Travel Photography Gear: What’s In My Bag
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- By: Peter Orsel
Traveling the world means living with as little as possible while making the most of what you bring. You don’t want to carry gear you’ll never use, but you also don’t want to be standing at the perfect spot realizing you left something behind.
Even though I try to pack light, my backpack still weighs around 13kg with everything below. That’s how travel photographers end up with those muscles, or the back problems.
I’m sharing my personal must-haves in this article, gear I’ve carried across 47+ countries, and I hope it gives you some inspiration. Too lazy to read the whole thing? Head over to my Amazon Page.
This article contains affiliate links, giving me a small commission when you decide to order through my link. Thank you for supporting me!
In This Post
Quick Overview: My Gear
- Camera: Sony A7IV
- Wide-Angle Lens: Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 II GM
- Prime Lens: Sony 85mm F1.8
- Telephoto Lens: Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8
- Travel Tripod
- Drone: DJI Mini 4 Pro Fly More Combo
- Backpack: Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L
- Laptop: MacBook Pro M4 Pro
- Storage: SanDisk 2TB SSD (multiple)
Which Camera Should You Start With?
Not everyone needs my exact setup, and honestly, most people shouldn’t buy it as a starting point. It took me almost 10 years of photography to end up with the gear I currently have.
If you’re aiming for short-form video and UGC-style content, just buy the newest iPhone and a DJI Mic. These are the right tools for the job, and a separate camera would only slow you down.
If you’re just getting into travel photography, a crop-sensor camera like the Sony A6400 already shoots fantastic content. Use something like this to build your skills, and once you feel it holding you back, it’s time to upgrade.
If you’re more serious and want one future proof camera and one lens that covers a broad range, the Sony A7V paired with a 24-105mm F4 lens is the best combination for that. If the F4 starts to feel limiting, the 24-70mm F2.8 is the next step up.
My Personal Camera Gear
This is what I currently carry myself, built up over years of upgrading and downgrading.
The Sony A7IV is one of the best allround cameras on the market right now. The only better alternative? It’s newest brother the Sony A7V. I’ve had the Sony A7IV for 3,5 years right now, and I’m still incredibly happy with it. It shoots both photo and video very well, and I know the camera from the inside out.
The ultimate wide angle lens: the Sony FE 16-35 F2.8 GM II. The Golden Master. This Sony lens is the favourite of many photographers and videographers, especially vloggers. It’s amazing for wide landscapes, and my go-to lens for interior and architecture shots as well. Think about hotel or accommodation shoots and more. This lens is quite the investment, but one that lasts a lifetime too.
The Sony FE 85mm F1.8 is one of my newest additions and I love to use it for low light situations. I used to have a 50mm F1.8 too, but the 85mm is much faster and gives you a little bit of extra focal length that’s perfect for street photography, portraits and more.
My favourite lens! They say every photographer needs a 70-200 in his bag and I couldn’t agree more. I like the 70-200 most for mountain environments as it helps by scaling your subject against majestic mountain backgrounds. This lens is heavy, so if weight is important to you and low light isn’t as important, you can pick the F4 instead. This version is significantly lighter and cheaper, but the quality isn’t as good as its big brother.
Extras
Travel Tripod
A tripod is something that lasts a lifetime, at least for me. The model I have isn’t for sale anymore, but this SmallRig model would be something that I could buy. It’s not too expensive, not too heavy, and exactly does its job. If you want the best of the best, look into the Peak Design Travel Tripod. If I would use it daily, that’s the tripod I would buy.
L-Bracket
A what? An L-Bracket is a fancy name for a tool that allows you to take vertical shots on a tripod. I’ve been struggling for years to get a decent vertical shot on a tripod. I even crashed my camera in New York while trying it, but the wind was stronger than my vertical positioned camera on a tripod. All this time, there was a 15 USD tool to fix this problem. Since I have it, it’s always on my camera. Being an Insta photographer (portrait aspect ratios, I’m talking about you) simply means that we’re often focused on vertical shots. With this bracket it’s easypeasy to get that shot from a tripod.
SD Card: SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC 128GB
Every photographer or videographer needs reliable storage. I usually offload my files to SSDs right after each shoot, but with 128GB on the card, I can cover two shoots before I need to. Don’t forget to buy new SD cards every now and then, as they don’t last forever.
Powerbank: At least 20.000 mAh
I can’t go on a trip without a powerbank. Enough power to charge my phone (or something else) multiple times. Ideal for hostel rooms without power plugs as well. Ideal for multi day trips without electricity at all. Ideal for just a long day where I’m not able to charge my phone. I dropped it too often and it’s still alive.
