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Packing List | Three-Day Photography Trip
Shayd Johnson is a man who doesn't like to linger too long in any given place...not when there are alluring woods, captivating mountains and the open road beckoning to his creative explorer's heart. With the potential for inspiration and adventure around any given corner, this passionate photographer and Huckberry ambassador is keen to discover the beautiful outdoors at any opportunity he gets.
One such opportunity presented itself in the form of a three-day camping trip for a party of five. The destination: a remote mountain lake with the suitably tranquil name of Lake Lovely Water. It's possible to reach the lake via a grueling hike, but instead the campers opted for a 10-minute helicopter ride from Squamish.
Traveling in by helicopter meant that Shayd tweaked his camping packing list, packing more than he usually does for other trips where he hikes in. He shares around three quarters of his gear below, companions that helped him make the most of his adventure...
Carry
This is the bag that I generally use for carrying my camping knick-knacks. Into this bag I've packed my Stanley thermos, my Stanley flask, a first aid kit and the MiiR growler. I use the growler for beer or stuff that needs to stay cold for up to 24 hours. The zipper pouch at the top is where I put the solar-powered flashlight, my pocketknife and a LifeStraw (my water filter). I also pack a fork-knife-spoon combo, a lighter, a headlamp and a battery pack that can charge my phone.
This bag is something that I have all the time as a photographer. It's waxed canvas, so it's pretty water-resistant. It's functional and also looks good. The bottom compartment holds a DSLR and a lens or two. I can usually add a film camera to the top pouch as well. So it's just a great bag to have when I'm traveling around.
The bottom part of this bag holds my 5D Mark II and two lenses. The top part holds my Hasselblad and Fujifilm instax. I have an Ultimate Ears UE Boom, a portable music device that also goes in the pack. Then I attach my tripod to the bottom of this backpack.
This is for all my toiletries. My toothbrush, toilet paper, and a bunch of stuff all goes in this dopp kit so it's in one location.
Shoes and Apparel
The essentials for me are my Blundstone boots. They're Winter boots from Australia and they're really good. I wear them if it's raining, if it's muddy, if it's snowing, or even if it's just a nice Fall day. These boots are rugged, waterproof and they have really good traction. They're slip-on boots, but surprisingly the ankle support is really good. And they're also really warm. So they're good for jumping in puddles or going through the mud, or climbing rugged terrain. They're my go-to boots.
Sanborn Canoe Co. Merino Wool Beanie
Socks
Camping Equipment
This one-person Poler tent gets attached to my Topo Designs Klettersack.
You can wear this around the fire at the beach or a camping spot, but it also acts as a sleeping bag. Generally, I only use it in the warmer climates, but this time I think I'll take it up into the colder climates and give it a shot.
My friend started a local company called Layback, out of Vancouver. The hammock actually comes as a backpack, so you can wear it. Though usually I just stuff it in a bag. But it literally takes me like five minutes to set up, and having a hammock after a long hike up at the top of the mountains is really awesome. So I tend to bring this everywhere I go.
Utensils
Sanborn Canoe Co. Enamel Camp Mug
The Stanley thermos is an iconic thermos. It's a bit heavy, but it keeps things warm, or it keeps things cold for a long time. And it comes with a cup. I just like the nostalgia of it; my dad had one, my grandpa had one. I think they're just very durable. Stanley has a good name. So I try to bring it if it can fit. Having hot coffee, waking up early in the morning up on the mountains, is really nice.
The LifeStraw is amazing. I bring it everywhere because it's really portable, and sometimes you get up into different lakes and the like, and there's not a stream that you can drink from. So having the LifeStraw is really good, and you're able to drink the water right from a stream, or fill up a bottle. Again, it's super lightweight too, so packing it is really important.
Additional items
This is another of my essential items. I never leave on a trip without my UE Boom. What I love about it is it's extremely water-resistant. Their latest products - the UE Boom, the UE Megaboom, and the UE Roll - are all submergeable under water. I just like that because, again, I don't know what kind of elements I'm going to be in when I'm camping or exploring or doing whatever. So having a device like that that can withstand different weather is really important. Also, the sound quality is really good. Ultimate Ears is known for making high-grade monitors that go in drummers' ears. They're a very reputable company and this is their first type of consumer product, and I think they just did a really good job designing it.
Filson x Shinola Mackinaw Field Watch
Adventure Medical Ultralight and Watertight .3 kit
Thrift store LED headlamp
TINCUP Colorado Mountain Whiskey
The items that aren't in the Topo or Langly packs went in a Filson drybag that's not shown above. I don't normally bring this bag on trips, but it's big and it's a drybag, so it's a great thing to bring on the helicopter. If I have some product that I need to shoot, I can put it in this bag too.
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