New travel kit

I've written before about the film kit that I take on cruises with Arwen. Recently though, someone asked me about what travel photography kit I carry on my travels.

Well this set me pondering. I am no photographer and in fact I have just put myself on a digital DSLR photography beginners course in January after buying a new entry level DSLR camera - a canon EOS 800D

So what's in the travel bag, ready for our forthcoming Europe trip (which is still in its planning phase but is slowly coming together)?

• a lightweight amazon basics 50" tripod, a small 10" high tripod and another flexible bendy leg tripod
• if travelling abroad, my lightweight dell laptop or my Samsung 7" Galaxy tab
• small portable battery pack
• Zoom H1 microphone with windmuff
• canon EOS 800D with 18 - 55mm zoom and 55 - 250 zoom lenses, each with protective filter lenses
• spare batteries for above
• manual and quick guide for above camera
• remote control for EOS 800D
• cleaning kit 
• selfie stick bluetooth
• note book
• penknife
• green kneeling matt
• two GoPro Hero 5 blacks with spare batteries
• two selfie sticks for GoPro's
• assorted GoPro clips and fittings
• egg timer for time-lapse on GoPro's
• spare memory cards 
• lightweight ear buds

All of this gear sounds a lot but actually doesn't weigh much. It gets carried in my photography rucksac which still has enough room for waterproof and flask. 

And why the sudden interest in digital photography?

I was disappointed with my photographs from our recent China expedition and I realised I need to learn far more about the basics of photography. I will never be a good photographer but learning the basics to take better photos for blog and future magazine articles will help enormously. 

the new camera will be coming with me when I attend a travel show next year where I have signed up to workshops on vlogging travel videos, taking better travel photos and writing for travel magazines