Cleaning: Microfiber towel
Call me crazy, but I’m always bringing one of these microfiber towels in my backpack. They don’t use any space and clean my gear like magic! I use them for both my MacBook as my camera lenses.
Cleaning: Air Blower
Another small but ultra useful tool to clean my camera sensor: the air blower. If you’re changing lenses while travelling, it’s inevitable to get some dust on your sensor every now and then. With the air blower, you’re able to blow the dust away. NEVER touch your sensor with a towel, your fingers or yeah, don’t touch it in general.
Drone
I’m currently on my third drone. I started with the DJI Mini 2, and unfortunately crashed it in Koh Phi Phi, Thailand. After that I flew the Air 2S for three years, which ultimately collapsed with power cabels in Bali, and I’m currently flying with the DJI Mini 4 Pro.
The reason I went from an Air 2S to a DJI Mini 4 Pro was mainly because of the ability to shoot vertical content, as the camera rotates. Besides that, it’s much lighter and easier on restrictions around the world. As I currently travel more by car or by bike, my next upgrade would be back to the DJI Air 3S or DJI Mavic 4 Pro. The sensors of these drones are significantly better, resulting in sharper photos and videos. These drones are more wind resistant as well. However, I hope I won’t crash my Mini anytime soon…
Micro SD Card Drone: SanDisk Extreme Pro 64GB
I’m using a 64GB Micro SD Card for my drone. If you get one, make sure it is fast enough to store 4K or even 5K clips.
Backpack
The Peak Design Travel Backpack is one of my best investments ever. It’s big, the build quality is excellent, and it protects my gear well. I like the look of it too. If you need to carry a lot of gear while keeping it carry-on sized, this is the one to check first. It’s expensive, but worth it.
If you decide to buy a Peak Design backpack, keep in mind that they come without a camera cube. You have to buy this as an add on. All my gear described above fits into the medium cube, and you’ll have space above this cube for a jacket, cables, or whatever you want. For more gear, I recommend the large version.
Laptop and Storage
The link above is linking to a newer model.
I recommend every creator to bring a 14″ MacBook while traveling. It’s lightweight, and most reliable around the world. I currently use the M4 Pro version right now, but as soon as you’re ready to invest, I’d recommend to get the newest model. It lasts multiple years and is ready to run all software.
Storage is everything when you’re shooting for weeks at a time. I use SanDisk SSDs to store my files, currently four of them, and I’ll likely add more over time. Splitting your content across multiple drives matters because any single one can fail or get lost. Back home I keep larger HDDs to secure everything long-term, and I always back up my files before heading out on the next trip. I also store my important files in the cloud.
Getting Through Customs and Airport Security with a Heavy Camera Bag
Carrying this much gear means you’ll run into questions at customs or the gate eventually. Here’s what happened to me, and how I handled it.
Carry-On Weight Limits, and How I Handle Them
We all know that airlines have strict rules for the amount of luggage you can bring on your flight. Besides that, all electronic gear needs to be brought as carry on, and not as checked luggage. The weight limits are usually between 7kg and 10kg. This is not because the plane can’t handle the amount of weight, but more because of the weight staff is allowed to carry above their head. But if you have a lot of gear, you easily exceed the limits.
Qatar Airways once weighed my backpack and told me it was over the limit. I explained what was inside, camera gear and electronics, and it wasn’t a problem anymore. Most airlines don’t weigh backpacks, and I usually keep them out of sight of the ground staff, so I won’t run into any problems. I flew over 170 times and usually with camera gear, and I never paid any overweight fees.
Kuala Lumpur's AirAsia Terminal 2
One of the places where they usually weigh your carry-on luggage is Terminal 2 in Kuala Lumpur. When you book with AirAsia, you can add an extra 7kg to your allowance, bringing you to 14kg total. If I want to prevent extra fees, I add this allowance. That said, they usually don’t weigh backpacks. I’ve crossed this point multiple times with a backpack, and no one has measured its weight.
My Drone Got Held in Morocco
Moroccan customs once took my drone at the airport. I wasn’t prepared, and relied on one source that said it was possible to bring a drone. It wasn’t.
I paid a storage fee and picked it up again on my way out of the country. My flight out was early, so I had to track down the storage office in the middle of the night. Finding someone there took a bit of asking around, but I got my drone back in the end. If you’re flying with a drone into a country with strict import rules, give yourself extra time before your flight instead of assuming there will always be someone around.
I hope this article helps you understand what I bring on my trips, and what to expect when you’re traveling with heavy gear like this. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or send me a message on Instagram.
More about my photography
About Me
Peter Orsel is a Dutch travel photographer based in Bali, specialized in drone and landscape photography. He has visited over 40 countries and writes detailed, no-nonsense guides based on firsthand experience.