This is very specific to those of us who wear spectacles, but extra glasses/a pair or prescription sunglasses have been a lifesaver for me ever since I ended up on a trip where my only pair broke mid-event!
One more usage of iPad - I use it a as copy device for footage. If you purchase usb-c splitter into two ports you can easerly copy files from cardreader to ssd, when there is no DIT on set
As the great Joe McNally said... a clipboard and a hi-viz vest will get you into so many places. Not a top tier item, but I always try to at least have the hi-viz vest crammed in a camera bag pocket in case I ever need to look a little more "official". Great stuff once again Luc!
Another essential for me is earplugs and an eye mask. There is usually a time you will need hearing protection while filming, and noisy sleeping accomidations. The eye mask is for sleeping when accommodations are not ideal or just a few minutes between locations.
I love the foldable emergency blankets. Silver and gold on each side. Good for warmth, also serves as a good place mat of sorts when ground/surface is a bit too dirty for my gear and hey, at some point it's an "OK" reflector. Also helps, it's about $6 a piece. Very affordable. 😅 Great video as always Luc!
Have everything on the list you have just outlined. One thing i'd add is a phone car mount. The amount of times you fly to a new city and hop in a rental car trying to use google maps to get to your location. Its small and makes the world of difference when trying to navigate a new city!
For hobbyist traveling filmmakers: I’ve been traveling with my Camera for over 3 years now, I used to carry the PM Nomatic 35l full of gear but ran into weight restrictions on flights.. I’m down to a Herschel 25l that meets personal “item” requirements (I haven’t had my personal item weighed) with a removable camera cube so I can unpack it and use it as an everyday bag. It holds my R6 with a 24-70, a mini 4 pro, a Diety shotgun mic, some Bluetooth lavs, a MacBook Pro, a powerbank and international power adapter, bluetooth nc headphones (don’t forget the cable), some 4tb ssd’s, two small rechargeable lights with variable kelvin, a cable organizer pouch, and a slim Bluetooth keyboard for writing on my iPhone. AirTags are a necessity for peace of mind. A compact tripod goes in a carryon with my rsc-2 and the rest of my necessities/cloths. It’s solved so many problems to get as minimal as possible with my gear. You’re on a whole other level but I love this type of video that promotes practical multi use gear, thanks for making it! Oh, also a Turkish towel has come in handy 😅
Id perhaps add a plastic rain poncho personally...takes very little space and can cover the cameras in a pinch ....weather can change obv. Thank you for this I have a wedding shoot im doing in nov and I think I may have needed a reminder of what to bring its been a while.
As a person, who has been traveling on shoots for a long, long time and has a routine... I will not leave the house w/o my aeropress coffee maker! Sleep is needed, but waking or staying up, is needed more. The Aeropress is small and compact.
I find bandanas are great to have, as I'm often in hot climates, and you can put it in a pocket, where a towel won't fit. And I usually bring a couple of brand new extra ones if a client is traveling with me. They really appreciate the thought. The other thing in my carry-on is an extra set of socks and underwear and t-shirt...in case the airline screws up.
Love this. My first serious project took me to Mongolia and my head kind of exploded with everything I had to think about to get my gear there safely and to keep it running for up to three days without electricity. Cheap little things all of a sudden become the real MVPs.
For me a Roller Bag is essential because of queuing and walking lond distances at Airports.I can attach my Backpack on top of the Roller Bag and push it along while waiting in line.This makes it way easier than carrying all the wait on my back and picking up bags all the time.I would never go back to carrying all my gear in a large backpack and a sling bag.
A lot of those items will make travel easier for anyone, not just cinematographers/videographers and photographers. Brilliant suggestions. During my work career I traveled half the year across Canada. The most important item, believe it or not, was the power bar. I can't tell you how often I was in a hotel or staff accommodations and the one outlet in the room was behind the bed. Recently, now that I am retired, recent trips to France and Spain both resulted in my cursing the accommodations because there wasn't easily accessible wall outlets for the camera batteries and phone charging (x2 with my stuff and my wife's items). One of the first things I threw in my backpack for a trip in a couple of weeks to Sicily, yes, the powerbar!
The stool would have been wonderful during my NatGeo days! I always bring my own sheets. You never know what kind of hotel that you’ll stay in during your time in remote areas.
