Old prints fade. Digital photographs stay fresh, but—squirreled away on your hard drive—linger just one technical hiccup away from oblivion. You've spent thousands of dollars on your travels. You've spent countless hours shooting pictures to remember them by. Now it's time to secure your travel photos, whether they be paper or pixels, for the long term. But how? "The short answer," says Daniel Westergren, Traveler's senior photo editor, "is to scan your old pictures, print your favorite new ones, and back everything up." That may sound daunting, but as you'll see, the process is straightforward and, at least in parts, actually fun.

1. Rescue Your Albums

If your photo albums are stored in the attic or basement, retrieve them—now. High humidity may have already ruined your pictures. Replace moldy or damp albums with new ones that have acid-free, adhesive-free pages, and store them in a cool, dry place.