Packing light has never been one of my strengths, and when deciding what photography equipment to take on a three-month trip around South East Asia, I struggled.
In February 2024, I landed in Bangkok, Thailand, armed with my Sony A7 III, a Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN, a Nikon FM2, a Minolta 35mm film compact camera, my MacBook Pro, a 2TB hard drive, my Hahnel ProCube 2 charger plus extra batteries/rolls of 35mm film, and memory cards.
Now six weeks into my trip, I’ve realised there are some things I wish I'd left behind and some things I really wish I’d brought instead.
The regrets
Nikon FM2
I’ve used my Nikon FM2 once so far and bringing it feels rather pointless. I love film but out here digital is so much more convenient.. I’m never in one place long enough to develop a roll, I want to be able to share photos with friends and family back home and unless I'm out on my own I usually don’t have time to really get into the groove of shooting film so sadly it’s remained in my hostel for the most part.
I thought my Hahnel ProCube II would be an essential but since being in S.E.A. I’ve charged the batteries in camera. Plug sockets in here are not what they are in the UK and with just two pins plugs fall out pretty easily. With the added weight of my ProCube plug socket is attached to an adapter it physically won’t stay in the wall so USB charging is my only option.
DJI Mini 2
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Bringing my DJI Mini 2 seemed like a great idea for capturing stunning aerial shots and establishing myself as a content creator, but in reality, it wasn’t quite so simple. I didn't research local regulations, and in Thailand, you need to register your drone with the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand which can take up to two weeks to process. There are also loads of no-fly zones, and you can land a hefty fine if you’re caught breaking the rules, so my dreams of flying it were shattered.
The things I wish I had packed!
Action camera
I hadn’t planned on doing my open water scuba diving course while but Koh Tao is the cheapest place in the world to do it and I wanted to try something completely new. It was an incredible experience, one that’s made me want to do my underwater photography course, too, but I wish I had a GoPro (mine is a GoPro Hero 11 Black) to capture the underwater magic. My knowledge of Coral Reefs is based almost entirely on Finding Nemo so seeing it in real life was something to be marvelled at. Not to mention, Thailand is incredible for snorkeling, too - you don’t have to dive to 18 meters to see tropical fish and colorful coral.
Spare Lens cap
Taking it back to basics, I wish I’d bought spare lens caps with me. I lost the one and only I have in my first week and despite my best efforts I’ve struggled to find a replacement. Luckily I have a UV filter on my camera so the lens is a bit protected but I never thought sourcing a new one would be so hard.
iPhone 15
Before coming on this trip I contemplated upgrading my iPhone 11 to an iPhone 15. Other than the battery life, my phone still works fine, but there have been lots of times on this trip I wish I had the improved camera capabilities of one of the newer ones. On the days I’m either too sunburnt or too lazy to take my ‘big camera’, I rely on my phone, and when I compare my photos and videos with my friends who have much newer phones, I'm hit with a pang of envy. So when I get back, I think it’s time to upgrade.
Lesson is more
Traveling is an everyday learning curve; what I thought would be a manageable weight when I was standing in my room in the UK hits different when it’s 38 degrees and you’ve got a 10-minute walk to your hostel.
Minimalism is key when it comes to long-term traveling, and the less you can bring, the better - no one is going to carry your bag for you, so get that weight down!
