Germany: the Final Packing - What Goes? What Stays?
Well, I leave on my two-week adventure through Germany the day after tomorrow. Clothes are all organized. Most are ready to go in the suitcase but I’ll do that on Monday before I leave for the airport. I’ve packed my Vanquest SKITCH-12 bag with my camera and audio gear and am taking pretty much what I had listed before: my Olympus OM-D E-M1 with the 12-40mm, Panasonic 35-100mm, f/4-5.6, the Panasonic 25mm, f/1.4, the Olympus 45mm, f/1.8, and the Panasonic 12-32mm, f/3.5-5.6. I have a smaller, second carryon bag with some health equipment and will carry my Panasonic GM-5 with the 9mm, f/8 BCL attached in it along with spare batteries and other things I want close at hand while on the plane.
So, all of that doesn’t really take up so much space in my main carryon. It’s the “miscellaneous” stuff that does! My little black Eagle Creek bag with battery chargers for each camera, extra camera batteries, and a set of four rechargeable AA batteries, plus the removable flash units for each camera is one container. The companion green bag has cables for connections of various devices, two power sticks should I need to charge anything when away from a power source, battery checker, US plugs for cables and two European plug adapters (others go in my suitcase), extra body cap and lens cap set, and a few other small items. I’m also taking my Nissin i40 flash with four rechargeable batteries that fit in the flash case. That means I need a 4-battery wall charger for the rechargeables.
One very stuffed bag!
I decided to bring the small bag that holds my Rode VideoMic along with its cables and an “L” bracket just in case I do decide to record some video and want the best audio possible. In addition, I have a small bag containing my Olympus audio recorder and my Audio-Technica Lavalier Microphone with a 20’ (6m) cable. The recorder actually records sound quite well by itself, but this is another “just in case” and, as with the Rode mic, it doesn’t take much space. I expect to go on some tours that will be in German, so I want to record the narration so I can revisit what was said after a given tour. And, who knows, again, I may want to do some video recording with the lavalier. The last bag is one containing my Olympus Tough TG-Tracker. Finally, I have my Patagonia Houdini rain jacket that, really, almost “disappears” when folded up into its pocket, and a rain cover for the SKITCH-12 bag as well.
My LolliPod tripod does fit in the main cavity of the bag, but my ShoulderPod (for iPhone) and HandlePod (for any of the cameras) slide into the two pockets on the outside of the bag. My iPad Mini and whbooz@kindle.com fit in my other carryon bag. The SKITCH-12 is weighing in at a little under 17 lbs (7.8 kg), so it’s not light, but it is manageable. Plus, once I get my car, I can lighten it by storing some items in the car. And, I’m taking a day bag packed in my checked bag.
Yup! I’m ready!
