Backpacking Through Europe

I don't know if this is exactly the right forum to put this in so if I mod see fit, please move it.

Between the months of March and April I will be backpacking through Europe for 2 weeks straight.
This will be the first time I have ever done anything like this. Over the last 4 years I have been building my kit for what I need, NOT the convenience of traveling long distance with it.
Right now I'm looking at taking my 5D MKII ungripped, 17-40, 50mm and 70-200mm 2.8 IS. Now the last of those, the 70-200, is far from light and compact. I had been toying with the idea of buying a 135mm before this trip and did at one point, but noticed very little quality difference in the two lenses. But I did notice how much nicer it was to carry around.

Has anyone done something like this? What was your experience? How did you carry your gear AND your luggage.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Johnsoir wrote in post #11761670
I don't know if this is exactly the right forum to put this in so if I mod see fit, please move it.

Between the months of March and April I will be backpacking through Europe for 2 weeks straight.
This will be the first time I have ever done anything like this. Over the last 4 years I have been building my kit for what I need, NOT the convenience of traveling long distance with it.
Right now I'm looking at taking my 5D MKII ungripped, 17-40, 50mm and 70-200mm 2.8 IS. Now the last of those, the 70-200, is far from light and compact. I had been toying with the idea of buying a 135mm before this trip and did at one point, but noticed very little quality difference in the two lenses. But I did notice how much nicer it was to carry around.

Has anyone done something like this? What was your experience? How did you carry your gear AND your luggage.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

sounds like you'll have most bases covered, whereabouts are you going and what sort of places are you staying at as that may influence your kit and transportation choices?

I will be flying in internationally to Glasgow and then on to a small craft to Paris. From Paris it will be mostly transit via rail and walking. Accommodation will be hostels mostly, though a few chances to stay in actual lost cost hotels may pop up.

I mostly worried about carrying that much gear for an extended amount of time. When at home or on shorter travels with a more static location I can usually drop a piece of gear at home base if I find I'm not using it. In this case, what I take is what I have to live with!