Well, Cyber Monday has come and gone, but you are still looking for a couple gifts for that travel junkie in your life. Or, maybe you want to gift yourself this year? So as your grandma Evelyn stocks up on knitting needles, you sit an wonder what you as a travel obessed vagabond with a camera needs. Well, we are just starting to accumulate a list of products we have used and approve of, as well as products that are high on our wishlist. Keep checking back this holiday shopping season to help you find the right products that will make your unique lifestyle more enjoyable.
Did we miss anything? Let us know what products you think should be added to the list by leaving us a comment or sending us an email.
Atlas Packs – Atlas Adventure
I have a lot of backpacks. A lot. Maybe like 30 a lot. That’s a lot of backpacks. But, with all those backpacks, as great as they are, I had yet to find a back pack that I could easily pack my camera gear AND all of my clothes for a multi week international trip. That was until I found Atlas Packs. After meeting the small and passionate Atlas team at Photo Plus, I got my hands on their Atlas Adventure pack with the main purpose of seeing if I would be able to pack for an entire two week trip to India in it. And I did.
The pack is broken down into two very different sections. The rear zipper opens up to a well organized and tight camera ICU. For me, I removed the top part of the ICU and used the “Oragami Camera Core” which doubled the size of the top load section of the pack, which is where I packed all my rolled clothes. Packing for two weeks abroad in this pack was dreamy, to say the least.
And being that I will never check my camera gear, the goal was to take this insanely versitile backpack as a carry on around the world. And, I did. I did get questioned by a gate agent on the Luftansa flight from Frankfurt to Delhi, but once I asked her if they were willing to insure 15k worth of camera gear, she quickly changed her tune and let me on board with a pack that, as stuffed as it was, was still smaller and easier to fit in the overhead bins easier than most of the unneccesary roller bags that most flyers bring.
The only downside, if you could even call it that, is that the pack is big, so it might feel like overkill if you just need a pack for a day trip with a camera and a couple lenses. So I also had my Peak Design Messenget bag with me, that I slid under the seats on the airplane. On my day to day walks around India, I was able to pack my Sony A7rII and 2-3 lenses in there. But what do I do with all of my clothes once I am in a country, if I just want to walk around with my pack?
Glad you asked! I simply rolled up a small, framless Cotopaxi pack with my clothes. Once in my destination, I was able to make a pack just for clotes, therefore cutting the size of my Atlas Pack.
After years of searching, I have finally found the perfect ultimate rugged travel backpack for me.
GNARBOX
When I travel, the part of the day I most dread is that hour at night when I decide to import and back up my photos that I had taken during the day. I have to get my Macbook Pro out (which, with a failing hard drive, sounds like a jet taking off), and external hard drive, and a power adaptor to plug my computer into. The entire process was frusterating, especially when I am exhausted and just want to lay in bed and take a look at my days bounty of photos and video. Well, enter The GNARBOX.
This incredible product will change the way you travel with your photos. The GNARBOX is a compact piece of technology that serves as a middleman between your camera and your phone. You simply insert your camera card into the device or plug it in with a USB3, micro SD or SD port, where you then upload up to 128GB of full resolution footage. You then connect your phone to the GNARBOX Wifi hotspot, and lastly, after getting the GNARBOX app, the photos will transfer to your phone so you can edit all of your photos, on-the-go, to share with friends and family. The battery life is great as well, with 4-6 hours on a single charge, meaning you won’t have to worry much when you are on the road. This product is the perfect gift for someone who loves to travel and take photos, but doesn’t want to lug around their computer to upload and edit photos. The compact, highly advanced GNARBOX allows for the least hassle, with easy, instant results.
I was blown away by the iPhone apps ease of use, the unit’s long battery life, and its portability and light weight. I don’t know where GNARBOX has been all of my life, but this product is critical for my travel workflow, and should be a must have for any traveler with any camera that uses SD or CF cards for storage.
“Steve McCurry: The Iconic Photographs”
I don’t have many gods in my life. But I have a couple. Hendrix. Young. And McCurry. Steve McCurry is the godfather of travel photography. The National Geographic legend is best known for his photo ‘Afghan Girl’, but his body of work spanning decades is mind blowing. He doesn’t just capture photographs in far off cultures. But he always seems to capture feelings, allowing viewers to feel as if they are standing right next to McCurry, experiencing the colors, sounds, and smells that entangle him as he presses his shutter.
