If you’re planning a trip, you’re probably going to take your camera with you, aren’t you? In which case, this camera travel kit essentials list is for you.
Note: this post includes many affiliated links. If you decide to purchase one of these items, I’ll get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
You’ve got so much to pack already for the amazing trip you are planning… I know. And now, I’m about to add more things to your list, I’m so sorry! I’m not trying to be mean, I’m just trying to help, here. I think that the items listed below are things you truly need if you want to come back with the best possible souvenirs. If it makes you feel any better, most are very small!
You’ve probably seen before, flat lay pictures of photographer’s gears. Some are totally overwhelming. It’s like whoa!? So much stuffs, so many things that you probably have no clue what they do. So many cameras and lenses! Maybe you even thought that you don’t want to travel with so much. I certainly had this feeling before.
In my opinion, you’ve got to find the right balance so this is why I’ve put together this camera travel kit essentials list. Items that are, in my opinion, totally worth it and which are split into 4 different categories:
- The basics
- Keep it clean
- Protect
- Get creative
1 – The basics
The most basic item to bring is your camera! Obviously!! Hum is that a good start to this list? 😉
With your camera, you need a battery. An extra battery if you have one already would be nice and at least the battery charger.
You also need at least one memory card. I always buy a few extra cards because I do not like to have to look for some where I travel to. On several occasions, I had to buy ridiculously expensive ones on the go. In some places these were hard to find so I lost quite a bit of valuable time, and they were not even good ones. Now, I always make sure I have at least one back up card available.
You may think that you don’t need an extra memory card because you’ll be uploading your pictures in the cloud everyday. That’s forgetting you may not have reliable wifi when needed.
You probably already have a nice protective bag for your camera so I’m barely mentioning it here. We’re all different when it comes to bags. I like to carry my camera in my purse so I sewed my own! You don’t need to sew yours, there are all sorts of options out there. If you don’t find what you like, think of Etsy, because some people are just crazy creative!
An extra lens is always a good idea. You know just in case, something happens to your favorite one. And to be able to change your focus!
That’s it! for the basics. Not too much right?!
2 – Keep it clean
On one of my road trips in the US, after 3 or 4 days and about 800 pictures, I noticed that my camera sensor was filthy… And I had nothing to clean it with. 3 or 4 days later, in a park, a ranger let me use her air blower and that helped a bit. By the end of the trip, and about 2,600 pictures later, I cried! So many pictures to edit, so many dust traces to remove from every single pictures.
Do yourself a favor and get a little cleaning kit! You do need to learn how to use each of these tools, to not damage your camera, but that’s an expertise you’ll be happy to have in the long run. It’s a bit scary at first but it’s not that hard.
The Altura cleaning kit shown below is the only one I found which has an ‘all natural’ cleaner. I don’t have this one yet, but it’s the next one I’ll get.
Cleaning Swabs
If you take care of this little kit, you’ll have it for a long time. Most of these items will last years. Even the bottle of cleaner which usually goes a long way.
However, there is one item here which you’ll have to purchase again: the cleaning swabs. Those are single use. So you’ll want to get some extra ones for your next trip! Do pay attention to the size of your sensor to get the right swabs.
Cleaning your sensor is the trickiest part. If you damage your sensor when trying to clean it, your camera is pretty much useless. Learn how to do it and don’t over do it!
3 – Protect
Protecting your gear is important. Photography is an expensive hobby and making your gear last, is one way to save money.
When caring around an additional lens or 2, you want to make sure it is safely stored, when not mounted on your camera. If the pouch sold with the lens isn’t sturdy enough, there are plenty of options out there to make sure your lens stay safe. I don’t have a big camera bag or suitcase but all of my lenses are stored safely. Chose what suits your style best.
As you read above, I like to have a few extra memory cards at hand and I think you should too. I’m 100% sure that’s a good idea! But you know what’s a bad idea? To lose one. You know this US road trip where I had dust on my camera sensor (I just told you about it above!) well, that trip was a bit of a photographer nightmare trip, because I also lost a memory card along the way!
So now I’m slightly more careful with my memory card and I store them in a protective case. You’ll thank me one day for this!
Protecting your lenses is very important. Keep your rear and front caps on whenever storying your lenses. Keep the front cap on whenever not shooting. It prevent dust, water and scratches happening to your lenses. This means less cleaning, less worries, less bad surprises!
I like to get front caps which include a little string to tight them to the camera strap or else. How many caps have you lost over the years? I have a lost quite a few and these simple little strings prevent that.
When I buy a new lens, I automatically buy a UV filter to put on it. Yes it’s an extra expense, but I’d much rather scratch a $20 filter than a $700 lens. Well, you know that’s just me but I bet you’re the same!
I have several Hoya filters and can’t say anything bad about them. I had other cheaper brands which didn’t last as long, so now I’m sticking with the Hoya ones. Just chose the right size, ok!
4 – Get Creative!
OK, now to the fun part!
If there is one thing that you’ll want to have when travelling, it is a tripod. It doesn’t need to be bulky to be useful and fun. A tripod will help you in many circumstances: if you want to be on the picture, if you want to take pictures with long exposures, if you want to get creative angles…
Manfrotto tripods and I have a long love history. Their range goes from the smallest to the biggest most sturdy and reliable ones so you get to chose what suits you best. A PIXI like the one below, is a good small first investment. Just pay attention to the weight of your camera (lens on) when choosing a tripod.
With your PIXI you can get a mount for your cell phone which will make this tripod even more versatile for a very low cost.
One very popular tripod option is the GorillaPod. Its wrappable legs are what made it famous.
I don’t own a GorillaPod because I have a slightly bigger tripod I cary around. It’s a Manfrotto again! Bigger obviously but it allows for more creativity in a slightly more comfortable way.
Choosing a tripod is a bit hard sometimes, you’ll want to think of its size, weight, sturdiness, and payload. You’ll also want to think of how you’ll carry it around. Choosing the best head mechanism i.e. the one you like and are comfortable with is in my opinion, the hardest part! And remember that if you get a bigger camera, you may need to change tripod. Therefore, I think that before you shop online for the best deals, it is wise to go and try a few of them in shops, if you can.
Final Words
That’s it for this camera travel kit essentials. It includes the basics i.e. your camera with extra lenses, batteries and memory cards. Good protections of those items including pouches, lenses’ caps and filters. A way to clean such gear and limit the time you’ll spend editing your pictures. A first tripod to explore new possibilities! This isn’t much really! That’s why it’s called essentials!!
In case you wonder, I’ve recently bought a Fujifilm X-T20 Mirrorless camera. I needed something easy to carry, slightly less expensive than my full frame Nikon, slightly less bulky and slightly lighter. It takes some getting used to, going from a ‘pro’ camera, to a camera like this one. It may sound weird to you, because you would maybe expect it to be the other way around. But there was definitively a learning curve, for me. Now, because this camera is so easy to fit in my purse and considering the quality, I really can’t complain about such purchase.
Leave no trace, take only pictures!
PIN THIS FOR LATER
