What Camera for Backpacking?

There are so many options these days that I thought I would take a look at what are the pros and cons of various camera options going into spring. Should you go very small, SLR, cheap, expensive? And what are the trade offs?

I remember when I first stared backpacking again, around 2002, that digital wasn't really an option. At least not a very affordable option. I had a decent auto focus point and shoot camera and my friend just took some of the disposable film cameras that were popular at the time. It is interesting to look at those primitive low quality photos now. A couple of days ago I ordered a new camera. I'm not sure it will be the one I take or not. I'll have to check it out. I'd be curious to hear what other peoples thoughts are on this subject. Photos have always been important to me as it is one of the few lasting reminders of the various hikes I take.

Anyway, I expect to post a summary of some of the options and the pros and cons of various cameras and talk about what has worked for me. One of my favorites still is the Nikon 4500. Small and only 4 mb but the lenses are top of the line Nikon quality and the Macro function is amazing.