There have been (and still are!) many years of forgetfulness, of testing equipment, of backpacks, of being thousands of kilometres away from home and realising that I couldn't photograph what I wanted as I wanted because I lacked some accessory, of looking for the best comfort for hiking with all the weight of the equipment on my back, of looking for the quickest reaction when taking a photograph and not having the equipment... etc... After all these experiences, not all of them good, I have been making my "must" in the equipment backpack and finally, these are the ones that are never missing in it:

1. RANGE OF LENSES

It may seem obvious to anyone who has been on a trip looking for photographs, but it's a must-have that I couldn't leave out of this list. If you are planning your first trip and you think that with a single zoom lens you will have a variety of shots and you will be able to lighten your weight, let me recommend you to take several lenses with you, especially if you are going to photograph landscapes. I have been that person who has left home with a 35 mm lens because I didn't want to carry "unnecessary" weight or because I didn't have another lens and I have to say that on many occasions I have needed a longer or shorter focal length and I have returned empty-handed. Of course, this is always a problem that you can solve by going back to the same spot but it gets more complicated if that spot is thousands of miles away from your residence so I am of the opinion that it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Usually the lenses that are always in my backpack with my Nikon D850 are:

· A high performance zoom - My favourite is the Nikorr 24-70mm f 2.8 which has a very good luminosity and an incredible sharpness)

· 1:1 macro lens with fixed focal length (Sigma 105mm)

· Telephoto lens (I currently use the 70-300mm from Tamron)

· and my auxiliary camera with a wide angle 11-16mm.

2. Spare batteries and SD cards

The truth is that I have been very lucky not to find myself in the situation of running out of battery and not having a spare but it has always been a fear that I have had so I usually carry 3 batteries for the main camera and 2 batteries for the auxiliary camera.

What I can't say is that I haven't left home without an SD card. Yes, that day I almost had something and I had to go on my way to the spot to buy one. It was fortunate that it happened relatively close to home and I had options to solve my forgetfulness. From that day on, I always carried one in my backpack, in case I forgot the main one in the computer slot, and I must admit that it has saved me from several situations and, on long trips, I usually use more than one.

3. Polarising filter

Your best defence against reflections and the only one that will help you eliminate them, as it is something that cannot be edited with software (unless you completely replace the affected surface with PS). Without a doubt it is a must for any photograph where water appears, be it coves, beaches or lakes. They are most useful when the light hits the lens at an angle of 30-40º and, in addition to eliminating reflections, will saturate the image a little more and highlight the sky when it is completely clear. This small and light lens will help us to achieve much more homogeneous editions when we process the images in the computer.

I am currently using the GOBE brand, which helps to revitalise the environment and plants 5 trees for every filter we buy. I had not opted for this option until last year and they are giving me very good results.

4. photographic suede

In order to avoid scratches on the lens glass, I always carry a microfibre cloth to clean the lens glass as it is very common for dust, water droplets or dew to fall on the lens. If you don't have one, don't panic, one of the options is to borrow the one that comes with any glasses case you have at home. If not, one is usually included with the purchase of a filter :)

5. capture CAMERA CLIP

This is definitely my big discovery of 2022 as it makes my trips so much easier! I was tired of always having to carry my camera with all the weight on my neck during long walks while swaying until I found this gadget that allows me to carry my camera attached to the handle of my backpack, distributing the weight and having access to it at any time in a quick and easy way. Its mechanism is very similar to that of a tripod attachment. It is a bit expensive but super useful.

6. waterproof backpack cover

Every day more and more brands are implementing this accessory in the backpack itself and it is very useful to protect the equipment in case of rain, snow or humidity. Like everything else, if it rains or we get the snowfall of the fifteenth, the best thing to do is to seek shelter and make sure that both we and the equipment are safe. These waterproof covers usually cover the outside of the backpack but not all of it, there is usually a small unprotected part on the handles and the back of the bag. If you don't have a waterproof cover for your rucksack, you can always buy one in any specialised shop or you can easily make one at home with the waterproof cover of any rucksack designed for outdoor sports.

7. mini portable spotlight

If you've experimented with portrait or macro photography, I'm sure you have one lying around the house, forgotten and gathering dust. Well, put it in your backpack because it can get you out of more than one trouble and you don't even know it!

I always carry it in my backpack in case I need some more light in a macro shot together with its mini tripod but I have to admit that I use it more as a torch than as a spotlight. When I go out to photograph the sunset, I usually stay to enjoy the blue hour and, on many occasions, the light is completely gone and I'm still far from the starting point. The light from my mobile phone is not very useful if the night is dark so I use the spotlight as a torch. As it is flat, it takes up very little space in the rucksack and doesn't weigh anything. 2 uses for the price of 1 haha.

8. DRONE + BATTERIES

Something I don't usually leave at home, unless I'm in areas where drone flight is prohibited. You don't need much introduction, with a drone the perspectives that can be obtained are unique and very striking as they are not visible to our eyes.

As with the camera, always carry extra batteries, spare SD cards, filters to attenuate light and reflections and make sure you can carry everything in the same backpack as the camera for greater ease (and be able to protect it from rain, humidity or snow with the waterproof case!)

9. PORTABLE DIFFUSER

I often use the midday light when travelling to photograph product details or take some souvenir portraits, so I find it very useful to carry it with me. It doesn't weigh, it doesn't take up space and it results in a much softer, diffused light than what we have in the environment when photographing.

10. FAST CAR CHARGING USB CABLES

Remember the saying "better safe than sorry"? Well, I carry them as the just in case of just in case, although especially with drone batteries, it is often useful on roadtrips. Being able to charge the battery in the car can make all the difference as you never know what you might find at the last spot of the day and it's better to fly the drone at the battery limit than not to fly it at all, especially when it won't be easy to return to that spot in the next few months or years.

Is there an accessory that you can't leave the house with and always carry in your backpack?

I would love to know!

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