My TRAVEL CAMERA GEAR | What I pack in carry on and hold bag
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ต.ค. 2024
- Deciding what to pack when traveling with your camera gear can be difficult. In this video I share the gear I take and top tips for packing for travel.
Instagram (follow my daily stories) - / nigel.danson
Gear in this video (not listed in main gear below)
Samyang 14mm lens for astro (worked well on Iceland trip) - geni.us/samyan...
Tenba tools (small bags) - geni.us/tenbat...
Benro travel tripod - geni.us/benrofif
Benro travel camera bag (32L) - geni.us/tenba32l
Kase Filters - geni.us/Kase | And use code NIGEL for 5% off
My 50 video course on mastering the art of landscape photography - geni.us/master...
Get a free eBook if you sign up for my newsletter - www.nigeldanso...
Useful photography resources:
Where I get my AWESOME MUSIC - goo.gl/7LWnFh
FREE 19 page eBOOK on composition - sellfy.com/nig...
All my gear (inc. clothes) is listed here - www.nigeldanso...
NIKON GEAR (Main STILLS camera)
Current landscape camera - Nikon Z7 - geni.us/nikonz7
Awesome telephoto lens - Nikon 70-200m f/2.8 - geni.us/nikon70200
Fav lens - Nikon 24-70mm Z f4 - geni.us/nikon2470
Great wide angle lens - Nikon 16-35mm f/4 -geni.us/MCglWI
Amazing Bokeh - Sigma 24mm f1.4 geni.us/Sigma24
FUJI GEAR (Main FILM camera)
Fujifilm X-T3 - geni.us/fujifil...
Awesome Bokeh - Fuji XF35mm F2 - geni.us/fuji35f2
Sharpest long zoom - Fuji 50-140mm F2.8 geni.us/fuji50140
Killer wide angle lens - Fuji 10-24mm F4 - geni.us/fuji1024
OTHER PHOTO GEAR
Awesome sensor brush - geni.us/brush4...
GorillaPod - geni.us/Kb9mV
The great printer I use Canon P1000 - geni.us/cIIc
Clever camera strap (peak design) - geni.us/PDstrap
Great bag for hiking - Tenba 24L - geni.us/orPwh
Great bag for travel (carry on) - Tenba 32L - geni.us/tenba32l
Super light Benro Travel Tripod UK - geni.us/benrofif
A must have for tripod (L bracket) - geni.us/myLbra...
Lightweight tripod - Benro Mach3 Carbon Fiber Tripod - geni.us/benrom...
Paper I use for all my prints - Fotospeed - geni.us/fotospeed Use DANSON10 to get 10% off your paper.
#camera #cameragear #travel
How refreshing to see someone offer their true, honest opinion about an (expensive!) product they received for free.
That's exactly what I've thought
finally someone who speaks the truth about this gnarbox. I've seen so many reviews on this and they are all the same. its a joke to me to see how all youtubers rush to produce the same content as soon as a new product hits the market, instead of really using it and giving an honest review. thank you for doing that! I have thought of exactly what you said. great product but the price is so unreasonably high its ridiculous that some youtubers sell it as a must have
Exactly my thoughts! For $800 you could buy a decent computer or a high-end iPad to back your stuff up on! I saw another review about it from another photographer on TH-cam, and I thought it was kind of cool. But i had no idea it cost THAT much money. That's ridiculous!
It's sooo much money. You could just buy six 128gb sd cards, make the second cards a redundant copy and swap them out when they fill up.
I travel a lot and I do mostly as Nigel. However when you travel international you should take some considerations
1. Use your big microfiber cleaning cloth and wrap it around your camera and lenses. This is ensure getting dirt or dust when you open your bag. It will alsp protect your gear better from scratches during transport.
2. Put your batteries separately in small cases so they dont touch each other. It takes also better care of the batteries. Have a rule for empty batteries.
3. When you pack and arrange your gear in your bag, remember you will often need to pick out camera on the airport security. Some places will ask to look at your batteries like in Beijing.
4. Lee filter cases takes up much space in your camera bag, consider put them in your luggage, if you have a good protective case.
5. Clean your camera bag after travels. Use a vacum cleaner to get away all dust. You will be amazed how much dust which is in a bag after a travel.