Before I embark on any trip, I maticulously comb through all 250 pages of his book “Steve McCurry: The Iconic Photographs”. The photos fill me with excitement and inspiration and remind me that travel photography should not just be about vast landscapes, but the people and the culture that can be too easily overlooked when traveling. The beauty of this book is that any traveler can appreciate it, even if they are not a photographer.
While recently in Jodhpur, India, I came across the boy who is the subject of one of McCurry’s most famous photos ‘Boy in Mid-Flight’. The scene was captured right outside of his house in the beautiful Blue City, and the boy proudly has the photo printed and is eager to show anyone who asks.
Peak Design “Capture V3 Camera Clip”
San Francisco based Peak Design changed the way photographers worked in the field with their revolutionary product, the “Capture Clip” The clip easily attached to backpacks, belts and almost anything else imaginable, easily allowing you quick access to your camera in almost any setting. And with it’s well designed turn to unlock functionality, it is near impossible for someone to remove the camera from the clip quickly, letting photographers freely walk the streets on their travels. The product was a massive success on Kickstarter and started the Peak Design Empire, which now includes bags, backpacks, camera straps, and just about anything else a photographer will need.
Well, this year has brought the third iteration of the Capture Clip, called Capture V3. And this is one product that I highly recommend for all traveling photographers, of any level. I have been using the Capture Clip for years, and the system completely changed the way I took photos while traveling. Check out the in-depth review on over on ResourceMagOnline.com
iKan EC1 Beholder 3-Axis Gimbal
I have been using a Freefly Systems MoVi M5 for my video productions for years, but after traveling with the gigantic tool, I quickly soured on the idea of bringing it for low budget travel films. Luckily, these days, you can stabilize your DSLR cameras on pretty compact gimbals, that also come at a fraction of the cost of the big boys. My current favorite is the iKan EC1 Beholder 3-Axis Gimbal, as it’s build quality easily allows me to balance my Sony A7rII and a 35mm f/1.4. The rig can produce incredibly smooth motion with just one hand, or for more comfort and more precise control, video makers can add a small set of comfort grip handles. The entire package fits nicely into the carrying case, which can easily fit into a carry on bag, making smooth, professional grade travel videos a breeze while remaining light on the luggage.
Baubax Travel Jacket
Neck Pillow, Eye Mask, Gloves, Earphone Holders, Drink Pocket, Tech Pockets…all in one jacket? That’s what Baubax promised when they launched what turned out to be the most funded clothing crowd fundraiser in history, raising over 9 million dollars. While we haven’t used the jacket ourselves, it is pretty obvious that it’s functionality is top notch, especially for those of us who find ourselves in airports and airplane constantly.
Olloclip
Let’s face it, sometimes when you travel you just don’t want to lug your camera around with you day after day. But, that one day you leave your camera back in your guest house, you are bound to stumble on a scene that will leave you wishing you had your wide angle or telephoto on you. In comes Olloclip, one of the most respected mobile phone lens manufacturers out there. Wide angle, fish eye, telephoto, and even macro, Olloclip lenses are small and easy to carry around and turn your already impressive iPhone into a mini DSLR.
Sony a6500 Mirrorless Camera
If you are an iPhoneographer who wants to step up your came on your next adventure, the Sony a6500 Mirrorless camera is a great introduction camera for wanna be professional photographers. It’s tiny, it takes amazing images, and it has a wide range of interchangable lenses to build your photography kit over the years.
Monster Elements Bluetooth Over Ear Headphones
I cannot tell you how many times I have caught my headphone wire on airplane seat armrests. I hated hated hated traveling for 20-40 hours at a time with a wire becomming an instant death trap. Finally this year, I went blue tooth with the Monster Elements Over Ear Headphones, and my life has become so much easier…and better sounding. The sound quality is exceptional and I have kept these on for pretty much 8 hours non stop without feeling much of the ear soreness that comes from most over ear headphones. Oh, and no more wires! When you travel alot, you need wires for almost everything. Phone chargers, hard drives, etc. Don’t complicate life by adding a wire to your headphones. If you haven’t already, go Bluetooth. You will thank me later.