Travel Tech
I get asked about travel and camera gear almost as often as I get asked about Wi-Fi — probably because between running tech support on the Upper West Side and coaching photography in Central Park, I end up testing most of it myself before I hand a client a recommendation. This is what I actually pack, updated as I test new things, not a list assembled from spec sheets.
- One bag that takes a body, two lenses and a laptop: the Peak Design Everyday Backpack.
- One power bank big enough to do a phone and a camera battery in the same day: the Anker 737.
- One eSIM installed the night before you fly, so you land with data already working.
- One camera for someone moving up from a phone: the Sony ZV-E10 II.
- Everything else on this list solves a more specific problem. Add it only if that problem is yours.
Camera bags and travel backpacks
Peak Design Everyday Backpack — the one I recommend most, because it solves the actual problem: a laptop sleeve that survives a gate-check, and a camera cube system so gear does not rattle around loose. If you are carrying a body, two lenses and a laptop through JFK security, this is built for exactly that trip rather than repurposed from a hiking pack. Peak Design
Wandrd PRVKE — the roll-top matters if you also carry a drone: it gives you a top compartment you can reach into without unpacking the whole bag. I point drone-carrying clients here specifically. Check at B&H
Portable power
Anker 737 power bank — enough capacity to top off a phone and a camera battery on the same travel day, which most smaller banks cannot actually do twice. Worth the extra weight if you are shooting all day away from an outlet. Check at B&H
A MagSafe or magnetic phone charger — for travelling light when you just need the phone topped up, not a full gear kit. Skip it if you are already carrying the 737; it is redundant weight.
Staying connected
Airalo eSIM — my default for landing with data already working: no SIM swap, no airport kiosk queue. Install it before you leave and it is live the moment you land. This is the single thing I tell every travelling client to set up the night before a flight. Airalo
A universal adapter with USB-C Power Delivery built in — not just standard USB ports. PD charges a laptop, not only a phone, and it replaces the drawer of mismatched plugs. Check at B&H
The connectivity side has more ways to go wrong than the gear side, and they are all free to avoid — install order, roaming settings, and whether your bank’s verification codes will reach you. Sort all three out the night before you fly, not at the airport.
Travel cameras
Sony ZV-E10 II — the camera I point most of my photo-coaching students toward when they are ready to move up from a phone. Compact enough to travel with daily, capable enough that you will not outgrow it in a year. Check at B&H
DJI Osmo Pocket 3 — a pocketable gimbal camera for travel video without carrying a separate rig. A good second camera for someone who already has a “real” one and wants smooth handheld video too. Check at B&H
The lens you will use once — rent it. A wide zoom for one architecture trip or a long lens for one safari costs a fraction to rent and saves you owning something that sits in a cupboard for three years. Lensrentals
Noise-cancelling headphones
Sony WH-1000XM5 — still the benchmark for long flights. If you already own a previous generation from this line the upgrade is not urgent; if you are buying your first pair, start here. Check at B&H
Quick comparison: what each one is actually for
| Item | Best for | Skip it if |
|---|---|---|
| Peak Design Everyday Backpack | A body, lenses and a laptop through airport security | You only ever shoot with a phone |
| Wandrd PRVKE | Anyone also carrying a drone | No drone, no need for the roll-top |
| Anker 737 power bank | Full days shooting away from an outlet | You are only out a few hours at a time |
| Airalo eSIM | Landing with data already working | Your carrier’s international plan already suits you |
| Sony ZV-E10 II | Moving up from a phone camera | You already own a comparable mirrorless body |
| DJI Osmo Pocket 3 | Smooth handheld video as a second camera | Video is not a priority for this trip |
| Sony WH-1000XM5 | Long flights; a first noise-cancelling pair | You own a recent generation already |
| Portable SSD + spare card | Every trip where you take photographs | Never — this is the one nobody should skip |
For a one-week trip: the Peak Design backpack, the ZV-E10 II with one spare battery, the Anker 737, an Airalo eSIM installed before takeoff, and the Sony headphones for the flight. Plus a portable SSD and one extra card — the cheapest item here and the only one whose absence can cost you the whole trip.
The part people forget
Every list like this is about what you carry. The thing that actually ruins trips is not carrying the wrong bag — it is coming home to find the only copy of a week’s photographs was on a card in a bag that went missing. It takes fifteen minutes a night to prevent: copy the card to a drive, open a few of the copied files to prove the copy worked, and keep the card as your second copy rather than formatting it.
Who I am, briefly
I run Tech Support NYC on the Upper West Side and have since 2010 — the same person shows up, no call centre. I also shoot and teach photography in Central Park through Central Park Lens, so this list is gear I travel with rather than gear I read about.
If you would rather have someone set the whole kit up with you before a trip — phone, laptop, backups, the lot — that is a short visit. See what computer support covers or get in touch.
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