• WHAT’S IN OUR CAMERA BAG? //

    OUR COMPLETE TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR

  • OUR COMPLETE TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR

    A hiker with camera bag stands looking out over the hills from the Sgurr a' Chaorachain Viewpoint above the Bealach Na Ba in Western Scotland

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OUR COMPLETE TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR

WHAT’S IN OUR CAMERA BAG?

OUR COMPLETE TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR

Our travel photography gear has evolved a lot over the years. In my early backpacking days (before meeting Del), I carried a 35mm film SLR camera, a medium format Holga, a polaroid, and sometimes even my Seagull twin-lens reflex, a leather encased beauty I found hiding in a Beijing market. While the lightweight Holga held on for many years, it too eventually went into retirement, and our camera setup these days couldn’t be more different. Technology has advanced and our own needs and priorities have changed. The contents of our camera bag have chopped and changed plenty too, but now we feel like we’ve just about nailed the perfect setup. Finally.

Pretty much all of our travel photography gear, minus the Sony A7III and attached F2.8 16-35 mm GM lens


A flat lay on parquet flooring of all our travel photography gear

Pretty much all our travel photography gear, minus
the Sony A7III and attached F2.8 16-35 mm GM lens


Whether you’re researching the best travel photography gear for you, or just curious about the kit we use and why, here’s the complete rundown of what’s in our camera bag.

OUR TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR // THE CAMERA BAG

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR

THE CAMERA BAG

Wandrd PRVKE 31

First up, the actual camera bag. We’re so in love with this thing that we’ve dedicated an entire post to its glorification. But if you can’t be bothered reading it, just know that it’s a super-sexy, hard-wearing, multi-tasking travel photography bag that fits all of our gear, and then some.

  • A hiker wearing the Wandrd Prvke travel camera bag looks out from Stac Pollaidh towards Suilven in the Scottish Highlands
  • A hiker wearing the Wandrd Prvke travel camera bag looks out from Stac Pollaidh towards Suilven in the Scottish Highlands

OUR TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR // MAIN CAMERA + LENSES

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR

MAIN CAMERA + LENSES

Sony A7III camera
Sony FE 16-35 mm F2.8 GM lens
Sony FE 24-70 mm F2.8 GM lens
Sony FE 70-200 mm F4 G OSS lens

Like many, I was a devout Canon disciple for years, but when the time came to up our game from crop sensor DSLR (700D) to something more professional, we switched to the School of Sony. It was a decision made after months of research, poring over reviews, and hypothesising about many obscure travel photography situations. Investing in a full frame Sony mirrorless camera and associated lenses is, well, just that. An investment. A very serious investment. But since taking the plunge at the start of 2019, we’ve been smitten.

MAIN CAMERA

Our main camera is the Sony A7III. It’s a full frame mirrorless camera that comes near the top of the range of what Sony has to offer. We were weighing up the A7III and the A7RIII, eventually deciding on this model for two main reasons: one, we use the camera for shooting video as well as photos, and everything we read suggested the A7III performed much better for video; and two, it was the significantly cheaper option.


Upgrading from a Canon 700D to this felt like trading in a Vauxhall Corsa for an Aston Martin. The delights of this camera are too many to list, but a few real game changers for us have been the in-built stabilisation, amazingly sharp and beautiful images, and the ability to shoot up to 3200+ ISO without any noticeable noise. Additionally, the entire autofocus system is outstanding, silent shooting helps us stay inconspicuous, and the two SD card slots allow us to create an immediate backup, or have one for photos, one for video.

LENSES

Switching to the Sony A7III also meant buying new lenses. We started with two, and added a third (probably our final) to the setup a few months later. These three lenses are generally considered to be the ‘holy trinity’ for travel photographers as they cover focal lengths from 16-200 mm, which accounts for most situations.

24-70 mm F2.8 Lens

The Sony FE 24-70 mm F2.8 GM lens is a great all-rounder and our most used lens. The focal range covers a wide variety of situations, and the f/2.8 aperture allows us to shoot in low light and achieve lovely bokeh (a fancy term for dreamy, out-of-focus background blur).


We pondered the 24-105 mm F4 G lens because that extra 35mm of focal length would be great, but in the end we knew we’d regret not having a wider aperture for video and photos. As our main lens, we also wanted the best quality, and that came down to the GM series.

A wet boot steaming next to the fire in a Scottish bothy

The f/2.8 aperture on the Sony 24-70 mm GM lens allows us to shoot in lowlight and capture images with shallow depth of field like this


A wet boot steaming next to the fire in a Scottish bothy

The f/2.8 aperture on the Sony 24-70 mm GM
lens allows us to shoot in lowlight and capture
images with shallow depth of field like this


16-35 mm F2.8 Lens

While 24 mm is still pretty wide, we were used to having a 10-18 mm Canon lens and knew we’d miss having the extra wide-angle capability that the Sony FE 16-35 mm F2.8 GM lens could give us.


