Topic: Help me pack for my 10-day Hawaii trip

[thatguychad]

My girlfriend and I are heading to Hawaii (big island) for 10 days and I'm allowed to bring whatever I can fit in this bag. I have many cameras (100+) to choose from, but here's what I've chosen, what would you pack?

Cameras (yes, there are two digitals in the list):
• Fuji GS645
• Voigtlander Bessa II (for stuff I want on the big 6x9 negs)
• Olympus 35RC (my favorite walk-around rangefinder)
• FujiFilm X100T
• Olympus TG4 (for underwater shots, my Nikonos V won't make this trip, sadly)

Medium format films:
• 2 x Ektachrome 64 (220, expired 2003 - will probably just load to the Fuji GS645)
• 5 x Fuji Provia 100F
• 5 x Kodak Ektar (my favorite color negative film)

35mm films:
• 1 x Kodak Ektar 100
• 3 x Kodak ProImage 100
• 1 x Kodak GT 800 (for one time use cameras)
• 1 x Kodak Gold 200
• 2 x CVS Color 400 (some kind of Fuji film)
• 1 x Japan Camera Hunter Street Pan 400 (unsure if I'll use a B&W film)
• 1 x Fuji Velvia 100 (expired unknown date)

[Aksel]

I tend to travel light, if the point of the trip is not photography then - Olympus 35RC. A fresh brick of Portra 400, iso set to 160 and that´s it. No time wasted on choosing what to take out, where to keep, neck trouble or girlfriend having to wait for your over thinking related to gear. Enjoy the trip!

[Late Developer]

My starting point is to determine what it is that I'm going to shoot and how I will transport myself around the destination - then keep the kit to a minimum.  For instance, 17 days driving Route 66 involved a Nikon F3HP, an FE 10 rolls of XP2 Super, 10 rolls of Velvia 100f, 20mm, 50mm and 85mm lenses.  All fitted into one bag (+ passport, wallet, phone and a few other small items).  Last year's trip around Andalucía was shot using a Fuji GS645zi, 10 rolls of Portra 400 and my (now-ex) Fuji X-Pro1 + 23mm and 56mm lenses. Everything fitted into one bag.

Your list looks like you'll be shooting a variety of subjects / genres.;  If you need all the various formats / film stocks to achieve this, the kit almost picks itself.  However, that does look like a lot of gear to lug around - not a biggie if you're travelling round in a car but, if you're on a tour bus, etc, it could be cumbersome and limiting.

I don't want to be a doom-monger on this but I've been guilty of packing everything including the kitchen sink and then regretted it.  These days, I travel as light as I can get away with.

[02Pilot]

To echo the previous posts, in my eyes it's too much stuff, and too much variety of stuff. I've done the multi-format travel thing to an extent (35mm and 6x6 120), and I'm sure I will again when the trip requires, but you've got three film formats to work with. The film stock is dramatically more complicated than I would recommend. Choose one color and one B&W and done.

To be clear, I have no problem with shooting a lot on vacation; I shot 24 rolls of 35mm in eight days in France last month. But that was one format, two screwmount Leica bodies, and three lenses (28, 50, and 100 (which was barely used)) on HP5+ and Portra 400.

If it were me, I'd pare down to the 35RC or the GS645 (not both), the Bessa, the TG4, and a pile of Ektar and call it good.

[charles binns]

I'd pack a couple of holgas, some portra 400, portra 160 and TriX 400.  Possibly a mamiya 6 as well.  Always best to keep things simple.

[Terry]

I'd start by choosing the two camera bodies that I feel are most reliable.  You don't want to be finding out while you're there that a camera doesn't work.  Ditto that logic for the film--if I'm going on a holiday I never take expired film.  And given that it's Hawaii, I think I'd load up on the 120 and shoot lots of 6x9. 

[Indofunk]

I'd start by choosing the two camera bodies that I feel are most reliable.  You don't want to be finding out while you're there that a camera doesn't work.  Ditto that logic for the film--if I'm going on a holiday I never take expired film.  And given that it's Hawaii, I think I'd load up on the 120 and shoot lots of 6x9.

Mostly what Terry said. From your list I'd take the Voigtlander and the 35RC, keep Ektar in the Voigtlander and probably buy a few rolls of Tri-X (or TMax) for the 35RC. Usually on trips where I take 2 cameras I end up mostly using only one of them and I wonder why I brought 2.

[Bryan]

I don't know what you plan to do but if you want to get shots of the lava you may want something with a telephoto lens.  If you plan on walking on the lava to get closer then bring an extra pair of shoes.  If you are going to be under the jungle canopy you will want at least a 400 ISO film, it's amazing how dark it can get. 

One thing you may want to consider is a helicopter tour of the island.  It's expensive but you get to see some amazing stuff on the Big Island that you otherwise wouldn't have access to.  If you do it early on it will help you decide what you want to see the rest of the trip.  It's one of my best memories from there.  We saw lava going into the ocean and knocking trees over as it plowed into the jungle. 