I'd also add have all your batteries together in a small bag in your carry-on (contacts covered) so that they can be easily shown to security.
When packing, lay out all the clothes & money you think you'll need; then take half the clothes and twice the money.
Haha I wish I could adhere to this !
Agreed. Another tip: Take clothes that can easily be hand washed. Hotel room soap or shampoo works quite well for this purpose.
I have no money, I spent it all on gear....
I get the clothes thing wrong far too often...
I guess it is kind of randomly asking but does anyone know of a good website to stream new tv shows online?
Thanks Nigel for this tips.
The tech. things i always take with me besides my camera gear .......
- a power bank for my iPhone when i'm hiking and staying in a tent.
- a car adapter for my iPhone for charging when driving during use of the navigation.
- a old-fashion map and compass + a modern navigation tool (i have a Garmin-watch)
- when i go to cold area's i take handwarmers not necessarily for my hands but for my batteries (batteries and handwarmer together in a small bag in by backpack )
- multitool / knife and allen wrenches for my tripod etc. .
- shower-caps for covering my camera when it's on the tripod and the weather goes bad.
- a back-up of my travel documents (pasport, driver license, hotel vouchers, car rental voucher, picture of my suitcases - for airport staff when the luggage is lost ) on my phone + in the cloud.
Time for James Popsys to enter the chat with a much smaller pack. Micro 4/3rds represent 😏
Don't fold your clothes when packing them, roll them. You'll fit more and still avoid wrinkles and keeping it tidy.
Hi Nigel,
Thank you for your videos, I truly enjoy and learn from them.
My travel secret is since I can’t do a back pack I use a Think Tank shoulder bag storing all my gear in it. Then I place that bag in a North Face rolling bag with a high quality compact tripod, iPad, Bose noise canceling head set and a light Patagonia compressible jacket . It all fits and the bag fits in the overhead bin of a Canadair RJ 200 commuter plane which in the states has the smallest overhead bin of anything I know of.
For ref the Gear in the ThinkTank bag is : XT 1 and will be a X Pro 3, Fuji 10-24mm, 16mm f1.4, 23mm f1.4, 50mm f2, 55-200mm, 3 ND filters, 1 polarizer... and adapter rings and light cleaning accessories. Then the tripod straps to the bottom. I never have to put the bag down to switch things out including filters as they’re attached to the inside of the bag.
Finally a NorthFace bag doesn’t say camera gear so I hope it’s less of a theft attraction!
I always have a Hefty trash bag in one of the pockets of my backpack just in case the ground is wet or muddy. This keeps my backpack clean and dry. I can also use it if I need to sit or kneel on the ground.
My tip: a thermos with tea !! Bonus: if you store your batteries not too far from it in winter it keeps the charge better !!
When it's really cold outside the only way to keep battery alive is to hold them in an inner pocket. You have to protect them from a body sweat too.
Extension cable in my suitcase, hotel rooms sometimes have limited plug sockets. Fab video and hope you enjoy Iceland 👍
I use an extension block with 4 sockets, plus a single power adaptor - both invaluable
Buy one with overload protection. .........Just in case of a power surge etc. !!
The honesty about the Gnarbox was quite refreshing. Fair play.
Top travel tip. Take a picture of my bag and gear on my mobile phone and cloud storage, incase it gets stolen or misplaced. Also have a colored ribbon on all my bags to identify them easier. I always have a battery power pack with a light incase I need to charge on the go. Some electricians black tape, carabiner or similar clips, para cord and several zip lock bags. Hope this helps👍
I have a Travel List and every time I will be travelling I will print it. Then every item I put in the luggage I highlight it and same with my gear in the camera bag. That way I never forget anything. A first-aid pouch is also essential. Thanks for your great vlogs.
Keep Silica gel packets that you get in parcels/ packaging - pop a few in your camera gear bag/backpack. The sachets will soak up any moisture in the air in your bag especially when you are going from cold to warm or warm to cold and creating an environment for condensation.
Nice touch to be honest about the gift! personally I really appreciate it because it gives confidence about what you talk!
Great vid mate! My tip is to wear cargo pants and put heavy small kit in the pockets as they don’t weigh you!
