Backpacking & Camera Gear.......a how to question
nightspidy
Registered Users Posts: 177 Major grins
Not sure if this is in the right spot or not, but here goes........
Husband and I are going to be backpacking through the middle east for 3 weeks (jordan/syria/lebanon(?)/israel(?) in several months and we are limited to ONE bag each. I say this as I don't see how I will be able to carry my backpack, that contains all items of a personal nature (clothes, etc), as well as a bag for my camera gear. I'm only bringing my 30D, 2 lens' (tammy 2.8 17-50 & either fisheye or 70-200 2.8 - not sure yet as the 70-200 is such a heavy beast), 2-3 batteries & charger, 2 filters and my sanho memory card backup....that's it. I am totally lost as to how I am to include my camera gear in this set-up. :dunno
Soooooo, any bag ideas?
Husband and I are going to be backpacking through the middle east for 3 weeks (jordan/syria/lebanon(?)/israel(?) in several months and we are limited to ONE bag each. I say this as I don't see how I will be able to carry my backpack, that contains all items of a personal nature (clothes, etc), as well as a bag for my camera gear. I'm only bringing my 30D, 2 lens' (tammy 2.8 17-50 & either fisheye or 70-200 2.8 - not sure yet as the 70-200 is such a heavy beast), 2-3 batteries & charger, 2 filters and my sanho memory card backup....that's it. I am totally lost as to how I am to include my camera gear in this set-up. :dunno
Soooooo, any bag ideas?
Canon 30D & REB XT (thinking of converting to infrared), Sigma 10-20mm, Tammy 17-50mm 2.8, Canon 24-70mm 2.8, 70-200mm 2.8 IS, Tokina 100mm 2.8 Macro, Canon 50mm 1.8, Canon 1.4 ext, and Sigma 4.5 fish eye along with a Bogen by Gitzo Tripod, Manfrotto Ball Head, MacBook PRO, several HOYA filters and a 2GB & 8GB San Disk, 160GB Sanho storage device (really cool btw)......wishing for a Canon 100-400mm. :wink
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Comments
Check in the tripod. Or it is not necessary to bring the tripod. As there are many other ways to stablize the camera. Carrying a tripod shows the people that you have big camera in your bag and it may be dangerous.
Put clothings and other things in another big checkin backpack and hand carry the camera backpack.
flickr.com/photos/photoskipper/
I have a "tiny" travel kit that consists of:
Fuji F30 camera (P&S)
2 - converter lenses that allow coverage similar to 28mm FOV through 200mm FOV. This includes an adapted bracket to hold the converter lenses.
A flash bracket with "digital" optical slave built-in.
Either a Sunpak 383 Super flash or an Osram V250 Studio flash.
Some extra memory cards and extra batteries.
Total weight: not much.
This is what I would take for a backpacking application and where photography was not the focus of the trip. It's simple and light and provides enough quality for typical documentary style images. It's not "Nat Geo" quality but very packable.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
As for gear I would take a P&S as a backup (Canon G10 or so).
And a APS DSLR with 17-50/2.8, 50mm/1.8 (great for portraits),
and 70-300mm (or 70-200mm/4.0) to save weight. The weight of
a 70-200/2.8 has the potential to ruin the whole photo trip experience
imo.
― Edward Weston
I would take both your 30D/XT as well as Sigma 10-20mm, Canon 24-70mm 2.8, 70-200mm 2.8 IS and the 4.5 fish eye.......If I was to opt to leave any one behind it would be the 24-70.....I think I would find more use for the 10-20 than the 24-70..........but no matter what photogear come before clothing..............
Spoken like a true photographer! Camera gear comes first, everything else... well if it can fit!
Pack everything now so you can get an idea of the weight you will be carrying around. This way you know where to start to cut the weight.
www.tednghiem.com
This is a very good idea.
Years ago, my brother and I did 7 weeks backpacking in Europe. Before we left we practiced with the full packs on some hikes in this country. I wound up not even taking a camera for that trip (much to the chagrin of my father.) At the time all I had was fairly heavy Pentax equipment and there was too much else that "had" to go for a trip of that magnitude.
For that trip the "experience" was the point of the trip and not the photography. My brother had a camera but I don't think he used it for more than a single 24 exposure roll. Survival turned out to be an important lesson in the experience so it really was the right decision for me not to take a camera.
Of course that's the "only" serious trip where I did not have a camera in tow.
Bottom line is to practice in a controlled environment and decide what is absolutely important. The pack itself, and how it is fitted, can make a remarkable difference in what you can tolerate.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
100% agree with Art. Just one trekking pants, one quick dry shirt, a short and a T-shirt with 2 briefs will be enough for any trip. Pack it like the army training.
Use the Dry-fit shirts which can be washed during shower every day. I am sure it can be dry within an hour.
flickr.com/photos/photoskipper/
It starts out "Husband and I" which makes me think it is a gal posting and this will change what is needed — both in the way of gear and weight that can be handled.
