As usual, everything starts from preparing and packing the right gear. Standard gear for travel photography includes the following:

• camera body
• lenses and filters
• memory cards
• battery packs and battery charger
• lens cleaning kit
• tripod or monopod
• plastic bags
• photo bag or backpack

I try to stay as light as possible and carefully select lenses to carry on each trip. In general, I settled on a couple of zooms covering the 25-300 mm range at F2.8: however the lower part of the range is the one I use the most (up to 100 mm) and sometimes I miss a shorter wide angle, so think about extending below 25 mm. The latest all-in-one zooms obviously fit the job although trading off quality. Also, I always mount plain UV filters on all lenses (for protection) and never leave home a polarizer.

Regarding memory, I prefer to carry several smaller cards to reduce risks from failure and buy only the ones that work at wider ranges of temperature and humidity. Overall storage capacity should at least allow me to shoot an average of 40 shots a day in RAW format. Waterproof card pouches are useful as are portable hard-disks to backup cards from time to time.

For power, I invested in a full set of battery packs in order to be able to last for three weeks without an outlet. However, even in the remotest places, I never had to wait more than two weeks for recharging. Latest lithium battery packs last on average a full week if you adopt a power-saving approach so at a minimum you have to carry two packs. A compact battery charger with the proper plug adapter is also needed (to make mine even more compact I substituted the power cord with a custom 10 cm cord).

The lens cleaning kit is also crucial since adventure travel is dirty and messy. Microfiber cloth, good-quality lens cleaning liquid and a powerful blower are absolutely needed. The blower is particularly important since most of the time you travel in dusty areas (e.g. deserts, canyons) and your sensor will get dirty in no time: that’s when the blower becomes indispensable. Latest cameras have internal dust-removal systems but until I’ve tested them thoroughly I’ll be relying on the blower in the field.

In most of my trips, I never carry traditional tripods or monopods since they are too heavy and bulky. Instead, I’ve gone for a small 12 cm long fixed tripod which I use to steady the camera against walls, rails, vehicles, etc. A bean-bag (filled with rice or beans from a local market) can also be useful.

I always carry my entire photo gear on the plane in my hand bag (I consider it part of my “indispensable” luggage) and, when arrived, repack splitting it between my “daily” backpack or bag and the rest of the luggage (usually a larger backpack). The cleaning kit should always be at hand as should batteries, memory cards and filters.

The most critical part in the field is keeping your gear protected: mainly from dust and shocks, but also from water, high temperatures and obviously theft. I always seal each item of my gear in plastic bags (the ones used to store food in the fridge are perfect). Also, I make sure bags and backpacks provide shock protection, insulation from high temperatures and are reasonably waterproof (i.e. at least withstanding light rain). In case the trip involves traveling along waterways, lakes or the sea I also bring a waterproof bag big enough to store all the gear. To prevent theft, I never leave my gear alone except in reliable hostels (this can be annoying at times), pay special attention when visiting markets and other crowded places and choose bags with a minimal number of external pockets and zippers.

In the field, I try as much as possible to save power by turning off all unnecessary functions on the camera (in particular LCD review and continuous autofocus) as well as keeping the camera on only when shooting. Nevertheless, I always review my shots at the end of the day to make sure I properly captured subjects I’m interested in and to catch rightaway any wrong setting or shooting tecnique in order not to continue making the same mistakes during the remaining part of the trip.

To conclude, a few hints on shooting. Always have your camera and yourself ready to shoot: this requires experience in extracting the camera from the bag, having the right settings already prepared for the shot (e.g. speed priority when on a vehicle, high ISO settings when in low light conditions) and paying constant attention to what is happening around you. If all this seems too complex and tiring (after all you are on vacation!), don’t worry since after a while these behaviours will become natural. Secondly, photographing locals is probably the most difficult yet rewarding experience. Be very discreet, always ask if you can take a picture and never (never!) take it if permission is refused. The more you get in touch with the people you want to photograph, the more easily you will get permission to take the shot and the more you will capture spontaneous expressions. Also, after taking the picture, consider sharing the shot with the person you photographed: it gets them involved (especially kids!), most of the time guarantees permission for more shots and somewhat returns the favor. Finally, before leaving for the trip review shots on the country you are visiting from famous and skilled photographers to get inspiration and start thinking about the subjects you can’t miss… then on the field get creative and try a variety of different shots.

General wisdom about adventure traveling suggests to pack the lightest luggage possible and I couldn’t agree more! However, traveling light requires a great deal of discipline in choosing only the items needed for the specific trip and systematically leaving home the superfluous. My first suggestion is to gather all the info you can on the place you are visiting (climate, accommodation, activities, etc.) in order to narrow down to a precise gear list of what is needed. Secondly, choose a small bag: this way you will be forced to limit the items you pack. In any case, never (I repeat never) travel with more than 20 kilos of luggage: not only you’ll get tired carrying a bulky pack but you you’ll probably face several issues with regional air transportation.

The many and varied trips I did over the years convinced me that the best strategy is to carry two backpacks: a big one for the main luggage and a smaller one for day trips and carrying core gear on planes (i.e. the essential gear that lets you carry out the trip even if you lost the main luggage). The only two cases in which I would change this strategy is if you’re traveling on a vehicle all the time (I did this in Namibia) or if you have backache: in these cases I’d substitute the big backpack respectively with a waterproof bag (to put on the roof avoiding a secondary cover) and one of the latest wheeled duffels.

Sticking to the main strategy, the big backpack in my opinion should be a 50-60 liters internal frame hiking pack with hipbelt and heavy padding for comfortable wearing, tough fabric and seams and plenty of access. I prefer three-compartments packs: a lower compartment for sleeping bag and footwear, a main compartment for clothes and other gear, a top pocket for accessories. Access should be guaranteed from the top and from the front or laterally. Lateral and frontal compression straps are key to steady the load.

The small backpack should be a lightweight 25-30 liter hiking or raid pack with one main compartment for carrying core gear and several smaller pockets to neatly organize items and access them quickly. I prefer backpacks with the fewest external pockets possible for greater security against pickpocketing, light hipbelt and padding for comfort, an elasticated pocket to carry a water bottle (I’m no big fan of hydration packs for adventure travel) and built-in rain cover. If you do serious photography (I do), this backpack should also contain almost all your photo gear. After years of searching I think I finally found the perfect small backpack: Lowepro’s Primus AW. It carries essential gear and my SLR with three lenses and a mini tripod in a frame within plane limits.

Regarding packing itself (an art I soon discovered), I won’t annoy you with different tactics to place items within the backpack (the general rule is to place heavier items near your back). My only suggestion is to pack everything in lightweight plastic or fabric bags for improved protection, space optimization and quicker access. I prefer fabric bags that guarantee proper ventilation and reduce moisture except for wet climates and packing footwear where plastic bags are a must.

In addition to the two backpacks the third item you can’t leave without is an undercover security belt. It should contain passport, money, credit cards, emergency info and should never leave your waist during the trip (except when taking showers obviously). I prefer synthetic or silk belts in skin-like colors and with two or three internal compartments. When packing, wrap all items in lightweight plastic bags to protect them from moisture and above all sweat.

Finally, for protection against the elements and environments with lots of dust I always carry a good backpack cover: I use it both for checking the pack on a plane and whenever the pack travels on the outside of a vehicle. Also, during my latest trips I got used to a medium-sized dry bag (big enough to store everthing carried inside the small backpack). It’s invaluable for protecting photo gear in case of trips over (or inside) water and in case of heavy dust such as in the desert.