Travel Day: What's in the bag?

Getting through an airport with your gear doesn't have to be hard

Yesterday, when it quickly became evident that a snowstorm was going to make its way through the Colorado Front Range overnight, I made the decision to head up to Denver overnight so I would be closer to the airport. You see, I’m off to California today for the next 10 days, where I’ll be leading groups of clients on back to back bird photography workshops. San Diego is one of my favorite winter birding spots, not just because it’s better than Colorado in January (it is), but also because you can photograph all the shorebirds in their breeding plumage:

A Brant’s cormorant showing off its breeding plumage in San Diego, CA

The local brown pelicans will have prominent red markings on their bill at this time of year, and the Brandt’s cormorants will look absolutely splendid when you catch them in the right light. There’s also the local seals and sea lions, which can make for a nice break from the birds once in a while (plus, they’re just fun to watch).

Aside from the plentiful opportunities for birds, this location also has a unique vantage point that allows you to capture photos of flying birds while looking down on them. That can deliver some spectacular backgrounds if the waves break just right.

But what about the airport? Here’s where having a smaller kit can really help. In the past, I’d probably carry a big roller bag with my super-telephoto lens, and then pack a big tripod in my suitcase. Not anymore. I’m able to put my entire kit, including two bodies, two telephoto zooms, and a couple of teleconverters into my ThinkTank Backlight 18L backpack, which normally fits under the seat in an aircraft. It also holds my laptop and some other accessories, like a blower bulb, gaffer’s tape, etc.

What’s in the bag: A look at my birding kit

Here’s a view of my current bag, all packed up and ready to fly: