Travel-friendly tech: what should I bring with me?

Something that's been weighing on my mind a lot (because I'm a geek) is what tech I should bring with me overseas. I've read lots of blogs on the matter with interest, such as Gina Trapiani's post on Getting Things Done While Travelling Through South-East Asia and the Zen Habits' 36 Great Tips for Keeping Travel as Simple as Possible.

Gina mentions that Wi-Fi is spotty but Internet cafes are in abundance, so bringing a laptop isn't advisable. Fair enough, but I don't know if I could handle not having my own computer. Plus, since we'll have our own place (I'm thinking a nice two-story, two bedroom), I'll most likely get Internet access happening.

The other question is: what phone do I bring? I don't think I can really justify bringing more than one, but it leaves me with a bit of a pickle. My current favourite is the iPhone, but it's not conducive for taking longs notes on the road, is limited in terms of software it can run (I'd like to load my phone with eBooks of guidebooks, phrasebooks and just general fiction to pass the time), and doesn't look like it would hack a traveller's lifestyle too well (although I suppose I could get a case for it?).

Things I like about the iPhone are that Web browsing on it is second to none (although I'd have to find out what sort of data plans they have there), it's great for music and video, and takes really nice photos.

If I was to be practical, I'd take something like the HTC TyTN II. As it has GPS, I could load it up with Thai maps (if they exist?), use the excellent keyboard for writing when I don't want to bring the laptop, and I could also load it with music and movies using my 8GB microSD card. It's certainly not as pretty as the iPhone, but I wouldn't be too bothered if it got damaged or stolen (provided all of my data was backed up!).

Urgh, decisions, decisions. I don't want to leave the iPhone behind - I've gotten too attached to him in the last week. How about as a backup phone in case something happens to the TyTN? Yes, I like that idea a lot! And I'll get a nice case for it from Vaja or something to keep it safe from the elements and accidental droppage.

Next up is the camera and camcorder situation. My packrattiness is showing, but I want to bring both types. The question is, do I bring a point and shoot, digital SLR and HD camcorder, or just one of them? The point and shoot (the Pentax Optio S10) records video and takes 10-megapixel stills, the digital SLR (Canon EOS 40D) only takes 10-megapixel stills (and beautiful ones at that!) and the HD camcorder (Panasonic HDC-SD1) records video in 1080i and takes three-megapixel photos. All of them have their merits, and at this stage I'm voting to bring all of them with me.

There's a strong likelihood that I'll also have a couple more lenses for the Canon by then, and I'm also thinking about bringing my Canon M80, which is an 80GB photo backup drive with SD and CF card slots. I'd wholeheartedly say 'Yes, that's too much already Jenneth, just stop it' if not for the fact that the M80 uses the same battery as the 40D, so it also doubles as a spare battery holder or something. Aw come on, I have to bring it! How about those two and three day hikes when I won't have access to electricity and I have to offload the thousands of photos I've taken to make room for new ones, or run out of battery? I've never actually had need to use the M80 until now (it was a freebie from Canon), and darn it, I want to finally use it for something!

So that's about it as far as tech goes. I'll probably get a few more memory cards and a 320GB portable hard drive to back all of my files up to in case my notebook crashes (which I'll supplement with an online backup system like Mozy or Carbonite). Oh, and there's another bit of tech I'd like to bring that's just perfect for trips where I'll be without electricity for a few days: my BatteryGeek Portable Power Station. Weighs just over a kilogram, but it can power my laptop for an extra eight hours and also charge up my mobile phone(s). Doesn't do cameras or camcorders, unfortunately, but I've already got the spare for the DSLR so I should be right!

Things I'll be leaving at home: Hiptop Slide (love it to bits, but it's dependent on carrier service), Nintendo DS Lite (although Tim might decide to bring it), 80GB iPod (don't really need it for music.. although it may tide me over as a portable hard drive???), Asus R2Hv (too limited to be useful), HTC Advantage, iGo Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, HTC Touch and Palm Treo 750. See, I'm not bringing everything! ;)