Advice on what tech to use for blogging/photos in SEA?

For the items, only you can decide. Blogging isn't that a bit small on a cellphone. iPhones might be more pricey than Androids ... Why don't you get a portable HD with a memory card slot instead of the camera kit for iPad. 500GB size etc.

1. For the few countries in SEA when I occasionally looked for wifi when I was bored. I didn't find any. I did find a few that wasn't locked or passworded but I couldn't get online ....

2. When I was in KL, Malaysia, Tune Hotel. I had dropouts and this was paid for by the hour at the hotel. So forget pix uploads. Other than the few pix downsized for the web use. For backup, forget it.

3. Buy your own simcard and approach it that way be it cellphone or portable wifi.

4. WiFi works fine without being unlocked. Just no sim access.\

5. Taking all these stuff like keyboards why not a Netbook? Get yourself a USB 3G stick while you are there ... althou if you go with simcard approach you may need a separate simcard in each country .....

Edited by: Rayonline

1) Wifi is common in large cities - most hostels will have free wifi. Outside of hostels, not much public wifi. In smaller towns/cites, no public wifi at all and quite likely hostels won't have it either.

2) Realistically, no, not for backing up all of your photos. If you take a lot you'll be sitting around all day waiting for them to upload. If you just want to back up some selected favourites, it's possible.

3) I would forget the local sim card option (and by extension your option D) - coverage is going to be patchy and not fast enough for anything really. Your only other option is to use computers in hostels/internet cafes.

4) No, unlocking has no effect on wifi, you'll be fine with a locked one

5/6) If you're dead set on not using computers for virus reasons, your only option is to be reliant on wifi where it's available - in which case I would keep it simple and go with option A. Assuming you're not too worried about photo quality and are happy with a smartphone camera's limitations.

But when I travelled in the same region a couple of years ago, all I took was a camera and a few SD cards for backup. Take a USB SD card adaptor, take the SD card out of your camera/Android device (not doable with an Apple device, obviously), plug it into the computer and do your uploading/blogging/backups from there. There are some pretty simple things you can do to avoid the most crude security threats on public computers (and really, crude is what 99% of them will be)

Bear in mind that using wifi isn't necessarily any more secure than an internet cafe - wifi is a two-way connection and if you connect to a dodgy one you're potentially giving someone open access to the information on your device and whatever data you transmit.

But be smart about it and you'll be fine with either wifi or internet cafes/hostel computers.

Since its going to be a special trip , maybe its worth considering taking an Advanced Compact style camera , they are not that small and light generally but the quality will easily beat smart pnones or pocket cameras. If you do own a DLSR then perhaps its worth considering taking it despite its size . Its not so much travelling light that is important , its whether you make good use of what you are carrying .
In future you might be glad you took your DLSR. Get a portable hard drive for your pics and movies. you can get the pictures transferred in camera shops using their computer if you don't want to use public computers. If you might be going off the beaten track , consider options for charging your camera if there is no electricity. Some cameras have USB charging which enables you to plug in a battery pack for power on the go.

I basically do what you do and even though i've tried to stay light, i've ended up with a macbookpro 15" retina and my dSLR. However that is mostly because my photos are not just for blogging.

Any serious amount of blogging and you'll need a netbook/ultrabook IMO. I have an ipod touch and use it for music as i don't carry a phone with me. I couldn't use it for blogging, screen is far too small.

I've also tried an iPad. its not too bad, and easy to put photos on to it for blogging from a SD card. Not good as a storage device though, however i found i ended up using the ipad with bluetooth keyboard, so went back to a laptop/netbook/ultrabook setup.

I've never had issue finding free wifi in hostels in SEAsia. Free wifi is more prevalent than here in Australia! I consider it improtant so always try to stay at places with free or cheap wifi.

I was in Cambodia in January and had plenty of options in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Battambang and Kampot. They are though the larger places to stay!

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and advice.

I think I'm leaning towards option B. I'll get a cheaper tablet for blogging and wifi (e.g. a used Nexus on ebay), and something like the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 / TZ30 or DMC-ZS15 as a camera with better quality than phone

I'll transfer files using an OTG USB cable, see this link and this link for more details.

I'll use the tablet as my backup device, and also buy multiple SD cards and use the SD cards as additional backup.

Sony RX100 , Olympus XZ -2 and Pen models, Sony Nex 3 N ,and the new Canon EOS 100 D mini size DLSR could also be cameras to consider.