Extended Road Trip Coming Up; What Gear Am I Taking?

From my last visit to Grand Teton National Park in 2012. (click to enlarge)

Since the beginning of this year, I have planned a multi-phase extended photography road trip.  This will probably be one of the last long solo road trips I will make.  Age is catching up with me and I just don’t want to make those long, long days’ drives any longer.  Because of that, I want to do everything I can to achieve not only the most photographic success as possible but also as much overall enjoyment as possible.

I decided to drive rather than fly to Montana and Wyoming from Virginia for several reasons.  First, driving allows me to choose my route and see and photograph things across America.  I love discovering unique subjects along the two lane roads.  My preliminarily planned route to Montana is about a 2250 mile drive and about 2700 miles for my planned return trip home.  For example, to experience a bit of small town midwestern America, I plan to drive the length of Iowa on the Lincoln Highway.  I’ve done Route 66 twice and I’d now like to experience that road, which is an even older route.  In fact, it is the first coast-to-coast vehicular road across the U.S.  Second, I plan to stay off of the interstate highways as much as possible.  The secondary roads take longer but you get to go through small towns, see things you would not see while buzzing along the interstates, eat at local restaurants and meet really nice people.  Third, driving allows me to take as much ‘stuff’ as I think I’ll need.  No restrictions on gear, clothing, etc.

With the months leading up to this road trip, I’ve been strategically planning in as much detail as possible.  I admit that I’m probably over planning and overthinking everything.  But that is how I stayed safe for 36 years in law enforcement.

This road trip will be in three phases.  Phase I will be my journey from southeastern Virginia to western Montana to meet up with two other photographers.  Phase II will be three days in Yellowstone National Park and four days in Grand Teton National Park with those guys photographing wildlife and landscapes.  Phase III will be a road trip driving east along U.S. Route 2 which is about as far north as you can get on a main east/west secondary highway.  For that third portion, a lifelong friend will fly out to Bozeman, Montana and join me on the return trip.

Not only will the road trip be in three phases, but the weather will also follow suit.  It will be warm to hot until I get to Yellowstone and the Tetons, then cold to cool, then warmer as I return east.  Now you see why I’m planning as thoroughly and efficiently as possible.

So, what gear am I taking and why did I choose this particular kit?

I've decided on taking my Nikon gear for four reasons.  First, I don't have a backup camera for either my Fujifilm X-T5 or OM Systems OM-1.  A backup camera is absolutely necessary.  Second, the Nikon Z8 has the most pixels, therefore the most versatility of any camera I own.  I can even shoot in DX mode (APS-C equivalent) and still have 19.2mp to work with if necessary.  Third, the Nikon Z8's and Zf's AF and AF Subject detection features are the best of the three systems I own.  Finally, the Nikon 180-600mm lens is the most desirable wildlife lens I currently own.  Case closed.

Nikon Z8—my primary camera for wildlife, nature and landscape photography.  With 45.7mp and lots of dynamic range, superb subject detection AF capability, this camera should allow me to capture whatever is before me.  “Should.”  If there is failure, it is my fault.  It won’t be my gear holding me back.

Nikon Zf—this will primarily be my backup camera.  Its AF system is almost exactly the same as the Z8’s.  Although it has only 24mp, it is perfectly capable for capturing everything I might have the opportunity to photograph.  Additionally, since it is a bit smaller, it will be the camera I choose with which to walk around small towns or places along my way out and back.

Nikon 24-120mm f/4 S lens—this lens is my general purpose ‘workhorse’ lens.  It really is an excellent lens in all respects.  For everything but wildlife (unless the wildlife is very, very close!) this lens will most likely be on my camera.  I like this lens a lot.  It is sharp and has focal lengths I use most for the various types of photography I practice.

Nikon 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 lens—obviously, this will be my primary wildlife and birding lens.  My copy is very sharp and with the DX mode on my cameras, I can also shoot at an effective 900mm but at a reduced pixel count without worry.  I’ve tested this mode and the results are excellent.  Since this lens is quite large, it won’t reside in my backpack but I will grab it and use it when appropriate.

Nikon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 S lens—another very sharp and versatile lens.  This lens resides in my backpack and will be my ‘go-to’ lens when I need a focal length longer than 120mm but not as long as 600mm.

14-30mm f/4 lens—this lens is slated for landscapes (if I have the opportunity to make any) and tight compositions when I need extra width or height to capture my subject.  Not quite as sharp as the Nikon 14-28mm f/2.8 S lens, but it is half the price and a lot smaller and lighter to take along with me.  Also, filters can be easily mounted on the front, which is a bonus.

Nikon 1.4X Z tele-converter—I’ve tested this tele-converter with both the 100-400mm and 180-600mm lenses.  I’m not detecting any easily seen degradation in sharpness.  If there is any, I’m not seeing it.  If there is a bit of degradation and you have to look that hard to find it, then it really doesn’t matter, does it?  It seems to work well with both lenses.  I’ll employ this piece of gear as necessary.

Nikon 60mm f/2.8 Micro F-Mount lens—I’m taking this lens just in case I find something that needs photographing on a macro level.  It is summer and flowers and trees are blooming, butterflies, bumblebees and other creatures are coming out and I don’t want to miss an opportunity.  It is not that large, has a relatively fast f/2.8 aperture and produces very sharp files.

