In this episode of The Wild Photographer, Court digs into one of the most practical, important, and occasionally nerve-wracking topics in travel photography: how to travel with camera gear safely and effectively.

If you’ve ever walked through an airport with thousands of dollars of camera equipment on your back, you know the feeling. You don’t want that bag leaving your side, you don’t want your lenses rattling around, and you definitely don’t want to arrive in Botswana, Alaska, Borneo, or anywhere else only to discover that you missed packing something or have something break in transit.

After 20-plus years of traveling the world as a professional photographer, wildlife guide, and expedition leader, Court has developed a very practical system for getting gear from home to the field and back again. This episode covers everything from choosing the right camera bag to navigating airline restrictions, packing lenses properly, dealing with lithium batteries, deciding whether to bring a laptop, evaluating tripods and monopods, and keeping gear clean in dusty, wet, muddy, salty, or otherwise gear-hostile environments.

The big theme throughout this episode is that traveling well with camera gear is not about bringing every accessory you own or treating your equipment like a museum artifact. It’s about building smart habits, reducing risk, staying organized, and protecting the gear enough that it can do what it’s meant to do--help you make great photos in wild places.

Products Mentioned + Links:

Shimoda Designs Action X40
Camera backpack mentioned by Court as one of his favorite travel and field bags.
https://shimodadesigns.com/action-x40-v2-backpack-black/

Peak Design
Camera bags, clips, straps, tripods, and carry accessories.
https://www.peakdesign.com/

Peak Design Capture Camera Clip
Camera clip that attaches to a backpack strap or belt.
https://www.peakdesign.com/products/capture

Peak Design Camera Straps
Quick-release camera strap system.
https://www.peakdesign.com/collections/straps

Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod
Compact travel tripod mentioned by Court.
https://www.peakdesign.com/products/travel-tripod

f-stop Gear
Adventure camera backpacks and modular camera inserts.
https://fstopgear.com/

ORTLIEB Waterproof Backpacks
Waterproof backpack options for wet, rainy, or boat-based travel.
https://us.ortlieb.com/collections/waterproof-backpacks

NOMATIC / McKinnon Battery Case
Battery case mentioned by Court for organizing three camera batteries.
https://www.nomatic.com/products/battery-case

PolarPro
Filters and camera accessories; Court mentions liking a sturdier PolarPro lens cloth that came with a filter.
https://www.polarpro.com/

ProGrade Digital Card Readers
Dedicated memory card readers for SD, CFexpress, and other card types.
https://shop.progradedigital.com/collections/sd-readers

Anker
Charging hubs and USB-C charging accessories.
https://www.anker.com/

Court's Websites

Check out my photo portfolio here: shop.courtwhelan.com
Sign up for my photo and conservation blog at www.courtwhelan.com
Follow me on YouTube (@courtwhelan) for more photography tips
View my camera kit and recommended camera gear

Sponsors and Promo Codes:

MPB.com - Buy, Sell, or Trade Camera Gear
ArtStorefronts.com - Mention this podcast for free photo website design
BayPhoto.com - 25% off your first order (code: TWP25)
ArtHelper.com - a photo community to learn, share and be inspired
Arthelper.Ai - Smart tools to promo and showcase your art.
LensRentals.com - WildPhoto15 for 15% off