Baggage Claim
Start your journey right with an efficient packing strategy.
Packing is polarizing. Some people hate it and put it off until the last second. I am not one of those people. For me, pulling out my bags to pack is the official start of my trip. Excitement builds as I anticipate all the cool experiences that await at my destination, and I like thinking about the things I will need to optimize my experience. You’ve got me; I’m a list maker.
Why wouldn’t I be? There are so many great apps now to help keep us organized. I am a recent fan of Google Keep Notes. I love the checklist format, and the fact that I can copy a master list which I can then easily customize for the trip at hand. Using this function, I employ an elimination approach for my photography packing list. This works for shoots as well as travel. I have a master list of every piece of photography equipment I own, down to flashlights and foam board. These are divided into Camera and Lenses, Lighting, and Support and Logistics sections. I copy this master list and rename it with my destination and the date. I then go through each item on the list, deleting the things I know I won’t need, or can’t be bothered to tote around. Et voila, now I have a packing list which can be checked off as the traveling gear goes into my bag. I pack everything the night before except my camera and lenses, which I leave in the dry cabinet until I’m ready to load up the car and head to the airport. I haven’t forgotten an Allen wrench or a flash trigger since I started making my lists this way.
You’re going to have to give yourself limits. Have a long think about the type of shooting you will be doing, and focus on multifunctionality of your equipment. My standard basic setup is to take my walkaround lens (40mm pancacke), a zoom lens (70-300mm), and one more lens if the subject matter demands it (such as the tall trees of Palm Springs absolutely begging for my 14mm, or the night shots in San Francisco’s Chinatown that insist on something in an f/1.8). You probably know which of your lenses is your workhorse for your destination-specific shooting conditions, and which are your show ponies. Leave somebody back at the ranch; your back will thank you.
My camera bag insert and the gear that goes in it. Pictured are a Canon 6d Mark II, Canon 40mm lens, Canon 70-300mm lens, Rokinon 14mm lens, and Godox TT350 speedlite. Click image for link to insert.
My kit fits in a standard travel tote bag, with a camera bag insert for my body, lenses, and mini speedlite, and one additional bag for all the little bits and pieces like filters, chargers, extra batteries, etc. I highly recommend an insert with a bright or light colored interior; it’s hard to see all your black camera equipment against a dark background. It will be heavy, so I suggest pairing your tote with a J-hook on your rollaboard. Spare a thought for ground transport; if you’re planning to take a train, make sure your setup will work there too. Bitter experience has taught me that while a backpack has tons of room, it gets way too heavy to carry comfortably through large airports and on public transit. Another advantage of using a standard luggage-style tote is that it doesn’t scream, “Look at me! I’m a camera bag!” Your sweet glass is nobody’s business. Stay under the radar until you’re ready to turn this mother out.
We all can agree that we don’t want our camera body and lenses in our checked luggage due to potential loss or damage. I submit to you that you don’t want it in the overhead bin either. It is unlikely that your fellow passengers will damage your gear maliciously, but I am here to tell you that the public at large has severe tunnel vision when they travel. They are focused on one thing an one thing only: their stuff. Not your stuff, right next to theirs in the bin, falling six feet to the aisle when they snatch out their bag at faster-than-light speed so they can stand in the aisle with it for ten minutes waiting to deplane. And don’t get me started on people who walk obliviously off the plane with someone else’s bag. If you maintain a compact travel kit, it can sit safely under the seat in front of you and away from the bag snatchers. They may steal my drawers, but they will never take my DSLR.
Make a smooth landing by packing for all your modes of transport, not just the airplane.
Most photographers are much more likely to overpack than leave something behind. Experience will teach you what you need. My own travel photography progression has been paring down my kit, not adding to it. And my travel companion could not be more pleased. Becoming more resourceful with a core set of equipment has made me a more thoughtful photographer. A lighter load and sharper skills? That’s my bag, baby.
