(wind howling) So next up I thought it could be cool to break down one of my day to day packing kits and what I would use to take my equipment into the mountains AKA a backpack. So the first of two things that I would use is, and I know I'll get a lot of critique for it, but the age old dad pack. And this allows me to have my phone, wallet, passport, headphones, whatever right there on my chest. Easy to grab, I don't have to keep taking my bag off. I've even used it to hold additional lenses when I'm just doing a quick portrait from the car. Maybe I need to run out and I wanna have a little bit of flexibility, so I just chuck one lens in this and we're good to go. It's from 66 North. Next up we'll investigate and this is the high resolution style of pack, so it is not light. But can be good for crazy photos if that's what you're looking to get. So first thing's first, cool water bottle. Nalgene. I love these, keeps me up to date with my hydration and is one liter. So big up from what...

I used to use. Now this is a Wandrd 31 liter pack. It has never failed me. I've been on mountains with this guy. I've used it for about three years. And everything has been awesome. It has a lot of clips, a lot of straps. And additional compartments and little things I can clip onto. Really stoked with this bag, so I highly recommend checking them out. And looking at the first thing that I have attached to it is the tripod. Now I don't use tripods a whole lot, but I've found that having it with me, even if it's in the car or attached to my bag, it is useful when you least expect it. And for me living in Iceland, that can be situations where maybe there's the Northern Lights that have just randomly appeared and I wanna be able to capture that. Which usually means long exposures and thus having a tripod. Other situations, maybe when I have a long lens. This tripod itself is a Gitzo Traveler. Made of carbon, it's pretty light and can be folded down. So even for long lenses, even up to like a 300-2A, you're gonna get enough sturdiness to go and get your shots. I've used this a lot and the legs have gone wonky, so I probably need to tighten it up. But at least I'm using it. And now we're going to break into the back. Let's see what is inside this pack. (bag unzipping) Okay. The first thing that is quite interesting about the way that this pack works is that it has, I guess, compartments. So in the bottom of the bag I use this random case that I found from a company called Ape Case. And it allows me to pack my lenses and my camera, so this has the two Sigmas and the Sony A7R3. And it's nice and compact. I can put a little bit of pressure on and everything is safe from getting scratched. The bag itself does have a compartment in it, but I prefer to have something I can take out and have with me if the bag is in the car or whatever. Moving to the top of the bag. I have a few little things that I take with me. Random gadgets and things that you never know when you're gonna need, but it's always good to have them. So I like to keep my smaller items inside their own bags. A few years ago I was recommended Topo Designs. These bags have been really cool. And allowed me to keep organized in the chaos that can be a backpack. So breaking into bag number one. I have just a few little things that I would use on a regular basis. The first is sensor cleaning equipment. And for me that is three things. That is a dust swab which has this special solution, this is called Dust-Aid, and it can be really scary. I feel like I lose a piece of my soul every time I wipe this across the sensor, but it is just integral to making sure your mirrorless sensor or DSLR is free of dust and thus your images are clean. If it's a small piece of dust I have this lens pen. Which is basically a way to just dab off one piece of dust. And of course before I even touch these I have just your everyday air blower which allows me to try and get it off with air before I start touching the sensor with these more intrusive units. Next up in my little bag is this new addition which I'm super stoked with. It is a pair of wireless in-ear headphones from Bose. Just really small and compact, yet still allow me to be flexible, no cables involved. It's just in my ear, not falling out, and I can use this for any situation, even mountain climbing. I just have it there. Maybe listen to a podcast or something. Perfect. The last two things in my little gadget bag is a knife and a multi-tool. Actually got this knife from Alex which is quite cool. Thank you, Alex. And this little multi-tool I've had for maybe seven years. And it's saved me a bunch of times just like when I need to pull a cable tie through and I can't get a grip on it, just random situations. I'd rather have these things than think damn, I wish I had pack them. So worth a little bit of extra weight. Moving on, I have some lights. If I'm on a really lightweight mission I would just pack my head torch. I have the one from Black Diamond here. Never failed me, awesome light. And secondly, if I'm in a situation where maybe I'm gonna