When I was a kid, family reunions weren't about genealogy as much as they were about eating. Who cared how many branches of the family showed up, as long as Mom made potato casserole and Grandma brought her famous lemon banana salad?

Well, those days are long gone, and like most genealogists, I regret all the lost chances to interview the elderly keepers of the family's history — or as my sister called them, “those old ladies who lived out in the country.” Fortunately, though, my Faulken-berry family still has an annual reunion, and if I were to attend, I'd take a lot more than a covered dish. Here's the gear all you tech-savvy reuniongoers should consider packing in your picnic basket.