We use it a lot for landscape photography (and keep intending to use it for astrophotography), but it’s also great for getting a wider angle in tight spaces like building interiors or narrow street scenes. As we often shoot vlog-style video, this lens is also ideal for filming hand-held on the go footage, when the camera is only at arm’s length from our faces. Again, the wide aperture gives us a lot more versatility for shooting in low light and achieving a shallower depth of field for photos and video.

A wide view of a mall black rocky bay with clear aquamarine water at the Hangdam Coastal Walkway on the Jeju Olle Trail

Getting that wide landscape shot at 16 mm on South Korea’s Jeju Island


A wide view of a mall black rocky bay with clear aquamarine water at the Hangdam Coastal Walkway on the Jeju Olle Trail

Getting that wide landscape shot at
16 mm on South Korea’s Jeju Island


70-200 mm F4 Lens

After travelling with just the 16-35 mm and 24-70 mm lenses for a few months, Del was really missing having a longer focal length. So, we dropped another small fortune on the Sony FE 70-200 mm F4 G OSS lens. It can be annoying to humph around all the time because it’s our least used lens, but for certain situations there is just no substitute.


The most obvious use for this telephoto lens is capturing subjects that are far away. Shooting wildlife is a good example. But it’s also great for portrait photography.  Standing further away from your subject while using a longer focal length creates the impression of greater separation of the foreground and background, creating a nice depth of field.

Close to sunset, a lone stag stands on a hilltop above Kilmory Bay on the Isle of Rum

Capturing a lone hilltop stag from a distance on the Isle of Rum in Scotland, using the Sony FE 70-200 mm F4 G lens


Close to sunset, a lone stag stands on a hilltop above Kilmory Bay on the Isle of Rum

Capturing a hilltop stag from a distance
on the Isle of Rum in Scotland, using the
Sony FE 70-200 mm F4 G OSS lens


OUR TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR // LENS FILTERS

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR

LENS FILTERS

NiSi 10 stop ND 100x100mm filter
NiSi V5 Pro 100mm Filter Kit Holder with CPL
NiSi 82mm variable ND filter + Step-Up Ring
2 x Hoya 82mm Pro-1 Digital Protector Screw-in Filter
1 x Hoya 72mm Pro-1 Digital Protector Screw-in Filter

(NiSi Medium GND16 filter)
(NiSi Reverse GND16 filter)

NiSi 10 stop ND 100x100mm filter

NiSi V5 Pro 100mm Filter Kit Holder
(with CPL)

NiSi 82mm variable ND filter
+ Step-Up Ring

2 x Hoya 82mm Pro-1 Digital Protector Screw-in Filter

1 x Hoya 72mm Pro-1 Digital Protector Screw-in Filter

(NiSi Medium GND16 filter)
(NiSi Reverse GND16 filter)

We have a number of camera filters that have various functions. Some are mostly for use when shooting video, others allow us to get a bit more creative with our photography, and some are purely to protect our expensive glass.

PROTECTIVE FILTERS

We have a protective filter for each lens (2 x Hoya 82mm Pro-1 Digital Protector and 1 x Hoya 72mm Pro-1 Digital Protector). These screw on the front of the lens and protect against scratches and so on.


VARIABLE ND FILTER

As we mostly film with a shutter speed of 1/50 (see this post if you want to learn why), it can be tricky to get the correct exposure in bright conditions. For example, in order to get the right exposure in broad daylight we would have to shoot at the narrowest possible aperture (f/22). But we want to shoot at wider apertures (say f/5.6 – f/8) to create different shots and achieve the best quality. This is where the variable ND filter comes in. It cuts the amount of light entering the camera, a simple process of turning the filter to increase or decrease the strength of the ‘sunglasses’ until the exposure is right.


And if we want to use it on our 70-200 mm lens (which has a 72 mm thread) we use a step-up ring.

FILTER HOLDER & POLARISER

We have a few NiSi 100x100mm glass filters, and these require a special filter holder which attaches to the front of the lens. We have the V5 Pro 100mm Filter Kit Holder, which includes a circular polarising filter (CPL).


This is ideal for cutting out glare when photographing bright sand or water, reducing reflections, deepening the blue of the sky, increasing contrast, or adding saturation. We can use the CPL on its own, or in conjunction with the glass filters, which slot into the holder in front of the CPL.

10 STOP ND FILTER

When we want to shoot a long exposure photo in daylight we use a NiSi 10 stop ND 100×100 mm filter, in conjunction with the filter holder mentioned above. Basically, this is a very dark piece of glass that cuts the amount of light entering the camera by, umm, 10 stops.


We use it to turn water silky smooth, make clouds stretch across the sky, or eradicate people from a busy scene.

Sunrise behind Seongsan Ilchulbong, a massive tuff cone on Jeju Island, South Korea

Getting smooth and shiny water by shooting a long exposure with the 10 stop filter, as the sun rises over iconic Seongsan Ilchulbong on Jeju Island


Sunrise behind Seongsan Ilchulbong, a massive tuff cone on Jeju Island, South Korea

Getting smooth and shiny water by shooting a
long exposure with the 10 stop filter, as the sun
rises over Seongsan Ilchulbong on Jeju Island


4 STOP GND FILTERS

We also have a NiSi medium graduated ND16 filter and a NiSi reverse graduated ND16 filter. These are useful when the sky (medium graduated) or horizon (reverse graduated) is much brighter than the rest of the image.

The medium GND filter can be used to reduce the exposure in the top half of the image by 4 stops, allowing the photo to be properly exposed across the whole image. This is useful in situations where the sky is drastically brighter than the rest of the landscape. The reverse 4 stop GND filter is specifically for shooting sunrise or sunset, as the glass is at its darkest along the horizon line, getting gradually lighter towards the top.

The peak of Mt. Manaslu shining in the sun on a clear morning, with prayer flags in the foreground

To reduce the exposure of the brighter mountain and sky, we used the medium GND filter for this image on the Manaslu Circuit Trek


The peak of Mt. Manaslu shining in the sun on a clear morning, with prayer flags in the foreground

To reduce the exposure of the brighter mountain
and sky, we used the medium graduated ND16
filter for this image on the Manaslu Circuit Trek


We carried these in our travel photography kit for about 18 months, but decided not to pack them for long-term travel on our latest trip. While they are really useful in certain situations, we just didn’t find ourselves using them enough. To be fair, they aren’t exactly heavy, but they are fragile and require careful packing. The hard case that they came in is too bulky and heavy, so we should really just switch to NiSi’s lens carry pouch instead.

OUR TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR // CAMERA ACCESSORIES

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR

CAMERA ACCESSORIES

Peak Design Capture Clip
Rode VideoMic Pro
Neoprene camera cover
Camera strap
Grey card for WB
6 x camera batteries
2 x memory cards
3 x lens hoods
(came with lenses)

Besides our camera and lenses themselves, there are some other essential accessories that we use. From spare batteries to nifty carry solutions, here’s our ‘must-have’ travel photography gear.

PEAK DESIGN CAPTURE CLIP

Genius. Absolute genius. This tiny metal contraption revolutionised the way we carry the camera. The capture clip attaches to the strap of a backpack (or belt) and allows you to carry your camera hands free, safely and securely. You just snap the camera into place, and can unlock it quickly and easily any time you want to use it.


We do a lot of hiking, often with fully loaded 50-70L backpacks, and the capture clip has made photographing and videoing on the go so much easier. Del is usually the one carrying the camera. Having that 1.5 kg load securely attached to his strap, instead of dangling from his neck or using up one of his hands, is literally a weight off his shoulders, as well as a safer way to hike for both him and our gear. We love it.

A hiker with a big backpack walks past drying squid on the coast of Jeju Island. A large camera is attached to one of the straps using a Peak Design Capture Clip, an essential item of travel photography gear

The Sony A7III and 24-70 mm GM lens combo (approx. 1.5 kg), attached securely to Del’s backpack strap with the Peak Design Capture Clip


A hiker with a big backpack walks past drying squid on the coast of Jeju Island. A large camera is attached to one of the straps using a Peak Design Capture Clip, an essential item of travel photography gear

The Sony A7III and 24-70 mm GM lens combo
(approx. 1.5 kg), comfortably attached to Del’s
backpack strap with the Peak Design Capture Clip


VIDEO MIC

We use an external mic for capturing audio when filming with the Sony A7III. After a lot of research, we settled on the Rode VideoMic Pro, a directional shotgun mic. It’s small and lightweight, and produces great quality audio. 



It’s also extremely quick and easy to set up: the mic attaches to the top of the camera via the hot shoe mount and connects via the 3.5 mm input jack. We use the compatible DeadCat in windy conditions.

A person crouched in front of a tripod on a sand beach on Masirah Island, capturing the sound of the waves with the Rode Video Mic Pro, an indispensible part of the travel photography gear setup

Recording the sound of the waves with the Rode Video Mic Pro – along
with our old camera and tripod – at sunset on Masirah Island in Oman


A person crouched in front of a tripod on a sand beach on Masirah Island, capturing the sound of the waves with the Rode Video Mic Pro, an indispensible part of the travel photography gear setup

Recording the sound of waves with the Rode
Video Mic Pro – along with our old camera
and tripod – on Masirah Island in Oman


NEOPRENE CAMERA COVER

Among the many camera carry solutions we’ve trialled over the years, our simple neoprene camera cover is one which we continue to stuff in the backpack for a bit of on-the-go protection. It’s handy for covering the camera during a quick rain shower, and protects it from bumps and scratches if we’re jumping in and out of vehicles, scrambling up rocks on a hike, or such like. We often grab it if we’re just popping out to take a few shots and want something to protect the camera should the weather change suddenly.


