Sure You Can Pack Picture Gear on a Light-weight Backpacking Journey

Light-weight backpacking and panorama pictures are two pursuits that for a few years didn’t precisely get alongside. Once I first began backpacking with my photograph gear I used to be typically carrying 40-plus lbs in a 75-liter pack with a 3rd of that room and weight devoted simply to digicam gear. Over the previous few years, nevertheless, with the appearance of mirrorless full-frame cameras, lighter lenses, a lot better light-weight backpacking gear, and numerous different enhancements, I’ve been capable of get my typical package right down to a 58-liter pack and 20-25 lbs in weight. Typically even much less.

It’s nonetheless not approaching ultralight but it surely’s allowed me to get much more locations and canopy much more floor on a typical journey. I even accomplished a backcountry summit of Wyoming’s Gannett Peak within the Wind River Vary for the 2017 eclipse whereas carrying 2 cameras and mountaineering gear; my pack weight was below 30lbs. Gear remains to be very a lot a private and situational desire, however it is a checklist a lot of the tools I tackle a backcountry trek.

A light-weight backpacker doesn’t want to depart their good gear at dwelling anymore to save lots of weight.

Digicam: Sony a7RIII
I switched from my massive Sony a900 to a full-frame mirrorless in 2014 and I haven’t appeared again since. It was one of many largest impacts on pack house and made carrying a digicam on a chest-pack or shoulder strap way more comfy. At 23.2 oz. I’ve shaved off virtually 11 oz. in comparison with my a900, it doesn’t damage that digicam sensor is worlds higher too.

Lenses: Sony 16-35 f/2.eight (24 oz.), 24-105 f/four (24 oz.)
I carry the 16-35 f/2.eight for landscapes and evening pictures and the 24-105 for capturing journey and longer lens scenes.

Filters: 82mm & 77mm round polarizers (about 2 oz. every)
I don’t carry many filters anymore, aside from round polarizers to scale back reflections on water and vegetation. I’ll generally carry a set of impartial density filters once I’m working with video or to get longer exposures for waterfalls and clouds.

Energy: Two Sony NP-FZ100s (Three ozeach) and an Anker PowerCore 10000mAh exterior battery (6.four oz.)
The brand new Sony batteries have greater than twice the ability of the NP-FW50 so I solely want 2 for Three-5 days. The a7RIII has a USB port for exterior energy so I convey the USB battery for further energy or lengthy time-lapse photographs. The Anker PowerCore 10000mAh sequence has the most effective mAh/ozratio and will also be used to maintain my telephone charged.

Tripod: Sirui T-Zero24X Traveler Gentle Carbon Fiber Tripod (2 lbs)
One other good thing about mirrorless cameras is you don’t want as large of a tripod for stability. Sadly, a lot of the “journey” type tripods are nonetheless horribly unstable for lengthy exposures or excessive winds. This summer season I lastly discovered an appropriate improve from my already gentle Three.5 lb. Feisol carbon fiber tripod to the loopy gentle Sirui tripod. Thus far it’s been rock strong and its decreased measurement has been very welcome on my pack.

Excessive-quality panorama pictures doesn’t imply lugging kilos and kilos of substances into the backcountry.

Pack: Osprey Exos 58 Backpack (2 lbs. 10 oz. — ed be aware: We love this pack too)
Packs are a really private selection and match performs a giant position, and the Exos simply works very well for me and my digicam gear. My earlier Deuter Pack weighed twice as a lot and had the everyday contoured foam again. I generate numerous warmth when mountaineering so the mesh “trampoline” again of the Exos has been phenomenal for me and has alleviated numerous stress factors.

Tent: Huge Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 (2 lbs)
For many of my solo journeys I now use the Fly Creek however discover it a little bit tight for longer two-person journeys. When it’s simply me there’s sufficient room to unfold out with my gear and when pitched nicely it’s stood as much as some intense climate. For all my different journeys I’ve had a rock strong REI Quarter Dome 2 for a couple of years. The rationale I select a tent over most different shelter choices on numerous journeys is I’m typically camped in places which might be greatest for pictures, not essentially shelter, and I want someplace to maintain my gear protected above treeline.

Sleep System: Katabatic Gear Flex 22˚F (23.5 oz.) and Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAir XTherm sleeping pad (15 oz.)
Due to Katabatic Gear I used to be capable of make one other large weight and measurement discount with their Flex 22 quilt. The flexibility to make use of the included black clip straps when sleeping in temps close to freezing and unzip it utterly for heat nights is a lot better than making an attempt to sleep on prime of my sleeping bag. I normally go away the footbox open besides on actually chilly nights and the added air flow actually helps when you’re a heat sleeper.

Cooking Gear: Soto OD-1R Micro Regulator range (2.6 oz.) and low cost aluminum pot (four oz.)
I’ve had my Soto range for six years and it’s been a tremendous piece of substances. It’s labored nicely in all seasons and temps, and once I thought-about on the lookout for one thing new this yr I couldn’t discover something higher sufficient to compel me.

Images courtesy of the writer.

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