Jane
www.tednghiem.com
My wife has her 10 Kg basic travel kit including the million small/medium/big/extra large bottlessssssss of something. A pillow, a hair dryer, different size of boxes, cases in her suitcase. While I have 15 kg toys on my back and just 2 Kg clothings and accessories - a toothbush, a disposible shaver and a small towel.
But I also come across some female friends who can travel to Tibet for one month with just one 25 L backpack including winter clothing and a P&S digital camera.
It is difficult to say on behalf of them, so we, as opposite gender, can only "share" what we do.
flickr.com/photos/photoskipper/
Actually I don't think it should.....Friends of mine that are hikers and backpackers from Europe pack like this......2 pairs running shorts, 1 pair nylon pants, 3-4 pair of socks, 2 under pants and bras......for 3 weeks of cross country running and showing me the sights....every night the laundry was done in the shower and clothes hung in windows of the hostels and if something was dry the next morning it was hung on the outside of a pack.......With my Lowe Pro Aw I had enuff room for my 35mm gear film and clothes.........
it really just comes down to what is important to the individual......of course the Europeans live out of backpacks a lot ........
Ifthe Op packs correctly (military or motorcycle style) you roll everything tightly....if done correctly there are no wrinkles and it takes up very little room.......I learn to this in Boy Scouts and still pack this way today......but I have also learned that it doen't hurt to buy clothes while on the trip..................
FAst drying pantsd and shirts can be had from most any outdoor store.....Gander Mtn, Bass Pro and Cabelas to name a few...........
Your clothes are your pillow and such.....no hair dryer.....go green and let nature dry your hair............
If one of you were carrying the camera gear and the other a large backpack, I'm certain you could use this method quite effectively. I carried a good amount of clothes (pair of jeans, few pairs of underwear, socks, three or four t shirts, light jacket), along with toiletries and souvenirs, and had little problem besides the time it took to pack/unpack.
[AMG]photos
[Yashica Lynx 14E | Canon 30D | Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 | 540ez | Cactus V4s]
I am going to try this when I pre-pack before my own trip to Italy in May! Great idea!
www.tednghiem.com
I don't know much about carrying extensive camera gear in a faraway land, but I know a bit about packing clothes and other items. I took a trip to Europe a couple of summers ago, and the best way to save space (although not weight) is to put all of your clothes in plastic zipper bags, seal it about three-fourths of the way, press all the air out, and seal it the rest. You'll be amazed by the amount of space it saves. I was able to live an entire month out of a typically sized backpack (nothing like what I saw out of other backpackers at hostels).
If one of you were carrying the camera gear and the other a large backpack, I'm certain you could use this method quite effectively. I carried a good amount of clothes (pair of jeans, few pairs of underwear, socks, three or four t shirts, light jacket), along with toiletries and souvenirs, and had little problem besides the time it took to pack/unpack.
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It works easiest if you use the actual ZIPPER bags not ziplock.....however all the pressing to get the air out will cause wrinkles.....an extremely tight roll keeps the wrinkles out........the actual vacuum bags work great but you're not guaranteed to have a vacuum cleaner to useon return trip............
Thank you everyone for your responses, I wasn't expecting this many and I have gotten great feedback (as always!).
Scott - Thank you for the ideas on how much clothing is to take, this was something I was also trying to figure out. Still not sure about lenses though as when I went on a prev trip to the 4 Corners area last year, I was pretty miserable when I had packed all of my gear as my bag was so heavy.....plus I can only "off-load" so much onto my poor husband - he has his own bag with camera gear too.
Moogle Pepper - I wish I had tested the weight of my bag before my 4 corner's trip last year, I will definately try this before I leave to ensure I can handle the weight before I go. I dunno why I never thought of this before?!
Ziggy - The highlight of the trip is the experience, however, I really don't like P&S cameras, but I understand what you are saying....I just have to figure out what lens' I will be bringing and might pawn one off on my husband to carry. Also, we are going to a great shop to specifically buy our pack and get them fitted to us before the trip - thank you for that idea. We hunted around until we found a "pro shop" that would help us with that.....I never even though of that. I was just going to buy any old pack off the rack.....what a disaster that would have been!
Photoskipper - Thank you for "sharing" and not "telling"....
AMG2833 - Great idea! Plus, may help keep a lot of sand out of places I don't want it to be.
If I missed anyone, please forgive me. ALL of the feedback was excellent and very, very much appreciated.
Be sure to discuss with them about "how" to fill the bag as well and how to attach exterior items. It can make a big difference after a period of time with the pack attached. Loaded properly you will be more or less erect and the weight will be on your hips. It's also important to have the load well controlled so that it moves with you and feels secure. Any excess movement of the pack, its contents or the exterior items and you will feel it afterwards.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
How you travel is always personal and some thing you refine over time. I agree with all the posts & think you have the info you need.
I don't backpack any more, but my fav way of travelling my with gear is ...
