Essential Gear: Part 4

In this episode of essential gear… Zipper Bags!

Zipper bags for the Landscape / Nature Photographer. They come in a verity of different sizes, Gallon, quart, snack, sandwich, etc… I consider these essential photography gear.

Protection

Learn from your mistakes is what they say and well I learned a lesson. You car keys are no longer a simple piece of equipment made of metal that opens your door, trunk, starts you vehicle. No it is a piece of technology with batteries. My lesson, when these keys get in water they might still unlock your car door pending your door has a key hole, but will not long start the car. They call this a security feature, I call it a pain in the a**. When you enjoy taking waterfall photos, chances are you in water and you might have you keys with you. So whenever I am around water, my keys are in a zip bag in my camera bag. Well you might say since you bag is on the side of the steam out of what water, why do this: because of Murphy’s Law. I might pick my bag up and trip head first into a stream. With my keys in a bag, I can at least enjoy a wet drive home.

Same goes for my wallet. I don’t need a water soaked wallet.

If you are a nature / landscape photographer your are in the weather, snow, rain, fog, misty mornings… zipper bags are a good way of protection you gear. I have been caught in weather before, camera on a tripod and for some reason my emergence OP/TECH USA Rainsleeve was no were to be found (in another bag I spotted it later). I did not bring my Manfrotto rain cover since I was not expecting rain. So my gallon size zipper bag became a rain cover.

Weather might change when you least expect it and accident happened, that is why I keep zipper bags on hand for protection.

Storage

My camera bag doesn’t have a lot of pockets, and the pockets it does have are already full of equipment, notes, emergency toilet paper (damn right an essential gear) or ND reference cards. I keep my batteries in one of the lens dividers bag has. I don’t want my batteries falling out or trying to dig around for one when I need it, so I keep them stored in a zipper bag. Easy to get to, easy to store.

If there is mist, dirt, or dust on my camera and or equipment that I need to remove, I grab a paper towel to wipe down. These paper towels are stored in a zipper bag. Keeps them dry and easy to get to.

I also store my 120 film in a zipper bag. A few reasons: keeps them safe and dry both before and after exposure and to keep the trash in. 120 Film has the wrapper and the paper tape you have to remove, this garbage goes home with my for proper disposal.

I like to keep a verity of zipper bags on hand for different storage needs.

That is why I believe zipper bags are an Essential Gear.

Note to self: future essential gear post, toilet paper and paper towels the TPPTs of photography