Pack It In: Adventure Photography

Contrary to the snowstorms that are making a mess of most of the country, spring hiking, backpacking, and camping are quickly approaching. This season calls for an upgrade of your photography gear and skills so you’re not stuck telling a campfire story of the fish that got away, or lacking photo proof of your big desert climb. Sure, you could rely on your trusty iPhone, but sometimes the moment calls for a little more professional gear to help you capture that perfect moment. Whether you’re looking too take magazine quality photos or just snap a couple good shots to hang in your office, this set of essentials won’t turn you into Ansel Adams, but it will get you on the right path to being an adventure photography pro.

Mountainsmith Parallax
Featuring a burly suspension inspired by Mountainsmith’s long haul backpacking rigs, the Parallax is our favorite dedicated photography pack on the market. Backpanel, top, and side access make it easy to swap out lenses for your DSLR on the fly. A separate laptop pouch will keep your electronics handy, so you can easily push the perfect edit out on social media while you’re still on the trail.

MeFOTO Backpacker Tripod
To catch those perfect landscape shots, you’re going to need a stable platform, and balancing your camera between your pack and rock won’t cut it. We love MeFOTO’s Backpacker Tripod because of its portability. When extended it sits over four feet tall and is strong enough to hold almost nine pounds of camera in any position. When it’s collapsed though, it is just over a foot long – small enough to haul in any daypack or carry-on.

Goal Zero Sherpa 100
If you’re going to be out on the trail for a few days, battery life will definitely start to be an issue. That’s where the Sherpa 100 comes in. With 98 watt-hours of battery power, it will charge your favorite DSLR up to 10 times, or a GoPro 18 times. Kit it out with a set of solar panels, and you’ve got mobile power anywhere in the world.

GoPro Hero4 Silver
For action shots and POV footage, the Hero4 sets a new bar of excellence. While the top of line the Black Edition shoots in 4k hi-definition, we like the Silver model for its touch screen functionality. It is easy to make sure you’re getting the perfect shot with it, and if you need it, the Silver has bluetooth networking so you can control the camera with your smartphone.

Peak Design Capture POV Mount
It used to be that you needed some kind of dedicated helmet mount of chest rig to get good GoPro footage. With Peak Design’s Capture line of action mounts, you can turn any strap on your clothing or kit into a dedicated GoPro mount. We’ve used them to keep our DSLRs handy on pack straps, mount action cameras to ski boots, and even rigged one on a dog harness on a powder day. The aluminum construction and quick release lock will give you a little extra peace of mind as you get that perfect mountain biking or surf shot this summer.