What do you all pack on a road trip?

[Takkun]

Not sure what forum this belongs in, so perhaps this is a good start.

I thought I'd ask what you bring, in terms of camera gear, on a road trip of decent length. I'm a non-driver and carry everything on my back, which was one of the reasons RFs appealed to me years ago and led me to rediscover them last summer.

Earlier this year, I forced myself to travel more, and traded in my Fuji for an M8, so I'd have access to my arsenal of lenses but without the worry of film,and it was a worthwhile decision,especially when traveling light. However, I just got back tonight from a road trip with family down the coast, and brought almost everything I owned--film and digital Ms, a pretty well-stocked Bronica kit, and a tripod, which I never carry. Probably 10 rolls of film, and the digital mostly as an all-else-fails backup. I figured on the trip I'd spend a good deal hiking or in the car, where I didn't mind carrying a MF SLR. The M5 got a workout when we were exploring towns by foot. Either way, the car was stuffed with two camera bags in addition to everyone's luggage and a dog.

So what do you bring on a long trip versus your daily kit, and why?

 

[Lauffray]

I just bring more film on a long trip. I never bring more than 2 cameras (in fact I don't own more than 2) and even on long trips I never found myself wishing I had another piece of gear on me.
I tend to be happiest and enjoy my trip the most when I have minimum junk to lug around and worry about. I've done 6 week trips with just one camera and a bag of film.

 

[Paul Jenkin]

This is a very timely thread as my wife and I are about to head over to Malta for 2 weeks. It's a small island and most of it is accessible relative easily by bus. We won't be hiring a car but we might use a taxi for some of the less accessible places. Therefore, as it's likely to be fairly warm and we'll need to carry what we need, we're aiming to travel light.

My preference is for film. I shoot 120 (Rolleiflex 2.8e and Hassy 500c/m) and 35mm (various Nikons + Hasselblad XPan). However, I also like digital (Nikon D800, Fuji XPro-1, Fuji X100 and Fuji XE-1). I've been debating what to take as lightweight options and have settled for:

- Rolleiflex 2.8e + Portra 400
- Fuji XPro-1 + 18-75mm/f2.8 - 4.0 (and maybe the 35mm/f1.4)

It'll all fit in my Billingham Hadley and I'll use the Rollei for colour and the Fuji for B&W.

 

[Ronald M]

I limit it to what I can keep with me at all times.

Leicas are small compared to DSLR, but are quite heavy in comparison.

 

[marko.oja]

Just came back from a seven day trip across central Europe. M8, 40/2, 90/4 and two Oly Mju 2's (loaded with 100 and 3200 asa films) was quite enough. Only used the 90 in a zoo, and noticed that I would have preferred a wider lens quite often.

 

[Spanik]

Mamiya 645ProTL with motor and prism, 2 backs, 35/55/80/150, lightmeter, monopod and 50 rolls of 120. That's for 2 weeks. Too much film but as it is impossible to get more on the road I prefer to take too much.

This year I took also a Fuji G617 along. Only used it for landscapes close to the car. Didn't even take it along everyday.

 

[Bill Clark]

For our last trip, 2 weeks in length:

One Leica M 4-2

Used 15 rolls 36 exposures each roll of black & white film, all Tri-x.

One lens, a 50 mm f 2.0

One full frame digital Canon camera.

Two cards. One 16 gig and a extra that is 4 gig.

One lens, a 50 mm f1.4 Canon.

All the stuff fit in a ONI bag. The bag fit easily under the seat in front of me when traveling.

That's all folks.

 

[FrankS]

For me, the great thing photographically about a road trip aside from seeing new locations, is that the vehicle can carry your gear for you. You aren't limited by what you can carry on your person.

If you have lots of great, varied gear, collected over the years through careful selection and buying, why leave most of it at home when you are about to experience a rich photographic opportunity?

I recently went on a pretty epic solo motorcycle trip for 30 days, and this is what came with me in my padded tank bag:

As for why, there are 3 main reasons: redundancy in case of failure of a body, and normal/wide lens choice. Plus there are 2 film formats. One for casual shots, one for grand vistas.

 

[Duane Pandorf]

I travel for my job (pilot) and work a 7 day on 7 day off schedule. I can be anywhere in the world during those 7 days. I always have my Leica M-E with 35mm & 75mm lenses and carry it in a Hadley Small bag. My iPhone is just fine for a backup.

I'd be happy with just a 35mm focal length for my kind of photography.

 

[Steve Bellayr]

Much depends on where I am going and travel mode, what I will be photographing and how valuable I think those images will be in later life.

I recommend taking 2 cameras on the same model, one for color and one for black & white, which would also provide a backup if one goes down then you do not spend the rest of the trip carrying around inoperable equipment.

There is no perfect answer to this question. Here is an example: On my last trip I was at the beach snorkeling and diving. And, although I carried both an M6 and a Nikonos V it was the later that was with me more. My next trip will be to my wife's high school reunion and family in the mid-west and I will not need the Nikonos V.

I recommend that you set the goals of you photographing within certain parameters for each trip and be content to stay within those parameters.

 

[JChrome]

For me, the great thing photographically about a road trip aside from seeing new locations, is that the vehicle can carry your gear for you. You aren't limited by what you can carry on your person.

If you have lots of great, varied gear, collected over the years through careful selection and buying, why leave most of it at home when you are about to experience a rich photographic opportunity?

