Thursday, 21 May 2009 – Half-Assed Astronaut?

My most and least favorite part of packing for a chase trip is getting all my gear ready for the journey.  When I use my own vehicle, the space is divided 3-5 ways, so I take multiple camera bodies, at least two camcorders, and tons of maps.

I pack much lighter for trips where I fly, as the chase van’s space id divided 8-10 ways. Every piece of gear must have a real reason for being there. Except for batteries and media, there is no duplication at all. If something breaks in the field, I either go without or buy a new piece of equipment in the field (mailing the broken one home for later repairs).

Even so, my gear make me look like some kind of “half-assed astronaut (a term I’ve borrowed from the movie Jaws, since it fits so well). Here’s what the well-prepared ‘half-assed astronaut’ lugs to the field: a camera, a camcorder, tripods. laptop, cell phone, extra batteries and memory, and a few books (in case the gadgets do not provide enough entertainment):

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