CAMERA STRAP

We bought a nice padded camera strap from a design store in Tainan to replace the standard Sony strap that comes with the body. This was partly because we didn’t like wandering around with the make and model of our camera emblazoned on the strap for all to see, and partly because it’s much more comfortable to wear. We also really like the look of the Peak Design Slide Lite strap, which we may end up buying in the future.


WB GREY CARD

We have a small, lightweight grey card for custom setting the white balance (WB) on our camera. This is particularly useful when shooting video, as we need the accurate WB to be fixed throughout a series of clips and can’t rely on Auto WB.


SPARE CAMERA BATTERIES

We carry six camera batteries for our Sony camera. This may seem excessive. It’s mostly because we regularly go off-grid for days on end and need enough batteries to see us through. In these situations, all we have is a small solar panel and a couple of power banks to keep everything charged. Sony batteries are really expensive, so after much research we opted for Ravpower batteries instead – they have done us proud so far. When we did have a problem with one of them, we got it replaced under warranty (even gaining an extra battery free of charge).


MEMORY CARDS

We use SanDisk Extreme Pro 128 GB memory cards. One is 95mb/s, the other 170mb/s. We use the faster one for capturing video and make sure we back them up to our hard drives after every shoot.


LENS HOODS

We use the lens hoods that came with each lens to shield them from glare or unwanted light sources.

OUR TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR // GOPRO + ACCESSORIES

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR

GOPRO + ACCESSORIES

GoPro Hero 4 Black + Housing
LCD Touch BacPac
Saramonic G-Mic for GoPro
Feiyu G5 gimbal
Wrist strap mount
8 x spare batteries
3 x memory cards

Our GoPro setup is positively archaic given that the Hero 9 now exists and we’re still using the Hero 4 Black. But, until it packs in we’re fairly reluctant to upgrade as we find ourselves using the GoPro less and less. Saying that, if we did upgrade we could no doubt streamline our gear as our current setup includes a number of things that would be redundant if we owned the Hero 9.

We don’t use our GoPro very often for photography, so most of our accessories are geared towards video creation.


GOPRO (HERO 4 BLACK)

We bought this before our honeymoon in 2014, largely for use in and around water (we spent 3 weeks splashing about in wadis in Oman, snorkelling in the Maldives and beach bumming in the Seychelles at my brother’s wedding). It’s still our go-to for scuba diving trips or any other water related activities (like Songkran), but we also use it for shooting on-the-go video and love how versatile it is.

Songkran in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Shot on the GoPro Hero 4 Black at the Songkran Festival in Chiang Mai, Thailand


Songkran in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Shot on the GoPro Hero 4 Black at the
Songkran Festival in Chiang Mai, Thailand


We often set up the GoPro to film a timelapse while we use the Sony A7III for photography and/or alternative video clips. Being so light and tiny, it’s also really easy to use for shooting selfie videos on the move while we’re hiking or driving. While it can’t give us ‘cinematic’ footage like the Sony, it does a great job at capturing scenes from weird angles and perspectives, like low angle walking shots following our feet or POV shots from a motorbike or horse.

We’re not really fans of the classic GoPro fisheye look, so we always shoot on linear view. We almost always mix GoPro footage into a video edit that also includes drone and Sony footage. Therefore, we shoot on Protune Flat to give us the most flexibility when it comes to colour correcting in post, and matching the various clips.

LCD TOUCH BACPAC

Because our ancient GoPro doesn’t have a screen, we bought the LCD touch BacPac a few years ago which attaches to the back and allows us to see what we’re shooting. We use this mostly in conjunction with the housing and wrist strap for filming underwater, or when it’s set up on a tripod for a timelapse.


The later GoPro models have a screen built in, so this wouldn’t be necessary if we upgraded to the Hero 9.

EXTERNAL MIC

The in-camera audio on our GoPro Hero 4 Black is pants, so we have to use an external mic if we want to do any talking scenes. The Saramonic G-Mic for GoPro is the perfect answer – a tiny little thing that connects directly into the camera. We actually looked at upgrading our GoPro in 2017/2018, but the newer models only allowed an external mic to be used in conjunction with a ridiculously large (and expensive) adapter that sticks out the side, so kept the neat little Hero 4 setup.


The Hero 9 supposedly has much better in-camera audio than any previous GoPro, plus a Media Mod attachment that includes a shotgun mic and an input jack/cold shoe for easier attachment of an external mic. But we haven’t tested it out ourselves to see if it’s really good enough or not…

GIMBAL

When we want buttery smooth GoPro footage that glides seamlessly along the hiking trail with us, we gotta use a gimbal. The Feiyu G5 gimbal is compatible with the Hero3/4/5 and works great for us.


