What gear to take on a vacation

[Gateruner]

I am going to a resort in the Dominican Republic and am wondering what gear to take. I know they have in room safes but I doubt they would hold a 70-200 IS and a 30D when I am out and just dont want to tote the good gear around. This is a relaxing vacation meant to celebrate my 25th anniversary with my wife. The only issue is I want to get some really good shots while I am there. Anyone been in a similar situation and what did you take? I have 2 30D's, the 18-55 kit lens, the 17-55 2.8, 70-200 2.8 and 2 580Ex, Pelican case along with some other items. In the past I just carried my gear with me everywhere and locked it in the safe when not needed but I didnt have a $1700 dollar lens on the end of my old A2 either.

So what would you do?

[darktiger]

I would prob take the 17-55, just because it is somewhat wide and has IS. The 70-200 would be pretty cool, but heavy. I am pretty sure a majority of your shots will be in the 17-55 range. I am going on vacation in a week and I am bringing the 10-22 and 24-105.

[rams]

add a 1.4 ext just in case..I have had to use that when I travel to England, BUT..now I just take the 400 :)

[jeffkohn]

I tend to take it all when we travel somewhere, but I realize that approach isn't for everybody. The way I look at it, I bought my gear to use it, so I don't want to leave my best/favorite gear behind when going somewhere that may provide outstanding photo ops. When flying somewhere, I take as much as I can fit in my Lowepro Photo Trekker II backpack, which is quite a lot. And if driving, I may take even more.

As for the security/theft issue, my approach is to have insurance on the camera gear and take reasonable precautions, but not worry too much about it. I'm actually far more comfortable leaving stuff in a hotel room than in a car. I've been known to leave my 200-400vr in the our room while out hiking (I just buried it in the dirty-clothes bag). Maybe that sounds crazy to some, but if I hadn't brought it on the trip at all I would have missed a ton of shots.

[Gateruner]

I will probably end up taking it all and locking up what I dont need/use for the moment. Have to double check my insurance and make sure everything is ok for an out of the country trip. I know when I get there I am going to want the 70-200 and not have it and regret it. Thanks for the advice.

[L Stegall]

Trust me, I can fit a 20D or a 5D and at least 3 or 4 lenses + a 580 EX + an Epson P2000 in a hotel room safe, easy. You will have to take them out of your bag to do it, but they'll all fit in there. I hate to be somewhere great and not have what I want. Plus, whose to say it wouldn't get stolen out of my house while I was gone?

[texaskev]

Great advice above. My input: Don't end up taking too much stuff. My last vacation I was too worried about the 10K worth of gear in my camera backpack to enjoy myself. Next time I'm taking a good point $ shoot and leaving the 'rig' at home (with the alarm on:)

KH

[texaskev]

Great advice above. My input: Don't end up taking too much stuff. My last vacation I was too worried about the 10K worth of gear in my camera backpack to enjoy myself. Next time I'm taking a good point $ shoot and leaving the 'rig' at home (with the alarm on:)

KH

[adirty1]

Originally Posted by Gateruner

I am going to a resort in the Dominican Republic and am wondering what gear to take. I know they have in room safes but I doubt they would hold a 70-200 IS and a 30D when I am out and just dont want to tote the good gear around. This is a relaxing vacation meant to celebrate my 25th anniversary with my wife. The only issue is I want to get some really good shots while I am there. Anyone been in a similar situation and what did you take? I have 2 30D's, the 18-55 kit lens, the 17-55 2.8, 70-200 2.8 and 2 580Ex, Pelican case along with some other items. In the past I just carried my gear with me everywhere and locked it in the safe when not needed but I didnt have a $1700 dollar lens on the end of my old A2 either.

So what would you do?

all you stated above will fit in the safe.
I know i have dragged it all plus a laptop and it all will make in the safe. you just dont need both flashes and both 30 ds a 70-200 and second lens plus camera and much more will fit in the safe.

[bodynmotion]

have you thought about bringing a small cable lock and locking the pelican case around the toilet ????? I would think that would deter them. The case should be cleanable if it is a hard plastic one. Make sure to tell the hotel management what you are going to do and that you are taking precautions to prevent theft, but if the toilet is missing, it is not your fault!!!

[Gateruner]

Yes the Pelican is the hard plastic one that you can lock it down. Hadnt thought of that yet but it may be an option. I was kind of wondering if dragging the Pelican along would be a red flag waving to everyone to come and get it. If I scale down I can fit the 17-55, the 70-200 1 flash and 1 30D in my backpack that I out grew. Dang another decision and all I really want to do is get to the beach and drink some rum. Although, once I am there I always become a shutterbug and take boat loads of shots. Thank god for digital so I dont have to haul 20-25 rolls of film and pay for the processing. There are times when I have had a few to many and take some shots and after they are processed I wonder what the hell was I shooting?

[LoungeLizard]

I'd take the 17-55 and that's it. Not even a flash. Every time I travel, I wind up taking less and less and use less and less. Last trip was my 5D, 28-70f/2.8L, 50f/1.4, and a flash. Neither the 50 nor the flash left the case.

Travel light. The 30D with the 17-55 will give you a pretty good range for normal stuff. You won't get much long range, but aside from birds (or babes on the beach) you won't need much more range than that.

[Gateruner]

I thought Babes on the Beach was a required shot even if they did get in your perfect landscape composition shot.

[rams]

^^^^^^ Bingo!

[Patti Edens]

Call the hotel and ask the dimensions of the in-room safe.

I've been in some rooms where they were tiny and I couldn't even get my laptop in them. But the last place I stayed - a renovated hotel in New Orleans, had a huge in-room safe.

I was able to put my 20D with 17-85 kit lens, laptop, flash, and 100-400 lens in it. I just left all the little stuff in my camera case ( a backpack) which I locked in my empty suitcase to keep it out of sight.

I travel a lot as part of my job and I haul all my stuff all the time. Well, maybe not all of it, but as a bare minimum, I take at least one wide angle, one long lens, my camera, extra battery and all my CF cards, camera battery charger and flash battery charger and my 580 flash with two sets of rechargeable batteries. And a power strip to plug all that junk in at the hotel.

I put all my gear in a Tamrac backpack (Expedition 5) along with a light jacket and a few other necessary items and carry that on the plane. Then, I store it under the seat in front of me. I don't use the overhead anymore because a guy that was shifting stuff around to make room for all his stuff almost dropped my camera bag several months ago.

p