[Adam Doe]

We're all different, but I've got to chime in with the "pack less" crowd. I used to overpack, camera and filmwise, for trips, but now I try to keep it to two cameras and two  or three emulsions. I find that when I overpacked, much of what I had went unused. I usually now take some FP4, Delta 3200 and maybe a color film. I just returned from a trip to the mountains and took a Rollei 35 and a Ciroflex. The ciroflex, with the exception of two shots, remained in the bag. The Rollei 35 saw the lion's share of the action.

[Indofunk]

We're all different, but I've got to chime in with the "pack less" crowd. I used to overpack, camera and filmwise, for trips, but now I try to keep it to two cameras and two  or three emulsions. I find that when I overpacked, much of what I had went unused. I usually now take some FP4, Delta 3200 and maybe a color film. I just returned from a trip to the mountains and took a Rollei 35 and a Ciroflex. The ciroflex, with the exception of two shots, remained in the bag. The Rollei 35 saw the lion's share of the action.

See, this is what happens to me every time. I gotta start saying f*** it and just bring one camera (and possibly only one emulsion too!)

[thatguychad]

Thanks for the input, everyone! I think I may drop the Fuji, as 645 isn't my favorite format. The Bessa 6x9 is a must, I think, and I've really been enjoying the shots out of my 35RC. I agree that shooting expired film could be a little sketchy and maybe HI isn't the best use of my Ektachrome. Maybe I'll throw the rest of my Ektar in, instead.

[02Pilot]

We're all different, but I've got to chime in with the "pack less" crowd. I used to overpack, camera and filmwise, for trips, but now I try to keep it to two cameras and two  or three emulsions. I find that when I overpacked, much of what I had went unused. I usually now take some FP4, Delta 3200 and maybe a color film. I just returned from a trip to the mountains and took a Rollei 35 and a Ciroflex. The ciroflex, with the exception of two shots, remained in the bag. The Rollei 35 saw the lion's share of the action.

See, this is what happens to me every time. I gotta start saying f*** it and just bring one camera (and possibly only one emulsion too!)

Yeah, I'm slowly making progress toward the zen photographic ideal of one camera, one lens for travel. I doubt I will attain this nirvana, mind you, but I've gotten closer. For my last trip I had planned to take my Perkeo II for color and the aforementioned Leicas and lenses for B&W. In the end I dropped the MF from the equation and I'm glad I did. Looking at the photos, I wonder if I would have missed much by dropping color as well. The two bodies thing, however, worked out great; one with the 28, one with the 50, and it was much easier to get the shot I wanted without fussing with changing lenses. In retrospect I think I would have been very happy with just that.

[Indofunk]

Yeah, the only real justification I'd have for 2 cameras is one color one B&W. But even that's not necessary. Just choose a look for the trip and stick with it. For Hawai'i I'd assume you'll want to go for color!

[Bryan]

I usually try to take just one, especially for a work trip, but if it's a family trip I usually take 3: SLR or Rangefinder, View-Master and 8mm movie camera. 

[SLVR]

if I were you I would be taking the fuji gs645 with a pro pack of tmax 100 and a pro pack of portra 400. That's it.

[Francois]

nah... you don't need all that stuff!
Just a good pair of surf trunks, some sunscreen and a good surf board and you should be OK

And don't forget, Hawaii is super colorful. I think it would be a shame not to take advantage of that!
Just imagine watching the old Hawaii-50 on a B&W TV... not the same.

Oh yeah, don't forget to try out some shaved ice while you're out there...

[MacArron]

I'm also more inclined to pack less and enjoy the trip itself not just the act of shooting. My view, of course.

I'm not sure what your girlfriend will say about the big list you initially made and the little time you're going to share... With the planned equipment you won't have even time to sleep!! :-)

What I'd do:

- One single format
- Two cameras, same system, color, different ISO values.

This way you can have a set of lenses that will fit on both cameras. Color because Hawaii seems to require it. Different ISO values for different situations.

Ah, and I would use Ektar or preferably slides, never expired (I would want to be sure about the reliability of the film)

A mini tripod is also a must for me, as well as plastic bags just in case of rain or...

But above all, enjoy yourself, breath the Hawaiian air, feel the place and, if you have time, shoot some photos :-)

Have a nice trip.

[Indofunk]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the rain! Never been to the big island, but on Kawai it rains every single afternoon like clockwork. Make sure that you have camera protection

[Francois]

And it might rain a lot more with the big storm that's on its way there...

[Bryan]

Hilo on the big island holds the world record for annual rainfall (or at least they did when I was there).  The Kona side of the island is a desert. 

[astrobeck]

Don't forget, you will most likely have your cell phone with you...it does make photos. 

Having it as an extra photo "accessory" might help you lighten the load and not take one of the others....   

[Kayos]

I became the master of 1 camera, and whatever film I grabbed out of the fridge and made myself work within the limitations of the choices.
However a recent trip to the lakes made me miss having at least a bit of zoom so my next trip will be 2 bodies (Canon EF and an A1) one with colour film and one b and w so the most I will have to do is swap the lenses round


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