camera bag "essentials"

thanks for the posts guys.. greatly appreciated .

Next to cameras and lenses I need for particular job, I don't have all that much other stuff in bag. Basically I have some cloth to clean lenses, extra battery or two if needed, extra cards, piece of plain white paper for setting custom wb (most of times start lists I pick in press center are everything but white), small pen which I "borrowed" in Ikea store , and that's pretty much it.

I carry a couple of weird things, just in case:

- visor that lays flat (bill with stretchy, curly cord)
- bag (actually the cloth bag that a Coach purse came in). In case I HAVE to change lenses in a nasty environment, I can do it in the bag. Also nice to have to carry or cover things!
- small flashlight
- hair bungees
- cash
- car keys
- couple of clothespins
- Swiss army knife knock off
- bandages/Neosporin/bit​e cream

On the Swiss army knife, once my real one was confiscated by TSA, I bought a bunch of cheapies at a swap meet. They don't hurt as bad when they're randomly taken by TSA!

The only consistent item I keep in my camera bag, which when working is almost never a bag, it is a waist pack or belt system, is at least one spare battery for my bodies.

Aside from that I also carry a heavy duty lens cloth (Orange Ilford cloth) and a small roll of gaffers tape attached to the pack via a strap. Gaffers tape fixes all.

Short shoot:
- camera
- lenses
- 1 set camera batteries
- 1 set flash batteries
- memory cards

Full day:
- all above plus
- filter pouch
- water
- sunscreen & chamois leather (typical Scots weather planning)
- chocolate
- paracetamol & ibuprofen, or stronger stuff if my legs are acting up

I try to keep the weight down to a minimum, so that I'm taking as much gear as possible.

Other than camera or lenses, here's a list of all the excess stuff I carry in a bag:

Little Flashlight
multi-purpose tool, like a leatherman
extra cards
extra batts
remote shutter release
sunscreen
micro-fiber cloth that's also 18% grey for custom WB
Lenspen
business cards
rocket blower
a small bag of quarters for parking meters
filter pouch with CPL's, ND's and Cokin ND grads

Sounds like a lot of junk, but it doesn't take up all that much space