I use hand warmers to keep my gear and batteries warm in cold weather. Lots of other great tips here, too! Loved this video. Thanks, Nigel!
I Cary on a memory card images of all my documents, passport, drivers licence, birth certificate appropriate bank details etc....great video and love the packing cubes.
Sometimes I pack a folding camping stool that way I’m not always down on my knees or all over the place trying to take a shot. It just gives me a Good uniform height to shoot from and must importantly makes time-lapses or long exposures like astrophotography that much more enjoyable!
Great piece nigel! I liked the part about you talking honestly about Gnarbox especially, makes you appear a very honest person to us watchers. Kudos! And that's also where my travel tip comes in: for data backup on location I ended up using OTG on my phone(phones are with us anyways). You only need a travel sd(or other forms of storage) with a fast usb c car reader (make sure its rated as fast card reader, had to send some initially ordered adapters back for lack of fast transfer rate, and the card read speed is the bottleneck of described system). Plug both card reader and sd card to your phone via OTG adapter, and done. Yes you need your phone for the time of data backup, but for my recent trip to Jordan the everyday backup time averaged to 15-20 min only. Hit transfer in the Hotel, have a shower, breakfast, etc. transfer will be done and ready before you are. Works like a charm and saves cash too. Cheers.
Dear Nigel,
Again a video with advice that makes me think about my luggage that I take with me during my trip. The quick change of position also reminds me of Star Trek, you have good contacts.
I’ve never traveled with my camera gear before, so my tip is to listen to people who regularly travel with their gear. I’ll be traveling to Yellowstone and the Tetons later this year and this gives some great information on what to put where. Thanks Nigel, this is really useful stuff.
If I am travelling to a more remote region, I now pack a Garmin inReach satellite communicator. It's very pricey, but it offers peace of mind.
I do the same.
When I am Travelling I wear pants and a shirt with a lot and lots of pockets to carry batteries, cables and sometimes even hard drives, which gets me some looks at the security check but in the end, I am able to carry on more stuff, and when in the flight I put that back into a small bag which I Attach externally to my lowpro pro-tactic.
Most of my travels are vehicle road trips, and security for $10,000 of camera gear is always top of mind. I added a steel ARB locking drawer set to the rear cargo space of my 4-Runner where I can lock up the camera bag in one drawer, and my 4WD tools in the other. The peace of mind is worth every penny, especially in cities, or when going into restaurants or other places where I don't want to lug all my gear. These drawers are similar to the gun safes police install in their vehicle trunks or cargo areas. The bonus is that with an additional carpeted board over the rear seats, I have a sleeping area in the vehicle as well.
I always pack my toiletries in my carry on bag. It's not the end of the world if you lose them, but it's nice to have them on you on a plane (especially if you have a long overnight flight are aren't lucky enough to be in first class ;)
I really appreciate your honesty!
Nice to see someone pay attention to the carry on limits.The amount of people you see with all but a bloody suitcase size rucksack on that takes up nearly the entire overhead storage bin gets on my nerves to say the least....🤬🤬
If I’m traveling within the USA and I travel on a low cost airline I usually rent a lens online and have it shipped to my destination hotel to avoid size and weight issues
Always take a multi tool and a small roll of gaffer tape.
I have found I have to have a packing list or I will leave a cable or remote shutter release or something at home. I take it with me to make sure nothing is missing when I pack up to return home. The list has been refined over time and is a sub list of the spreadsheet of all my photo gear (used for insurance and taxes) and I printout a new one for each trip. That way they can be all marked up, crossed out or added to. The videos are great - love your enthusiasm.... it helps me get off the couch.
Great video Nigel.
I tend to wear a jacket with pockets and some comfy travel pants also with pockets. Some airlines are very particular about their weight limit, so I can then throw a bunch of heavier things (like batteries, powerbank, etc) in my pockets until after they weigh things. Then you can put everything back in your bag when checked through.
I also use my shoes as a protection when I need to put things in my checked luggage. Great tip!
