My Must Bring Items List!
Oh my God! Is there anything more stressful than going on a trip and the fear to forget something? Yeah…there are probably many more stressful things…but for me, that fear haunts me for weeks before I leave for a great photography adventure. I can’t tell you why since we can basically buy anything where ever we go but still…
In this article, I will talk about the 10 items that I must always remember to bring no matter where I am going. Some of these can be tricky to find especially if you go somewhere far north and you happen to be traveling off-season. Try to find stuff in the middle of the Lofoten islands in January when pretty much everything is closed! I know just how that feels since I went to the Lofoten Islands in January 2023 and forgot a few things at home which made charging my phone extremely difficult…read below to find out what it was!
WALL OUTLET ADAPTER
The year was 2023 and since COVID, I have only travelled within Canada. There really isn’t anything wrong with traveling within my own country because we have so many amazing places! But every once in a while, it is nice to see new turf! Ok…visiting Norway in January, it wasn’t new turf I was going to see but new snow instead! Sadly for me, I realized when we arrived at our Airbnb in Lofoten that I had forgotten something really important: a wall adapter for European wall outlets. Believe me, I tried to find one in many different small convenient stores but because I was traveling off season, most stores were closed and the ones that were open didn’t have what I was looking for. Now imagine how sad I was to not be able to charge my cell phone, my iPad and my camera batteries…
A USB CABLE
I recently went on a camping trip with a friend and I was sure I had everything I needed for camping. Since camping involves living in a very minimalist way, it’s fair to say I didn’t bring too many items. He has a small camper van and space is limited so I had to pack wisely. Well, by wisely, that doesn’t mean that I didn’t forget anything. I forgot a USB cable to charge my iPhone! Again! Something related to my damn phone! I miss the days when we weren’t using phones that often!
ALSO FORGOT MY HEADLAMP
Photography often means shooting at weird hours…and shooting at weird hours also means hiking in the dark. Could you believe me if I told you that I once forgot my headlamp? It did happen to me! This time, I was in Zion National Park surrounded by nature enthusiast stores so I knew I wasn’t in trouble. In fact, I was happy that I forgot my headlamp because I bought a new one from PETZL and it is truly fantastic! Much more powerful than the one I forgot at home!
STAY DRY WHILE WADING
I haven’t forgotten these yet…but I am sure it will happen at some point! But they are quite big so how could I even forget them at home? I am sure I could surprise myself at some point! One thing is for sure, my Waders are a must for me every time I go on a photography trip. They give me freedom of composition when I am near a body of water! Whether I am on a beach in Iceland or in a river in the Canadian Rockies, my waders have always unleashed thousands and thousands of photography opportunities to me! A must have!
MEMORY CARD READER
This might sound funny but if you travel with your computer in the hope of making a back-up of your files daily and forget your memory card at home, you will be a very sad camper! I know someone that did this a few times already! Most computers have SD card readers build in since they seem to be the norm right now…but some newer cameras use CFExpress memory cards and not only are they expensive, you need a CFExpress specific card reader for these. Make sure to pack it before you leave..these are difficult to find on the spot.
KEEP THEM SCREWS TIGHT
I am a workshop host…and how many times have I seen participants with loose bolts on their tripods…or a loose L Bracket on their camera? And nothing to re-tighten what comes loose! Every time you buy a tripod, it will come with a few of those cheap Allen wrenches…don’t leave them at the bottom of your drawer at home! Put them in a small zip-lock bag and put them in your luggage or inside your camera bag!
THE ALL-AROUND USEFUL TOOL
When I travel, I always make sure to have a small pocket knife or multi-tool whether it’s a Swiss Army knife or a Leatherman Tool…you simply never know when you’ll need one and you will for sure find them super useful if you are in the middle of nowhere! They take so little space in your bag…you could even attach it to your belt! But just make sure to carry it inside your luggage while travelling through airports.
A GOOD OLE UMBRELLA!
I am guilty for not always bringing one because I keep telling myself: It won’t rain!! Yeah right…it simply doesn’t work like that! It seems to work the other way around! Don’t bring one and it will rain daily…but if you do bring one, you might not even see rain! Have you heard of Murphy’s Law?
I HATE DUST SPOTS!
This is one item where I am not the best person to give advice! I never carry sensor swabs! But I tend to be seriously lucky or truly careful when swapping lenses. I don’t have sensor dust very often if ever. And in most situations, I can simply dust it off with my small Rocket Blower which I always carry inside my backpack. Do not ever blow air from your mouth onto your sensor or lenses because the moisture might make it worse! And if you do that during winter, you will for sure create condensation or frost on your equipment. In a scenario where you do have a dust spot which can’t be dusted off easily, you will need to do one of the following: Use a swab to remove it or live with the dust spot until you get back home and do a lot of Photoshop work on your images. I’d choose option one without any hesitation!
GAFFER TAPE FOR GAFFERS
When I travel, I always make sure to carry a roll of Gaffer Tape. Why? Simply for all the in case type of scenarios… What if your memory card door doesn’t close properly, what if your battery door doesn’t close properly, what if your tripod has a small crack, what if you tear your camera bag…? Every scenario which could potentially ruin your fun during a photography trip could potentially be temporarily fixed with gaffer tape! And why choose specifically photography gaffer tape? Because they don’t leave glue residue when we remove it! It’s a must to have in your camera bag. Don’t bring the whole roll! Simply roll a few feet around a pill bottle in which you can store your Allen Wrenches previously talked about!
…IN CONCLUSION
In conclusion, even though I made over 50 photography trips in the last 10 years, I keep forgetting new things. It’s even becoming a running gag! In which way would I be creative this time? What did I forget for that trip! And believe it or not, I keep on surprising myself! At least, I can laugh about it today. The items from the above list aren’t all photography related but they will definitely make your life difficult if you forget them at home…ask me how I know!
If you really don’t want to forget anything when traveling, make sure to create check lists! They’ll save your life on multiple occasions…unless you forget the list too! Then there is no hope for you!! I know because I also forgot my list and my wife told me there was no hope for me!
