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Minimalist Travel: Photography Gear List for 2022

What’s the point of traveling with a large load if you can simply go with the essentials and save yourself from carrying a lot of weight? Minimalist traveling has a lot of advantages, but you should know the essentials you need to bring depending on your activities.

If you want to record your journey through photography, you will need some gear. What photography gear do you need for your minimalist travel photography trip? Read on to find out!

Photography Gear List

Here are 15 items you can bring:

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1. A Camera

Of course, the first thing you will need to pack is your camera. While you can use a phone to record your journey, a camera comes with a lot more advantages. The photo quality of a camera is often ten times better than most phones.

So which type of camera is suitable for the minimalist-travel journey? If you were to choose between mirrorless and DSLR cameras, you should go for mirrorless cameras.

Mirrorless cameras are lightweight as well as inexpensive. Even though DSLR cameras offer better quality, mirrorless cameras are better suited for minimalist travel.

2. Camera Lenses

What’s the point of traveling with a camera without its lenses? Camera lenses give you options. You can use a lens for a specific type of picture, such as a portrait or a landscape. Other lenses are best for nature photography, while others are best for video making.

For minimalist travel, you can carry up to three camera lenses. While you can surely carry more, remember that you are planning for a minimalist trip, and you do not want a lot of weight. Also, there is other gear you need to bring, so you do not want to take a lot of lenses.

3. Lens Filters

Do you want quality pictures? You’ll need to carry some lens filters along.

Lens filters can help you take specific shots. You can use polarizing filters to improve image contrast, and ND filters can help you take long-exposure landscape photos.

Note that there are different sizes of lens filters, so make sure that you buy what is compatible with your camera. Also, think about the type of pictures you want to take on your trip so that you can buy a filter that is suitable for that. You can carry up to three lens filters.

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4. A Tripod

Tripods are camera stands that hold your camera or phone in a particular spot so that you can record yourself or anything else without holding your camera or phone. A tripod keeps the camera stable and ensures that your videos and photos will not be blurry.

A suitable tripod for your minimalist photography travel should be lightweight, foldable, and attach to your camera perfectly.

You should also learn how to set up the tripod before you embark on your journey so that you can be sure that it works and will not disappoint you when you need it most.

5. Camera Batteries and Charger

What is the point of carrying a camera (or anything else) if you cannot use it? To keep using your camera, you need to pack suitable batteries.

Make sure that you carry multiple backup batteries so that your camera will not run out of power when you need it the most.

Also, if you have a rechargeable model, carry a suitable charger for your camera so that you can charge flat batteries when you get to a place with power.

6. Extra Memory Cards

If your memory card gets full and you aren’t able to download the data and review it at that moment, you will need a way to store your photos and videos until you can.

This is where extra memory cards come in handy. You can simply replace the full memory card with a new one.

If you have a lot of high-quality photos and videos, you may need an external hard drive.

Make sure that you buy quality storage devices so that your content will not get corrupted. Also, you should buy backup storage devices just in case the current ones are full, or something happens to them.

7. Cloud Storage

An awesome way to store your photos and videos is to upload them to the cloud. You can employ cloud services such as iCloud, Google Drive, and Dropbox to keep your content safe and secure. Plus, you can access your content from any device that you use.

Another benefit of a cloud backup service is that you do not need to buy backup memory cards or hard drives. 

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8. Camera Cleaning Kit

A camera cleaning kit is very important, as it can help you maintain the quality of your camera and photos. Your graphic content may appear blurry if there is dust on the lens, so you need a camera cleaning kit to help remove the dust.

Some items in the camera cleaning kit are carbon-tipped pens useful for reaching narrow spaces. There is also a microfiber cloth to help clean your lenses without a scratch. You will also find a brush just in case you want to clean the body of your camera.

And a very important tool for cleaning cameras is an air duster, which can remove dust from places that your finger or brush cannot reach.

9. A Camera Strap

You will need a strong and comfortable camera strap. Camera straps let you hang your camera from your neck, so you won’t have to carry anything with your hands.

