Hiking with cameras

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Merumeni

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On saturday I will be leaving for a 5 week hiking trip from Munich to Venice. This is across the Alps. Without elephants. Since there is a dense net of hotels and mountain huts I do not need a tent (though I carry a emergency sleeping bag and a bivouac sack). I managed to keep my backpack under 12 kg plus water (2kg) plus camera and equipment (3kg). 15 kg (33lb) does not seem to be too much but due to terrain and duration I would not like to take more. This means that I do not take a tripod (but I may use a walking stick with a camera mounting screw).

After a monthlong mental torture I decided to take the following gear: my M9 with the C-Biogon 35, the 90 Hexanon and four spare batteries. Recharging may be a bit of a problem. So I also take my M6, the Sonnar 50, 10 rolls of Portra 160, and 6 of Acros. (And I am still debating whether to add the Biogon 25 or at least the CV 25).

This brings me to the main question:
What do you bring on multiple day hikes? This trip includes landscapes, mountains, group, people and city aspects: so you may use everything between the most extreme wide to the most extreme tele. How do you limit yourself? Any thoughts are welcome …
 
I don't know as I don't bring a lot of stuff with me when I go on a journey. Going to Houston soon to see my son, his wife and our grandson. Will take a IIf with a 50mm Summicron, lots of film B&W only, maybe a small Sigma digital although my iPhone does a good job with stills and video.

Oh, I almost forgot, I will bring my trusty Sekonic light meter.

Did I say lots of B&W film?

That's it.

When I served in the military I only had one camera, a Nikkormat with a few lenses.

I'm a minimalist!
 
If I hike, I take one lens, one camera.
If I drive in to take pictures of specific location, I might take one more lens.
It saves time for pictures taking.
 
Merumeni said:
On saturday I will be leaving for a 5 week hiking trip from Munich to Venice. This is across the Alps. Without elephants. Since there is a dense net of hotels and mountain huts I do not need a tent (though I carry a emergency sleeping bag and a bivouac sack). I managed to keep my backpack under 12 kg plus water (2kg) plus camera and equipment (3kg). 15 kg (33lb) does not seem to be too much but due to terrain and duration I would not like to take more. This means that I do not take a tripod (but I may use a walking stick with a camera mounting screw).

After a monthlong mental torture I decided to take the following gear: my M9 with the C-Biogon 35, the 90 Hexanon and four spare batteries. Recharging may be a bit of a problem. So I also take my M6, the Sonnar 50, 10 rolls of Portra 160, and 6 of Acros. (And I am still debating whether to add the Biogon 25 or at least the CV 25).

This brings me to the main question:
What do you bring on multiple day hikes? This trip includes landscapes, mountains, group, people and city aspects: so you may use everything between the most extreme wide to the most extreme tele. How do you limit yourself? Any thoughts are welcome …
Click to expand...
Jealous, envious, jealous.I would take an M3 with a 21, 50, 90 lenses and 2 rolls a day of your favorite film. :D
 
I'm pretty minimalist when it comes to hiking. In fact, I got a Voigtländer Perkeo II (tiny 6x6 medium format folder) for just that purpose.
 
Merumeni said:
On saturday I will be leaving for a 5 week hiking trip from Munich to Venice. This is across the Alps. Without elephants. Since there is a dense net of hotels and mountain huts I do not need a tent (though I carry a emergency sleeping bag and a bivouac sack). I managed to keep my backpack under 12 kg plus water (2kg) plus camera and equipment (3kg). 15 kg (33lb) does not seem to be too much but due to terrain and duration I would not like to take more. This means that I do not take a tripod (but I may use a walking stick with a camera mounting screw).

After a monthlong mental torture I decided to take the following gear: my M9 with the C-Biogon 35, the 90 Hexanon and four spare batteries. Recharging may be a bit of a problem. So I also take my M6, the Sonnar 50, 10 rolls of Portra 160, and 6 of Acros. (And I am still debating whether to add the Biogon 25 or at least the CV 25).

This brings me to the main question:
What do you bring on multiple day hikes? This trip includes landscapes, mountains, group, people and city aspects: so you may use everything between the most extreme wide to the most extreme tele. How do you limit yourself? Any thoughts are welcome …
Click to expand...

17k with water...are you carrying cast iron pots? Every bit of weight needs to earn its place. I would ditch the M9 (for me that would be about battery dependency. If you are confident of recharge you could ditch the M6). 2 lenses at most. I would also look seriously at that 12kg. Does that include your cold weather clothing etc? Cooking gear? Food? We have a 7kg + water setup for unsupported hiking (includes 3 days food, cookware, tent etc) but that doesn't include winter clothing. And it's not really light enough imho.