Pack clothes and kit in swing-bin liner bags.... these are really useful when you get wet clothes or to cover kit in a downpour. I've even tied them around my leaky boot in the snow
i like taking a tiny foldable backpack with me when i travel. in case i need extra room. this tiny backpack i have folds into smaller than fist size and opens up into 15liter volume. it cost me 2€ and so far has been a huge blessing.
another tip is to use clothes as cushion :)
Excellent video👌🏻
When packing gear, I take photos of the camera, laptop, tablet and other expensive equipment S/Ns for tracking them in case they get stolen. I email myself those photos as well.
Good video about what to carry and how to carry it.
Having done a lot of traveling I try to have all the valuable gear in a carry-on bag even if I am not flying and limit myself to 1 bag for camera gear and 1 for computer gear. Also, I try to minimize the amount of clothing I bring while paying attention to what I will need in the field.
Where possible, on tools and the like I try to bring stuff that can do double duty.
Best Idea: always take a pic of your business card for your camera, so if it gets lost and someone goes through the pictures they will find your info.
You honesty won my subscription.
I've been wrestling with the best way to pack for a trip for a while, and a small thing that makes a big difference is rolling up your clothes into packing cubes; packing cubes also work really well with camera inserts like Tenba's. You don't have to shuffle through layers of different clothes, you just grab whatever you want right from the top and the packing cube keeps it flat and rectangular. It removes so much hassle, and it's made even better if your backpack zips open from the front instead of only being a top-loader.
Additionally, what works really well with packing cubes is getting a drawstring stuff sack to throw dirty clothes in. I usually just stuff it into a mesh pouch/water bottle holder on my backpack at the start and end of a trip so it takes up essentially no room, but being able to slowly fill it up as my clothes get dirty is really nice. Also makes getting laundry done easy if you're paying for a service, as you can just carry it and drop it off in the bag.
As for cameras in particular, I see a lot of people getting these little lens cleaning kits that have moistened cloths... I tried them and got annoyed with the waste (both producing it and carrying it), so I hunted around for another option and got a travel-friendly (1oz) spray bottle and bought a large bottle of cleaning solution (large, cheap bottle of 99.9% isopropyl alcohol mixed 50/50 with distilled water), filled the spray bottle, and now just bring that around in a small sealable plastic bag in case the bottle leaks. Dampening any sort of fine cloth with it and cleaning lenses that way is essentially waste-free and works as well as anything, assuming you start with a blower and quick dry wipe down to get rid of any large specs of dust and dirt.
Nice setup! An quick tip that was alluded to is that you can commonly take a laptop bag (or similar sized bag) in addition to your carry-on that you don’t have to have a laptop in. So you can pop slim bags, cables, etc in there.
I don’t recall spotting any battery chargers or spare batteries for the Zs in there. We’re they buried in the cable bag or do you charge them in camera?
As an overall travel tip: if in doubt, leave it out. When space/weight is limited and you’re at (or nearing) your limits pick the items that are essential and pack them. Pick up the remaining items one at a time and think to yourself “do I really need this?”. If you hesitate, put it aside. If you’re then under weight it leaves room for things you buy when there.
Similarly, some things that you can afford to buy when abroad leave out if you’re concerned about space. Sun cream, for example, you can pick up easily in countries that have bright sunlight. This also helps a tremendous amount with (carry on) liquid limits; you can take a small bottle to get you through the airport & to the place you’re staying and buy a big one while there. Worked really well for frequent trips to Tenerife.
Tip for packing: This is not mine, it comes from Morten Hilmer but he uses his pockets for certain items to keep the carry on bag weight down.
Howard Allen That’s what I do as well when get into weight problems.
Very interesting vlog. The aurora shot is stunning. Obviously a travel adapter with multiple options for non-UK wall sockets, the clever bit is that we take a small 3 socket extension lead that easily fits in any bag, it multiplies the things we can use simultaneously.
After every trip, I’ll go through my original packing list as I unpack and note the things I brought but didn’t use. It’s helped me really hone in on season, activity, or location specific packing lists to stay carry on only even with photo gear. Also, thanks for the honest take on gnarbox
Thanks Nigel, ha when you went to get your new gloves....boom in Iceland. You looked very tired. Thanks again keep composing love your blog.
Nice video Nigel.
I used to have a lighter crop sensor setup. Now EosR set up, weight significantly increased. Now I take only 2 lenses wide and 70-200 with me. I have got a Sony rx100 m5 with 24-70.