Remember, the strap should be super comfortable. If it is not comfortable, the camera can become too heavy. And you don’t want to put your camera in your backpack because you might miss out on a spontaneous photo opportunity.

10. Camera Rain Cover

Are you going to a place where it will rain often?

A camera rain cover lets you use your camera while it rains without fear of your camera getting damaged. Make sure that the camera’s rain cover is made of high-quality waterproof material that will not allow water to reach your device.

Make sure that you research the weather conditions of a region before traveling so that you can decide whether to bring a rain cover or not.

11. A Laptop

If you are carrying a camera for your minimalist traveling, get ready to go with a laptop as well.

A laptop is useful for editing your photos and videos. You can also use a laptop to store, post, or publish your photographic content.

Your laptop should have enough memory space. Also, remember to carry spare laptop batteries and a laptop charger. A laptop is generally part of every photographer’s minimalist travel gear, so you need to create space in your backpack for it. You should also remember to carry a card reader or a cord to connect your camera or hard drive to the laptop.

photographer wearing a backpack and his camera on tripod beside him while enjoying the view - ee220330

12. A Backpack

Of course, you will need a backpack to hold every item listed in this article. There are several types of backpacks, and you need to select the smallest one that can fit all your items. You may also need a small camera bag to separate your camera kit from other items in the minimalist backpack.

Your backpack should have a laptop compartment where you can keep your laptop so that other items do not scratch the body of your laptop.

If your minimalist journey takes several days, you may need a slightly larger backpack to keep some clothes and underwear. Just remember that the smaller your backpack is, the more suitable it is for a minimalist trip.

13. A Light Source

You may need a second light source to help make your pictures and videos clearer and brighter (if you prefer bright graphics). You can use the camera flash, but sometimes the camera flash does not give you the exact quality that you need.

So you could try using a ring light. In 2022, a ring light is the trendiest light source for content creators. Many photographers and videographers create excellent content with their ring lights because the lights do not point towards a particular direction but make the entire picture bright.

But if you are happy with your camera flash, you do not need an extra source of light.

14. Drone for Aerial Coverage

Adding a drone to your gear could mean that you are now crossing the boundaries of minimalist photography travel. So do you really need a drone? Drones are necessary only if you want to see or record your surroundings from an aerial view.

Drones come with their own kit, so make sure that your drone kit can fit in your backpack. Only pack a drone if you really need it.

15. Warranty for Your Camera Kit

Whether the warranty is physical or virtual, it is important to have access to it on your trip. That way, if your equipment gets damaged, you can arrange for a replacement or a refund. Even if you have a warranty, please handle your equipment with care to avoid problems.

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Advantages of Minimalist Travel

Now you know what’s in a minimalist-travel photography list for 2022. (Note that the list above is specific to photography; if you have other hobbies, you may need more items in your backpack.)

But why should you travel in a minimalistic way? Continue reading.

Here are some of the advantages of minimalist travel:

Comfort

The benefit of not having to carry extra weight and just carrying what you need is second to none. You will enjoy your journey better traveling with a lighter load.

Safety

If you need to run from danger such as a wild animal or fire, you can easily run away with everything you came with. The point of minimalist traveling is to fit everything you are carrying in just a suitcase or, even better, a backpack.

Affordability

You do not need to buy a lot of things, especially those that you do not need. If you are a minimalist, this means that you can enjoy your travels without spending much.

Quality

Minimalist travelers care more about quality than quantity. You can buy the best tools or equipment as you do not have to buy others that you do not need. This is great as you can continue to use these tools without buying new ones or repairing them often.

Go Farther

You are traveling with a lighter backpack, so you can go farther and move faster. Why limit yourself with the weight of unnecessary equipment?

You would want to travel minimally, right?

Final Thoughts

Essential items in your minimalist travel photographer gear list are a camera, camera lenses, a tripod, a laptop, and a backpack. Remember that the point of traveling as a minimalist is to carry only what you need and to reduce the weight of your backpack to the barest minimum. Enjoy minimalist travel!

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