Weight is the limiting factor. I would take a NEX with zoom, 2 spare batteries +/- a lightweight charger (NEX will charge off a USB). If I were feeling like a complete battery-free experience I would take a Barnack, one lens and lots of film (though clearly the digital option gives even more photo capacity per g).

However you choose, enjoy! sounds like a fabulous trip.
 
I have trekked across the Andes four times, lasting 4-10 days each, tents, mules, the lot. I took an Olympus OM SLR, 24mm and 50mm lenses, and a flashgun. Also one spare camera in my holdall. Plenty of film. 90% of my shots were taken with my 24mm lens. The flashgun was mostly used for fill in flash because the contrast at altitude is so great and because the deep valleys meant that the foreground was often in deep shade while the distant background was sunlit. So putting people in the scene would sometimes have been impossible without using flash. I would recommend a wide angle lens for landscapes, putting people in the scene etc. and a normal lens for everything else. In a few weeks I'm going trekking in the Lake District in the UK. This time I'm taking a Leica IIIf (+ a spare, and a small flashgun), a Voigtlander 21mm lens and a 50mm collapsible lens. Same idea but a completely different system.
 
I recently hiked in the Dolomites from hut to hut so there was no need to take a tent, bag etc. I took an M3 with 50mm and a Zeiss Super Ikonta 6x6. If I was backpacking I would just take one camera. The one problem I had was burning a hole in my M3's shutter curtain which meant I lost a large number of shots from 5 rolls.
 
When I was in my 30s and 40s, I took two 35mm SLR, several lenses from 18mm to 80-200mm, filters and other accessories, film, a tripod, and a partridge in a pear tree. Now I carry much less. But if only wanted one lens as some have mentioned, I might even drop down to my XA or another fixed lens RF. I keep the XA in my backpack even going to and from work.

If it were me (and of course it is not), I would prefer a wide angle along for mountain landscapes.
 
I have the propensity to collect cameras instead of engaging in photography (i.e.: collecting equipment instead of images); I like the equipment that I have collected so much that I want to take it all with me. If it were me going on this hike, I would pile up everything I would want to take on a table and then start whittling it down. I would either pick digital or film. If I chose a film camera and was afraid of running out of film, I would also bring a compact digital that takes common batteries (like AA) and a few computer cards. I could buy more batteries as I went along. If I chose digital, I could bring a very small compact film camera in case the digital malfunctions. Note that there are extremely compact tripods that are only about 6" tall that can be placed on a rock or whatever to steady your camera. While far from ideal, it would do the job that can't be done otherwise.

One option that may work for you is a solar battery charger; I don't know how heavy that is or how well it works. If you chose film, you may be able to ship yourself supplies for "hold" at various locations (you indicated you would be lodging at places along the way). I don't travel outside the US with any frequency, but I have shipped myself stuff to various UPS or FEDEX locations for "hold" and it is there for pickup. I think they will hold for about a month. I have also shipped to hotels, advising them in advance. You can also have someone ship you packages at the correct timing that you make up so the packages don't sit somewhere for long. Clearly you can ship your exposed film back to yourself if you trust it.


I can compose a photo, wait for the right lighting, and get great shots with almost any one camera and one lens. More equipment will not make for better photos. If I thought I would miss my gear I would take pictures of it all and bring it with me, much as I carry photos of my kids and my dog. I struggle to get away from camera collecting, or when I am collecting, be very honest with myself and realize that I am buying the camera because it is cool, is shiny, or would be fun to just play with.

I think I was happiest when I got my first premium camera and lens: a Leica M3 double stroke and a 50mm Summicron, both in very good condition. I got them when I was out of town, and the few rolls of photos that I took with that simple setup yielded amongst the best photos that I have ever taken. I was completely focused on capturing shots and had nothing to weigh me down except a small archaic light meter and a couple of spare rolls of film. I can't go back to the simplicity of yesteryear that people tend to long for, but I can return to the simplicity of this hobby and focus on the passion of taking photographs ,and fully realize that I can take photographs that I personally enjoy greatly without much gear at all. For me it would be that M3, Summicron, and a simple Weston light meter. I also know that I don't need a ton of film because if I take my time and really think about what I am doing, I can wait for the best opportunities and go with one or two shots of just that. Again, my best photos are ones that I only have one image of from the one angle that I think is best, with the one set of aperture and shutter speed that I think is the best. That is where I am when I am in the zone. If I am experimenting and improving my technical skills, I shoot photos of various simple subjects so that I can experiment with lighting, exposures, and then processing.

