BAGS
Bags! Probably the least interesting category in this post but none the less still very important when shooting abroad.
I tend to have three camera related bags with me when I travel and then an extra one for clothes and gear overspill.
I’m a big fan of Petrol bags and have used them constantly for the last couple of years.
The first bag is my camera bag. The DSLR Campack plus by Petrol Bags. Its a very large and incredibly well built back pack. It features a neatly designed cushioned camera and lens support system in the main body of the camera and a neat laptop holder on the side of the bag. Its incredibly well build featuring strong zips and and air cooled cushioned back and straps which makes a huge difference when carrying a lot of heavy gear. I keep my camera body, lenses and SD cards in this bag as it stays on me at all times. It’s NEVER checked under the plane or even put separately from me when getting in and out of cars. (I’ve heard horror stories about taxis driving off with boots full of gear!)
The second bag that is incredibly useful is the Petrol Deca Camera and accessories bag. This bag is a brilliant all rounder carrying all the rigging and any accessories I might need. Its great as it has two sections. One deep compartment which usually fits my shoulder rig, steadicam and underwater case and then a shallow compartmented section that holds wires, batteries and then a few extra bits on top. It also has wheels so it doesn’t need to be hand carried. This bag is always checked in under the plane.
The last bag is a simple Manfrotto tripod bag. I like this one in particular as its fairly large so it holds my tripod, monopod, boom pole and microphone stand all in one. This is also check in under the plane.