Lately I’ve been receiving a lot of requests from people asking me: What equipment do I have in the bag so I made this small video for you guys going over all the things in my bag as well as some useful travel tips!

Check it out:
For those of you interested in winning a Think Tank Airport International V 2.0, scroll down to the bottom of the page for more details!

Disclaimer: No company sponsored this post. Some of these item links ARE affiliate links which give me a % of sales if you buy from them.

Travel Tips summarized:

(see video for full description/explanations)

1. Heavy carry-on? Plan A: Pull the “Limited Liability” card.

Most airlines have a limited liability policy and you’re NOT ALLOWED to check in expensive items so if they complain about your gear being too heavy, ask if they want to insure the gear. If that doesn’t work

2. Plan B: Wear your equipment

There is no limit to how much you can wear on you so bringing something like a Newswear Chestvest or an UNDFIND Waist Shooter to wear your equipment on you, weigh your gear, and put it all back in.

3. If you’re only allowed a carry on and no laptop bag (like on budget European flights)

Remove the straps from your bag and hold it to your body like a book – it becomes a personal item! A low profile laptop bag like an Artificial Intelligence 17 V3.0 helps a lot!

4. Travelling with special gear that is TSA approved? Include the user manual.

The Elinchrom Ranger Quadra Li-Ion Kit that I travel with may look intimidating to the uninitiated so I include a small user manual with a little post-it that has SECURITY written all over it next to my batterypack that describes what the pack is for just in case the security folks get antsy. It’s far easier to include the user manual (or a couple pages of it) then trying to explain to them what it is and why you need it.

5. Grab a universal power strip to charge your electronics

Rather than bring 20 converters, bring one and a power bar to charge your stuff! Grab a Universal Travel Power Strip
so that you won’t have voltage issues!

Bags:

Think Tank Airport International V 2.0

Pros: The most solidly built bag ever, amazing ball bearings, fantastic padding. Closest thing to a “hard case” you’ll get that’s actually portable. TSA approved travel locks built in… overall an amazing bag. International travel size and fits just about all you need except a 300mm lens. Fabric is water resistant made of ballistic nylon. Beautiful, beautiful stuff.

Cons: Heavy.

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Price: 369.75$

Artificial Intelligence 17 V3.0

Pros: Solid build. Compatible with the Airport International. I get the 17″ simply because it gives more space for my plethora of random cables. Vertical design actually makes it easier to carry in crowded places and offers a lower profile non-traditional laptop look (attracts less attention).

Cons: The strap is not the most comfortable. Not very padded.

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Price: 59.75$

Useful travel gadgets:

(in no particular order)

	Jawbone JAMBOX Wireless Speaker Pros: Amazing sound quality, bluetooth + built in microphone, can download SEXY voices, great battery life, water/shock resistant Cons: Hard to find in orange (it was a limited edition). Not the loudest speaker in its category. – Price: 146.99$
	Mogopod V2.0 Pros: Light, portable, and very cool dual gear action makes it super easy to stretch out and tidy up. Makes a great light pole when combined with one of these spigots. Cons: The spigot tends to unscrew itself if you put something too heavy on the opposite end. Would require something such as loctite to hold things together properly. – Price: 79.99$
	Zagg iPad Keyboard Pros: This keyboard doubles up as a case so it not only protects the iPad but transforms the iPad into a place to send type out ideas, emails or more esp. when on a long flight. iPad batteries last significantly longer than computer batteries! It’s also great when you find a hotspot with only 30 minutes of free wifi… doubles up as a second device after you’ve used up your first 30 minutes with your laptop! Cons: Can make your case a bit bulky – Price: ~99$. Depends on model. Some are even backlit!
	Leatherman Squirt Keychain Pros: It’s tiny, portable, has just about every tool you would need on a set and acts as a keychain. It also comes with a lifetime guarantee! Cons: So small you occasionally forget to put it in your check-in bag. – Price: 26.18$
	Nasty Clamp Pros: Light, strong, portable & clamps onto pretty much anything. Great for clipping a speedlight, Zoom H4N or GoPro! Cons: Sometimes doesn’t work as well on thinner tubes – Price: 59.95$
	Newswear Chestvest Pros: Comfortable, durable, has back support which is great for long days on the field, practical and can fit 2x telephoto lenses and more. Great in case you get stopped for having overweight carry-on and need to “wear” your equipment. Cons: Not very stylish – Price: 89.95$
	Inflatable Neck Pillow Pros: Super portable. Helps you sleep… anywhere – Plane, Train, Car, Floor… Removable cover means you can even wash it! Cons: Not the most comfortable travel neck pillow but the portability is worth the tradeoff. – Price: 12.00$
	Universal Travel Power Strip Pros: Save money on converters, charge efficiently, surge protection! Cons: ugly. – Price: 19.99$ on Amazon.com and it even sells in Canada

