Summer is finally here and it’s the perfect time to start your next photography adventure. You’ve meticulously searched for locations, carefully booked your overnight stay, and secured a reliable rental car. But have you really considered all the gear you need to make your photography adventure a thrilling success?
Summer means hot days, ice cream, and pool time. But for us photographers, it’s also the season of road trips! I recently embarked on my ultimate 10-day US road trip, Route 66. This trip was a true adventure spanning more than 2,400 miles across eight states. Over the past two years, I’ve taken several weekend trips, including visits to White Sands National Park and Zion National Park. I also hit the road twice last year, traveling through Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota. I packed my things and headed to Colorado to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park and Mesa Verde National Park.
Every trip has its challenges, from maximizing space in limited luggage to having virtually unlimited space in a rental car. But I was determined to overcome them and this is the device that helped me overcome these challenges and reassured me of its adaptability in many different situations!
A few years ago, a sales representative who visited the camera store where I worked introduced me to the Hanual Procube Charger. It piqued my interest. First, it can charge two batteries at the same time. I don’t like having to charge each battery individually because I want to get most of my work done quickly. This is a worthy friend to take on road trips thanks to its quick and fast charging capabilities, USB port and finally it includes a 12V car lead. Now you can plug it into your car and charge it while out on the open road. I put it on the dashboard of the Nissan Rogue and makes it easy to access while working on the car.
Introducing the most convenient battery ever created, the Promaster USB-C Rechargeable Battery. Almost every vehicle these days has a USB-C port somewhere. Sometimes it’s best to have an easy and convenient way to charge your batteries on the road or while walking around while your Hanual Procube charges up its two batteries. You plug it in using the included USB-A to USB-C cable and charge it directly from a power bank or your vehicle’s port. I have to say, this isn’t the fastest way to charge the battery, as it takes about four and a half hours, but in an emergency, it’s a lifesaver!
There never seems to be enough power when trying to charge your battery, laptop, and all the other devices you have. This is especially true when you need a place to plug your laptop in while backing up images on the road. My car is my office and my home on the road. I sleep in the back of an SUV and the passenger seat is set up with my laptop every night. It allows me to provide unlimited power to my computer while charging my iPhone through one of the USB-C or USB-A ports.
This bag is the one I carry with me whether I’m on a plane or on the road. Space is not an issue when it comes to holding all my essential gear, from cameras, lenses, filters, batteries, etc. One could say that I try to fit 50 pounds of potatoes into a bag weighs 5 pounds! The biggest issue when flying is overhead luggage space, as I fly through many regional airports that support much smaller jets! This bag fits in any overhead compartment or usually under the seat if I don’t stuff it and has withstood the rigors of airport security.
When I travel, I don’t use regular luggage. How often do you see relatively new luggage on the baggage carousel, clothes falling out, or luggage wrapped in plastic wrap or tape? This bag has two purposes. First, I packed my tripod, toiletries, and clothes to check in at the airline counter. Second, it’s a second camera bag. If I’m hiking in one location, I can use this bag to carry all my camera and non-camera gear in one bag. This made for a much more comfortable experience while hiking and made it easy to access my gear thanks to the integrated belt pack that rotates forward for easy access. Talk about a beast of a bag due to the quality. It endured many trips through multiple airlines and baggage transfers and held up well until its retirement.
Small cables and accessories are the bane of any photographer’s existence. I have all three sizes of EDC Bags. These will help you stay organized on the road. I use them to hold portable hard drives, cables, chargers, business cards, phone and computer chargers, and light meters. All of these will fit in my camera bag, keeping it organized. It also saves you money in the unfortunate event that I lose the item when I throw it in the car seat!
It wouldn’t be a trip without snacks! Long Haulers Highway and organizational block These are essential items for any backpacking trip, whether long or short. From organizing snacks to even clothes! I used the larger Longhaul 50 with organizational cubes for clothes. Mostly, I use them as bags to hold all those miscellaneous items. Everything from snacks to atlases, and they’re pretty much a bag that holds everything! When I rolled up to the hotel, I grabbed it and only had less than three bags with me!
Do not misunderstand me; I like the GPS connection with Apple CarPlay. But we all know that GPS is not always accurate or sometimes leads us astray, and sometimes it doesn’t work without cell signal! I always carry the Rand McNally Motor Carriers atlas with me. It beats paper maps if you can even find one. Overall, it’s more detailed, has laminated and spiral-bound pages, and, over time, holds up better. Best of all, it’s a lifesaver in case your GPS fails or doesn’t know where you are!
These are just a few items you can bring on your next photography trip. The biggest challenges you will face when traveling are the power and space to store all your items. As photographers, we understand the time of day, composition, exposure, and the equipment we use to create our photos. However, we don’t always consider all non-photo items because we tend to focus on the photography aspect of the trip. Finally, I pack a few pieces of gear that are must-haves before any trip! What’s your road trip must have?
