I am sure everyone knows of that sinking feeling of disaster right at that moment that they have stood at the base of one of the great monuments, geological wonders or historic sites in the world that they will never have a chance to return to and realising that they have run out of room on their memory card, or they have (and this is even worse) drained their batteries.

So even if you wanted to record this moment you have no opportunity to do so and you may have missed a once in a lifetime chance.

How can you prevent this kind of thing from happening again?

Being aware of how you will use photography while you are travelling is key. If you are someone who is quite free flowing and as happy to buy a postcard as a memento as to take a photograph, then running out of batteries at a crucial instant will probably not be much of a tragedy.

If though you are someone who longs to imprint some of your own sense of occasion or place in the memories of your trip you, then the way to prevent such disasters is to BE PREPARED!

Many people walk away from their hotels for a day of sight seeing and always remember to take money, sunscreen and appropriate clothing, but for photographers there are always a number of other items to pack. Some of these items are seemingly unimportant and insignificant until you get to that really remote spot and realise you don’t have it. Carrying a small bag dedicated to your photographic equipment and that contains nothing else is a great idea.

So here are a few items for enthusiastic photographers to make sure they always have with them.

1. Always carry a spare of everything - This means batteries (fully charged), memory cards and lens caps (they are so easy to lose). All of these items are essential to have with you as you can’t operate the camera without batteries, nor can you record the photograph without room on your memory card. Lens caps prevent damage to your lens and are just incredibly easy to lose. You don’t want your unguarded lens banging around in a bag getting scratched and damaged, as these are some of the most expensive parts of your kit.

2. A miniature, lightweight tripod - This is a really handy little thing to pop in with your kit. The tripod can be useful for setting up self-portraits using a self timing button or setting a photograph up for a low light situation or night scenes. These handy little tripods can be rested on the tops of fences or church pews to eliminate camera shake at slow shutter speeds.

3. Handwarmers - Great for cold climates, simply break one of these to emit heat and pop it in with your spare batteries. It stops them draining really quickly when you are out hiking around in cold temperatures.

These are just a couple of items to take with you. You can embellish as much or as little as you like. The most crucial thing in photography is to always be prepared.