Great suggestions! I slept on this for a while as I didn't think I needed it but the frewell multi format card reader was a game changer! Also the smallrig NPF batteries with a battery display and usb-c were clutch
My top Tip I found camera bags can fall short of storage space very quickly. Secondly when there is a need to move quickly time waits for no man, I use a large rucksack water proof with a large internal space big enough to slip a big camera bag into . When I need to change a lenses quickly or remove a flash or change a battery . The space inside the lager rucksack allows me the liberty of dropping the gear into the pockets or directly into the rucksack . I found my biggest expense was replacing lost items. Ok it’s not ideal for travel but it’s great as a safe place if you need to move fast . Mini tripods lost batteries lost flash memory cards lost . Place them inside the rucksack not on the ground or table . You save more money this way from replacing lost items . My camera bag slips into a rucksack and really it’s not that different than the camera bag for weight and comfort . Wet grass snow that down pour . You will be glad you did it changing lenses make sure you put the protective caps on slip it into a bag pop it in the rucksack . Rain people anything you don’t want around in the rucksack it’s private . Sometimes I need to really move quickly . Like it or not no time to wrap up safely. Lens caps on in the bag never damaged one yet. After all losing stuff is a nightmare . Camera bag in a rucksack and all those extras put them into that rucksack you can always put them into there safe places later if you need to go .just leave a few bits of bubble wrap in side stop things giggling around !
I saw an earlier video of yours where you were weighing your luggage in your living room and I wondered about that, then forgot it. I'm always pushing the weight of my checked bag (the tripod head is the one thing I can pull out that will get me back under) so I'm thankful you brought that up. Because I'm older than you, I use a ThinkTank roller bag that is international travel size. It looks smaller than those bags other people have so no hassles there. I can fit two cameras, lenses, accessories, cables, laptop etc. My personal item is a Tenba shoulder bag with another camera, power stuff (like my Anker charger), cords, etc. I use two Peak Tech pouches, one with chargers and cables and the other with tools, lavs, allen keys, etc. I tried using an ipad mini and magic keyboard as a laptop replacement, but trying to swap files to an external drive was a nightmare so that's out. And Airtags for sure, though I often forget to activate them in the melee.
Great tips. I'm glad I don't have to carry the stuff you do anymore in retirement. My dual carryon bag solution has been the Think Tank Airport Essentials backpack and the Airport International (V2) roller. Then I stick a smaller shoulder bag or sling bag in my checked back to off load the gear I need each day. (I can't work out of a backpack, drives me nuts) Those two bags have never failed to fit in any regional or foreign airline overhead...they are small and discreet. But I'm shooting smaller cams than you!
I always bring a tiny travel projector, mine has a quarter/20 mount, hdmi in, onboard battery, and projects a 100-inch image on a hotel wall, all in a device smaller than a pack of cigarettes. I think most current models have android or support wireless display. Between $100 to 150 bucks.
I always carry a mini tool kit with me. Unfortunately, because of airline safety restrictions, it can't have anything like a knife blade or box razor in it. So, anything like a Leatherman multi tool is out. I've found that fingernail and toe nail clippers will work as a blade replacement. The rest of the kit is a set of jeweler's screwdrivers, a small set of hex wrenches, a pair of needle nose pliers, some folded up duct tape, and a small bundle of 550 cord. It all fits in a case similar to your passport/notebook case and will slip into one of your carry-ons easily and compactly. This does not replace the toolkit you should have in your checked bag, but it saves the headache of digging that set out of your luggage.
Haven’t carried it on yet, but my current system is the Wandrd Prvk 30L backpack & Nanuk 935 roller case for my c70, r6, 3-4 lenses, accessories, & laptop & iPad. Lighting would be separate.
I don't travel with out my Swiss army knife! The precision scissors are amazing for so many things. Also earplugs, and a black-out eye mask. I also carry a small bottle of liquid oxygen drops. You can cure almost any stomach ache with it (certainly anything bad-food related) AND purify water in a pinch. It's saved me and others many times.
