Road Trip: Packing Gear for Late Summer Trip
What's in my bag?
As the summer comes to a close over the next two weeks, we’re back on the road again this weekend, headed to Glacier National Park, Missoula, Montana and two really cool places in British Columbia.
Photo gems all, right? So how much gear will I be taking with me?
Thanks for asking. (Answers below)
We will be staying at 2 KOA resorts in Montana and Cranbrook, Montana, plus a resort in the town of Fairmont Hot Springs as well as a Best Western hotel in Missoula. Luckily, the KOA (Kampgrounds of America) provides linens for their cabins (or Kabins) so we don’t have to pack camping gear. We will be flying there on American Airlines, which charges $50 a bag in luggage fees—2 sleeping bags and a tent would set us back $300. We passed on tent camping for that reason. The flight is just $400 a piece.
We’re all about carry-on. The clothes go in our Lieber’s Luggage suitcase, and the gear will be placed in ta Nomatic backpack—which we’ll be giving away to one lucky viewer in an upcoming episode of Photowalks. Ask me how. (You’ll get your own new one, FYI.)
So here’s what’s on the list:
3 iPhones and a Google Pixel 9A.
2 GoPros
1 Insta360 X5 camera
DJI Mini 4 Pro
Rode Wireless Micro and Wireless Go
Tripod: Peak Design
Multiple Chargers
SSD drive, flash drive
And oh yeah—clothing!
Questions? I have answers:
Why So Many Phones?
I have one main iPhone (16 Pro) solely for video, and I use a 15 Pro for stills, or as a secondary camera for things like timelapse videos, or a second angle on a video. The third iPhone is a backup in case one of the other ones acts up, breaks or gets lost. The Pixel is a phone I just bought for $399, the lowest priced full featured phone you’ll find, so I’m taking it along to get to know it.
1 GoPro isn’t enough?
Battery power is poor on these little guys, which I use for driving video shots and some underwater stuff (raft trips?). So when one dies, or acts up, I have another ready to go.
Insta360 X5? Is that very different from the X4?
Barely. The Insta360 line of X cameras are the wacky models with a lens on both sides to catch a wider view of the world. The new camera is supposedly better in low light and higher resolution, but I haven’t seen the proof in the results. DJI just released a competitor to the X series, the Osmo 360 Action, but I haven’t tried it, and it’s not currently on sale in the U.S., due to the Trump tariffs.
Two sets of microphones?
Yes, the camera bag always has a secondary unit available, for just in case. My preferred model are the $135 Rode Wireless Micro mics, but I had a problem with them in Detroit when it poured rain heavily and drenched me. The mics were covered and in a backpack, but they got soaked enough to destroy them. So when it was time to do interviews the next day, I reached back to my backup, the $400 Wireless Pro mics, and they saved the day. (Rode has since replaced the Micros, which were under warranty.)
2 Selfie Sticks
As longtime viewers of Photowalks know, I swear by my selfie sticks, which helps me steady the video shot. I don’t like mobile gimbels, because to me they are bulky, not that useful and just another thing to have to worry about. And as you can tell, I always need a backup of everything, so hence, two selfie sticks.
Tripod? Do I have to?
You don’t, but I never travel without one. For one thing, I address the camera by placing the phone atop it and recording my shot, instead of the Vlog look of extending the arm outward and talking to the camera that way. Plus, they are essential for those timelapse shots that I love. I use a rather pricy model, from Peak Design, which sells for $600, and love it because it’s light yet sturdy at the same time. To the price conscious, you might check out Neewer’s clone, which sells for under $150.
Lighting, for me it’s essential
And I can give you reasons why it’s incredibly helpful for you as well. Do you like to do selfies with a sunset behind you? That would be the big one, as well as anytime you may be in a dark room.
I’ve tried every type of little LED that fit atop the phone, but while they help, they don’t produce much light. I stumbled onto these little white strips in a horizontal softbox that blow up and they’re about 10 times stronger than the LED. Both Neewer and Ulanzi make them, and they’re identical, but the Neewer models are cheaper. So I’m bringing one of those and the little Harlowe Micro for those times when I address the camera at sunset time.
How much can you fit into the Nomatic backpack?
To qualify and register for the giveaway, all you have to do is watch an episode of Photowalks on Scripps News or YouTube, and drop me a line about what you saw, at photowalkstv@gmail.com
How important are the Chargers?
After your camera, this is probably the most important thing you’ll bring with you on the trip. Power is everything, right? I own a UGreen 65W charger, which can juice up two phones at once, and have enough power to rejuvenate my MacBook as well. (My unit has 2 USB-C and one USB-A slot.) The new one has 3 USB-C slots and 1 USB-A and sells for just under $25.
Finding AC slots in hotel rooms can be tough, so this helps solve that issue. If you’re traveling with the kids, invest in two of them. But be sure to bring along one other very important item: good charging cables! For Ruth and I, two USB-C to USB-C cables can charge our phones, and I’ll need others to power up the microphones, drone, Insta360, GoPros and lighting, but not all at the same time. Many of you will have iPads, Apple Watches and other devices that also need a charge. So we need at least 4 cables—actually five. How many do you need?
The fifth cable?
For the rent a car, most cars now have power slots to charge your phone which will be in constant use as you navigate your way around GPS. So don’t forget a dedicated cable for your phone—leave one in the hotel room for the charging, and the other in the rental car for the nivigating.
If you have an Android phone or the iPhone 15 or 16, you’ll need a USB-C to USB-C cable. If you have an older iPhone with the Lighting connector, you’ll want Lightning to USB-C or A. For USB-C to C, I like this deal from Anker, two 60 watt cables (great for overnight charges and having in the car) for just under $10. If you want a faster cable that can also charge recent Mac computers, go for this 240 watt cable from Anker for just under $8.
SSD Drive?
I swear by the Samsung T7 series, which are tiny, have no moving parts, and sell for around $150 for a two terabyte model, more than enough for backing up stills and footage on the road.
Last Time I was in Missoula
On our last trip to this Montana college town, we enjoyed fine dining at Jake’s Drive-In. It will be interesting to see if it’s still standing!
Selfie Updates
I’ve been telling you often this year about troubles in Selfieland, when over-eager humans reach for a photo in a beautiful location, only to lose their step and their lives in pursuit of the ultimate photo. The latest, per PetaPixel, about a couple from Vietnam vacationing in Greece. The wife tried to get a great shot from her cruise ship, but fell overboard into the water due to high winds, and her husband jumped in to try and save her. Neither survived.
So remember, please be careful!
Photowalks on Scripps, Sunday: San Diego
Meet us in one of the most gorgeous cities in the world, San Diego, when we bring our Photowalks cameras there Sunday at 10 a.m. ET on Scripps News. The Scripps station in San Diego KATV interviewed me this week to plug the show in true digital, mobile first style.
Thanks everyone for taking the time to read, watch and listen! I’ll be sure to check in from the road.
Jeff