Seven Essential Gadgets For A Travel Photography Road Trip
Share:
Travel photography can be a real pain if you’re not prepared and organized.
Besides your essential camera gear, there are a few thing you might want to pack that may not be immediately obvious – but the best part is you can pick these items up for relatively low cost.
Based on a few of my past road trips, here are my recommendations for five essential gadgets for a travel photography on the road.
Car Cigarette Lighter Power Adapter Splitter and USB Charger
I’m not sure if cars still have cigarette lighters or not – but they never have enough 12V DC power ports.
With this adapter you can split that single front seat power adapter two ways, and gain two USB charge ports as well.
4-way Car Cigarette Lighter Power Adapter Convert DC Outlet Splitter 2 USB Car Charger – $9.99 Amazon
I use one port for the kid’s DVD player and the other for the second item on this list. The USB ports are used for charging my phone and my wife’s phone while driving.
12V DC to 110V AC Car Power Inverter with USB Charger
Besides having DC and USB power available while on the road, you’ll usually need to plug something into an AC outlet as well. This thing isn’t going to power your studio strobes, but it will charge your camera, laptop and drone batteries.
Car Power Inverter DC 12V to 110V AC Converter with Dual USB Car Charger – $17.98 Amazon
I prefer this model versus the inverter models that plug directly into the power port – it’s pretty small and with the cord you can put it on the floor out of the way.
I plug this into the splitter adapter above and use the USB ports to charge the kid’s tablets. I use the AC outlet to power either a laptop running photo uploads and backups while driving, charge batteries, or plug in the third item on this list.
Travel Adapter Power Bar with USB Charge Ports
Have you ever tried to find enough AC outlets in your hotel room to charge all of your camera gear and your family’s various devices? Its not going to happen.
This power bar converts international 220 voltage to North American 110 voltage and comes with three AC plug adapters to work with AC outlets worldwide. You also get three AC power outlets and four USB charge ports.
Travel Power Bar 220V to 110V Voltage Converter with 3 AC Outlets and 4 USB Charge Ports and UK/AU/US/EU Plug Adapters – $48.99 Amazon
I use this power bar to charge batteries and devices at the hotel and also if I need more AC outlets to charge batteries while driving.
Most devices are 220/110V compatible these days, but it’s still a nice feature to have just in case – and you know wherever you are in the world you have an adapter for the outlet.
Lenspen Lens Cleaning Kit
If there is one thing worse than a dirty hotel room, its a dirty lens.
I usually clean my lenses daily while traveling and these Lenspens are my favorite way to quickly, easily and safely brush off dust and remove any spots.
Lenspen Elitepro Cleaning Kit for DSLR Camera – $58.36 Amazon
If I’m trying to save weight or I’m going out for the day, I just bring the pen for lenses with me and leave the other two behind.
Lens Filter Storage Pouch
If there is one thing that never seems to fit in my camera bag well it’s lens filters. There is just never anywhere good to put them.
If you leave them in their original cases, they take up way too much space and are difficult to sort through. If you put them in individual sleeves, they always end up at the bottom of the bag (or lost or broken).
This lens filter storage pouch stores up to five individual filters. It advertises round filters up to 86mm, but you can also fit Cokin P series filters and 4″x4″ square filters.
Field Filters Case Removable Inner Lining and Water-resistant and Dustproof Design – $11.99 Amazon
I use this pouch to carry a polarizing filter, a warm polarizer, a variable neutral density filter, a soft-edge graduated neutral density filter and a reverse graduated neutral density filter.
Universal Camera Battery Charger And Battery Plates
You’re probably bringing multiple cameras with you, and they probably all take different batteries. That means multiple battery chargers and cords cluttering up your suitcase.
Instead, you can pick up a universal camera battery charger and individual battery plates for each battery you need to charge. This small camera battery charger is compatible with most brands of camera battery: Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji etc.
Compact AC/DC Charger for L & M Series Batteries – $16.96 B&H
Purchase the charger that comes with the battery plate for your main camera battery – then all you have to do is purchase additional interchangeable battery plates for each camera battery style – they’re available for pretty much any battery you can think of for around $2 each.
If you want to charge more than one battery at a time there is also a duo charger for $67.96.
In my case, I have my main Nikon d800 DSLR for stills, a Sony a6300 mirrorless for video, my daughter has a Fuji X100 and my son has a Canon G9. All four of those chargers and their cords can be replaced by this single charger. We carry one spare battery for each, so its not often that I find we have more than one battery that needs charging (and modern li-ion batteries charge pretty quick) so I prefer the single charger just because its smaller.
Solar Charger and High Capacity Battery
Since these items are specifically for a road trip where either a car DC power port or hotel AC outlet will normally be accessible, you may or may not need to charge your batteries off the grid.