You totally missed the southpark “don’t forget to bring a towel” meme in the end😀 I scored 8 of 12 on your list by the way. Also I use everything usb c to avoid the bulky power strip, and just charge through the battery while they are charging. The surge protector is great advise though. Great tip on the Bose for monitoring
As allways, great video and usefull tips! I have several times expirenced the airport personal weighting my carry-on bags .. and thats a problem! Camera gear is allways to heavy. The only solution I know of is putting the heavy lenses in your coat pockets and hang your cameras across your body with a camera strap until you have passed check-in and security! Then is dosn’t count 😁
Luc, can you comment on the process to obtain a press card? Your Carnet suggestions were great for my month in the UK this summer, so I am interested the press card you mention with the passport carrier.
Just a thought on your useful blog . Anker could make the changer port more useful by making a double capable version that way you can get twice the speed for less weight and space ?
Is there a specific reason you are using the Sidus Link iPhone app instead of the Sidus link iPad app? I find the latter a better experience both in usability and reliability.
I've had issues in some of the Caribbean islands, notably, Jamaica and Bahamas. If I'm on a commercial job, i.e. a hotel, I require that my client provide someone to meet me at the airport to expedite.
Regarding Bluetooth headphones and cameras, consider getting a Bluetooth RX/TX transmitter. Plug it into your camera, pair your headphones with it and viola, now you can use your Bluetooth headphones with your camera wirelessly! I love it that I'm not teethered to my camera but can still monitor audio! I found eppfun brand on Amazon to work nicely, but any should work.
@@sayididit2930 Thanks. I'll try that. Will also be useful on the plane, if you want to use your own earbuds. May even use it to watch TV, as, in their infinite wisdom, the TV manufacturers are putting speakers behind the TV, to create a smaller profile. That placement does not help with acoustics.
I Use my Vmount Batterys as a Powerbank i use the Smallrig 99 with 100w USB C PD si i can charge what ever i need in the Field so the Powerbank is eliminated. i currently have 2 bit i will expand to 4 in the Future
The issue I run into with these bigger battery packs is my gimbal, field recorder, and camera battery charging docks don't like the higher output. They actually need the lower charging speed to properly keep charging, otherwise the lights flash in error mode, the output shuts off because the power draw is so low it thinks something got unplugged, etc. Does anyone know of a charger where you can actually customize the charging speed?
Australian airlines have a hard limit of 7kg for carry on (15.4 pounds) Hard pressed getting much in there for us when it comes to staying under weight 😅
The last item made me think of a fantastic quote from a great movie. "The towel is the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have". Great video as per usual.
Luc, towel is so real. I always carry one especially when shooting outdoor here in the Japanese summer and it gets so humid and hot that you start sweating like a sick animal. 🥲
Hi Luc, I hope this message finds you well! My name is Rhys, and I’m really excited about starting my own RUclips channel. I’m currently on a tight budget and can’t afford a camera right now, so I was wondering if you might have any used or unused cameras that I could borrow or use-any help would mean a lot to me. If you have any tips or advice for a beginner, I’d be incredibly grateful for that as well! Thank you so much for considering my request. Warm regards, Rhys
This is very specific to those of us who wear spectacles, but extra glasses/a pair or prescription sunglasses have been a lifesaver for me ever since I ended up on a trip where my only pair broke mid-event!
One more usage of iPad - I use it a as copy device for footage. If you purchase usb-c splitter into two ports you can easerly copy files from cardreader to ssd, when there is no DIT on set
Can you share the make and model you use?
As the great Joe McNally said... a clipboard and a hi-viz vest will get you into so many places. Not a top tier item, but I always try to at least have the hi-viz vest crammed in a camera bag pocket in case I ever need to look a little more "official". Great stuff once again Luc!
Thanks a lot for sharing!
"Don't forget to bring a towel! Wanna get high?" -Towlie
Another essential for me is earplugs and an eye mask. There is usually a time you will need hearing protection while filming, and noisy sleeping accomidations. The eye mask is for sleeping when accommodations are not ideal or just a few minutes between locations.
I love the foldable emergency blankets. Silver and gold on each side. Good for warmth, also serves as a good place mat of sorts when ground/surface is a bit too dirty for my gear and hey, at some point it's an "OK" reflector. Also helps, it's about $6 a piece. Very affordable. 😅 Great video as always Luc!
