Gearhead 2

T-10 days

So what does a landscape camera kit contain which makes it so heavy?

• Camera body: Nikon D7000 DLSR = 1 lb 11 oz
• Lenses: 11-16/2.8 wide angle zoom, 16-85/3.5-5.6 mid-range zoom, 70-300/4.5-5.6 tele zoom, 35/1.8 prime lens = 4 lbs 3 oz
• Gitzo 2541 tripod with Markins ballhead = 4 lbs 3oz
• Filters: polarizer (for deep blue skies), variable neutral density (for stopping moving water), assorted graduated neutral density (for balancing a really bright sky with a shadowed foreground) = 1 pound?
• Spare batteries, protective filters, straps, cleaning kit, wrenches/tools, viewing hood (to see the LCD in the bright sun), remote release, SD cards in cases = 1 pound?

And of course, the camera bag to haul it all around, which will be my Fstop Guru. Adding all the components above, I get to 13 or 14 pounds. The pack adds about three lbs itself, then you have water, food, first aid, spare clothes, phone, etc. So you get to a 25 pound pack pretty quickly.

Now, a real backpacker would scoff at the thought that a 25 lb load is "heavy" and although I've actually done full day hikes with this setup, I'm not a "real backpacker" so while it's doable, it's not that much fun for me, especially if the trail is tough or the weather warm. So I looked into what I could so with less weight.

More on that later.