However, if you are traveling somewhere without power for more than a few days, you might want to consider a solar charger ($59.99 Amazon) and/or a high capacity battery ($41.99 Amazon).
Bonus Travel Tips
While you’re busy loading up your Amazon shopping card, don’t forget to add a few good old fashioned paper maps!
And the best tip to keep all of those cables organized in your suitcase…toilet paper tubes!
What Gadgets Do You Bring for a Travel Photography Road Trip?
Do you think all this is overkill – if you prefer to go light what would you pack?
What essential gadgets would you recommend for travel photographers on the road?
Besides your camera – what is the most important piece of gear for travel photographers to pack?
Leave a comment below and share your thoughts!
JP Danko
JP Danko is a commercial photographer based in Toronto, Canada. JP can change a lens mid-rappel, swap a memory card while treading water, or use a camel as a light stand.
Join the Discussion
DIYP Comment Policy
Be nice, be on-topic, no personal information or flames.
8 responses to “Seven Essential Gadgets For A Travel Photography Road Trip”
Remind me please, what underdeveloped country uses 110 V again?
?
IKEA Istad – for shooting in the rain
I usually take one of these to manage both my USB and Power needs along with one grounded universal power adapter
https://www.banggood.com/LDNIO-5V-3_4A-3-International-Power-Socket-6-USB-Port-6_56ft2m-EU-Plug-Charging-Socket-p-1106498.html
This is kinda low profile and covers both local appliances and the ones I got from home.
This little tripod! The smartphone clamp is removable, providing you with a standard camera screw mount. Lightweight, very compact, and the legs can even wrap around a pipe rail or straddle your car door (with the window down). I tossed this in my bag for an 11-day road trip across 5 states and used it a lot!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I58VB3Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The first three things are totally useless. You will have a chance to charge your batteries somewhere, do not carry around an inverter AND a car charger. Plus the 230-110 V converter is not needed. Just read the specification of your gear. Every modern electronic can handle 110-240 V 50-60 Hz except hair dryers. Those either blow (up) or just don’t work.
Why would you carry around that many cables. A micro USB cable will charge your phone/power bank/Kindle/whatever (OK, I know iPhone…)
What is useful is one power adaptor plus one power distributor matching your home type. This way you have less stuff, also if you happen only one plug in your room, you are still good.
Solar charger? If you gonna be off the grid for that long, you won’t carry that much stuff for sure.
So we are left with filter pouch: where do you store them anyway?
Battery charger: obvious.
Camera cleaning gear: obvious.
Instead what is really important:
Camera bag. You’ll walk a lot so you’ll need something that is comfortable, can fit your gear, gives easy access to every lens, filter, etc., fits the carry on size on a plane. Preferably has space for your laptop (if you take one with you). It is good to have your stuff in one bag when you move between cities, locations. I find slingshot style backpacks quite good. Gives rather quick access to my lenses without putting down the bag (Well if you ever shot eg. in an Indian market you will know why it is important) and the load is even on my back.
I also find super useful to have a PacSafe net with me. I can put all the expensive stuff in it and lock it. Not perfect, but hotel/hostel thiefs don’t normally walk around with power cutters. Also on trains you can lock your gear to something and can have a nap (definitely on sleeper trains).
MeFoto style travel tripod. I know it is small, and way too weak for your gear, but trust me, a massive tripod at the best will make it to your hotel room nowhere else. With a little effort you can make good shots even with an overloaded tripod. (Gorillapod did not work for me, couldn’t really do the framing properly, it wobbled too much, but it you use something smaller than a full frame, it might be good as well).
Peak Design’s Capture will also make a difference if you walk around all day taking photos. It won’t dangle around hitting you or something harder. Also won’t strain your neck. Personally for me, the best photo related investment ever.
Rain poncho. You can have your bag, camera under it. And you only have to expose your camera to the rain when you actually take a photo. Makes a rainy travel day almost enjoyable. Umbrellas you can forget.
And the most important: know what to leave home! Weight is an issue, a rather big one if you have to haul around all your stuff. Will you really need the 400 mm f2.8? Are you sure you will set up a three light radio triggered mini studio on the roadside? You sure you will climb that mountain with one body with tele on your left and another one with wide on the right shoulder?
(I have travelled a few hundred-thousand km… so far. Eg. a 380 day road trip in 12 countries)
I think what is necessary traveling solo vs. a family of 4 is quite different ;)
Yeah, with family you should even take less with you.
So I wrote a comment about how useful these things listed above. (Not at all) It took rather long to list what really can be useful and why. Well, my comment is not here… This article is advertising. Loaded with links to certain products you don’t need…
Thank you for your appreciation in the light of the last paragraph.