Have everything on the list you have just outlined. One thing i'd add is a phone car mount. The amount of times you fly to a new city and hop in a rental car trying to use google maps to get to your location. Its small and makes the world of difference when trying to navigate a new city!
For hobbyist traveling filmmakers: I’ve been traveling with my Camera for over 3 years now, I used to carry the PM Nomatic 35l full of gear but ran into weight restrictions on flights.. I’m down to a Herschel 25l that meets personal “item” requirements (I haven’t had my personal item weighed) with a removable camera cube so I can unpack it and use it as an everyday bag. It holds my R6 with a 24-70, a mini 4 pro, a Diety shotgun mic, some Bluetooth lavs, a MacBook Pro, a powerbank and international power adapter, bluetooth nc headphones (don’t forget the cable), some 4tb ssd’s, two small rechargeable lights with variable kelvin, a cable organizer pouch, and a slim Bluetooth keyboard for writing on my iPhone. AirTags are a necessity for peace of mind. A compact tripod goes in a carryon with my rsc-2 and the rest of my necessities/cloths. It’s solved so many problems to get as minimal as possible with my gear. You’re on a whole other level but I love this type of video that promotes practical multi use gear, thanks for making it! Oh, also a Turkish towel has come in handy 😅
Id perhaps add a plastic rain poncho personally...takes very little space and can cover the cameras in a pinch ....weather can change obv. Thank you for this I have a wedding shoot im doing in nov and I think I may have needed a reminder of what to bring its been a while.
As a person, who has been traveling on shoots for a long, long time and has a routine... I will not leave the house w/o my aeropress coffee maker! Sleep is needed, but waking or staying up, is needed more. The Aeropress is small and compact.
I find bandanas are great to have, as I'm often in hot climates, and you can put it in a pocket, where a towel won't fit. And I usually bring a couple of brand new extra ones if a client is traveling with me. They really appreciate the thought.
The other thing in my carry-on is an extra set of socks and underwear and t-shirt...in case the airline screws up.
Love this. My first serious project took me to Mongolia and my head kind of exploded with everything I had to think about to get my gear there safely and to keep it running for up to three days without electricity. Cheap little things all of a sudden become the real MVPs.
For me a Roller Bag is essential because of queuing and walking lond distances at Airports.I can attach my Backpack on top of the Roller Bag and push it along while waiting in line.This makes it way easier than carrying all the wait on my back and picking up bags all the time.I would never go back to carrying all my gear in a large backpack and a sling bag.
u r goated. I yelled at you out of my car window once in Regent Park, looked like you were filming some sort of documentary or something.
Ha! I remember that clearly. I was extremely confused and my camera assistant still teases me about it. Appreciate the support!
A lot of those items will make travel easier for anyone, not just cinematographers/videographers and photographers. Brilliant suggestions. During my work career I traveled half the year across Canada. The most important item, believe it or not, was the power bar. I can't tell you how often I was in a hotel or staff accommodations and the one outlet in the room was behind the bed. Recently, now that I am retired, recent trips to France and Spain both resulted in my cursing the accommodations because there wasn't easily accessible wall outlets for the camera batteries and phone charging (x2 with my stuff and my wife's items). One of the first things I threw in my backpack for a trip in a couple of weeks to Sicily, yes, the powerbar!
Not a food snack "powerbar" but a power strip? Sorry, U.S. southerner here....
@@rdstudios-production in Canada we use power bar. The fake food is Powerbar.
@@PeterLariviere haha noted!
Was wondering what your setup is for your ipad ? How do you enable it to be an external monitor during shoots?
The stool would have been wonderful during my NatGeo days! I always bring my own sheets. You never know what kind of hotel that you’ll stay in during your time in remote areas.
Great suggestions!
