Packing for an 8-week dive trip is a daunting task. Not only will we be on the road, but we’ll be packing and unpacking as we visit 14 different resorts, struggling to avoid overweight baggage fees and schlepping our gear to and from flights, cars, shuttles and boats.
The trick is to bring only what you need, pairing down anything excessive. But what qualifies as excessive on a photo, video and familiarization assignment? Do I need 3 external hard drives, a second DSLR, 3rd strobe, extra lighting, multiples lenses and ports, extra sync cords, landscape filters, tripods and a huge pile of accessories? Absolutely. It’s things like the 70-200mm lens that don’t make the cut. It would be nice but I can work without that range on this trip. I also don’t bring backup dive gear as it’s properly maintained, tested prior to packing and I know the resorts will have gear should something fail.
When traveling to an underwater photo workshop you can take comfort in assuming someone will have that backup piece of gear you may need to borrow. But when traveling without other photographers, you need to think about what to back up and being self-sustained.
I’ll be sharing packing tips, strategies and experiences navigating overweight fees throughout the trip. In the meantime, check out my article on the Underwater Photography Guide: The Packing Guide for Underwater Photographers.
-Brent
Testing chargers and charging batteries prior to packing.
Testing and prepping dive gear for packing.
A good packing checklist is essential to make sure you don’t forget small but essential details, like sun protection.