Hand luggage:
All lenses, cards, filters, body with fill into Loweprow backpack AW 2 (I can even squeeze my laptop into the front pocket even though it is not the laptop backpack)
The bursting backpack fits into my wheelie which is carried on as hand luggage.
Main Bag (medium size backpack):
My battery charger, laptop leads, sensor cleaner kit etc is put into my Crumpler 7 Million dollar bag, which is dropped in main bag.
My tripod also fits into my main bag (ball head is removed).
After that, any room is left over to clothes - which are rolled, squashed and forced in any manner!
I knew I was a true photographer when gear exceed my clothes / toiletries.
The above works for me because the wheelie is a great protector and is 'anonymous' in a busy airport - it is hard to run away with and does not shout 'steal my gear'.
The crumpler bag is my day bag and I use it to disguise that I am a photographer; in the evening it can turn into a handbag.
I also wear a bum bag during the day which has my lens brush and calling cards handy so I can pass on details without much fuss.
I've travelled around a range of places like India and Japan like this, but have always enjoyed the luxury of staying in hotels, so I don't think the wheelie is going to work for nightspidy!
thanks Mandy
New Portfolio
Personally I would be looking for portability and a degree of subtlety. I don't think I'd want to whip out a 70-200 2.8 and be stared at by everyone within eyesight. I'd also not want to pack it on my back from location to location for very long.
My advice, think best pictures for minimum weight. A lot of backpacking is landscapes, vistas, good ways to remember where you were, if I were you, I'd be packing the sigma 10-20 and the tamron 17-50, with the 30d, and that's it. Maybe even just the 10-20 (I do like wides quite a bit). If you like street photography/portraits, maybe swap something out for your macro. If you want to stabilize something, may I suggest a gorillapod, I just spent a month on Grand Cayman island with minimum camera gear, and this thing was worth it's weight in gold for a few self-timer shots, while being way way easier to bring than even the smallest true tripod.
Find a bag that fits like a glove for this gear and nothing else, I'd be looking for something lowepro with a rain cover (I know, doesn't sound very rainy over there, but it's just another layer around your babies). It may be pretty tricky to find a bag for just camera+lens and spare lens, but I think they do make accessory pouches you can attach to some of their bags or to a belt for your second lens. I'd try and get your camera gear to fit easily inside of your main bag. this way it's best protected and least obvious, but you'll still have a carrying bag for moments when you want to leave your hiking pack behind and take some pictures.
As for bringing stuff backpacking, look hard at everything you're thinking of bringing and ask, can I survive 3 weeks without this? Can I find another solution than bringing this? Prioritize by weight. The heavier something is, the less you want to bring it, light clothes are easier to bring than containers of liquids (not to mention they don't much like liquids lotions and gels in airports anymore, make sure to put these in check luggage, it's just not worth the irritation of hauling out your ziploc for security and hoping they don't throw it away)
Yes, the big "whitey" is something I decided long ago would not be coming with me, as it is just too dang heavy to have to carry around all the time. Also, I don't want to stick out so much with that thing while in Syria, not worried so much about Jordan & Israel .....you stand out like a sore thumb and it draws a lot of attention, usually unwanted I have found. Anyhow, yes, I just want to keep it to 2 lenses + the 30D......for sure the tammy & pro'lly the fisheye (
So, my plan is to find a main bag that holds my camera pack - I have the Lowepro Fastpack 250 which I really, really like and has been on the past several excursions with me....only went through 6 bags to find this one.
TZ5 is light and compact and has a 35mm equiv zoom of 24-200. I'm not going to say tack sharp compared to a quality dslr, but as sharp as a rebel with kit glass I would say. These use the leica glass and have a very narrow f-stop range but work well in good lighting. They also shoot full 720p video, have anti-shake that works pretty good and a huge bright, hi-res screen. I love this little camera!
If you don't have to carry food or water or tent, or if you are walking flat terrain, or only a couple miles a day you could probably bring some substantial camera gear but it is tough with everything else. Fully pack up and weigh your pack with water and everything before you settle on what you are bringing. 2 ltrs of water is about 8lbs if I remember correctly and that is about a days worth in avg tems. If it is high exertion and desert heat we are talking, you can double that. I made the mistake of day hiking up a mountain in phoenix without enough water and it was aweful. Weak knees, dizzy, cramps, etc. Not something I want to do again!
As far as purchasing a pack I would recommend REI www.rei.com . They have locations all over the country and are VERY knowlegable and will properly fit you with a pack and also boots... don't just go out and buy boots/shoes of the rack. Footwear needs to be professionally fit as well.
Sounds like a great trip!!
Matt
Bodies: Canon 5d mkII, 5d, 40d
Lenses: 24-70 f2.8L, 70-200 f4.0L, 135 f2L, 85 f1.8, 50 1.8, 100 f2.8 macro, Tamron 28-105 f2.8
Flash: 2x 580 exII, Canon ST-E2, 2x Pocket Wizard flexTT5, and some lower end studio strobes