The only annoying thing is that we can’t use it with the LCD BacPac attached, so if we want to see what we’re filming, we need to connect via WiFi to the phone app. And we can’t use the WiFi connection and the mic at the same time or we get horrible interference recorded on the audio. So, if we’re using the gimbal to talk to the camera, we have to set up the framing first with the app, then turn off the WiFi and try not to move position too much. You get used to it.

A hiker with a big backpack shoots video with Gopro and gimbal from a wooden walkway on the Jeju Olle Trail

Capturing super smooth footage using the Feiyu G5 Gimbal and GoPro on the Jeju Olle Trail


A hiker with a big backpack shoots video with Gopro and gimbal from a wooden walkway on the Jeju Olle Trail

Capturing super smooth video footage using the
Feiyu G5 Gimbal and GoPro on the Jeju Olle Trail


Supposedly, the advancements in image stabilisation in the latest GoPro are HUGE, which does make us wonder if we would even need a gimbal if we upgraded. Certainly, our current gimbal model isn’t compatible with the newer GoPros, so if we still felt it was required then we’d have to upgrade our gimbal along with the camera.

WRIST STRAP

We actually have a lot more GoPro accessories (the Chesty, the Jaws clamp, various helmet mounts and so on), but these days we usually only travel with a wrist strap. Basically, we need it for diving or other watersports and it works great.


SPARE BATTERIES

We have at least eight spare batteries for the GoPro. Again, it might seem like overkill but these things don’t last long if you’re shooting lots and we rarely have a power supply to charge easily. We have Wasabi Power spare batteries along with a few official GoPro ones.


MEMORY CARDS

We carry 3 SanDisk Ultra Micro SD cards for the GoPro and back up regularly to our hard drives.



OUR TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR // DRONE + ACCESSORIES

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR

DRONE + ACCESSORIES

DJI Mavic Air (+ Fly More Combo accessories)
PolarPro Vivid Filters for Mavic Air
NiSi Mavic Air 6 set filters

DJI Mavic Air
(+ Fly More Combo accessories)

PolarPro Vivid Filters for Mavic Air

NiSi Mavic Air 6 set filters

We succumbed and bought a drone about a week before we left our home in Korea to start full time travelling again in June 2018. We barely had a chance to practice, so most of that was done in the vast emptiness of Mongolia a month later. We bought the ‘Fly More Combo’ which included 2 extra batteries, propellers and a handy carry bag.  We primarily use the drone for video, so we also have some filters which allow us to shoot at our desired shutter speed.

A drone shot looking down on four people and a Toyota Landcruiser alone in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia

Effectively our first drone flight, in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert. After crashing into the sand we learned not to try and land on top of a tiny box


A drone shot looking down on four people and a Toyota Landcruiser alone in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia

Effectively our first drone flight in Mongolia’s
Gobi Desert. After crashing into the sand we
learned not to try and land on top of a tiny box


DJI MAVIC AIR

We’d considered buying a drone for quite a while, but concluded that the Mavic Pro was too big for long term backpacking and the Spark was not up to much. When the Mavic Air came on the scene it seemed the perfect compromise between size and functionality.

The drone itself sits in the palm of your hand and weighs just 430g. It comes with a folding controller which you insert your smartphone into for flying. We have three batteries in total, each giving us approx 15 – 20 minutes flying time. The folding charging dock and power cable is also neat in size, and doubles up as a handy USB charging point.


We have to charge the batteries from a mains power supply (not a power bank or portable solar panel). This limits us to just the three batteries on remote multi-day hikes so we have to pick and choose when to fly carefully, which may or may not have led to a few ‘disagreements’ in the past. With a power inverter, we can charge the drone batteries in a car, which is ideal when we’re on a camping road trip.

The Mavic Air can shoot 4K video and we’re really pleased with the quality of the footage. Photography wise, the quality could definitely be better, and no doubt the larger sensor and variable aperture of the Mavic 2 Pro would produce superior results. But, it’s more than twice the price and obnoxiously large in comparison. The recently released Mavic Air 2 is an interesting addition to the DJI lineup, with a whopping 48MP photo resolution, longer flying time, and various other improvements. It’s also heavier and bulkier though, so we’re not immediately rushing to upgrade. Regardless of the model, we love how a drone allows us to capture amazing scenes from interesting perspectives for all our travel videos, and are constantly left in awe of how different the landscape can look from above.

Drone footage played a big part in our Pamir Highway Video

Drone footage played a big part
in our Pamir Highway Video


MAVIC AIR LENS FILTERS

We like to shoot video at 24fps with a shutter speed of 1/50. In most situations this means the footage is way overexposed as the Mavic Air has an f/2.8 fixed aperture and lets in lots of light. So, we have a variety of ND filters which cut the amount of light entering the lens, allowing us to expose the image correctly.



