Getting ready for a work trip and a personal trip both start about the same way - The Pre-Trip Checklist - to prepare my devices for capture on location. I thought I would share the working copy of what I do and a short list of what I packed for a recent trip to Washington, DC for work with the Six One Six Studios team. My portion was still and drone capture at the location, as well as, backing up all the files to minimize chances of missing critical images after our return.

One of the biggest issues with general photography, especially on the road, is back-up systems to make sure you arrive home with ALL the captures from the team and having multiple copies to prevent a set from being damaged or lost in transit. Most of the time, this involves making a copy to a SanDisk SSD 2TB drive, a copy to the internal storage of my iPad Pro, a copy to the internal drive of a MacBook Pro and not formatting the SD cards until one week after the return home. When traveling solo, I would perform these same tasks, along with mailing back the original SD cards. It’s probably most intense than most will do, but I’ve suffered failures in the past and these extreme measures gives me peace of mind. I would love to hear your backup plan in the comments below.

Speaking of packing for a trip, I must mention my new love for the Wandrd backpacks and the company as a whole. Most that know me, understand my addiction to bags in general and especially photography centric bags. You just can’t have enough bags since each one may have a design that is more suitable for one style of carry/travel over another. I’ve been through all the styles of bags and carry system you can imagine. Backpack styles of carry, were never a great fit for me as a photographer, even through I owned several ones from different makers. That all changed in 2020 while planning a trip to Chicago with “Where’s The Shoot” along with Duane Lyken. I used a backpack style bag to travel light and then it was the easier way to keep my gear nearby while walking around and shooting. During the trip, Duane had a Wandrd Hexad Duffel bag for all his gear and a small LowePro backpack he repacked for each day. But the Hexad really spoke to me. The design, the build quality, the feel and the flexibility of organization was thought out and practical. It really fit my personality and my future focus as a world traveler with a camera. After some research into the Wandrd brand, I fell in love with their branding, mission and their style, along with finding many other image creators that aligned with my vision of travel and capture. I must say that I was hooked. It was like finding the almost perfect companion for upcoming adventures. Since then I have purchased several of their bags like the PRVKE 31L, DUO Daypack, HEXAD Access Duffel and the VEER, including the Kickstarter for the ROAM Sling. These were purchased in pairs because my partner in love, life and photography, Terri must have her own set mainly so she doesn’t “steal” mine. If you haven’t found the right bag for your adventures, check out the full lineup on the Wandrd website or stop by your local Bedford Camera & Video store to test drive one. You won’t find a better value to protect your gear or a better partner for adventure, from cityscapes to climbing mountains.

Here is my packing list for that trip. Feel free to copy and rewrite for your personal style of traveling.

All of this and a little more was stuffed into the Hexad Access Duffel for the Washington DC trip. I added a few iPhone pics, but you can check out my Flickr and Instagram BTS for others. Maybe I should write a more detailed review of theses bags I love. Leave comments below and maybe I will work up to it.

PREPARATION

◦ Clear out photos/videos from iPhone and iPad

◦ Clear out laptop storage, if needed

◦ Update all software on laptop

◦ Clean all camera gear, including digital sensors

◦ Function check all electronics, including external drives

◦ Scan all important documents and store in Cloud

◦ Collect reservations as PDFs and store in Cloud

PHOTO GEAR

◦ Fujifilm X-T3 body - 1 battery, (2) SD cards

◦ Fujifilm X-T3 Battery Grip - 2 batteries

◦ Fujifilm X-Pro3 body - one battery, (2) SD cards

◦ NiteCore Battery Charger (2) with batteries (4)

◦ Laowa 9mm f2.8 lens

◦ Fujifilm 10-24mm f4 lens

◦ Fujifilm 16-55mm f2.8 lens

◦ Fujifilm 18mm f1.4 lens

◦ Fujifilm 35mm f1.4 lens

◦ Fujifilm 56mm f1.2 lens

◦ Fujifilm 55-200mm f3.5-4.8 lens

◦ Westcott XJ-M2 Remote

◦ Westcott FJ 80 Speedlight - white dome

◦ DJI Mavic Pro 2 - 3 batteries, controller, FAA Pilot license, vest

◦ DJI Pocket II with accessories - rechargeable battery

◦ Gitzo Traveller Tripod

◦ SmallRig Table Tripod

◦ Sensor Cleaning Kit

◦ Memory Card Wallet with (6) 64GB SD cards

PERSONAL ITEMS (Pack)

◦ Kuhl pants

◦ Undershirts (2)

◦ Underwear (2)

◦ T-Shirts (2)

◦ Polo Shirt (1)

◦ Socks (2)

◦ Buff Neck Warmer

◦ Beanie Cap

◦ Kuhl Light Jacket

◦ Sunglasses - Ray Ban Traveller

◦ Hiking Boots, Lightweight

◦ Toiletry Set

Contacts

Contact Solution

Medicine AM

Medicine PM

Tooth Brush w/ paste

Hair Gel

Deodorant 

◦ Micro Towel

TECH ITEMS

◦ AirPods Pro

◦ iPad Pro with keyboard & Apple Pencil

◦ HyperDrive with SD Card Reader

◦ USB-C Max Charger

◦ USB-C iPhone Cord / AirPods Cord

◦ USB-C iPad Cord

◦ USB-C Vape Cord

◦ Charging Cords

◦ SSD, 2 TB for backup

◦ Battery Pack

◦ Notebook & Pen Set