I slept on this for a while as I didn't think I needed it but the frewell multi format card reader was a game changer! Also the smallrig NPF batteries with a battery display and usb-c were clutch
Omg I've got one of those npf's with the usb-c pd and screen. That thing is amazingly useful. (I got orange)
My top Tip I found camera bags can fall short of storage space very quickly. Secondly when there is a need to move quickly time waits for no man, I use a large rucksack water proof with a large internal space big enough to slip a big camera bag into . When I need to change a lenses quickly or remove a flash or change a battery . The space inside the lager rucksack allows me the liberty of dropping the gear into the pockets or directly into the rucksack . I found my biggest expense was replacing lost items. Ok it’s not ideal for travel but it’s great as a safe place if you need to move fast . Mini tripods lost batteries lost flash memory cards lost . Place them inside the rucksack not on the ground or table . You save more money this way from replacing lost items . My camera bag slips into a rucksack and really it’s not that different than the camera bag for weight and comfort . Wet grass snow that down pour . You will be glad you did it changing lenses make sure you put the protective caps on slip it into a bag pop it in the rucksack . Rain people anything you don’t want around in the rucksack it’s private . Sometimes I need to really move quickly . Like it or not no time to wrap up safely. Lens caps on in the bag never damaged one yet. After all losing stuff is a nightmare . Camera bag in a rucksack and all those extras put them into that rucksack you can always put them into there safe places later if you need to go .just leave a few bits of bubble wrap in side stop things giggling around !
Lower Pro Backpack & Tenba 2214W been my setup for a while! Packs 2 FX6 cameras lenses, batteries & audio equipment. Plus laptop!
I saw an earlier video of yours where you were weighing your luggage in your living room and I wondered about that, then forgot it. I'm always pushing the weight of my checked bag (the tripod head is the one thing I can pull out that will get me back under) so I'm thankful you brought that up. Because I'm older than you, I use a ThinkTank roller bag that is international travel size. It looks smaller than those bags other people have so no hassles there. I can fit two cameras, lenses, accessories, cables, laptop etc. My personal item is a Tenba shoulder bag with another camera, power stuff (like my Anker charger), cords, etc. I use two Peak Tech pouches, one with chargers and cables and the other with tools, lavs, allen keys, etc. I tried using an ipad mini and magic keyboard as a laptop replacement, but trying to swap files to an external drive was a nightmare so that's out. And Airtags for sure, though I often forget to activate them in the melee.
Great tips. I'm glad I don't have to carry the stuff you do anymore in retirement. My dual carryon bag solution has been the Think Tank Airport Essentials backpack and the Airport International (V2) roller. Then I stick a smaller shoulder bag or sling bag in my checked back to off load the gear I need each day. (I can't work out of a backpack, drives me nuts) Those two bags have never failed to fit in any regional or foreign airline overhead...they are small and discreet. But I'm shooting smaller cams than you!
informative video thanks Luc.
Keep informin us 💯❗️
I like to think the towel is both a Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy reference and just sound advice.
I always bring a tiny travel projector, mine has a quarter/20 mount, hdmi in, onboard battery, and projects a 100-inch image on a hotel wall, all in a device smaller than a pack of cigarettes. I think most current models have android or support wireless display. Between $100 to 150 bucks.
I always carry a mini tool kit with me. Unfortunately, because of airline safety restrictions, it can't have anything like a knife blade or box razor in it. So, anything like a Leatherman multi tool is out. I've found that fingernail and toe nail clippers will work as a blade replacement. The rest of the kit is a set of jeweler's screwdrivers, a small set of hex wrenches, a pair of needle nose pliers, some folded up duct tape, and a small bundle of 550 cord. It all fits in a case similar to your passport/notebook case and will slip into one of your carry-ons easily and compactly. This does not replace the toolkit you should have in your checked bag, but it saves the headache of digging that set out of your luggage.
Haven’t carried it on yet, but my current system is the Wandrd Prvk 30L backpack & Nanuk 935 roller case for my c70, r6, 3-4 lenses, accessories, & laptop & iPad. Lighting would be separate.
I'm a little disappointed that you didn't drop a Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy reference when you talked about the towel 😢
And here we were, thinking he was a real hoopy frood...
One of my favorites
I don't travel with out my Swiss army knife! The precision scissors are amazing for so many things. Also earplugs, and a black-out eye mask. I also carry a small bottle of liquid oxygen drops. You can cure almost any stomach ache with it (certainly anything bad-food related) AND purify water in a pinch. It's saved me and others many times.
I really could have used this a few weeks ago before my first international shoot in Norway. Starting with the luggage scale haha.
You totally missed the southpark “don’t forget to bring a towel” meme in the end😀
I scored 8 of 12 on your list by the way.
Also I use everything usb c to avoid the bulky power strip, and just charge through the battery while they are charging. The surge protector is great advise though.
