Thanks to digital cameras, we're taking more photos than ever. Unfortunately, this creates a new set of problems when you're on vacation. You need to free up memory cards to snap more pictures. But I have some tips that will help you offload photos while you're on the road.

PORTABLE STORAGE

Many manufacturers make portable storage drives for photos. You plug your memory card into the drive and transfer photos. Some require a USB cable to transfer photos.

Sizes range from about 20GB to 160GB or more. Be realistic; don't buy something humongous if you don't shoot many pictures. But too much storage space is better than too little.

Prices vary, as do sizes and features. At the low end, drives lack screens for viewing photos. You can find a 60-gigabyte model for about $150. Other models feature wide-screens, for which you'll pay more. A 40GB model will run about $500.

Make sure the gadget accepts your memory cards. File formats can also cause problems, especially if you shoot in RAW, an uncompressed image format that yields huge files. Brands to look at include Epson, Wolverine and SmartDisk.

Some MP3/media players double as photo storage drives. Archos, Creative and Coby make players that can store photos. Some Apple iPods will also store photos with the optional Camera Connector ($30).

DRUGSTORES CAN HELP

Drugstores traditionally are big on film, but they offer help for digital photo buffs, too. Many sell memory cards. That's helpful, if you don't want to buy storage. Prices may be higher than at electronics stores, though.

Drugstores can also move photos from memory cards to CDs. You can view the CDs on your computer or television when you get home. Or, you can transfer the pictures to your computer.

UPLOAD TO THE WEB

If you have access to a computer, you can upload photos to the Internet. Pack a USB memory card reader for transferring photos from your memory card to the computer.

There are plenty of photo-sharing Web sites online. Three popular free ones are Kodak EasyShare Gallery, Snapfish and Shutterfly. They give you unlimited photo storage.

Snapfish and Shutterfly don't limit individual photo sizes. Kodak doesn't address size limitations.

Snapfish and Kodak EasyShare require a yearly purchase to maintain your account. You can buy prints or something more elaborate, like a calendar.

After three months, Snapfish will convert your photos to a lower resolution. These images are still suitable for small prints.

In addition to storing photos, you can invite friends and family to view them. This is a great way to share your vacation photos.

But no matter what you decide, don't skimp on the memory cards. Nothing's worse than not being able to take a picture when you want.

Contact Kim Komando at gnstech@gns.gannett.com.