Oh my oh my! What a big camera you have!

Camera, lights, action!!

Ah yes, the freaking great big DSLR camera and all it's paraphernalia.

Some people travel with no camera, or just a small point and shoot or smartphone camera. I did just that in New Zealand in 2012 and enjoyed the freedom of less bulk, yet still managed to take some great photos with my iPhone. But I prefer making pictures with a camera I can tweak lots, and have invested heavily in improving my knowledge, technique and art. I see myself pursuing my passion for photography post retirement from the doctor job. Which means leaving the DSLR behind just isn't an option.

Mt Hutt panorama using iPhone and stitching Apps

This trip I'm changing it up a bit. I've tended to travel with a Tamron 17-250mm lens, a Canon 10-22mm wide-angle, and a 50mm prime. All too frequently I failed, through sheer laziness, to change to either of the latter lenses and found myself with quite a few shots that are a bit soft. So this trip I'm dumping the Tamron and just taking the wide angle and prime. It will force me to work my camera more to get the shots I want, rather than relying on a zoom lens. I'm going to concentrate on landscape shooting, street portraiture, and a few flower shots. I am particularly looking forward to spending some time in the Botanical Gardens in Bogor. I'm such a plant geek!!

Heliconia in Tropical Gardens, Yunnan Province, China

The camera with 10-22mm lens mounted weighs 1317g which is stowed in a Thinktankphoto holster strapped to my chest. The original holster used 2 padded straps crossed over my back to secure it comfortably where I could access my camera easily at any time, but it was a crude design and quite bulky.

original holster and harness

They've come up with a better designed harness, which  I've ordered, but the lower strap requires 2 anchor points on the holster not one. Yes, they redesigned the V2.0 holster with 2 anchor points, but I don't really want to buy a new camera bag just for the sake of a couple of eyelets. There were none in stock anyway.

mmm, much more streamlined..

2 anchor points for bottom strap

I'm sure I can work out something.

Inside the camera bag I stow my spare memory cards, 2 spare batteries and my shutter release cable. Bag and contents (excluding camera) weighs 934g.

Then there's my tripod. I spent a small fortune on a carbon fibre tripod quite a few years ago, and it has faithfully followed me to the summit of many hills, mountains and volcanoes, has allowed me to capture some beautiful sunrises, helped me experiment with long exposure photography, and provided selfies for all my fans  - OK, for my mum! It isn't one of those dinky gorillapods or lightweight travel monopods, because I wanted strength, durability and flexibility. Especially height flexibility, and if there isn't a tree or fence to curl your gorillapod around, you're a bit limited ain't you? It weighs 1037g, I accept this.

Still to pack is a memory card reader, a camera battery charger, and something to download the photos onto. Since I purchased my camera, there's been huge improvements in the cost and quality of electronic components. This means I can now find a CF card reader weighing 16g, and DC/AC battery charger weighing 68g. And neither cost more than a few bucks.

old CF card reader and cable on the left, new one on the right

The 50mm prime lens weighs 152g, including caps and a reversing ring for doing macro. I've a selection of neutral density filters and polarising filters for my wide angle lens so I can play with waterfalls and long exposure dreamy moving water shots and I'll also pop in the Olloclip for the iPhone! Filters 178g in soft case, Olloclip 24g.

Aside from the tripod, which will be stuffed into a side pocket of my backpack, most of this gear will be in my pockets or in the camera bag across my chest. At least to get through the check in. I'm not including most of it in the challenge, because I'm pretty sure I don't need to. No airline has ever asked to weigh it in the past although I have been asked to stow it for takeoff and landing. I look like a freaking tourist - I am, so what? - but I haven't had to worry about my camera being stolen either.

Tiger Leaping Gorge, Yunnan, China and geeky tourist!

I have a few thoughts on the "freaking obvious you've got a big expensive camera" debate. I figure that if I am in a really unsafe place then my camera and bag should be totally stowed away out of sight. BUT, and here's the bit that doesn't make sense from all the paranoid people: If I pull my camera out of whatever bag I am stowing it in and take a photo then I'm outed. So I choose to wear my camera close to my body, where a thief has no chance to opportunistically steal from me. I've also exchanged the brand name camera strap, for a smaller, stronger, generic strap.

But the main reason I wear this set up is so I can be mobile and have camera access in seconds. Awesome for hiking and street photography, I love it.

10 Reasons why you shouldn't travel with me

I really enjoy reading other people's travel blogs and following along in their travels. Although I often feel an affinity with their experiences on the road, I quite frequently feel quite the opposite. So here's a few reason's why my sort of travel may not be your cup of tea.

1. I'm not afraid

How many times have I read about people's fear of doing this or that, their struggle to overcome it and their eventual triumph? I'm truly happy for that traveller, I really am, but it's not something I can relate to. Because I am not racked by fears and uncertainties and have a healthy self esteem and a realistic idea of my physical capabilities there are very few adventures I'll baulk at because of fear. This doesn't mean I'll do anything, far from it, but my choice to not do something is more likely to be based on reason than on an atavistic emotion.

This lack of fear on my part makes me rather insensitive to the insecurities of fellow travel companions. I'm probably going to tell you to "toughen up princess" than empathise with your unrealistic fears. You just might resent me for that...