Tip from me : wrap microfibre clothes around the batteries, make sure they don't contact each other. I Pack my camera bag before anything else. That gives me time to think if I forget anything else 🙂. I do pack it on my own I take full blame if I forget something.
Nice video Nigel. I always put all my batteries, powerbanks, etc all in one insert pouch so that it is easier to remove them during security check in. Had a bad experience once, where I had to remove all my batteries from different pockets. A travel tripod that converts to a monopod is very useful to replace a walking pole. Carry a few carabiners it will definitely be useful when u need to strap stuff that usually doesn't fit in your backpack while hiking/trekking.
Thanks for doing a give a way! My tip is always keep you passport and important documents in a sealed, if possible waterproof, mini bag. Similar to the ones u have in your camera bag.
RavPower File Hub: It might have already been mentioned, but there are so many great comments that I couldn’t read through them all to check. When I need to travel especially light and decide to leave my laptop at home (e.g. trekking from place to place with only what I can carry on my back), the RavPower File Hub is an easy way to backup photos at the end of each day to a small SSD or hard drive. The File Hub and SSD are smaller than the Gnarbox and cost a small fraction of the price. You can view your images via the app on the phone or tablet. The File Hub is also a wireless router and a backup power source to charge your phone or other USB device.
For me is a must to take a headlamp and to free my hands for whatever is..and if i keep my bag small i don't take to much. Thanks Nigel for sharing your tips
I always think of multifunctions and when I go on road trips or longer hikes I always bring a pocket shower, it doubles as a water container and weighs only 160 grams but give so much joy
Great video Nigel, impressive how much gear you take with you as professional photographer. And also you have a perfect organization for all your luggage.
As tip for packing I suggest inflatable wine bottle bags to store lenses, especially if you have to put them in the hold bag or if you don't have a proper photo bag. They are reusable and sold with the small pump included, you can easily find on Amazon.
Putting lenses in the hold in the UK is a really bad idea, many things disappear without a trace!
@@antonoat of course you are right and I normally never do that, but in case there is no other option.
I also use it to protect the head of the tripod that I must put in the hold bag.
Furthermore some times I travel with a backpack( 1 hand luggage only is permitted) with some space for camera and some space for clothes. Not all the lenses fit the camera space so I use the inflatable bag to protect the lens I put in the clothes space.
Nigel, I'm also on the Z-System and have the 14-30. Does the one stop more light of the Samyang really makes that big of a difference to take another lens with you?
My tip (shared with James Popsys recently!): rather than taking lots of travel adapters for my laptop, phone, camera battery, tablet etc, I now take one UK 4 way plug adapter and one travel adapter. Plug the 4-plug adapter into the travel plug and voila! Charge four items with UK plugs yet only use on travel adapter. Revolutionsed my packing when we go to Spain to stay with my in-laws (even better, I've left the four way plug there so now I don't need to take anything!).
Would suggest taking a Hahnel pro cube 2 twin battery charger - especially useful in cold climates! Has been indispensable on my travels.
I usually pack my essential camera gear in a Tenba BYOB/ Packlite 10. That way I always have it close to me and easy to access for quick lens change for example. The rest of my camera gear stays in my backpack for moments when I have more time to set up my shots or film a particular scene.
Thanks for the video Nigel and hope you have a great time in Island.
The one thing that I have found most useful, well two actually, a short 2 or 3 socket mains extension cable and a six way USB charger. All my kit can be charged by USB and the extension cable means that I only need one socket adapter. This year, due to having all my kit stolen when in Bolivia, I've gone mirror-less and and since my next trip only allows an 8kg carry on, I'm using a 10" windows tablet instead of a laptop and a RAVPower WD03 wirelsss access point and external SSD for my daily card backup routine.
Hi Nigel, great video again. My top tip is to wrap a length of duck tape/gaffer tape around the leg of my tripod. Comes in very handy for minor repairs, extending a lens hood a little, holding back a branch, etc
I pack a "Multimat" - thin lightweight folding mat for sitting /kneeling on outside ... Great video, thanks Nigel !
I place each days clothes/outfit in a large Ziplock bag. Simply remove the clean, place the dirty in the bag.This keeps everything organized and easy to find. This also helps if the airline searches your hold bag.
