ESSENTIALS FOR A TRAVELLING JOUNALIST

                     ESSENTIALS FOR A TRAVELLING JOUNALIST

1 – CAMERAS: I’ve used a lot of cameras in my career, from film to digital, and I recently switched to Fuji’s mirrorless cameras trying to cut down on weight and space. My new X-T2 is my main camera, while the trusty little X30 is my backup. (Professionals always carry a backup.) I’m in the market for a good wide angle lens, but the 18-55mm kit lens that came with the X-T2 covers pretty near every situation.

2 – POWER BAR: There’s never enough power outlets in any hotel room, and I’ve found myself crawling behind beds and under desks to charge my cameras on the road. This Belkin travel power bar, with its three outlets and two USB ports, has been a godsend. I have a collection of voltage transformers and plug adapters for international destinations, of course, but having a power bar keeps your precious wires in one spot in your lodgings. Which brings me to…

3 – CABLES AND CHARGERS: You’ll end up with a collection of these for your phone, your cameras, your laptop and tablet. Leaving one at home or behind at your last hotel would be a disaster, so it helps to keep them together in a bag like this one. Yeah it’s a bit anal, but it helps to be anal when you travel.

4 – FLASHLIGHT: Useful in dark places of course, but I also use mine – a powerful little LED number – to fill in shadows or highlight areas in photos.

5 – iPod: I need music to get me through long flights or unwind at the end of a long day. My iPod is an antique – my kids make fun of it – but it still works, and I pair it with a little Motorola Bluetooth speaker to make a hot bath at the hotel even more relaxing.

6 – EXTRA MEMORY CARDS: It takes a lot longer to run out of memory than it did running out of film, but you will run out eventually. Keep at least one extra set of formatted cards for each camera, clearly labeled.

 

7 – SMARTPHONE: I used to bring along a laptop on every trip, but it took up too much space and I barely used the thing. A good smartphone will do almost everything you need to do on a short trip, including back up photos to cloud storage if your camera is Wi-Fi enabled. And considering the quality of the latest models, it’s basically your third camera.

8 – HAND SANITIZER: There are no sinks with towels and soap in the woods, and nobody wants to get sick when they travel. Which brings me to…

9 – MEDICINE: A toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant will get me through most trips, but it still helps to be prepared. Besides the travel standbys – sunscreen, bug spray and pain killers – there’s Melatonin to help with jet lag and Imodium because, well, I don’t think I have to tell you why. Pray you never need it.

10 – GLOVE LINERS: It’s hard to hold and work a camera if your hands are frozen, so I bring along a set of these Thin sulfate glove liners for whenever I think it might get a little chilly. Added features include rubber grips and conductive mesh on the finger tips to work touch screens.

11 – LIGHTWEIGHT RAINCOAT: Mine barely weighs a couple of ounces and folds up into a tight little package that can be stuffed underneath a lens in the bottom of a camera bag. I hate getting wet.

12 – BANDANA: For mopping up sweat or covering your mouth on a dusty day, a cheap cotton bandana can’t be beat.