How We Manage Video Storage as Full-Time Travelers in 2025

3 minutes read

Traveling full-time comes with its unique set of challenges, and for us, one of the biggest is managing the sheer amount of video footage we create. If you're not familiar with video production, this might not seem like a big deal. But when you're recording in 4K at 60fps, the file sizes grow astronomically. Let’s break it down and show you what this looks like.

The Size of 4K Video Files

To put things into perspective, think about a standard DVD movie. These are typically between 4.7GB to 8.5GB, covering up to three hours of content.

Now compare that to our camera setup: we record at about 1GB per minute. That means:

  • A 10-minute video uses 10GB of raw footage.
  • On average, for every 10-minute video we produce for YouTube, we shoot between 150-250 clips, each lasting around 30-60 seconds.
  • This results in around 125GB of footage for every 10 minutes of usable content.

Over a month of travel, this adds up quickly. For a single month, we record a minimum of 1,000GB (1TB) of footage.

Our Storage Challenges

Carrying this much data presents unique challenges. Do we pack more memory cards? Hard drives? Or do we find a different solution? We’ve settled on a combination of all the above.

Here’s How We Manage Our Data Storage:

Step 1: Memory Cards

We rely on microSD cards that fit directly into our cameras. These are compact and easy to carry, giving us 1,500GB (1.5TB) of combined storage. While this is a great starting point, memory cards alone aren’t enough. They can fill up quickly and, if lost or damaged, could cost us weeks of footage.

Step 2: Laptops and External Hard Drives

Next, we offload footage to:

  • Laptop storage
  • Large external hard drives

This provides an additional 4,250GB (4.25TB) of storage. While this expands our capacity significantly, it still leaves us vulnerable to theft or hardware failure. Losing a laptop or hard drive would mean losing precious footage for the creation of 10-13 YouTube videos.

Step 3: NAS (Network Attached Storage) Server

Our ultimate solution is a NAS server we set up back in Canada before our trip. A NAS is essentially a small computer connected to the internet, designed specifically for file storage.

Why a NAS Server Works for Us:

  • Massive Storage Capacity: Our NAS can store up to 9,000GB (9TB) of data.
  • Redundancy: It creates two copies of every file, so if one hard drive fails, our data remains safe.
  • Remote Access: We can connect to the NAS from anywhere in the world, ensuring that our footage is backed up even while travelling.

Our Workflow While Travelling

Managing this much data requires an organized workflow:

  1. Daily Review: At the end of each day, we review footage on our laptop.
    • Usable clips are transferred to the laptop.
    • Poor-quality clips are deleted to save space.
  2. Backing Up to the NAS: Whenever we find strong Wi-Fi—whether at a hotel or a café—we connect our laptop to the NAS in Canada. The backup process can be slow, especially in rural areas of Asia where internet speeds are limited.
    • Backing up a single memory card (256GB–512GB) can take weeks.
    • During this time, our laptop is constantly connected to the NAS, whether we’re working on editing, writing blog posts, or sleeping.
  3. Reusing Memory Cards: Once a memory card is fully backed up to the NAS, we erase it and reuse it for new footage.
Backup in Progress

Why We Chose This Solution

You might wonder why we didn’t use popular online backup services like Google Drive or iCloud. Here’s why:

  • Cost: These services charge monthly fees, and over the years, we’d end up spending far more than the one-time cost of building our own NAS solution.
  • Control: With our NAS, we control our data entirely and aren’t reliant on third-party services.

Managing data as a full-time traveler is no small task, but with a well-planned system, it’s entirely doable. Our combination of microSD cards, external drives, laptops, and a remote NAS server ensures our footage is safe and accessible.

If you’re a content creator or planning extended travel, consider your storage needs carefully. Whether you choose an online backup service or build a solution like ours, the key is to plan ahead and prioritize redundancy.

Happy travels and smooth editing!

Below, you’ll find two buttons directing you to our recommended NAS and Hard Drive solutions on Amazon. These are affiliate links, meaning we earn a small commission if you purchase these items—or anything else—after clicking.

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