We all loose socks ! I use the remaining sock as a soft case for lenses, flash remote, and anything which doesn’t have a dedicated case. In fact I’ll use socks when I don’t win the Temba small bags.
I also always carry a small trash bag , good for covering backpack, camera on tripod, placing on the ground to protect knees while kneeling for macro.
I always take a extra pair of shoes/boots depending on trip and I pack my socks in there. Also I always put a luggage tag in the inside of my checked bag in case the outside one comes off at least there’s ID for my bag. One thing I always pack is a small nightlight, I’ve been in hotels that the rooms are so dark, a small cheap nightlight(one that doesn’t have a replaceable bulb-dollar/discount store type).
I know it might look dorky, but I sometimes travel with a photographer's vest. It worked great when I was hand carrying a 600mm in a case and a roller bag with the rest of my gear to Nunavut, CA last fall. I was able to put a lot of smaller things in the vest, which came in handy when I was walking around on the tundra with it's roomy pockets. I also wore my tundra boots on the plane to save space in my checked package. Functionality over Elegance!!!
Tip for packing always roll your cloths fit loads more in and no crises , great vid as always 🤗🤗
Hi, your honesty about the Gnar box is much appreciated, and brings a lot of values to your channel !!!
It’s like the Tesla Cybertruck, I have heard only one famous you-tubers having the honesty and courage to go against the “sheeps” and I really think it’s a good thing !!!
Keep up the good work ;-)
Thanks... I have to be honest. Otherwise my recommendations mean nothing. I know how difficult choosing something is so when I like something and it works for me I say so in the hope it will help others.
One option is to send luggage ahead with a courier such as mybaggage, sendmybag or airoluggage etc. Saves all the faff of standing in airport security pulling out all your stuff to go through the xray machine. I've never used one of the modern services, but I did once have a similar agreement with an airline on a trip to Switzerland from Manchester because we had 3 trains to catch to Wengen. Our suitcases arrived to our hotel room about one hour after we arrived. Just the job.
1. Taking freezing bags like Ziploc for all your tecnical stuff and as sewing bag. Put in there all the cables, hard disks, headphones etc. It's easy for you to see what's in where and it's also easy for the security check at the airport because you everything you might have to take out is together in a few bags.
2. Roll up your clothes, it's more tightly arranged and you can protect other stuff inside the back with it.
I have only flown once, being so nervous, on a photography holiday. Fortunately I had paid extra for speedy boarding so was able to take a cabin bag plus my laptop bag, and had room for all I needed. Except that I didn’t use my Astro lens, or my Lensbaby lens, and only used my macro lens once. My advice is just don’t expect to use everything you would want to, so simply think of what you really could not do without, and don’t lug the rest. Those bags look really sensible, hope I win!
The best piece of gear I always take are foam knee pads, they don't take up much room and often I can fit them in my carry on camera backpack. I use them a lot for both landscape and wildlife photography and they are a life saver in many situations. They are inexpensive and can be found at any home center or hardware store.
I take a teleconverter, usually a 2.0, but sometimes a 1.4. I hate using them, but there is often one or two occasions on a trip where I find I need to extend my 70-200mm to a 140 to 400mm ( I have a bigger lens, but it is too large for practical travel). The teleconverter slows down the shutter speed, but it is small and I find I occasionally need it. Well worth the small amount of space it takes up.
1. Bring your own pillow case from home.
If you have trouble sleeping while away, your photos aren't going to be as good as they could be. Having a familiar smell and feel can help you relax.
2.Bring water purification tablets. (I thought I would only be a few hours, we found a location not far from the planned but had to cut the shooting day short to go into town for water. When we got back the conditions changed too much as we lost the shot.
3.GPS locator
we all have phones with GPS, if they get signal in other places or have it on a watch.
4. Some kind of cutting device. (Depends on the laws what can be taken) I have a creditcard styled tool kit that has saved me so much hassle and trips back to base.
5.Head Lamp- keeping my hands free to quickly turn it on, get in my bag directly to what I need, then back to shooting.
These are things I've found have been helpful when traveling for photos.
