50 life saving

travel tips
for
journalists
Become a travel ninja
A free ebook from www.imagejunkies.com

Christian Parkinson

www.imagejunkies.com
 Intro

Become a travel ninja. . .

50 lifesaving travel tips for journalists
For those who don't know me my name is Christian Parkinson and I am the editor of
the popular camerawork/editing and video journalism blog www.imagejunkies.com.

I've been travelling extensively for years to places as diverse and dangerous as
Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Ivory Coast, Gaza and Libya.

This list of life saving travel tips is a combination of advice from my own
travels but also from many other experienced journalists who I am lucky enough to
call friends. I hope you will find it useful and maybe even life saving.

A special thanks to @JamesFulcher, @eyewitnessimage, @hidarikun, Jonah Fisher, Eleanore Robinson, Mark
Leach, Adrian Callan, Steve Ryder, Andrew Walker, Mat Callaghan ​
@matcallaghan, Anthony Hagen, Sean
Twamley and everybody else who has sent me tips for inclusion.
 Packing and Prep
1

Scan your travel documents and email them to

yourself. It was traditional to photocopy your
passport and visas, travel insurance etc, and keep
them in a separate part of your luggage. But that's
old school. These days, digital is best - that way
your documents won't go missing even if your bags do.

Get your vaccinations. Having a

yellow fever certificate can be
especially important as in many
countries they ask to see it before
allowing you in. I’ve laminated
mine and keep it with my passport.

Carry a couple of strips of

passport photos with your
passport and your
vaccinations.

Pack Gaffer Tape - Even if you have no idea

what you might need it for, believe me it will
come in handy at some point during your trip.
 Packing and Prep
2

Take an inflatable pillow – or a decent foam one for

the plane and for long car journeys. As the Army say,
“Any fool can be uncomfortable”.

Remember remember the surge protector.

And if you don't have one, when there's a
power cut always remember to unplug
your laptop in the dark. When they
switch over to the generator there
could be a spike that might fry your
circuits.

A solar charger for your

phone.

A power inverter – These are crucial if you

want to charge equipment or run a laptop in the
field. Don’t expect to have regular electricity
in even in urban areas, be prepared
 Packing and Prep
3

Check what type of plug sockets they use and be sure to

bring as many adaptors as you can. You always need more
than you think for both charging gear and for your
lighting kit. It’s also worth bringing a four way strip
socket with a surge protector so that you can charge all
your kit in one place and know that it is safe

Always take the necessary equipment to

make a decent cup of coffee in the
morning. It can make or break the shoot.

Never forget a supply of

Imodium and basic stuff like
ibuprofen and paracetamol.
Language issues can make
these hard to source locally.

Learn a bit of the local lingo. “Please” and

“Thank you” are always useful, but even better
can be some street slang, the equivalent of
“Hay, Whassup?” As soon as people hear this
they either laugh and immediately warm to you
or they consider you virtually a local and
leave you be.
 Packing and Prep
4

Stock up on decent maps of your

destination. You can also download maps
from apps such as "Google maps" to view
offline. Here's the instructions how to
do it
https://support.google.com/gmm/answer
/3273567?hl=en-GB
 At the airport
1

Most airlines now charge per item therefore it can

pay to use bigger bags and less of them – be aware
that most airlines have a 23kg bag limit.

Pack all lithium ion batteries in your

hand luggage – Here's a link to more
info on
this http://www.imagejunkies.com/2013
/12/01/flying-lithium-ion-batteries-
dont-get-trouble-follow-rules-
regulations/

Never check expensive or

important items in. This sounds
obvious but I’ve witnessed the
result when a colleague has lost
them this way.

Use cable ties on boxes at the airport. Customs

prefer them to padlocks as they can cut them
off easier.
 At the airport
2

Always have a shed load of cash with you as some

airports don’t take cards – yes, honestly!

As well as the big notes make sure to

also have small denomination notes and
coins for tips or trolleys.

Give yourself plenty of time at

the airport. One small snag and
your whole plan can go out of the
window.

Never argue or get annoyed with

immigration/customs or security – it's not
worth the hold up.
At the hotel
1

Try to get a Hotel room close to the elevator so that

you don’t have to drag all of your equipment up and
down the corridor multiple times a day. If you are
somewhere dangerous it can also be a bad idea to have
a room close to the main street or directly above
reception where a bomb would most likely be
detonated.

