bob fleer Loc: Annapolis, MD

Going to visit son who lives in the mountains 2 hours plus from Bogotá. we will be doing a lot of hiking and sightseeing.my question is about camera gear to take
I have a Canon 70D was thinking to take Tamron 18-400, 1.4 teleconverter, maybe my canon 50 1.4 and monopod with ball head. I am the only one with an actual camera and you know how that goes. obviously will have extra batteries, charger, cleaning stuff and extra SD cards.
any other ideas?

Iron Sight Loc: Utah

will you be able to edit

sanhuberto Loc: Miami

Will you have somewhere to download your pics in the evening, just in case something happens.
I had my camera system stolen in Amsterdam and although the equipment was insured, the memories were lost.
Have fun in Colombia.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Two:
► Nix the teleconverter and 50mm. You do not need them. Monopod? Just another thing to carry that will be of very little use overall.
► Desiccant. Humidity there can kill cameras and lens easily.

IdlewildSouth Loc: Tuscaloosa, AL

Many great photo opportunities in that country - including some of the most beautiful women on the entire planet.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

When you go to buy your ticket, remember that Columbia is a sportswear company in Oregon, while Colombia is a country in South America.

Warhorse Loc: SE Michigan

selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

That only works if you dry out the desiccant each time before putting it and the equipment in an airtight container.

bob fleer Loc: Annapolis, MD

thank you all.
Thought the monopod could help as a walking stick, bum knee.
have a Cuban Hitch to keep camera close to body
Plenty of desiccant I keep all that I get in packages.
Backing up no problem.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Those little packages are mostly one-time use things. Some of them can be reused by drying them out in an oven, but not all of them will work that way.

You can buy an aluminium cartridge of desiccant that can be dried in an oven many times and is fairly robust, but it's hard to dry one out if you're travelling.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

As usual, you try to speak about something you do not understand.

Desiccant is sold in pouches that are sufficient for a couple of months*. Then they can be baked/microwaved to 'reinitialize' them**. Your 'airtight' statement is also false as usual. Desiccant works even in a simple photo bag that is supposed to be waterproof in the first place, so, hermetic. A desiccant pack purpose is not remove all the humidity but limit its influence. Too dry is just as bad as too humid.

Amazon is the easier location to purchase large packs for traveling.

Next time, please do your own research, it might pay off.

-------------
* Depends on environment.
** Follow manufacturer instructions.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

I am aware of walking sticks that duplicate as monopod. They are more expensive because they are made for the purpose you have in mind.

Packaging silicate are small and quite annoying. Larger packs are more efficient. (See my previous post)

Rongnongno Loc: FL

I usually tear apart the small stuff and place them in a cotton cloth bag… Still, buying the 'real' stuff (usable instantly) is better. It takes forever to fill a *&*&^* pouch.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

Dessicant is not a miracle. Will you be in a higher elevation that is not hot? Or you will be in a hot humid area staying in an air conditioned room? That makes a big difference. Humidity is a problem to some degree, but the bigger threat is condensation. If you take equipment from a cold air-conditioned room out into a hot humid environment, you will get condensation on the outside of your gear AND on the inside of anything that is not hermetically sealed - zoom lenses are particularly at risk. Having your gear in a camera bag helps somewhat, and dessicant may help some - but the safest way to protect your gear when you are going from cold into hot & humid is to put all vital gear into large zip-lock (air tight) bags. After you (and your gear) have been out in the heat for 10-15 minutes you can remove the gear - hot gear in a hot climate will not trigger condensation. The dessicant in your camera bag will be helpful at this point. But I think unless you are able to dry out your dessicant in the oven each evening, it is probably best just used inside an air-tight camera case where you keep your gear at night. FYI: Silica gel has the potential of absorbing up to 40% of its weight in water.

By the way - going from hot and humid INTO an air-conditioned room will not trigger condensation.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

You are right, desiccant is not a miracle. What it is on the other hand is a mean to fight off the worse when storing a camera in its bag.

And, no, you do not need to dry the pouch every night. That is completely misleading. Note: POUCH, not the tiny packets that come with packaging in hermetically sealed bags. For info, the military use pouches when transporting and storing their critical equipment, after usage and cleaning.