I'm a casual photographer, I have a decent camera but not all the kit. Just got back from two weeks in the Alpes. The primary purpose was to ski, not to take pictures. For the trip, I got one of those soft camera bags with drawstrings, just big enough for a camera with lens attached and 2 small pockets inside for a spare SD card & microfiber. Tossed the bag in my carry on, always easy to get. Worked fine for a Vacation.
Great video Mr Danson!
One very beneficial hack for deep temperatures: take some plastic bags (and reuse them as long as you can) with you and - before you return from the cold outside back to cosy home - put in your camera and lenses. After acclimatising for some time you can put it out without getting wet from condensed vapour. The best you can do for gear without sealing. Isn't that great?!
I wish you have/had some awsome time on Iceland to show us stunning pics and vlogs. Couldn't get better than...
Beye from Salzburg! (winter proofed)
I'm interested in how you use the small hard drive with your lightroom catalog. Do you just make a copy of the catalog and then restore it back to your main computer when you get back?
I always pack in a small roll of gaffer tape - it's been a life saver! I don't have any small bags for cables etc, so I place them inside empty toilet roll holders, about 5 which fit snugly in a small compartment in my camera bag.
I keep all my camera cleaning stuff (rocket air, micro fibres, swabs, etc) in a Maxpedition E.D.C Pocket Organizer. Really compact storage and easy to clip onto the outside of a bag with a carabiner.
Travel Tip: Before packing your tripod in your checked luggage, remove the ball-head, wrap in a sock and stuff inside a shoe for protection. Learned this the hard way on a trip to England this past September and found my busted ball-head the next morning while unpacking.
This was a well thought out and shot video Nigel. Good to see some honesty as well.
I often use a no name shoulder bag as my “personal item” - it is large enough to hold my GoPro and Sony APSC with plastic zoom or a small Leica lens (35/50mm) / Fuji x100. This becomes my backup or travel camera setup just in case.
Really good tips Nigel. That gnarbox would have come handy right before I lost my camera in the river... But probaly wouldn't have thought to use it ;)
I always pack a power strip, for two reasons.
1. Often you only have one of two power outlets in you hotel room and you tend to use many of them when editing photos, charging batteriets etc.
2. Also, if I travel to a country with another type of power outlet, I only need one converter.
I take a bunch of 64GB SD cards and 2 pelican SD card cases. I put 2 SD cards in my camera, so that each photo is backed up to the 2nd card. After each day of shooting, I take the cards out of the camera and replace them with new ones immediately, then put the old cards in seperate pelican SD card cases, one case stays in my camera bag, the other case goes my luggage. In the event I lose my camera bag, I still have the photos in the case, inside my camera bag. This also saves me having to lug around my laptop, and allows me to travel light :)
Apart from the obvious camera gear that I put in my wheeled camera bag carry on (saves my back), like you I take a smaller backpack in my hold luggage - it is packed with clothes etc so that there is no dead space.
Three essentials for me are an electrical power adapter for the country I’m visiting, a power strip and an extra camera battery charger (mine takes 2 batteries). The power strip isn’t actually a strip it’s circular in shape and is surge protected and has 4 x 3 pin sockets (UK) and 4 x USB ports. I have found that some hotel rooms etc are very very mean with their power outlets so plugging the power ‘strip’ into the adapter allows me to charge much more than I normally would. Therefore at any one time I can charge 3 batteries using 2 sockets (saves getting up in the night to change batteries for charging), charge my phone using either a 3 pin plug or a USB port and still have a socket to plug my laptop into (if I take it) or a USB port to plug in my iPad. AND still have room for more. One thing I do though, is unplug my laptop overnight because power coming from non U.K. supply is usually weaker and I want to make sure everything is fully charged by the time I get up next morning.
I hope this helps others. Here’s the link to the power ‘strip’ amazon.co.uk/dp/B07D99Z1KR/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_gS2oEbAPDNZT6
Small pad or mat to kneel on is also useful. You can get small microfilm ones that fold up and weigh nothing.
Sachets of silica gel. Seems like a worthwhile precaution and very light.
Tiny solution to backup a SD card during long trips with no computer? I found the RAVPower FileHub RP-WD03 suited perfectly my needs. Plug your SD card on one side, a SSD driver (or USB key) on the other side, control by your phone via wifi connection, and it worked perfectly, acting also as a Battery if needed. You can even check and sort your photos through the App control. Seems to be replaced now by the RP-WD009 model. 200g and less than $50!
