to use in some ways, in others a bit harder when you want to hack it. I will have to make my own template soon to get everything running that I want.

I have just had very little time for the last 2yrs. I started my own business 2yrs ago and it was more difficult than I though it would be for quite a long time. Now it has become a bit better, my company has become better known over the last year. I have just rearranged some of the client work to enable me to take more time to do what I really want, 2 yrs later - but the bills had to be paid...

One of the things I have started playing with recently is GPS - I am still very early in the learning, but I love it. So trying to design a way for people to upload their own and map it for them. I would love to do this with all the Camino routes - eyes bigger than belly spring to mind at this point.

[Leslie]

@barebones

Had a look at your blog - the comms one. There are quite a few things you can do to get a lot more visitors - this is my day job, see CubeOnlineMarketing.ie

I suggest you have a read at Yoast - Tweaking Websites he has the best information on the net for WordPress optimisation.