I always take my laptop. Then I have (2) 4 TB Seagate portable drives that were about $115 each. I clear cards and back-up to each of them most nights. One goes in my luggage during the trip, then into my carry-on to go home (close and safe).
The second goes in my husband’s carry on.
They are small and light, the size of a deck of cards and easily held the 15,000 images I recently took in Australia…
Sandy