I bring three CDs - one to place under each tripod foot to prevent sinking in soft ground. Light, easy to pack and hey, you can listen to music in the car if they still work!
I recently did a trip in northern Canada involving a 2 hour helicopter flight with weight restrictions. Carried one camera with me separate from my bags and also wore all my heavy cold weather clothing (worked well as helicopter was really not that warm).
Interesting video. As a disabled photographer my tip is a JCB which stands for John's Camera Bag ie the (Wife) who carries most of my kit. Yes it costs lots of ....
Having been the Army for most of my life. I make lists. List of Camera gear both carry on, and check bags, list of clothing for the different weather conditions that I might be heading to. Then list of personal cosmetics, money, passports, International drivers license and so on. I have laminated them as a check lists. Because sometimes its a last minute trip a check list helps you remember in a hurry.
I use a Billingham Hadley small insert and pack it into another bag (backpack). I use Fuji so I get my X-T3 + 10-24, 55-200, 23mm f2 WR, and 35mm f2 WR in and protected. I have a separate pouch for filters and accessories that goes in the back then onto my belt when I do my photography. The actual Hadley small outer can then go into my check in along with a small tripod. Very lightweight set up. Sorry you have stopped taking your Fuji.
For winter and nightscape photography, I take a pair of BigFoot electronic hand warmer/power banks, and a USB-powered dew shield/lens warmer. On location, one hand warmer goes in my right hand coat pocket; the other powers the dew shield, which is wrapped around the lens.
Planning a trip to Iceland so perfect timing for this video!
I seem to always have a 7kg weight limit on my carry on luggage - my tip is use a lowepro Rover AWII which looks smaller than it is and as it's normally a few kg or more over weight I've learnt to pick it up effortlessly so it gives the illusion of being light weight. Backup plan if that doesn't work - large pockets and many of them.
I stopped with carrying a laptop and went straight for my iPad. You can save weight with that and you can use others apps to edit video and photos. Also I tend to vacuum seal my clothes in my checked bag and carry a small exercise band just to workout and stretch with.
I wear a fanny pack for items I would need or put away when traveling (blower, wipes, to put my lens cap on when shooting) than having to put down my backpack.
My best tip for flight luggage gear (for the Tenba gift) is to take a bean bag - but an empty one! That way, the weight is minimal and so is the volume. When you arrive at your destination, you obtain a filling for the bean bag, which might be dried beans in a local market, some sand or something else available locally, then you have a fully functional bean bag without having to carry the weight or the volume! I've used this often and it has worked really well for me. F
I'm just starting to travel more. Have a trip to Utah planned for April, so I appreciate the video. I bought a battery charger that has a USB port for my phone. Handy if the hotel has minimal plugs. I'll be able to use it to charge batteries in the rental car in a pinch. Cheers from Canada! ♥️🇨🇦
If you need to take a 3rd bag with gear and have a Press Pass, most airlines will give you a reduced media rate for the case. I use a LaCie Boss external backup drive in the field to backup, store files and watch movies with an iPad on the flight. Also, are you the only TH-cam Photographer without a Shimoda backpack?
I like to make sure I have dual set of cables and card readers. The second set can travel in checked luggage. I also like to take a smaller camera bag along and I use it as a packing cube for clothing in my checked luggage. Also tripod gets wrapped in clothing and goes in checked luggage but I do take a smaller tripod table top or platypus just Incase the main luggage is delayed.
Best travel tip.... pack an extension lead in your hold luggage, then, you only have to take one travel adapter and you can charge multiple things at once 💪 game changer for me
Really interesting stuff Nigel. I've got my first international photography trip next year so all this is of great interest to me. I appreciate hearing your genuine thoughts on the Gnarrbox. 👍
Travel Tips
1) remove ball head from tripod. Makes it easier to fit the tripod in the luggage. If necessary put it in your carryon to reduce the weight of your checked bag.
2) Noise cancelling headphones. You never know when there’ll be a screaming kid on a flight
3) Always have extra SD cards and batteries.
Always do a good sweep when leaving the hotel. Check all plugs, spots, etc. You don’t want to leave anything behind. 👍