Philosophy of what to bring

Once upon a time, many turns around the sun ago, I was a backpacking guide.  I took people on expeditions into the Sierra Nevada on foot.   My body was in better shape than it is now… and well my thinking was suspect then, just as it is now…

My sister made the comment, there are 2 types of backpackers, those that take what they want and learn to carry it (like you know who), and then the more sane variety of folks who only took what they could carry (like my sister).

These photos took advantage of graduated filters. Without them I would not have these photos._MG_3758-111 _MG_3861-79

Mono Lake
Mono LakeMono Lake
 
Mono Lake

 

The same applies when taking photos; do you take what you need and learn to carry and manage it, or do you only take what you can carry and manage.  This may seem like a moot distinction, but it is not.  Let me give an example of what might be on a list

  • Bring a tripod..

It seems simple, but it could also mean to bring the Panorama head for the tripod, or the Gimbal head for along lens, it could also include a wrench to tighten the tripod.   How much to take is a personal choice.  However, without a light when shooting before sunrise, you are kind of out of luck.

Rene Russo with too much baggage
Rene Russo with too much baggage

On the flip side, you can look like Rene Russo, when she shows up to learn golf in “Tin Cup”, where the gear is distracting from what is important.

One way to deal with the too much vs too little dilemma is to build two lists and keep the big list in the room or the car, and the smaller list is what you actually carry.

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[latestbyauthor author=”Patrick” show=”3″]

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