My family is heading off on a backwoods canoe-camping trip in northern Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It’s the kind of camping trip where everything that you bring in you carry with you in your canoe and on your back as you portage from lake to lake. The size and weight of items matter greatly. It’s also one of my most favorite soul-places, and totally gorgeous, full of family memories to be made.

In short, I’m bringing my camera. Probably more than one. It’s a long-running joke, as we set out on adventures, to ask me just how many cameras I have along with me. Might sound familiar to my fellow Viewfinders and to the readers of this little blog. But when needing to travel light, what are the best options? Do I bring the lens that is going to play well with shooting the night sky? Do I go for a long lens with the hope of catching some wildlife? Do I pack the tripod or risk going without? Do I throw the Instax in there too – and film packs? Most of all, am I completely overthinking this? (Spoiler, probably yes on that last one!)

My usual camera is a Nikon Z6, and I have these stubby little 40mm and 28mm that I’m pretty set on bringing. They shoot well enough, and they’re also small and light. They don’t, however, have the range and depth of the some of their more robust, faster, more lovely counterparts. I also really want to have my Instax along this time.

When doing a Boundary Waters trip I pack my camera gear in a bright orange Pelican case just to make sure that it will all make it back out of the wilderness alright. Reserving the right to make a crazy last minute decision, I think I’m pretty set with what I’ll bring. When you’re trying to go light, what is still on your must-bring list? I’d love to know!

All the best, and keep on paddling,
Alison