I thought I'd make a post to share the equipment that I lug around while hiking this trail. Full disclosure, the links are affiliate links so if you buy something it will give me a tiny and imperceptable cut of the profits. Every bit helps when you have no job! And now, for the feature presentation:
The Camera
I toiled over what camera to get for a while but was leaning towards Sony's a6300 since it had the larger ASP-C sensor but most importantly it was weather sealed. Before pulling the trigger on that, they released the a6500 which added in body image stabilization and a touchscreen so I paid a little extra for the new model. After hiking over 3500+ miles with it, I am still extremely happy with my decision. It is a tank that has survived quite a few drops, bumps, splashes, and dust attacks.
Lenses
The Workhorse
This is the lens (bundle package!) I have attached 90% of the time and it takes amazing pictures. The modest zoom helps capture things quickly that would be just a bit too far away for a normal wide angle lens. It is small enough to be pocketable with the camera body which is useful when in town.
The Big Zoomer
This is the big and heavy zoom lens, but with a 315mm equivalent zoom I have captured some awesome wildlife shots. I usually keep this in my left side pocket so it is easily accessible to change lenses and grab the shot before whatever critter runs off. I usually don't hike with it on my shoulder strap because the added weight has caused the screw on my shoulder-strap mount to back out and it took a dive bomb once. However, it is also a sturdy beast and only had a tiny crack in the plastic perimeter after taking a five foot fall on to a rock.
When I hike with the zoom lens attached, it slips downward, thanks to gravity, and I feel that it would be better if that didn't happen. I used a rubber band to hold it in but it was annoying having it in the way of the screen or the buttons. So one night I thought that a pipe clamp and hair tie would be a superb solution. The next day I found a pipe clamp on the trail, I kid you not! The trail provides.
The Star Shooter
This is the newcomer to my kit and lives tucked away inside my pack. My 16mm has a f3.5 aperture which just could not cut it for asrtophotography so I added a third lens to my pack. Since weight is everything on these long hikes I couldn't justify adding a heavy lens which would rarely get used. So I got this high aperture and wide angle lens which achieves lightweight status by sacrificing electronic controls. It has manual focus and manual aperture but for star photos, you just leave it on the highest f-stop and focus to infinity. It also came in the clutch to have a backup when I accidentally dropped the 16-50mm in a puddle and had to take it out of the lineup for a couple days. I put it in a ziplock with a bunch of silica gel packs and it made a full recovery.
1st Person View Motion Pictures
I had an older GoPro Hero3 Black for many years and came on many adventures but after 6 years it was on the decline. The batteries were not lasting long and the software seemed to be getting glitchy and freezing. It was also rather bulky with its separate housing, spare batteries, multiple door covers (one for waterproof use and one had slots for better sound) and massive headstrap. So I bought the Hero5 Session which is about half of the size and I planned to double it up on my headlamp's head strap for the even more weight savings.
Shaving weight and volume! Hero3 with accessories on the left, Hero5 Session on the right.
It arrived in Bishop and on the inaugural use, while we went tubing down the Owens River, I lost it. It slipped off my head and was swept away the strong under current of the river. I was pretty upset, as you could imagine, and I had already sent my old GoPro back home so I was S.O.L. I posted to numerous local subreddits and Facebook pages knowing it was a long shot. I also emailed GoPro and Amazon to see if they would help out an avid hiker and hot new blogger with tens of subscribers. To my complete astonishment, Amazon sent me a brand new one!!! I know many people, usually me included, think that Amazon is hurting many businesses but after this gift I think I, for one, welcome our corporate overlords.
Accessories
Peak Design Capture Camera Clip V3
This is a must have for hiking with a camera. Having it readily and easily accessible is great for capturing shots without having to stop and waste time unpacking gear and fiddling around.
This is probably the lightest tripod available that has rigid legs and is stable enough to support a non-point-and-shoot camera. I put a small carabineer though one of the holes and keep it clipped on my pack so it is also easily accessible.
Easy access to GoPro and tripod.
I also made a camera case, more of a flap, out of duct tape to protect the LCD screen from the direct sunlight. I used to wrap a bandana around it but that would fall off and also offered no protection from rain or sweat pouring off of my face. So I engineered this highly advanced cover to protect my camera from the elements and also promote my blog.
Sometimes you look like an idiot when getting that perfect shot.