Nikon FTZ II F-Mount to Z-Mount adapter—this adapter works very well.  I can put my 60mm f/2,8 macro lens on my Z mount cameras with no penalty.  It doesn’t seem to slow the autofocus but with macro photography, fast AF is not an issue anyway.  Also, one of the other guys I'm meeting is a Nikon shooter as well and I know he has a 400mm f/2.8 lens as well as couple of older F-Mount super telephoto prime lenses such as a Nikon 600mm f/4 or the light and sharp Nikon 500mm f/5.6 PF.  I might be able to borrow one for a short period of time to check it out. :-)

From my last trip to Yellowstone National Park in 2012. (click to enlarge)

Here is a list of some of the accessories I’m taking:

Hoage lens feet (for both long telephoto zooms) with QD secure mounting connectors.  The QD connecting system is why I purchased these particular lens feet to replace the ones that came with the lenses.  The QD connectors are very strong and a convenient way to safely and securely hang my Z8 and 180-600mm lens or 100-400mm lens from a Black Rapid sling strap if the need arises.  Always having a Plan B, I have crafted an emergency tether in the event the QD connector malfunctions.  Trust but ensure, I say.  With lenses like those, you can’t be too careful!  If you are interested, here is a blog post by Jim Kasson about the QD sytem and why he now employs it for his long lenses.

Two tripods, one large and very stable with a gimbal head (wildlife & birds) and the other my tried and true 25 or so year-old Gitzo with a geared head (general purpose, macro and landscape photography)

Black Rapid sling strap with QD connector

Think Tank Backlight 26L backpack.  I can carry everything I need in it.  I can carry it on my back or easily work from the car using this backpack.

Ape Case telephoto lens bag for the 180-600mm lens.

Bellroy Venture 9L sling bag.  I needed something to carry just a camera, 2 lenses, spare battery, polarizing filter and a cleaning cloth for when the backpack is too much and for walking around.  I haven’t used it yet, but it appears to be perfect for my intended use.  I may write a post about this sling bag in the future.

5 CFExpress B cards and 2 XQD memory cards (about 1.4TB total)

8 SDXC memory cards

2 CFExpress B, 1 XQD card reader and 1 SDXC card reader (also an SD slot in my laptop

A total of 7 batteries (the batteries are interchangeable between my 2 Nikon cameras)

2 battery chargers + the in-camera USB charging cord

L-brackets for both cameras

Various lens cloths, rocket blower and individually wrapped pre-moistened sensor swabs

LED Headlamp with both red and white lights

Rain cover to fit the camera with my physically longest lens

Swiss Army knife and several hex keys (Allen wrenches) to mount and remove L-brackets as well as adjust tension on tripod legs as well as other things that may loosen.

Of course I will be taking my laptop with two USB 3.0 SSD backup hard drives, a USB-3.2 hub, iPad Pro, SD card adapter for the iPad so I can edit images and illustrate blog posts I may write (hopefully I can write some short posts some evenings). Also, the needed chargers, cords and more cords for all of my electronics, including my Apple Watch and AirPods.

As for general travel accessories I’ll be taking:

I will also be taking various safety gear for the road trip such as space blankets, bear spray, a first aid kit, a Garmin In-Reach Mini, water filtration system, 2-gallons of gasoline, a couple of gallons of drinking water, sunscreen, mosquito and tick repellant, mosquito netting, hats, gloves (work and fleece), flashlight, 12volt jump starter, 12volt jack w/impact wrench, gaffer’s tape, various hand tools for minor repairs, superglue, rope, bungee cords, wire, and other things for contingency purposes.  Much of this stuff I already keep in the rear floor storage area of my SUV so those items stay in the vehicle no matter what or where we drive.  If I weren't traveling solo, I would probably leave a lot of this behind.  But, again, I want to err on the side of my safety.

Additionally, I will be utilizing a ‘two suitcase’ packing system.  My large suitcase will act as a ‘dresser’ packed with most of my clothes and will stay in the car when traveling.  My small 4-wheeled ‘carry on’ sized suitcase will be what I take in to hotels with me.  In the small suitcase, I will keep all my electronics, toiletries, medicine, etc. and then when I leave my vehicle, I’ll add clean underclothes, socks and a clean shirt for the next day’s wear.  The dirty clothes will go into a 'dirty clothes' canvas bag.

Finally, as another safety measure, I'll carry two wallets and split my cash and important cards, such as driver's license, credit cards, etc. between the two so if one goes missing or is stolen, I have the other.  The other thing I do is photograph all of the contents of my wallet, front and back, as well as my passport.  I save these in a secure encrypted file.  That way, if a particular card or such is lost, I still have photos of it, front and back.  The cards usually have the appropriate contact numbers to use to notify the company the card is missing.  Highly recommended.

Have I forgotten anything?  Probably have but I may have it and just forgot to list it.  When I return, of course, I’ll write several posts highlighting my adventures, illustrated with photos, of course.  I’ll also provide an after action review of how the Nikon gear worked.  Standby.

Join me over at my website, https://www.dennismook.com.  

Thanks for looking. Enjoy!  

Dennis A. Mook  

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