Alright, so now you’ve planned for where you’re going and why. All that remains is for you to determine what you’re going to take with you. I suggest you start by brainstorming with another person who also vlogs, and hopefully takes part in your travel escapades. Especially if your trip will be to remote areas where you will be in unfamiliar terrain and don’t intimately know the local weather conditions. Often we look at our plans through rose-colored glasses, when in fact, we should do so through a jaundiced eye.

I mean, remember the time you decided to take that five mile hike to a waterfall in shorts, t-shirt, with only a small pack that contained a few snacks and some water because you were only going to be gone for four hours? Sure, and what happened? A storm front crossed over the mountains and it started to snow in August. Oh yeah, right. It was August 24th, and I was at 7,500 feet, filming a waterfall in the Canadian Rockies on the border between British Columbia and Alberta. The daytime temperature was about 15 degrees Celsius, and then the temperature began to drop. I noticed the storm front immediately as its heavy clouds slid over the almost 11,000 foot peaks on the far side of the valley. I immediately packed up my camera and started to walk out of the valley. I hadn’t covered a mile when it started to snow. I decided to walk as fast as the terrain would allow in the hope that my exercise would increase my body temperature.

I dropped the keys three times in the snow, trying to open the door. I sat in the car for almost an hour warming up. My core temperature had dropped, dangerously. I recognized how dangerous my decision had been in not taking my emergency pack with me. It had seemed to illogical to take too much gear with me, because the weather had been so good, and I was only going to be gone for a few hours. Right?

The air temperature was now around zero and I knew I was in trouble. There was nobody on the trail and in my haste to photograph the waterfall, I hadn’t put any additional clothing into my bag. Over the next hour I began to lose significant body heat, and my teeth were chattering. The visibility was poor and I was afraid of losing the trail in the late afternoon light. My muscles began to twitch and contract and I was having trouble focusing, literally. In just one hour, three inches of snow fell. By sheer luck I found the entrance to the trail to where I was parked. Most amazingly, I had brought my car that day from Calgary, instead of riding my motorcycle.

In retrospect I was just lucky. I’ve had several close calls in my life, tempting fate by making assumptions without enough information or knowledge. Which brings us to the point of this iteration of the blog this week. I hear a great piece of advice from a former climbing instructor, who said. “If you go, know before you go.”

Okay, you get the point. Forewarned is forearmed. Which brings us back to the question at hand, “what do you take with you”. Okay, first; gather all of the things that you think you’ll want to take with you on your excursion. Now go get the bathroom scale and have the pack you’re going to use with you. Have a checklist and start with the essential things you’ll require to survive a multi-day trip into the wilderness. Water, food, shelter, warm clothing, sleeping bag, ground blanket, emergency first aid kit, and emergency beacon are all necessary to include before you even think about photographic gear, communication equipment, charging equipment (solar or stored charge, and preferably both). Weigh your essential survival gear. Surprised aren’t you? Now put each piece in, or on, your pack. What is the total weight? Are you, like me, no longer a kid? Okay, no longer middle-aged? If so, think about your fitness. I won’t belabour it.

Photography/Vlogging Equipment and Total Weight

My photographic kit obviously needs to be as compact as possible. To that end, I chose to use a mirrorless APS-C camera. I don’t shoot wildlife or sports, so my lens choices reflect my needs. I usually take a short zoom, a dedicated wide-angle lens, a low-light lens and a macro lens. If filming, as well as photographing, I’ll take along a gimbal, and a very light travel tripod. Of course in addition, you’ll need extra batteries, a large storage brick to recharge the batteries, or a solar panel and the proper connectors.

It sounds like a lot, but I haven’t taken a laptop or drone with me into the outback as of yet. I would suggest that you determine your power usage requirements and write down the complete capacity you’ll need to supply in order to recharge your systems. Remember that if you will be moving locations then you’ll have to consider how best to make use of the daylight you have for both photographic concerns and daylight for charging your equipment. If you’re in a very remote location, you can probably set up your camp and then use it as a base, which will allow you to also set up your solar panel and charge your equipment. Don’t forget to ensure that the weather will not rain on your remote parade.

As for specifics, I use two Sony APS-C a6000 series cameras. One, a Sony a6400, is targeted towards photographs, while the other is a Sony APS-C ZV e10 for video, once I’m able to find a connection. In total, this takes up little room and only adds five pounds in total. With batteries, the very light tripod/monopod, my gimbal, Apple Air M1 – Gen 5 iPad, connection cables, chargers, and solar charger, it comes to ten pounds. My clothes, my pack itself, tent, ground pad, sleeping bag, food, water, emergency water filter, emergency kit, emergency beacon, piezo stove, utensils, and lights; in total weight comes to about 65 pounds. While not light, this is reasonable.

Safety

Besides my first aid kit, I carry a couple of extra ‘tools’ along with me. Flares, bear spray and an air horn should definitely be accessible and mounted on the outside of your backpack within reach, while walking. Carrying a survival knife for both protection and cutting of rope, as well as having a compass in case of electronic failure of your phone should also be included. I have encountered two grizzly bears at close range on previous forays and having immediate access to your bear spray, could be the most important thing you carry. Finally I carry a very light web sit harness and 30 meters of 6 mm rappel rope, 4 aluminum carabiners, a small figure of eight for rappelling, and two 1/8 inch prussic knot loops that are 8 inches long. A nylon hammock is a consideration if you’re going to stay below the tree line, and they weigh about a pound. Finally, make sure that people know where you’re going it your going to be off the grid. Check digitally for the GPS coordinates, and provide those to someone and a time where you expect to be back.

Final Thoughts

My recommendation would be to assemble all the components together and to then systematically place all of the intended contents into your backpack in order to determine where the best balance, accessibility and utility will be, prior to the day you intend to leave. Think outside the box and ask a friend to assess your completed backpack. Think carefully about access. You don’t want to put things that you’ll need once you’re on the trail, at the bottom of your pack.

Then relax. You’re ready as you can be.

Part III to Follow