We have 2/3/4 stop ND polarising filters in our PolarPro Vivid pack, which are great if we need to reduce glare or reflections from water, sand, snow, etc. We also have a 6-set of NiSi filters which gives us non-polarised 2/3/4/5 stop ND filters, plus a circular polarising filter (CPL) and a natural night filter. Usually, with 9 filters to choose from, there’s one to suit the conditions on any given day. The filters attach to the front of the lens and we have to do a little exposure test at the start, sometimes trying a couple of different filters before taking off.

OUR TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR // TRIPODS

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR

TRIPODS

Peak Design Travel Tripod
Joby Gorillapod 3K

Finding a great travel tripod can be a right pain. You need to weigh up so many factors, and just when you think you’re onto a winner, there’s always one that lets you down. If it’s small and compact, it’s also annoyingly short. If it’s lightweight, it’s flimsy and useless in the slightest breeze. If it’s cheap, it’s bulky, heavy, and/or flimsy. If it’s lightweight, compact, sturdy, and extends to a reasonable height, it’s also very expensive. Basically, you’re screwed either way and have to give in to something. After a long hunt and somewhat satisfying affair with the Zomei Z669C (which ended with one leg breaking, thus stunting its overall height), I think we’ve found our tripod partner for life.

PEAK DESIGN TRAVEL TRIPOD

“Mmm, mmm. That is one impressive looking tripod,” we thought to ourselves upon being Insta-spammed with ads. They knew their target market well. After detailed investigation, we’d backed the Kickstarter campaign for the Peak Design Travel Tripod and took delivery six months later. We were grinning like teenagers in love. Or me when I see pizza.

A person standing on a long wooden veranda uses the phone mount on a fully extended Peak Design Travel Tripod, an essential piece of travel photography gear

Using the nifty phone mount with our Peak Design Travel Tripod, legs fully extended

A person standing on a long wooden veranda uses the phone mount on a fully extended Peak Design Travel Tripod, an essential piece of travel photography gear

Using the nifty phone mount with our Peak
Design Travel Tripod, legs fully extended

The design is revolutionary, leaving no negative space, which reduces the overall volume and makes it amazingly compact. Yet it is still what I’d consider full height (152.4 cm at max extension), and is incredibly lightweight at 1.27 kg for the carbon fibre version (1.56 kg for the aluminium alloy design). It deploys super fast and has a weight capacity of up to 9.1 kg, way more than we’ll ever need. It also comes with a slimline weatherproof carry case that slips into the side pocket of our camera bag with ease. Put simply, it’s just the best travel tripod ever made. That comes at a price, obviously, but like I said, you have to give in to something.


We travel full time with our tripod, and always take it on hiking trips, whether they last a couple of days or a couple of months. Finding a tripod this compact, lightweight and actually usable, makes it one of our favourite items of travel photography gear EVER. And should we have a repeat of the tragic leg stunting incident of the Zomei, the guys at Peak Design offer a lifetime warranty on all their products. Nice.

JOBY GORILLAPOD 3K

This quirky little shapeshifter acts as a useful second tripod, as well as a handy selfie grip when we’re filming ourselves talking to the Sony A7III camera.

Displaying two items of our travel photography gear, the Sony A7III camera is mounted on the Joby 3K Gorillapod, reflected in the mirror of an apartment along with the person holding it

Not just a tripod, the Joby Gorillapod 3K works perfectly for a spot of vlogging too


Displaying two items of our travel photography gear, the Sony A7III camera is mounted on the Joby 3K Gorillapod, reflected in the mirror of an apartment along with the person holding it

Not just a tripod, the Joby Gorillapod 3K
works perfectly for a spot of vlogging too


We can twist the flexible legs of the Gorillapod 3K around railings, branches, or anything similar to gain extra height and shoot from unique angles. It’s also lightweight (less than 400g) and packs away easily in the side or front pockets of our backpacks. Not sure about that name though. It’s far too close to Jobby. And in Scotland that’s not a good thing.



OUR TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR // MISCELLANEOUS ACCESSORIES

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR

MISCELLANEOUS ACCESSORIES

Camera cleaning kit
Pocket lens cloth
Sony compatible battery charger
GoPro compatible battery charger
Assorted USB/charging cables

CAMERA CLEANING KIT

Helps us keep dust spots and streaky marks at bay. The blower is handy for removing dust from the sensitive sensor.


POCKET LENS CLOTH

Del has lost so many lens cloths that it’s become a running joke. He’d go out for the day with three in his pocket and return with none. I’d find them lying sad and lonely on hiking trails, like Hansel’s breadcrumbs. I tried rationing them out to him, but he’d ‘forget’ to return them to the safety of my pocket and we’d be cloth-less once again. Then I found this little beauty of a pocket lens cloth, and it’s been attached to his belt loop ever since. Even when he’s not carrying the camera, which is a bit weird actually.


