Packing for a photo adventure

By John Greengo, Photo Production Assistant, Art Wolfe, Inc.

The art of packing for a photographic adventure is a careful balance of bringing everything you will need, and leaving everything else at home. The problem lies in the fact that it’s difficult to predict your future needs.

Having traveled and photographed on all seven continents, including biking through South America, canoeing to the Arctic Ocean and – most importantly – traveling with Art Wolfe and the Travels to the Edge crew around the world, I’ve refined my packing regimen to a near science.

I created categories of equipment: clothes, toiletries, medical, camera gear, computer/technology, camping, and food. Each of those categories is broken into subgroups like: absolute must haves, location/weather considerations and luxuries.

Journeys can be as unique as the people taking them and thus there will never be a perfect pack list that everyone can go by. What might be considered a luxury for one person is a “must have” for another. I’m a strong believer in bringing a little something to help make life on the road good again. Whether it’s a book for the airport, a pillow for the flight or an iPod for a long bus ride, a small luxury can bring peace to a frantic world.

However, these “little” items can add up and when they do, we should remember that the best luxury item any traveler can have is a lightweight bag. With airlines tightening baggage restrictions along with charging more for bags and overages, it’s worth your time to carefully pack your bags with only what is really necessary and minimize the luxuries.

What follows is good start list for anyone on a major photo adventure. It has been assembled from Art’s experience, my own and everyone we have traveled with. The idea is not to take everything on the list, but to pick and choose what works best for you and your journey.

 

Black - Must Haves

Blue - Location or Seasonal consideration

Green - Luxury

 

Clothes
The clothes list is greatly dependent on location and personal style. A good first step is avoiding cotton, as it takes an extended time to dry and makes the washing and drying process a long one. Notice the laundry detergent, sink stopper and clothesline for washing clothes. Clothes should be comfortable and versatile. Think about layering – that way, you can use any of the smaller items rather than being stuck with one bulky item.

Body
T-shirt
Long sleeve polypro top
Travel shirt
Warm coat (fleece)
Waterproof jacket

Down jacket
Down vest
Fleece vest
Fleece sweater

Dress shirt
Dress jacket, wrap or sweater

Legs
Underwear
Pants
Convertible pants
Shorts
Socks

Waterproof pants
Long underwear

Head and Accessories
Hat

Warm hat

Buff/bandana
Sun hat
Rain hat
Belts

Bug head cover

Hands

Thin gloves
Warm gloves
Waterproof gloves

Feet
Socks
Walking shoes
Boots
Sandals

Waterproof (over)boots

Toiletries
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Dental floss
Sunscreen
Lip balm
Ear plugs
Comb
Razor

Hand lotion
Insect repellent
Liquid soap

Sanitizer gel

Personal info
Passport
Driver’s license
Credit card
Bank card
Cash
Itinerary
Copy of passport/drivers license

Yellow Fever card

Other
Money belt
Watch
Sunglasses
Water bottle
Flashlight
Spare lenses or glasses
Binoculars
Travel alarm
Plastic or Ziploc bags
Electric converter

Sewing kit

Baggage locks for use outside U.S.

Walking stick
Powder detergent
Clothes line
Sink stopper
Pocket knife (in checked bag)
iPod and charger

Journal/notepad/pen
Book

Technology
The decision to bring a computer should not be taken lightly, as the peripheral devices needed to support it use can add up to a fair bit of weight and bulk. Carefully consider how much it’s needed and how much time you will have to work with it. With memory card size out pacing megapixels, it’s now possible to go for weeks and perhaps months on memory cards. For the hardcore professional photographer a computer is a must, but for the average photographer going light and simple may help you focus on the moment.

Laptop computer
Power supply
Plug adaptor
Power converter
External hard drive
Card reader
Cables for hard drive and card readers
Card reader
USB jump drive

Medical
A close consideration to the nature of your journey should be given here. Key factors to consider are your personal health needs, proximity to medial assistance and what the quality of that care will be. Look to travel or outdoor gear stores for First Aid kits. Check with your doctor or travel clinic for advice on remote or extreme travel locations.

Small bandages
First Aid antibiotic

Anti-itching cream

Medicine
A small collection of over-the-counter medicine for curing common ailments won’t take up much space and can really save the day. Once again, personal health needs must be considered. A visit with a doctor at a travel clinic can give much more precise information about regional and personal needs.

General pain reliever
Antihistamine
Laxative
Antacid
Anti-diarrheal

Motion sickness

A doctor at a travel clinic can prescribe medicine to deal with the following health related travel issues:

Bacterial infections (food poisoning)
Malaria
Altitude sickness

Photo Gear

The nature of what photo gear to bring greatly depends on: what you own, where you are going, what you plan to photograph and what your photo goals are. The following is a list of what a serious photographer might bring for a major photo journey.

Camera body x 2
Wide lens
General lens
Telephoto lens

Super telephoto lens
Teleconverter
Extension tubes

Off-camera flash cord
Tripod and head
Memory cards
Camera batteries (minimum
Battery charger
Polarizing filters for all lenses
Graduated Neutral Density filters

Flash unit
Batteries for flash

Cable release
Rocket blower

Cleaning cloths
Sensor cleaning kit
            Swabs
            Fluid
Rain cover for pack
Rain cover for camera