In dodgy countries carry a small rubber

door wedge to wedge your hotel door
shut from the inside when you’re in
there.

Carry a couple of the hotel’s

business cards with you incase
you get lost while out.

Always carry a head-torch with you at all

times. You never know when the power may go.
On that note remember to use your surge
protector as well.
At the hotel
2

If the guest wifi upload speed in the hotel is very

slow and you have to transfer rushes then ask the
hotel nicely if you can use a staff computer on the
"big pipe"

Leave the TV switched on in the hotel

while you’re out to fool potential
burglars.

Most hotels now require a key

card in a slot for electricity.
Get a spare card to keep in it
otherwise your kit will stop
charging when you leave the
room.

Sleep with your passport and cash on you in

your travel pouch. If there's an emergency it's
good to have it ready to run with.
 Filming
1

Never take your eyes off your kit. One lapse in

concentration and it can be scooped up by somebody
on a scooter or in a car and gone – Shoot over. If you
are eating dinner and it’s on the floor then wrap the
camera strap around your ankle.

Learn when to ask permission to film and

when not to. This is a hard skill to teach,
it is an instinct. Sometimes I will walk
into a place, introduce myself and ask if
somebody minds being filmed. Other times I
will film discreetly from a distance or use
a small camera like a tourist. Only
experience can teach this.

If you want to shoot without making it obvious then

shoot from the floor rather than on the tripod. You
can also use a wide lens and walk around with the
camera slung over your shoulder while filming
without people realising. Another trick I have
learnt is to set the shot I want and then start a
conversation with a colleague so that people don’t
realise that I am actually still filming. They
assume that if you are not looking into the
viewfinder then you are not recording. I think of
this as hiding in plain sight.
 Filming
2

If you need a clean shot of an area without all of the

locals posing, point the camera in the opposite
direction and make make a big show of filming with
them in shot. Then casually turn the camera around
and, whilst seemingly checking the equipment, get
the shot you actually want. It takes practice and a
bit of planning to know what your shot will be
without looking in the viewfinder. This is good for
when minders won't let you film a scene you want.

If possible, buy two cheap folding chairs on

arrival in a country and keep them in the car for
outdoor interviews so you don't have to rely on
benches, stumps etc.

Charge all your gear every chance you have.

Never go to bed without making sure
everything is ready for the next day.
General travel tips

Eat when you can. Who knows when the next meal will
be? - Stay hydrated and drink lots of water, even in
cold countries. If in doubt stick to the bottled
variety.

If somebody calls you “my friend” then

be prepared for hassle, they rarely are
your friend. Likewise with anybody
saying "trust me".

Always use a seatbelt. Even if it

means sacking your driver and
finding another. Why take the risk?
In some countries they will think you
are crazy for worrying about this.

Smile brightly at most people you meet but be

prepared to growl when you have to. Never
instigate an argument but don’t be an easy
target either, stand your ground when you need
to.
General travel tips

Wash your hands regularly. Let’s face it we are often

putting them in some pretty dirty places. . .

Always have small amounts of local

currency on you for tips and buying
cold drinks. Big notes are a liability
and can draw attention to you.

When getting money. Ask for clean,

unripped notes. If using US dollars
make sure they are post 2006. Some
countries like the DRC really care
about this.

Always look confident. Shoulders back, chest

out and look like you know exactly where you
are.

Always dress conservatively. In many cultures

shorts or tight T-shirts don’t go down well. I
always wear jeans and a shirt or cargo pants and a
smart T-shirt, depending on the environment.
General travel tips

Carry an old wallet, with some out of date credit

cards, a few store loyalty cards and a small amount of
cash, in case you get mugged

Try and avoid giving to beggars - There

are exceptions to this rule, such as
monks seeking alms but generally
getting your wallet out leads to you
being swamped by others.

If you need to stop and look at a map

do it subtly by hiding it in your bag
or inside the pages of a book.

If a street is empty it's probably for good

reason, find a different route.

Keep some cash for when you leave the country

incase you get sprung with the "Departure tax".
If you've found these tips
useful then check out my
website
www.imagejunkies.com
which is packed with
similar info. You can also
keep in touch on twitter -
@imagejunkies.