BATTERY CHARGERS

We have third-party battery chargers for our Sony A7III and GoPro because they are lighter, USB compatible, and charge more than one battery at a time. We use the Ravpower charger that came with our spare batteries for the Sony camera, and a charger like this for the GoPro.



ASSORTED CABLES

We have a lot of devices that are charged via USB, so we carry a few USB cables, plus the wall charging cables for our laptops and drone batteries. We stick them in a little mesh carry pouch to keep them tidied away but easily accessible.

OUR TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR // LAPTOPS + HARD DRIVES

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR

LAPTOPS + HARD DRIVES

2 x Dell XPS 13 laptops
2 x Nacuwa hard shell laptop cases
4 x Seagate hard drives
4 x protective hard drive cases

We travel with a laptop each so that we can both work on blog stuff at the same time. We also have multiple external hard drives for backing up our photos and video files, and a couple of protective laptop cases.

DELL XPS 13 LAPTOPS

We’ve had one of these laptops since 2017, and got a second at the start of 2019 as we realised it was impossible to work efficiently with just one. There was just too much waiting around for your turn.


Del uses the older Dell XPS 13 i5 laptop for editing photos in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. I use the newer Dell XPS 13 i7 laptop (which has a faster processor, bigger hard drive and more memory) for video editing. They are lightweight and slimline enough to travel with and we’ve always been happy with Dell computers.

A person working on their laptop at a shaded picnic bench while their tent sits in the sun in front

On longer hiking trips, like our month long walk around Jeju Island, we have to carry a laptop with us to back up our footage


A person working on their laptop at a shaded picnic bench while their tent sits in the sun in front

On longer hiking trips, like our month long walk
around Jeju Island, we have to carry a laptop with
us to back up all of our footage. Fortunately they
are light and slim enough to fit in the backpack


PROTECTIVE LAPTOP CASES

We sometimes need to carry one of our laptops in our backpacks on extra long multi-day camping and hiking trips, so that we can backup our photos and footage daily. For this purpose, we need a decent hard case that doesn’t weigh much and will protect the laptop well.


We’ve found the Nacuwa hard shell protective laptop case to be ideal, and ended up buying a second one for the new laptop as well. Also makes a handy lap tray for eating my dinner. But you won’t see that on the product description.

SEAGATE EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES

We need a LOT of storage space for backing up our media, and backing up that back up, and sometimes backing up that back up. And so on. We only shoot RAW images and have large files of HD and 4K footage that require a lot of storage space. We’re also ridiculously slow at turning that media into finalised content, so it can sit there for months (even years).


We carry three Seagate external hard drives with us for backing up new footage and accessing old footage for ongoing blog work. We have a fourth hard drive at my parents’ house along with a WD My Cloud home personal cloud that we’ve had for years and can be accessed remotely. In addition to this we have an iDrive cloud backup subscription.

We try to back up our media in three different places, and always at least two.

HARD DRIVE PROTECTIVE CASES

We have a protective case for each hard drive. The best we’ve found are Case Logic.



OUR TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR // PHONES + APPS

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR

PHONES + APPS

2 x iPhone 6

GoPro App (iOS/Android)

DJI Go 4 App (iOS/Android)

Sony Imaging Edge Mobile App (iOS/Android)

2 x iPhone 6

GoPro App
(iOS/Android)

DJI Go 4 App
(iOS/Android)

Sony Imaging Edge Mobile App
(iOS/Android)

We need a smartphone to fly the drone, and we also use phone apps to control our GoPro (iOS/Android) and Sony A7III (iOS/Android) cameras on the go. I use my phone lots for capturing on the fly videos and photos for our Instagram Stories, and occasionally I even get the Del Seal Of Approval to include one of my phone photos in a blog post, always a proud and slightly smug moment for me.

COME JOIN US ON INSTAGRAM

We always had Samsung phones but when my last one packed in, a friend kindly gave me their old iPhone 6 and I got my first bite of Apple products. Took a bit of getting used to. Del now has that phone and I’ve got another refurbished iPhone 6 with more storage. Mostly we’re just creatures of habit and that’s why we use these phones, rather than having some particular love for them.

OUR TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR // EDITING SOFTWARE

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR

EDITING SOFTWARE

Adobe Lightroom
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Premiere Pro

Our travel photography gear isn’t just about the physical hardware; our editing software is also an essential part of our kit. We have an Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps plan, which we renew annually and pay about £30/month for. Out of all the apps, we mostly use Lightroom, Photoshop and Premiere Pro.

Lightroom is our main photo editing software but we use Photoshop regularly too. They definitely need a bit of time to figure out, but it’s well worth the effort and there are plenty of online tutorials to help. A must have for any photographer!