I didn't intend for this to be a long post, and I hope you will excuse my philosophical ramblings.
 
Oskar Barnack was an avid hiker but frustrated with the weight and bulk of the available cameras. Just saying.

You have some awesome gear there but I think the weight is going to kill you before you reach 5 days, let alone 5 weeks.

I'm a gearhead, I know it's agonizing to whittle down, but I would ditch the film M, two of those spare batteries, and the 35 lens. Bring 25 and 90 lenses, and a Minox 35 / Oly XA / mju or such. With slide film for daytime landscapes and fast B&W for evenings around the communal dinner table. Even if your M9 packs it in the first day, you'll barely miss it.
 
Like you, I will be hiking about 100 miles in Scotland and then down to Spain for another 100 miles on the Camino de Santiago. I am battling with the same problem as we will be carrying our packs with us.

Presently, I plan on using my M9 with either 21/35/90 or 21/50/90. I have thought about another M body or perhaps my X100 but honestly weight has ruled that out. In fact, I am thinking about replacing my present 35f1.2 with a smaller lens but hate owning two lenses of the same focal length.

If push comes to shove, I can leave the 21 at home. If it really got bad, I can replace the 35/90 with a 50 or the M9 with the X100. Of course, if I lose 10 lbs before then, I can take the M9 and three lenses and still be lighter then I am now.

If I were in your shoes, one camera and a couple lenses. I get about 300 photos per charge with the M9 so that is the equivalent of 10 rolls of film so you have enough batteries for 40 rolls of film. How many photos do you plan on taking?
 
I would cut it down to 1 camera and 2 lenses: 28 and 50 or 35 and 75(or 90). If you go digital you won't even need the film, if you go film, you won't even need batteries. There are millions of photo opportunities out there, you don't need all the lenses, you need good eyes.
 
For hiking, the weight of the lenses matters too (a reason to the CV over the Biogon).
Will you have a cell phone with? That can suffice as your emergency backup camera, allowing you to take just one camera body plus lenses. With a cellphone for grab shots, you could stick with the film camera and three lenses.
 
M2, M6, 25 Biogon, 90 Elmarit M, 50 Summicron, Leitz table top tripd, Gossen Digipro F, cable release, all in A&A ACAM1100 hiking in NZ 2009. Now I'd be sorely tempted to take the the Monochrom, but would probably just take the same kit again - minus the Summicron.
 
I am an avid hiker and an adventure photographer.

I generally have four cameras on me:
1 - iPhone for pano snapshots
2 - Sony Nex with Leica Adapter with ultra-wide lens in a camera pouch carried in front of person. I use this for most of my snapshots and movies
3 - Leica M6 TTL with longer lens in quick access pouch on top of pack
4 - Holga 120 PAN on top of pack in main compartment for super-wide medium format shots

I hike with trekking poles and generally use the poles for stabilizing the camera for movie panning or long exposure. On the back of the sack, I also bring a benro travel angel or a gorilla pod. For all camping and hiking gear, I've purchased the absolute lightest gear possible to displace the weight of having cameras.

I find that I favor the NEX while I'm moving and use the Leica for cases where I need long-exposure shots beyond 30 seconds. The Leica is also great for street photography for when I stop in hostels or hotels.
 
I spent 10 years in the Army with a few combat tours overseas. I kept a Nikon F3 with a 50mm/1.8 in a small pelican case with spare batteries and a few rolls of film. It was bulky, but it was the only way to keep it safe from the dust and from being destroyed from getting tossed around.

If I were doing it today (hiking not exchanging fire) I would take my M2 and 50mm, one roll of film per day in a zip-loc bag with desiccant. And use a small ballhead attached to the frame of my hiking pack
 
Just got back from the Austrian Tyrol. I took 2 Panasonic G2s with the 14~55 and 55~200 in a Crumpler Light Delight 4000. That was more than enough and we were returning to base every evening. If I were using film, I think I'd lose the long lenses and stick to my Bessa L with 15/25/35.
 
Thanks to you all -
I think a lot has to do with learning to let go: you do what you can do with what you have.
I would like to come to the point of trusting myself, of knowing I can do “it” with the minimum I decided to take with me. To know what to take with me without thinking: but there is no “field manual” for hikers and trekkers. I envy the ones of you who have that silent trust, knowledge and experience.
I know I will be thinking about my kit until I close the door behind me, or worse, until I leave the car that is going to bring me to the airport – and I am looking forward to that moment, that energizing moment when you know “that's it”: it takes a couple of days until you even know in the dark where is what – but once being “in” you get a chance to arrive where you actually are.
 
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