Help with my "Buy" List for Alaska trip

My husband has booked us a two week trip to Alaska for June and I'm making a list of the gear I want to be sure I have to take with me. I could use some help prioritizing as I doubt I'll hit the lottery to manage everything. Not sure which are most important.

1. Good tripod or a monopod - I've been saving up for a good tripod for a while but I'm starting to wonder if a monopod might be more useful on this trip instead.

2. Grad ND set. On a trip earlier this year to the Pacific Northwest I had really wished I had them. I don't know if they will be useful in AK or not.

3. 100-400 lens - though I could probably rent this one.

4. 1.4x teleconverter

5. Good travel bag to get everything there. Thinking of the Pelican or the Think Tank Airstream. The TT will be easy to tote around but on small planes I really don't want to put it in cargo hold and may have problems. Pelican is safer if you can't get it on the plane but my impression is bulkier, but I haven't actually seen either one in person.

6. What else am I missing?

7. Portable hard drive for backup (Hyperdrive Album?)

8. Rain gear including OpTech Rainsleeves or similar for cameras

9. Photo vest or harness system

I'm also debating bringing two bodies, my 7D plus my old 20D.

Looking for input and advice. Thanks.

Mickey

Two bodies - both for insurance against a gear failure and to minimize lens changes.
Rain cover for the cameras (get a couple of packs of OpTech Rainsleeves at a minimum).
It can get raw when you're on/near the water. Bring an extra layer of fleece and a pair of gloves.
Where are you going? Cruise, or land-touring? That will make an additional difference in what to bring.

Photo vest, good to carry a few lenses around in. Also as back-up to carry your most valuable equipment if you need to check in your roller bag.

We're doing land touring including a few flightseeing trips on small planes.

With two bodies I assume I should put the wide angle on the 20D and the telephoto on the 7D. Would you agree?

I'll look into a photovest as I hadn't thought of that.

Any thoughts on the tripod versus the monopod? Maybe neither?

I love how people start thinking about gear for trips 6 months to a year in the future...

If you plan to shoot wildlife, I'd definitely take the long glass, such as the 100-400. A tripod would be nice for landscape shots with your wide angle lenses. One of the smaller travel-type tripods will do you just fine. You may want to get a polarizing filter if you don't already have one. Extra batteries are a must. Also, consider some type of portable storage device if you do not plan on taking a laptop.

Don't forget the 7D has video capability, so you may want to take advantage of that on the airplane rides.

Tripod definitely. Look at this one. Feisol's are very good value in the travel tripod department.

The photo vest I'd recommend is not really a vest but a harness that will let you keep both cameras at the ready. You can add pouches to the utility belt for more capacity. I think it would be easier than a photovest to get over cold weather clothing. See the photos below and this thread page for more details.

tvphotog wrote in post #11436356
TYI think it would be easier than a photovest to get over cold weather clothing.

Look at this thread for photo glove ideas.

I thought June was the summer time in the Northern hemisphere ? I understand it can get to 90 degres F in Alaska

lannes wrote in post #11436558
I thought June was the summer time in the Northern hemisphere ? I understand it can get to 90 degres F in Alaska

Yes, I was thinking about the present, not the summer. But I still like the harness and utility belt.

Skip the 1.4 tc if you are going to get the 100-400 lens. My single piece of advice, get the 100-400 lens now and practice, practice, practice. Get to know the ins and outs of that lens and you will be a happy camper. My companion piece of advice, get a very nice pair of binoculars. Then your spouse can be enjoying the event that you are seeing through your camera. It will make the both of you happy campers.

I lived in Alaska for 23 years so my main advice would be to make sure you bring really, really good rain gear for you and your camera gear. It does rain a lot over there so better safe than sorry right? I loved my military (one size fits everything and then some) poncho because there was plenty of room underneath for camera gear and whatever else you want to bring. Of course I had plastic bags over most my camera gear under the poncho. Did I mention that it does rain a lot in Alaska?

Also, even though it is summer there, it does get nippy from wind blowing off the snow capped mountains and glaciers plus mornings and evenings get a lot cooler than you’d think. So bring several thin layers of clothing instead of 1 really thick and warm one. If it gets too warm, you can always strip off layers to cool off.

MickeyCT wrote in post #11435482
My husband has booked us a two week trip to Alaska for June and I'm making a list of the gear I want to be sure I have to take with me. I could use some help prioritizing as I doubt I'll hit the lottery to manage everything. Not sure which are most important.

1. Good tripod or a monopod - I've been saving up for a good tripod for a while but I'm starting to wonder if a monopod might be more useful on this trip instead.

2. Grad ND set. On a trip earlier this year to the Pacific Northwest I had really wished I had them. I don't know if they will be useful in AK or not.

3. 100-400 lens - though I could probably rent this one.

4. 1.4x teleconverter

5. Good travel bag to get everything there. Thinking of the Pelican or the Think Pad Airstream. The TT will be easy to tote around but on small planes I really don't want to put it in cargo hold and may have problems. Pelican is safer if you can't get it on the plane but my impression is bulkier, but I haven't actually seen either one in person.

6. What else am I missing?

I'm also debating bringing two bodies, my 7D plus my old 20D.

Looking for input and advice. Thanks.

Mickey

1. Go for tripod, since you can use tripod as monopod, no other way around. also you can use tripod for long exposure

2. GND set may not be useful as CPL at AK because sky and ground exposure shouldn't have that much difference (morning and evening) since you can still see snow at June. CPL is also faster setup comparing to GND

3 and 4. Get them.

5. Pelican case means cost. Try Kata.

6. Backup batteries. Two bodies for sure.

tvphotog wrote in post #11436688
But I still like the harness and utility belt.

You look like a Borg in that outfit, ya know that right?

tvphotog wrote in post #11436688
Yes, I was thinking about the present, not the summer. But I still like the harness and utility belt.

I wonder how they fit on a woman, its looks very close fitting and one size fits all, that's why I recommended the vest.

Jeez, I'd die if I carried that amount of gear anywhere. Do people ever consider packing light these days? More is less? Enjoying the trip more than having to get "EVERY" shot possible. Being able to get out of bed the next morning...

Just worth thinking about. I've brought a pack mule's worth of gear on long trips before and maybe it's my smaller frame or something but I just didn't enjoy it. If I'm not having fun there's no point.

definitely take two bodies so you do not miss a shot and just in case a body does have a problem. Would suggest using the 7D with the 100-400. Put something like a 24-105 on the 20D for closer shots of wildlife or shots of friends and family. Definitely you want a good carbon fiber tripod with a good ball head. I know it may be out of the budget but I recommend the Gitzo GT-3531S as it is very strong and light (no weight from a column). For a ballhead consider RRS BH-40 (which should handle th 100-400 just fine), a Markins Q10, or Arcatech GV2.

As for GNDs...I never use them as they cost money, take up room, and reduce the captured light (remember expose to the right). You can easily do GND effects in LR or PS5 later. You can also easily merger two photos (sky from one and ground from the other) in PS5. Instead of purchasing GNDs, invest in a very high quality CPL such as a B+W Kaisemann. I also recommend a VND such the Fader to help slow down moving water in streams and waterfalls. The rest of the filter effects can be done in post processing.

But most importantly....have fun and be safe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!