We’ve used a few different video editing programs over the years, but Premiere Pro is without a doubt the best. Again, you need to invest time and energy into learning how to use it, but the results are worth it. Premiere Pro is so widely used that there are plenty of online tutorials out there to get you started, and help forums if you get stuck or have any problems. You can read a bit more about how and why we use Premiere Pro in this post.

SEE MORE PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO POSTS

MORE PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO POSTS

A person walking beneath dark stormy clouds on Sanday, one of the Orkney Islands

How To Edit Travel Videos: 5 Essential Tips

How to Shoot Cinematic Video With DSLR Cameras

A person walking beneath dark stormy clouds on Sanday, one of the Orkney Islands

How To Edit Travel Videos: 5 Essential Tips

How to Shoot Cinematic Video With DSLR Cameras

OUR TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR // CAMERA INSURANCE

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR

CAMERA INSURANCE

Aaduki Multimedia Insurance (UK)

With so much expensive travel photography gear, we need extra insurance above and beyond our general travel insurance policy to cover our kit. It took me days of research and phoning around companies in the UK to find an insurance provider who could cover us for our needs.

The main problem was that we travel outside of the UK for many months on end, while most policy providers will only cover for 30 or 60 days of travel outside of the UK per year. Eventually I found one company who could offer us a policy with unlimited worldwide travel included. We just have to be in the UK for one day a year.

This suited us perfectly for our first year of the policy, as we intended to be in Scotland for a few months of the year anyway. Now we’ve renewed our policy for a second year, and it’s hanging over our heads that we’ll need to return to the UK at some point before the policy expires. But, that’s a small price to pay for knowing that all of our travel photography gear is covered. Plus, I’ll probably be craving some Stornoway black pudding before the year’s up anyway.

WHAT’S IN OUR CAMERA BAG? //

OUR COMPLETE TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR

WHAT’S IN OUR CAMERA BAG?

We hope you’ve enjoyed seeing what’s inside our camera bag and that you’ve found it useful. What does your travel photography setup look like? Share your favourite gear in the comments below!

*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links – if you purchase a product or service via these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps offset the cost of running this blog and keeps us travelling so that we can continue to produce great content for you. We greatly appreciate your support!*

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Chris
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Chris

Good films. Great setup. Do you use the gimbal with the Sony A7III aswell?

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2 years ago
Going the Whole Hogg
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Going the Whole Hogg

Thanks, Chris. We don’t use the gimbal with the Sony camera, it’s only for the GoPro. The in-camera stabilisation is really good on the A7iii, and there is also stabilisation in some of our lenses, too. These days we shoot a lot with our tripod, but even handheld shots with the A7iii are pretty steady (especially if I’m shooting, Del’s a bit shaky!).

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2 years ago
Ambar
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Ambar

This was so great and comprehensive. I feel inspired to start looking into ways to up my photo game. I’ve actually thought about moving into mirrorless camera territory but am still rocking my cropped sensor frame. At what point did you feel you were ready for the move? I feel like I’m still learning so much about photography.

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3 years ago
Going the Whole Hogg
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Going the Whole Hogg

Hey Ambar, Thanks very much! Really glad you found it so useful and that it’s started you thinking about ways to improve. We reached a point where our old cropped sensor DSLR had seen a lot of action. We were coming to the end of a big trip and were looking to upgrade/replace our gear. After a lot of research we felt that we wanted to invest in a system for the future, and that the Sony mirrorless option was the perfect fit. We’re so glad that we did. The full frame sensor matched with good lenses really lifted the… Read more »

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3 years ago
Brianna
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Brianna

Fascinating to compare what you travel with to what’s in our own packs. As a likewise photo/video team, we have some of the same gear. I ended up splurging on the A7rIII, and I LOVE IT. (But I’m also the photographer; hubby went with a Sony a6500 for his video setup.) However, because of that expense, I couldn’t afford all new lenses. I ended up picking up a Canon-Sony lens adapter instead, and this let me continue to use the Canon 24-105mm f/4 (which is almost always on my camera) and my Canon 70-200mm IS f/2.8 (with optional 1.4x extender).… Read more »

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3 years ago
Going the Whole Hogg
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Going the Whole Hogg

Hey Brianna, Well, sounds like we’ve got a lot in common. We thought about getting a lens adapter but in the end decided just to invest in the whole Sony system. None of our old Canon lenses were high end or expensive and we weren’t confident about using an adapter, particularly when changing lenses out and about. Would be interested to know how you find that setup – any issues? Like we said, the 24-70 mm is our go to lens, but we find ourselves using the 16-35 mm more and more in a variety of situations – great to… Read more »

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3 years ago

What\'s In Our Camera Bag? Our Complete Travel Photography Gear
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