On May 16, 2011, at 4:16 PM, John Sessoms wrote:
> This is, for now, only a thought experiment, but it might provide a basis for
> something I will try to do in the future if I can work out the financing.
>
> Parameters are that you would be on the road for a minimum of thirty days for
> a photo safari. The goal of the trip is to produce photography suitable to
> illustrate a travel article you could sell to a newspaper or magazine along
> with the photography. It is important to be able to represent both the people
> and the scenery of the locale being visited.
> . . .
> I would appreciate some thoughts on what constitutes the *essential* kit.
> What will you need to carry to get the job done?
> . . . on my most recent trip. I had too much baggage and it was, at times,
> unwieldy. And I found I did not have all the equipment I needed while I was
> carrying other equipment I did not need at all.
>
>
Some small variations on the suggestions offered by Bob W.:
a. Clothing.
Wear the following
- mid-weight mid-height hiking boots
- socks
- underwear (optional)
- short-sleeve shirt
- long-sleeve shirt
- light jacket
- money belt
Pack the following in your camera-oriented backpack
- spare pair of socks
- spare underwear (optional)
- toothbrush etc.
- roll of TP
b. Camera gear.
In your hand, over the shoulder, or in a Domke-type shoulder bag.
- Primary body with battery grip
- Mid-range zoom (e.g., 16-50/2.8)
- Longer zoom (e.g., 50-135/2.8)
- monopod/walking stick
- credit cards
- passport
In your camera-oriented backpack
- Back-up camera body
- Moderate wide-angle (e.g., 21mm)
- Moderate long lens (e.g., 77mm)
- 3 spare batteries + charger
- 6-10 memory cards @16gb
- smallish laptop, charger
- card reader
- 1TB external disk drive
c. Optional
- photo vest
- hat, bandana and/or DoRag for sun protection
- macro lens
- flip flops for wear in really grungy showers
- swim suit
- medical kit with medicines (and appropriate prescriptions for
documentation) for stomach upset, etc.
- 2x tele-extender compatible with the 50-135 zoom
The two zoom lenses will be all you need. The two primes are for lower-light,
less obtrusive strolls when you can leave most of your gear in a secure
location. They also provide backup if both of the zooms should fail for
whatever reasons. In fact, if I were trying to travel really light, I would
take just the 50-135 and the 21; these two would cover 95% of the likely
scenes. If you have a credit card and some cash, there is really no reason to
take spare clothing or a huge toiletry kit.
Back when I was doing a lot of backpacking and then bicycle touring I found
many resources with suggestions on minimal-gear travel. The truly dedicated
will, for example, reduce the weight and size of their toothbrush by judicious
drilling and filing of the handle. Check sites catering to those through-hiking
the Appalachian Trail or doing a multi-month bike trip. You could also check
the web sites for those who run photo safaris in Africa where there are often
severe weight and size restrictions on the gear that can be transported via
small plane from one spot to another; their packing lists might be useful.
stan
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