Travel Pack - What'd YOU Take?

[Andy M]

In a couple of weeks I'm going traveling round Australasia and am currently writing out a list of things to take.

If you were in my position (going traveling for a few months, not always going to have access to electricity, photographing a number of different subjects) which bits of kit would you take?

If possible, keep it to one body and three lenses and don't go OTT with the peripherals

This isn't a 'what should I take?', I'm just intrigued as to the different bits of kit people would take

[srider]

Andy M said:

In a couple of weeks I'm going traveling round Australasia and am currently writing out a list of things to take. If you were in my position (going traveling for a few months, not always going to have access to electricity, photographing a number of different subjects) which bits of kit would you take? If possible, keep it to one body and three lenses and don't go OTT with the peripherals This isn't a 'what should I take?', I'm just intrigued as to the different bits of kit people would take

Hmmm, tricky. I think something like this

Canon 20D or 1Ds Mk2
10-22 ef-s or 17-40 L (depending on body above)
70-300mm DO
24-70 L
Gitzo CF tripod with decent ball head
580EX flash
220EX pocket flash
+plenty of cf cards, batteries, maybe solar charger etc.

[gravymaster]

Batteries, Batteries and maybe some more batteries.
As much storage as I could get my hands on.
Canon 1 series body (doesnt matter which one but a 1ds II would be nice)
Stuarts 28-70L
100-400L
28-135 IS
Lens Pen (cleaner)
lightweight tripod
all risks insurance
all in a lowepro minitrekker

seriously, just think about the batteries, storage and covering a good range of focal lengths. Thats all you need.

Hope this helps.

Matt

[simpo two]

Assuming it's digital, I'd take a 'Phototainer' or similar so you don't have to worry about filling up CF cards.

And a solar-powered battery charger?

[Andy M]

I've been thinking of buying a Belkin Media Reader given that I already have, and am taking with me, a 40GB iPod.

Pic:



A solar powered battery charger - do these things work?! How efficient are they?

Also, can anybody recommend a good insurance company who will cover my camera gear?

Thanks!

Andy.

[V6GTO]

20D (leave the winder at home but take both batteries)
12-24 + hood
28-135 + hood
100-400 + hood
Flash (mine's a 540EZ which was great for my EOS1n but needs upgrading)
Set of 3 extention tubes
Benbo Trekker
72mm Circ, Pol. Filter
I've made a bean bag from 9" of the leg of a pair of jeans with velcro at one end. Take it empty, you can fill it with anything to make a camera steady.
I reakon that if you're careful, and delete as you go, you can get by on 1/2 a gig a week.(None of this bracketing bollox, get it right first time!)
Battery charger (top up at EVERY oppertunity)
My LowePro bag (S&F Rover Light)
Lens cleaning tissues & fluid

Have a great time ya lucky b....

Martin.



>> Edited by V6GTO on Tuesday 25th January 18:54

[ThatPhilBrettGuy]

Andy M said:

A solar powered battery charger - do these things work?! How efficient are they?

Not bad if you get one of the latest flexable ones. About 0.5KG gets you 10watts with 12V output. Getting a standard charger that'll run off 12V is the issue however...and the cost of £150+ doesn't help.

Saying that it'll charge a camera battery in 2 hours or so even in less than perfect skies.

This lot www.icpsolar.com/index2.php3 do some good stuff and the stuff I've got off them has been nicely made.

All the said I can't say I've ever been far from power, even in the darkest corners of the globe. It takes some lateral thinking to get to it sometimes (I've a great story about charging a radio off some traffic lights in France...).

[simpo two]

ThatPhilBrettGuy said:

Saying that it'll charge a camera battery in 2 hours or so even in less than perfect skies.

Then again, assuming you have a vehicle with you, I'm sure you can get something that works off the fag socket...? Or get an inverter which makes it 'mains', then use your normal charger to avoid any problems.

>> Edited by simpo two on Tuesday 25th January 20:23

[ehasler]

I take as much as I can carry.

This has ranged from just my EOS 30, 28-135mm lens, 6 rolls of film and a pair of spare batteries when I climber Kilimanjaro (I even left the case at home to save weight) to virtually all my kit when I've got the car.

Essentials would be lens/camera cleaning stuff, spare batteries (or charger), enough film/memory cards to last the trip (or a digital storage unit) and a tripod if possible.

If you get access to a CD/DVD burner along the way, then it would be well worth burning your images onto disk and posting them home, so that you've got another backup of them.