- Quick facts
- Total days on the road: 586
- Currently in: USA
- Miles Driven: 36821
- Countries Visited: 17
- Days Camping: 389
- Days Indoors: 202
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Choosing a Digital Travel Camera : Part 2
{jcomments lock}In Part 1 of this article, I covered how to choose between and SLR or a compact digital camera, and gave you a few ideas on the best models available. And if that wasn’t enough information, here’s part 2!
I’ll cover the details of technical digital photography speak, most of which is just marketing BS anyway. Hopefully I can shed some light on all the features camera manufactures like to promote. Happy shooting!
Choosing a Digital Travel Camera: Part 1
{jcomments lock}Before I jump into the how-tos of camera buying, let me make one thing very clear: Buying a good camera will not make you a good photographer. If you do not know what a fancy gadget-enhanced multi-million pixel camera does, it won’t help you.
The best way to take better pictures is to take more pictures. If you really want to improve your photography skills invest at least 40 solid hours into taking pictures, talking to a photographer, taking a class, or reading a book.
Minimalist Photography 101 will give you plenty of reasons why you don’t need to upgrade. Every salesperson and their sister will give you reasons why you should. I’m here to explain your options.
Living Cheap while Saving to Travel
{jcomments lock}Being cheap is a state of mind. If travel is important to you and you aren’t independently wealthy, you have to find a balance between saving and spending. Usually one that involves a lot more saving and a lot less spending. When you’ve exhausted your options for earning more money, it’s time to look at how you can spend less.
There are hundreds of ways to spend less money. The problem is that everything and everyone is against you. This (American) society is driven by spending. It is encouraged relentlessly, subliminally, and excessively, in everything you do. You have to mentally put travel first. Every time you open your wallet to buy that ten dollar sandwich, there should be a voice in your head saying, “that’s another day I can’t afford to be in [insert place of choice].”
Introduction to Travel Budgeting
{jcomments lock}Financial planning is one of the least glamorous aspects of being a world traveler. The good news is that maintaining a budget gets easier as you go along. Given time and effort it becomes an indispensable tool rather than a mindless chore.
A budget is your safety net against the financial risks of traveling. It helps to you validate your plans before you leave. On the road it keeps you aware of your financial situation. It is also a guide for making daily decisions and for planning the next leg of your trip.
How and Why you need to be Financially Literate
{jcomments lock}Financial literacy isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about knowing what will protect your money. I know, “the bank protects my money”. But it doesn’t. The bank takes your money, pays you lousy interest, and then lends your money to other people and charges them outrageous interest.
Being financially literate is more important than having a budget. It’s more important than living cheap, than having a savings plan.
More Articles...
Subcategories
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Plan & Prepare
Plan & Prepare
Planning for a big travel adventure can be a daunting task. There’s much to consider and even more to research. Properly planning your trip will make life easier on the road and allow you to spend less time worrying about details and more time having fun. These articles cover the basics of researching and documenting your travel destinations and other pre-trip activities we find valuable.
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Overlanding
Overlanding
Traveling by vehicle is a great way to see places that are normally difficult to get to. Having a car or truck makes it easier to camp and cook, giving you ways to save money and enjoy natural and cultural heritages that may be out of reach of traditional backpacking travelers. In this section we offer advice for choosing the right vehicle, renting, outfitting and staying safe while driving in foreign countries.
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Health & Safety
Health & Safety
Staying healthy and being safe on the road is 20% preparation and 80% common sense. We’re here to help you be prepared, you’ll have to supply the rest. Know what the risks are, what diseases are common and how to prevent them, where it’s safe to go, how to deal with corruption and avoid petty crime. Pack a first aid kit that can handle common health problems and have insurance for yourself and your stuff in case of emergency. Be ready to deal with the unexpected and have enough information to let your common sense do the rest.
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Cooking
Cooking
It seems all we do is talk about food, what we are eating and when. When people first meet us they quickly come to realize we eat a lot and we eat well.
We thought it is high time we share some of our culinary shenanigans with food lovers alike. If you have any recipes you would like us to add, let us know and we will get right on it.
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Photography
Photography
There are books to be written on the subject of travel photography. Hundreds of thousands of tips to be given on lighting and lenses, composition and cameras. In fact one member of the Life Remotely team spent four years of her life studying it. There is no possible way to pack all that info in one little website, but we vow to do what we can.
Occasionally people ask us how we take certain photos, and what type of gear we recommend. We’ll publish some articles here to help you out. Most are written by request. Send us an email if there is something you’d like to know, and we’ll do our best to say something smart about it.
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Budget & Money
Budget & Money
Budgeting is all about getting the most out of your trip. Putting in this effort before you leave to help reach savings goals, pick good bank accounts and ensure your travels will be as successful, stress free and long as possible. Maintaining and sticking to your budget on the road will help you make better decisions with the least amount of worry. Trust us, it’s not much fun, but financially planning for your trip will always be worth it in the end.
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Camping
Camping
Camping while traveling can be a fun and convenient way to save money and experience new places off the beaten track. It can also be such an uncomfortable and frustrating hassle that you run screaming for the nearest hotel. In this section we share some of our experiences from years of traveling and camping. We’ll help you decide whether or not to camp, how to stay comfortable and sane when you do camp, and what to bring with to make life on the dirt a bit more enjoyable.
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While Traveling
While Traveling
As any experienced traveler knows, you will run into difficulties while you're on the road. How you deal with the hard times will make the difference between a miserable trip and a memorable experience.
Travelers seek to grow themselves personally, and come home with amazing stories to tell. We do this by being prepared for the expected and by dealing with the unexpected with a positive attitude. Here you'll find common advice we've gained through our years spent traveling, and general tips to help you avoid and deal with the tough times.