JohnR Loc: The Gates of Hell

Yes I have toured Europe several times since 2002 travelling by plane/train/automobile. Originally with 35mm film cameras and no laptops at all - had the films processed at convenient places while pausing my travels. Moving to digital with a Nikon D90 I used Windows laptops of various makes all 15.6" in size. In 2006 I looked for, and found, a Lowepro backpack with space for the laptop, a single DSLR with one or two lenses, a small weatherproof compact and spare batteries. It also has a compartment for general stuff - I'm diabetic and carry my insulin almost everywhere with me. in 2014, still with Nikon and the same backpack I bought a MacBook Pro 15.6", Retina display, 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. No problems with this at all - I use Parallels to run Windows 10 on the MacBook and could, but don't, edit using whatever software suits my fancy. I download my images to the MacBook for browsing leaving the originals on the SD card and make a 3rd copy using Apples Time Machine onto a portable HDD. Back home the images are downloaded to my iMac for whatever. I have found this system great - the Retina display perfect for seeing what you've achieved as you go. My last trip though I changed to a smaller 13" MacBook Pro mainly to get the backpack weight down below 7kg for carry on to aircraft. Still pretty good for my needs.

Hope this is helpful. Cheers JohnR

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

I use a 15.6" MPB for all that stuff, with an external SSD. If I were replacing today I would surely look at the new 16". I also own an older 13" model, but find the scree just a bit too small. Best of luck.

jm76237

I use the MacBook Pro 13”. 16 gig ram, 1tb hd. If you are going to use it on a plane while traveling, I think you’ll like the 13” better. I do my photo editing on it and have a BenQ monitor when at home. While traveling, store on the hd, when I get home I transfer to an external drive.

eog

I used to carry my MacBook Pro whenever I travel. However, its weight really adds up with my other stuff in my backpack. With the advent of the iPad Pro with USB-C, I decided to go with the iPad Pro 11" with 512gig memory... I also bought a USB-C multi-function Hub so if I want to save my photos to my iPad I could easily do that. In addition, I have Affinity and Pixelmator Photo for the iPad so if I want to do some quick edits with some photos I could easily do that too. Of course, I would do the formal editing when I get back from my travel with my MacBook using Capture One 20.

Raptor

My only computer is a MacBook Pro. I travel with it and house all my pics on an external drive. That being said, although I try to download daily when traveling, I have enough memory cards to last the whole trip
and don't reformat till I have everything triple backed up at home.It's powerful and versatile. I edit in LR, PS and Luminar. With my camera gear, computer and luggage I often feel like a traveling circus.

JoAnneK01 Loc: Lahaina, Hawaii

When I travel I do use my 15" MBP. It's great to be able to sit down after a day of shooting and be able to process my day's shooting. I recently purchased my for grandkids MB Airs. My granddaughter persuaded me to use hers on my last trip and it was a whole lot easier to carry around sand it did well in processing my RAW photos. It still allows me to process photos, check email and anything else I may want to do. When I do get home I can finalize any photo I want on my 27" iMac.

Geographer

Great responses! My sincere thanks to all who replied. I have learned several things: 1) take plenty of SD cards and keep them safe; 2) back up everything, probably every day and 3) MacBook Pros seem quite popular and I've been leaning in that direction (I'm on an iMac at home). I really like the new 16" but, compared side-by-side with the 13", I do wonder about portability. Several folks addressed that, and that's very helpful. The backup drives are a terrific idea, and I have just found a couple of highly portable ones at Costco!
Soon we'll be off river cruising, and looking forward to LOTS of images. Again, many thanks to you all...this is a great site. Best to all of you--personally and professionally--in 2020.
Aloha, Geographer

Geographer

Ahhh, decisions, decisions. I'm convinced the MacBook Pro is the right device, but am really on the fence about the 13" or the new 16". The 13 is certainly more portable and only weighs 3 lbs...pretty attractive. But, the new 16" with an i9 processor and upgradable to 32 Gig (maybe even 64?) of RAM seems like a better value as a long-term investment. With the USB-C now standard, and one (or two) of the newer portable SSDs, I confess I'm leaning toward the 16". If I can find a messenger bag that will house it, plus my Sony mirrorless gizmo and an additional lens, I'm thinking I'll have combo that will fit in an overhead bin, though--as one contributor mentioned--it's probably not the right device to use on an airplane.
When all's said and done, the range of suggestions offered by folks who have "been there, done that" are of great value to me. Most of my photography in previous years has been of mountains & forests (Thailand, Laos, Nepal, Hawaii), but my wife and I are soon off on less strenuous trips like river cruises and associated land tours. Again, the terrific comments shared are very helpful. "Mahalo" (thank you, as they say in Hawaii, to each and every person who took the time to respond, and Aloha for now.