Great tip on the Bose for monitoring
As allways, great video and usefull tips!
I have several times expirenced the airport personal weighting my carry-on bags .. and thats a problem! Camera gear is allways to heavy. The only solution I know of is putting the heavy lenses in your coat pockets and hang your cameras across your body with a camera strap until you have passed check-in and security! Then is dosn’t count 😁
great tip, thanks for sharing!
Luc, can you comment on the process to obtain a press card? Your Carnet suggestions were great for my month in the UK this summer, so I am interested the press card you mention with the passport carrier.
that stool is awesome
It is indeed!
Just a thought on your useful blog . Anker could make the changer port more useful by making a double capable version that way you can get twice the speed for less weight and space ?
Is there a specific reason you are using the Sidus Link iPhone app instead of the Sidus link iPad app? I find the latter a better experience both in usability and reliability.
Curious about if airports every ask about work permits, work visa's etc when shooting overseas.
I've had issues in some of the Caribbean islands, notably, Jamaica and Bahamas. If I'm on a commercial job, i.e. a hotel, I require that my client provide someone to meet me at the airport to expedite.
You should get a basic 3.5mm bluetooth adaptor, they are super cheap and will let you use your bluetooth airpods or whatever with your cameras!
Regarding Bluetooth headphones and cameras, consider getting a Bluetooth RX/TX transmitter. Plug it into your camera, pair your headphones with it and viola, now you can use your Bluetooth headphones with your camera wirelessly! I love it that I'm not teethered to my camera but can still monitor audio! I found eppfun brand on Amazon to work nicely, but any should work.
I've tried that (not the model you suggested) but had lag time problems. Have you had any lag issues with the eppfun?
@@theotherHOLLYWOOD no lag whatsoever
@@sayididit2930 Thanks. I'll try that. Will also be useful on the plane, if you want to use your own earbuds. May even use it to watch TV, as, in their infinite wisdom, the TV manufacturers are putting speakers behind the TV, to create a smaller profile. That placement does not help with acoustics.
What kind of iPad keyboard do you use?
My collapsible stool actually broke down during a shoot ! Everyone was amazed by it until it broke ! Millions of pieces to pickup !
What’s the cable case you featured?
I believe its Tenba Cable Pouch - they have variable sizes
Ciné zoom lens is the best way to start in documentary film ?
I Use my Vmount Batterys as a Powerbank i use the Smallrig 99 with 100w USB C PD si i can charge what ever i need in the Field so the Powerbank is eliminated. i currently have 2 bit i will expand to 4 in the Future
The issue I run into with these bigger battery packs is my gimbal, field recorder, and camera battery charging docks don't like the higher output. They actually need the lower charging speed to properly keep charging, otherwise the lights flash in error mode, the output shuts off because the power draw is so low it thinks something got unplugged, etc.
Does anyone know of a charger where you can actually customize the charging speed?
canada passport story is hilarious
Australian airlines have a hard limit of 7kg for carry on (15.4 pounds)
Hard pressed getting much in there for us when it comes to staying under weight 😅
I soo get the towel…
The last item made me think of a fantastic quote from a great movie. "The towel is the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have". Great video as per usual.
Thanks a lot!
Luc, towel is so real. I always carry one especially when shooting outdoor here in the Japanese summer and it gets so humid and hot that you start sweating like a sick animal. 🥲
🤣🤣
#2 - wouldn't a ziploc for your passport be a better and lighter option?
What do you pack for clothes and toiletries?
Kansai Airport in Japan is well known for never losing a bag...i suppose it can be well done ... just the rest of the world are lazy :D
First!
What is the english word that describes this man's hairstyle?
What's your process for b-roll shooting on these videos?
If you fly without noise canceling headphones, you can't be trusted haha
Hi Luc,
I hope this message finds you well! My name is Rhys, and I’m really excited about starting my own RUclips channel. I’m currently on a tight budget and can’t afford a camera right now, so I was wondering if you might have any used or unused cameras that I could borrow or use-any help would mean a lot to me.
If you have any tips or advice for a beginner, I’d be incredibly grateful for that as well! Thank you so much for considering my request.
Warm regards,
Rhys
👍🏾 🏴🇸🇪🇹🇹
Wtf with the canadian govt