Help needed with image saving please.

[Fordsabroad]

At home I use a 17 inch Dell laptop and save my images to an external 2TB Samsung portable solid state drive. I have taken this with me when travelling abroad but it is a bit cumbersome and pushes my carry on luggage past its limits.
Last time I went on safari I took a 13in Dell laptop and external SSD and downloaded from card into Lightroom each day. My intension was to merge the catalogue from the travel laptop with my main catalogue on my return.
Apparently this should be easy but I made a real hash of it (don't ask me how) which has put me off trying it again on my next trip in August.
Can somebody please explain in words that a computer numpty can understand how I can merge these two catalogues or advise the best way of saving images when away then transferring them on my return.
Any advise would be appreciated.

 

[Craikeybaby]

How I used to do this was to use the "import from another catalog", then in the catalog module of my main Lightroom catalog move the files from their original location (external drive) into my usual filing system.

 

[sk66]

These days memory cards are relatively cheap. I would just use a new (smaller/cheaper) card each day, and keep a second larger card recording backups until full (assuming you have the capability). That gives you two copies... keep them separated during travel and you should be protected from all but the very worst case scenario.

If you want to edit the files then the "import catalogue" Lewis mentioned should work.

Another option is to have the catalogue settings metadata options set to "automatically write changes to file." This creates and xmp sidecar file next to the original in the folder. You can then just manually move the folders into your existing catalogue's file system and sync the root folder. All edits are stored in the xmp files and will move over/sync with the files. The main negative's are that it is manual, an extra step or two, and a bunch of xmp files you don't otherwise need.