I’ve had a lot of people comment on the use of Packing Pro, the iPhone app that I gave away last week. Many people couldn’t believe that I would be capable of getting all the items on the list in my bags and under the allotted weight limit. While I can guarantee you everything got in the bags. I can’t guarantee to you it is under weight. In fact, my carry-on is probably twice the weight it’s supposed to be.
However, my checked bag is only 2 kg over! That’s fine for the first part of my trip, as I gave myself 35 kg on Air Asia to Chengdu. Where it might become a problem, is the flight from Chengdu to Lhasa or my Thai Airlines flight home from Kathmandu. Both these only allow 20 kg checked bags. But that’s why I have my trusty press ID from the National Press Photographers Association. It has bailed me out on at least a half a dozen occasions when my hand carry was overweight. Well worth the $30 it cost.
So let’s look at the bags and what is in them. I debated about doing an exploded view and showing you every single item. Quite frankly, it was too complicated and I just didn’t have enough time. So you have to trust me that everything that’s on the list is indeed in the bags. I promise!
Above are the three bags I’m taking. (a) my Think Tank Airport International roller bag will be keeping all of my costly camera gear and will be my carry-on. (b) Is my Think Tank MM Wired Up, this is also a small carry -on and contains my passport, a book to read, my MacBook Pro 13″, some headphones, a few snack bars and some Gatorade powder along with a few other odds and ends. Then (c) is my Delsey Duffel and that is home to the rest of my gear. Of course (d) is my Acubra Style Master fedora.
Here’s what it looks like on the inside of the Delsey.
(a) packing cube with my pants
(b) packing cube with my shirts
(c) toiletry items
(d) down jacket
(e) raincoat/shell
(f) Think Tank water bottle carrier
(g) Think Tank storage bag full of things like my Pogo printer, extra AAA batteries, and other odds and ends (see below)
(h) Think Tank Bazooka tripod case with my Digipod A2830 [I needed to substitute a tripod that I loaned my buddy Nate for a trip to India. I didn’t want to spend a lot of money as I already owned a nice Gitzo tripod. But, I also figured, if I’m going to get another tripod I want to get a taller and heftier one. The Digipod A2830 is Chinese brand aluminum tripod. It’s a little heavier than I wanted, at 5lbs. However, it is just the height I wanted and the finishing is quite nice. With my Acratech ball head and the center column lowered it stands exactly 5 feet tall. Once I put the camera body on, the eyepiece of my 5D MKII is level with my eye. All this for only… are you ready..$120.00!]
Here is another look at the Delsey with some items pulled away.
(a) packing cube with my pants
(b) packing cube with my shirts
(c) raincoat
(d) Think Tank Lens Skin that contains my filters
(e) packing cube with more clothes
(f) packing cube with heavy winter weight socks
(g) Think Tank storage container that with two other smaller containers of storage (see below)
(h) nylon liner for sleeping bag
(i) Think Tank storage bag (see below)
(j) Eddie Bauer toiletry case.
Here’s a closer look at the larger Think Tank storage case.
(a) 5D MKII batteries and chargers
(d) CF card reader and extra cables
(c) Peterson pipe case. It contains four pipes, two bags of tobacco, a lighter, a tobacco tamp and some pipe cleaners.
This is a view inside one of the smaller Think Tank storage bags.
(a) Pogo printer
(b) Phottix intervalometer
(c) 8x Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable AAA batteries (by the way these are amazing batteries)
(d) USB adapters and cables as well as my computers AC adapter.
Finally a look inside the Think Tank International.
(a ) 2 x converter
(b) 50 mm 1.2
(c) electro-voice hand held microphone
(d) below 70-200 mm 2.8, rocket blower and 16-35 mm 2.8
(f) 24-72.8, 85 mm 1.2
(h) two 5D MKII bodies
(i) two OWC 250 GB FW 800 drives
(j) 580 EXII, Think Tank’s Pee Wee Pixel Pocket Pocket containing 48 GB CF cards ( sensor cleaner and my Sony PCM D50
I hope this gives you a good idea of how I packed and what I am taking. The big red Delsey weighs in at 22 kg. The Think Tank International, well… I’m not even going to go there. Suffice it to say it’s really heavy.