My Travel Gear
Sometimes I get questions from people asking what type of camera, drone, or other gear I use, so I’ve put together this list of my travel essentials to help you get started.
These aren’t all of the items I use while traveling, but they’re some of my must haves. I’m a big fan of all of these items, and I’ve had lots of experience with them over the years, but if I upgrade to something new then I’ll try to update the list as well.
This is almost everything you need to travel the world and take lots of photos and videos while doing it! If you have any questions about any of this gear, feel free to ask me!
My Travel Camera
• Fujifilm X-T2 Mirrorless Digital Camera With 18-55mm Lens
This is my go-to camera for most of the photography I do in my travels. You can see some photo samples in my Gallery or Photo Essays, although I still have a lot to learn before I master this thing. I absolutely love this camera and the price is much lower than what you’d normally pay for a kitted out DLSR. If you’re looking for something even better, although more pricey, Fujifilm also has an upgraded X-T4 and X-T5 model now.
Camera Bag
• Manfrotto MB MA-H-S Advanced Holster
This camera bag is small and handy, so it’s easy to use on the go. I usually keep it in my backpack for an extra layer of protection, and it fits in there perfectly! It also has some spare pockets for extra batteries or SD cards.
Spare Camera Batteries
• Fujifilm Rechargeable NP-W126S Lithium-Ion Battery
I’ve been happy with the battery life on my X-T2 camera, but it’s always a good idea to bring at least a couple spare batteries on a hike.
Memory Cards
• SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC Memory Card
These memory cards come in all different sizes, but I like the 64GB and 128GB versions. The 128GB card holds up to 1,500 raw photos from my camera, or more than 5,000 JPEG photos.
My Drone
• DJI Mavic 2 Pro Drone Quadcopter
I’ve used almost every model of drone over the years, but the DJI Mavic 2 Pro is the best option on the market right now by far. It shoots high definition 4K videos and 20MP photos, and it’s surprisingly small and easy to fly.
Drone Batteries
• DJI Mavic 2 Intelligent Flight Battery
Drone batteries typically only last about 30 minutes per charge, so it’s a good idea to bring at least one or two spares. I always keep at least 3 spares with me for when I may be doing lots of filming.
Drone Memory Cards
• SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDXC Memory Card
It’s a good idea to bring a couple of microSD memory cards for the drone. One 128GB card is good for about 3 hours of filming at 4K resolution, but you’ll want to keep a spare handy in case you forget your main card.
Underwater Camera
• GoPro HERO7 Black — Waterproof Digital Action Camera
GoPro is king in the underwater filming category. I’m not a big fan of GoPro for other situations, but they are great for underwater photography, and prices are coming down lately.
Dry Bag
• Earth Pak Waterproof Dry Bag
I love this dry bag and I will probably never use another brand. The 30 liter Earth Pak bag kept my electronics safe from water in some of the most bizarre and extreme situations while island hopping in the Philippines.
Hammock
• Winner Outfitters Portable Double Camping Hammock
This hammock folds down into a small package, making it super portable for hiking. I’ve used it with great success on some epic backpacking trips like the Kalalau Trail in Hawaii.
Truck Tent
• Napier Backroadz Truck Camping Tent
I love this tent so much it hurts. It’s the perfect way to travel the United States on a budget. One time I slept in this tent for 6 months and drove 20,000 miles in 8 states, hiking and filming scenic places all over the US. This tent kept me safe and dry through lots of bad storms and temperatures as low as 20 F (-6 C) in the mountains. Plus it just looks awesome!
My Laptop
• Lenovo Y700 – 15.6 Inch Full HD Gaming Laptop With NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M
I’ve never been a Mac fan. This Lenovo has been my faithful laptop for the last couple years of video and photo editing, web design, and more.
Photo Editing
• Adobe Lightroom – PC/Mac Photo Editing Software
Lightroom is the perfect program for editing and organizing your pictures. This will give your travel photos a huge boost!
Video Editing
• Adobe Premiere Pro – PC/Mac Video Editing Software
I do all of my drone video editing with Adobe Premiere. It handles 4K video files like a charm.
External Hard Drive
• Seagate Expansion 4TB Portable External Hard Drive
Extra storage is important if you plan to be taking lots of photos or videos. This USB 3.0 drive is super portable (barely bigger than a smartphone) and has tons of storage.
Travel Adapter
• Worldwide All In One Universal Travel Adapter / Wall Charger
This travel adapter works in 150+ countries. So far, I haven’t found a country where it doesn’t work! It also has 2 handy side ports for USB charging.
