Photography & Packing - Oh the Woe to be on the Go!

Photography and travel pack the perfect punch for adventure.  From new destinations to favorite locations we're rewarded with images and many fun memories.

Icelandair, a wonderful airline - by Sheen Watkins

The good news is that the images and memories don't weigh much.  Our gear, luggage and accessories on the other hand, can be a pain in the....back.

I much rather focus on shooting in smooth waters  than worrying about keeping up with too much stuff!

There are many more efficient packers than me, there are others that are anything but efficient.  With a few changes to my planning and packing process, I've significantly reduced my baggage.   When traveling with camera gear, every ounce adds up fast!

For clothing:
I bought a packing cube set  (my choice was the Bagail) and also quart and gallon sized Ziploc Slider Bags earlier this year.  Rolling clothes, compressing items into the ziploc bags significantly reduced the amount of storage space needed.  I was further inspired by the you tube video below by Storia. I loved the creative use of many household items versus buying more single use 'organizing tools'.

On a recent trip, I was able to pack clothing, shoes, etc. for 2 weeks in my 22" spinner suitcase using packing cubes and plastic bags combined with a tripod.  The plus?  I had room to spare!

For Camera Gear:
Camera bags - another potential "woe".  I've been through a few and thought I had made purchasing mistakes.  They weren't.  Different sizes, configurations work for various situations.  For example, my durable, 'hold everything but the long lens'  my large, heavy and well padded Tamrac bag is my choice when I can work from and out of the car - which is quite frequent.   Fully loaded, it's over thirty pounds with a laptop.  Not travel or hiking friendly but it is a workhorse.

Waiting to Go by Sheen Watkins

The only piece of photography equipment I'll check is my tripod when I need to check a bag.  It's just too risky to check any other gear.  My cameras, lenses, batteries, filters, chargers, tripod head and my laptop stay with me in 2 carry-on bags.

Think Tank's Digital Holster - compressed, it holds my Nikon 810 with a 24-70mm + filters, spare battery, cleaners, car keys and wallet.  Expanded in length, I can add 2 primes or macro in addition to the camera with the attached 24-70mm.

I've used the holster when hiking with my Nikon D500 and a 70-200mm 2.8 attached.  One of my best bag purchases period!

Lowepro Flipside Series - I use an older version of this series.  It fits a significant amount of gear snugly, plus I can include my 15" laptop when flying in the same area with my cameras and lenses.  I wrap the laptop in a soft, protective cloth.  To access gear, the swing-around, table-top like set up makes it easy to change lenses, find and store accessories quickly.

Here's to making our 'go' a bit lighter and more efficient!

Happy Shooting!