I recently went on a pretty epic solo motorcycle trip for 30 days, and this is what came with me in my padded tank bag:

As for why, there are 3 main reasons: redundancy in case of failure of a body, and normal/wide lens choice. Plus there are 2 film formats. One for casual shots, one for grand vistas.

There is much appeal in having redundancy/backups incase of a failure. I also have a lot of respect for you in taking all of this equipment!

For me, it would really just confuse me. I like having only one option, learning its limitations and mastering those. This is the reason I like having a prime lens and not a zoom. I also choose only color or Black and White for a trip (mostly color when traveling and BnW when at home).

I'm headed to India in December. Only the Fuji GW690III, a light meter and Portra 220 film will accompany me.

+1 on the Portra 400 - It's versatile to shoot in daylight (pull if needed) and also for nighttime (pushed to 800 or a little above).

 

[FrankS]

To avoid confusion, I only shot 400 speed B&W film. 😉

 

[KenR]

Just returned from south Utah - Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. I had a Fujica GSW690 as my primary camera and a Mamiya 6 as backup and for the Ranger hike in the Fiery Furnace (where the meter and 12 exposures rather than 8 came in handy). I used Tmax 400 exclusively - am still developing the film. My wife takes a digital P&S - otherwise it would be too much for me to carry.

 

[tuanvinh2000]

i do something very similar, one point & shoot pocket (rollei 35s) and M6 + 35mm lens only. Less equipment = more photos to me, i leave the rollei mostly at home since it's the backup in case all things fail but i have good luck with my m6 so far.
i might avoid the rollei for a digital camera in case i want to shoot more at night time but trix 400 at night time 1/15 isn't too bad!

I just bring more film on a long trip. I never bring more than 2 cameras (in fact I don't own more than 2) and even on long trips I never found myself wishing I had another piece of gear on me.
I tend to be happiest and enjoy my trip the most when I have minimum junk to lug around and worry about. I've done 6 week trips with just one camera and a bag of film.

 

[tsiklonaut]

On a 3-year motorcycle round-the-world expedition I had Pentax 67 body with TTL prism, 35mm fisheye, 105mm normal and 200mm tele. Sigma DP2s for documenting. Very good setup.

On my last month 5-week Iceland motorcycle trip I had: Pentax 67ii with TTL prism, Pentax 67 with waist level finder, 45mm wide angle, 200mm tele. Fuji GA645i for documenting, Horizon 202 for panoramas. It was a good setup, but I retrospect I think it's too much gear. I love to shoot with two 6x7 bodies, they work as backups for each other (not like multiple film magazines when the camera itself is broken) and I can run one on b&w the other on color, or one on infrared etc, since I really like to run through different films for suited in different conditions, shoot b&w on cloudy weather, shoot slide on those beautiful colorful sunsets/rises, infrared on interesting landscapes etc aspects. I know "less is more", but this is how I prefer to work now.

On my next shorter and lightweight trip I think of experimenting on only taking the GA645i and Horizon. Anything longer in duration: two 6x7s is the best in practice for me - they just work and inspire the best shots out of me.

While I really love Sigma & Foveon, I've gotten very tired of digital despite Foveon re-ignited my spark some time ago, but all the hype and "convenience" (call it lack-of-photographic-adventure) it brings, especially on travels - the overall sterility and similar-look is just too much for me to tolerate now, I feel like another "gray-mass" wannabe NG photographer like another 5 million out there when shooting digital on my travels. Maybe something will spark my interest in digital again, but there's nothing out there currently. Being an optimist hopefully this will change.

 

[FrankS]

"A 3 year round the world motorcycle expedition"

Holy cow!

Have you got a website or blog or something?

 

[tsiklonaut]

"A 3 year round the world motorcycle expedition"

Holy cow!

Have you got a website or blog or something?

Yes, a ride-report can be found here.

It's quite long though. We're currently working on a book for a more 'compact' perspective of the events, hopefully it'll be ready within this or the beginning of next year.

 

[mdwsta4]

Nowadays my default bag seems to always include:

Fuji x100s
Leica MP w/ 50 cron
10-15 rolls of film
gorilla pod w/ ball head
lens pen
extra batteries for the Fuji, filters for the Leica

and that's about it. All fits in an Ona Bowery bag. I used to travel with only one body and for shorter trips I usually do, but it's nice to use the MP as my primary body and the x100s for low light and long exposures. Also nice to have 35 and 50mm focal lengths without having to worry about carrying additional lenses.

 

[ktmrider]

Well, this year I spent two weeks motorcycling in Laos, just finished a month in Scotland including hiking 153 km on the West Highland Way, and now hiking the Camino de Santiago. I took an M9 with 21/35/90 on both trips. That combo is not bad if you do not have to carry other stuff but if say you are carrying all your luggage (backpacking as we are now), you will curse every extra ounce.

Car travel-take it all and backup. If you have to hoof it with gear, think about leaving a lot of it behind. So far, the M9/35mm has accounted for 95% of my photos. The Fuji X100 is a lot lighter and would have given me excellent results similiar to the M9.

Also, if the primary purpose is photography, then take it all. If like me, photography is a fun hobby but not the end all and be all of your trip, then approach with caution.

 

[FrankS]

Yes, a ride-report can be found here.

It's quite long though. We're currently working on a book for a more 'compact' perspective of the events, hopefully it'll be ready within this or the beginning of next year.

Thanks for the reading material!
So that's not you pictured in your avatar.😛