2. I dress for comfort and practicality

If you are really into image, looking cool or chic, and not looking like a dorky tourist, you are not going to want to be seen anywhere near me. I choose my clothing based first on it's comfort and practicality, and anything else comes second. My favourite colour is red, but there's a real paucity of practical travel apparel outside black, beige and khaki which I find really annoying. I don't wear collarless or sleeveless tops when travelling (to prevent sunburn and upsetting conservative local mores) meaning I often look like I'm on safari, particularly with my big camera strapped to my chest. I also wear a hat. I read somewhere some north american disparaging the fact that tourists wear these dorky hats when they travel but would never be seen dead in said dorky hat back home. Ummm, I'm Australian, go out in our sun without a hat at your peril, idiot!!

Needless to say, you might think I stand out like a sore thumb, and you want to fit in, not be so conspicuous. You don't wanna hang with me then...

3. I go native

I eat at busy local street stalls. I am not vegetarian and enjoy trying new food. I am addicted to durian. When in Asia I avoid any restaurant that sells pizzas, burgers or banana pancakes, as even the "local" food in these establishments will be bland and overpriced. I take local transport rather than VIP buses or backpacker transport, not only to save money but because I cannot stand listening to the whining and complaining of my fellow travellers. At least if they are whinging on the local bus I have no idea what they are saying!

I have absolutely no wish to spend my time travelling with other westerners. More than a couple of westerners together and opportunities to interact genuinely with locals just evaporate. Would you strike up a conversation with a gaggle of rowdy tourists you saw on a bus? But the quiet girl reading her book, or smiling and giggling with your baby, you might well. I have literally been invited home to stay with families after chance encounters like this. But if you prefer to sit with the other westerners up the back comparing crappy bus journey stories with each other, you might not notice that I've slipped away to spend a night in a village somewhere.

4. My comfort needs are surprisingly simple for a girl my age

Maybe because I'm a doctor, and grew up camping, climbing, caving and getting dirty often, I don't have a paranoia about hygiene. Dirt is dirt, not a big bogey monster, and there has to be a real sense of squalor before I'll pull the pin on an accommodation option that ticks all the other boxes: great location, good vibes, and cheap. Real filth is quite different to a bit of dirt, and after living a few years in Newtown Sydney where the laneway to my house was literally crawling with cockroaches and my current house is regularly invaded by mice, I'm somewhat blasé about such things. I always carry a silk sleeping sheet and have never been bitten by bedbugs, though no doubt one day I will...

I thought that I'd only go for ensuite bathrooms when I left to go travelling in 2008, but quickly found that that quickly reduced my options. A great room with a view but a bathroom down the hall will win me any day over the aircon suite up the back. Oh yeah, I'm fine with fans too!

Let's just say you might want to find your own accommodation somewhere more salubrious...

5. I get up early and go to bed early

One of my great loves is markets, and the earlier I get there the better. Also an awesome place for breakfast. The light's better for photography too, and in tropical parts it's by far the coolest time of the day. Sunrises on top of mountains and volcanoes are another of my passions. So that means early to bed too.

Totally not the party animal, boring...

6. I like nothing better than getting off the beaten path

I mean this literally. Not only do I enjoy the less touristy parts of a destination but I frequently walk long distances with my backpack on, usually in the countryside, often on small roads or paths that only local traffic frequents. I'm usually much more physically active when travelling than I am at home with a sedentary office job and often do training before a trip so I'm in condition for it. I trek, I camp, I climb quite a lot of mountains. I pack accordingly.

You may not be into this, or are carrying too much luggage, or not be fit enough to find this enjoyable...

7. I'm a know it all

I research my destinations extensively. It teaches me about the people and culture, as well as what tourist attractions might be in the vicinity. It allows me to gauge the amount of time I might need in a place to explore it fully, but it never prepares me for the actual experience once I get there. It means I have a rough plan in my head of what I want to do, although it's never a fixed schedule as I often take up other opportunities that present themselves. It means I already have a good background knowledge of a place prior to visiting, and find my visit provides the nuances and complexities. For someone with less knowledge of the place, I'm a bloody know it all.

Or a pretty good tour guide...

8. I spend a lot of time taking photographs

I carry a tripod, a dSLR, a couple of lenses, some filters, a reversing ring, and a phone camera with a few dinky lenses and lots of photo apps. I am a serious photography geek, I think nothing of spending hours, even a whole day, in a botanical garden taking photos of plants and insects, or in a jungle photographing fungi and orchids, or getting that perfect waterfall shot - not yet folks! - or a spectacular sunrise panorama. I also adore old architecture, windows, doors, street art, bicycles and rickshaws and markets, oh yes, markets. I'm also keen to do a bit more portraiture.

You might find this extremely taxing on your patience...

9. I am impulsive

I may start off with a plan but I'm happy to change it. This means I rarely book anything ahead of time, unless it's absolutely necessary. I'll have done enough research to know if pre booking accommodation is my only chance of a bed for the night, and I usually have a flight booked home if I have a return date for work. But otherwise, I come armed with knowledge and just take my chances. Usually this results in some awesome experiences.

This level of uncertainty might not appeal to you

10. I won't have sex with you

I'm really not interested in holiday romances, or hooking up with fellow travellers. I've only once succumbed to a sexy stranger I met on a plane, and he and I are still friends more than 10 years later. I prefer the ease of platonic friendships over the power struggles of relationship politics. I don't miss sex enough to want to hook up with strangers, and I value my independence too much to seek comfort in any man's arms. It's not to say that if the right man came swashbuckling into my life...

And you thought you were gonna get into my pants?


Would you travel with me?

I've travelled with some awesome people over the years, and they're usually easy going, good at interacting with the locals, and not overly concerned with the minutia of discomfort on a road less travelled. They are flexible, and fun to be with, and they usually become lifelong friends.

My kind of travel isn't for everyone.