Photography related gadgets:

(in no particular order)

	Elinchrom Ranger Quadra Li-Ion Kit Pros: Super light weight. Battery recharges to 75% in only 45 minutes. Travel-safe fuses means no problems flying with the batteries. Tiny flash heads means you can keep them safe by bringing them on your carry-on. Rugged weather resistant battery, solid cables and LED modelling light make them great for on location shooting.U get 300-400 full powered shots off in slow-recharge mode. Cons: Asymmetrical power settings means that flash power of various heads are actually linked by a 2/3 : 1/3 ratio. I hate ratios. Expensive, but it really has no competition. – Price: On sale at 2799$ in Vistek Canada, 3100$ at B&H.
	Rotalux Deep Octa 100cm Pros: Can be dismantled to save space, but also has solid foldable design. Extremely well designed, solid construction. Great light distribution and provides a nice focused but soft light source. Overall the Rotalux line of stuff is ah-mazing. Cons: Slightly expensive. – Price: On sale at 319.95$ in Vistek Canada, 314.99$ at B&H
	Custom SLR M-Plate Tripod Plate Pros: Never forget your tripod plate ever again (Manfrotto RC2 and Arca Swiss compatible). Super solid and compatible with the CSLR Glide Strap family of stuff that makes a super comfortable camera strap, even with a 70-200 strapped onto it. Cons: Difficult to remove if you switch from photo to video. Takes a while getting used to if it’s installed on a battery grip. – Price: 74.95$
	ProDot Shutter Upgrade Pros: You either love it or hate it. I love it. Helps me find my shutter button easier, surprisingly comfortable to use. Cons: They fall off with wear & tear 🙁 – Price: 9.95$
	Pocketwizard TT5 Pros: Compact. Hypersync and FP sync make you get the most bang for the buck out of your flash systems. Built in compatibility for White Lightnings, Einsteins and Alien Bees. Low profile, folds into nothing and is compatible with the AC3 Zone Controller that allows you to control your flash remotely! Cons: Expensive & less range than some competing products but it’s got a lot of R&D that’s gone into it with some awesome customization functions. Settings must be configured using a PC, which is kind of inconvenient. – Price: 220$ on Amazon, 219$ on B&H
	PocketWizard Plus III Pros: Love the backlit display. Half-press makes the Pocketwizard III great for a backup trigger as well as a remote camera trigger when combined with the appropriate camera cable. Reliable and robust. Great range. Plays well with the TT5s Cons: Expensive & doesn’t have the fancy TTL functions that the TT5 has. – Price: 150$ on Amazon, 150$ on B&H
	SIRUI Carbon fiber Tripod N2205 Pros: Super portable, tiny, lightweight. Folds so small (18.4″) that you can easily fit it into a small backpack. Solid construction and overall fabulous Cons: Vibrates slightly. – Price: Only 229€ on Lovinpix and 466$ on Amazon Note: I just discovered 3 legged thing. I think I’m in love with Brian and may just have to chuck the SIRUI.

The rest of the Nikon toys:

The Giveaway! (expires June 20th!)

After sharing my video with the kind folks over at Think Tank they offered to giveaway an Airport International V2.0 to a lucky individual! The draw will take place on the 20th of June! Share on whichever social media network you prefer and leave a comment to be eligible! Share an inspirational story, message or other and your comment counts as double!

Announcements:

“For Benjamin Von Wong, an image that tells a story is an image with purpose. To bring these visual stories to life, Ben owes it all to two crucial components: inspiration and post-production. His upcoming two-day seminar details his personal approach to these components. Day One (June 18) covers discovering and channeling inspiration and motivation while Day Two (June 19) focusses on the technical aspects behind high post-production values.

Learn more: https://blog.vonwong.com/workshops/profusion/”