Technology does not travel well.

I know, I know. Laptop computers are lighter than ever; your cellphone is so tiny it can get lost in a shirt pocket; and that digital camera of yours is pretty small.

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But by the time you've loaded yourself down with battery chargers and other accessories, you need a pack animal to follow behind you as you visit the historic districts of Des Moines.

In a week or so, I'll be heading out of vacation, and I've already started a list of what I plan to take. When I look at it, I start thinking I might just stay home. So what I've done instead is find ways to pare the list and to make the load easier to tote.

Here are a few tricks that might help me — and you — lighten the load:

•? Find a good pack: I use a backpack intended to be a camera case. Mine is made by Lowepro (www.lowepro.com) but other companies make the same sort of case. It has compartments for my lenses, a padded area for my laptop computer and zippered pouches for small items like memory cards.

Even if you don't haul around a camera, this case is a great find. You can stuff it with a cellphone, iPod, computer and other delicate items. It's big enough to add a change of clothes. I can carry it on the airplane to protect my most expensive and delicate items from baggage handlers. And since it's a backpack, that leaves both hands free at airports.

•? Regular batteries: Many of my electronic devices use rechargeable batteries. That's a good way to save money when I am close to a charger. But I suggest finding gadgets that use rechargeables in the standard AA and AAA sizes rather than a special-purpose battery. That way, you can substitute regular batteries for the rechargeables when traveling and leave the bulky rechargers at home. No matter where you travel, it's easy to find AA and AAA batteries.

•? Ditch the computer: It's tempting to take your laptop everywhere, just 'cause you can. But I often leave mine at home. Most hotels have computers that guests can use for checking e-mail.

I'll be on a cruise ship and, even there, I'll find a bank of computers connected to the Internet by satellite. I'll pay a premium price to log on, but since it doesn't take long to check e-mail, it's a fair price to pay for the luxury of leaving my laptop and charger at home.

•? Get digital: I carry my digital camera, since photography is a hobby. If you haven't made the switch from film to digital yet, you'll find that digital offers some real advantages for travelers, especially now that memory cards have gotten large enough to hold a week or two's worth of photos.

Instead of carrying 10 rolls of film, I use 1-gigabyte memory cards. Even when shooting high-resolution images, I can get more than 400 pictures on a card. Plus, I can see the photos instantly, so I know when I have a good picture. That's comforting on a once-in-a-lifetime trip or at a family reunion. One other bonus: Memory cards aren't harmed by airport security devices so that worry ends, too.

•? Do homework: A little work before leaving eliminates the need for extra gadgets.

For instance, I go to www.mapquest.com and print out driving directions from my hotel to the airport and other tourist destinations. Then I slip the printouts into my bag. That way, I won't need to use a computer to find directions once I'm there. And I can avoid the cost of adding a GPS navigation unit to my rental car.

I also add printouts that offer restaurant and hotel reviews for the areas I'm visiting. You may even find, as I did, some handy money-off coupons that you can print out before leaving. I also print out airline boarding passes at home — that saves me 15 to 30 minutes at the airport.

•? Flash yourself: Like I said, I often leave my laptop computer at home. But I have to admit there's all sorts of data on that machine that I like to have with me. Family telephone numbers and e-mail addresses, for instance.

But I can carry all that data with me on a tiny (and sturdy) flash drive. It's smaller than a package of gum and plugs into the USB port of almost any computer. Unlike a CD or floppy disk, it has a sturdy plastic case, so I don't have to worry about it getting crushed.

I may not use the data, but it's nice to have. You can find flash drives at any computer store. As an example of a specific product and price, the Kingston DataTraveller II Plus has a 512-megabyte flash drive that sells for less than $50.

Some of you might wonder whether burglars will use this printed notice of my vacation to descend on my home. Don't worry. I write these columns in advance. So, by the time you read this, I will be back at my home with my low-tech burglar alarm — one powered by dog chow instead of batteries.