be based out of the car, or I'm looking for a little bit of extra fill light in my videos, then I always carry just this second one which is more of a square shape. This one's quite cool, it's from a company called Lander. And it even charges your phone. It's just super nice, a little bright light which has been very useful for many situations. Though it is a little heavy, so sometimes I would just take the head torch. Looking further into the bag. Have a few more things. Lens cloths. I have these all over my house. They are something that I tend to lose very easily, so I just like to own a lot of them and have them in every room. Sometimes I find them a year later in some jacket pocket or something like that, but I'd rather have them than be out in the landscape and have a dirty lens and not have anything to clean it and resorting in my t-shirt that might have some rocks wiping over my lens element and scratching the lens. So I have these and I'm always safe. This one is from Carson and it has a neoprene shell. So you can stick it onto your jacket or something and always have it at your disposal. Next up is the classic Peli case for your SD cards. This one is, as far as my experience goes, very reliable. You could drop it in a puddle, you could stand on it, and everything is safe inside. It holds 12 SDs. And even some micro SDS can fit underneath. So that's been really nice and it's pretty light. The last piece of random stuff that I carry with me is another little Topo bag that is full of Double A and Triple A batteries. You never know when you're gonna need them. Even if it's your friend that's gonna need them, at least someone in the group will have them and I don't mind taking that little bit of extra weight to make sure that at all times, whether it's a head torch or a microphone, we have batteries for that situation. So in the back of this bag, and another reason that I really like this bag, is that it has the laptop sleeve which it makes really easy use. Sometimes in the past, traveling through an airport, I've had to dig my laptop out and then all the other contents falls down into the bag and you can't get the laptop back in. Makes me annoyed. So this bag has solved that. And just have MacBook Pro 15 inch. Been really stoked with the USB-C actually. It really bugged me in the beginning. As that tech has turned into USB-C based hardware, it has become much easier to integrate with the new MacBook without needing all those adapters. Another Topo bag. For my final bag, move this one down. And this contains the heart of my archives. Which is hard drives. Starting off, this is a new drive that I found recently and it has just been really awesome. It is called the Glyph Atom RAID and it is an SSD. Basically two one terabyte SSDs that run in sync inside one drive and they run at really fast speeds up to I think it's 800 megabit per second. So I've had great success with that. And then that has been the successor to what I used to use is the LaCie, I think that's how you pronounce it, Rugged drives. I carry only one now, but I used to carry so many of these drives. That many to be exact. And I always was fed up with why my programs were running slow such as Lightroom or Photoshop. And I'd never considered that the drive itself was the reason. So getting this SSD has been a game changer, it's allowed me to edit video, and my previews in Lightroom load pretty much instantly. So if you don't have an SSD I would highly recommend getting one. Yeah, so that concludes pretty much everything that I would travel with. Of course if I'm out at a mountain I'm not gonna have my laptop and hard drives with me in my bag. I would just bring a tote bag or something else to put them in, leave them behind. Whilst it seems weird to have so many small gizmos and gadgets, pretty much everything that's here has had a justified reason to be in my kit based on a previous experience of me going damn, I wish I had that in my bag and then having an annoying situation. So I carry all these things just in case and I recommend that you do the same.

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Benjamin Hardman

Five years ago, Benjamin embarked on his first photographic mission in an Arctic winter climate. Ever since, Benjamin’s passion for the cold has grown to lead him in search of the North’s most obscure landscapes.

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topics covered in this class

Adventure & Sports Outdoor Post-Processing Aerial & Drone

Ratings and Reviews

Matt Grandbois

Very Informative & Awe Inspiring Both Benjamin and Alex have played huge roles in my photographic style development over the years and it is great to hear first hand exactly what inspires and drives Ben to keep pushing his creative boundaries. Personally, I love his minimalist approach and it was super insightful to watch him explain how he developed that style and how he actively produces photographs in a cohesive manner. 10/10 recommend this workshop to anyone looking for a very unique and profound perspective with the intent of expanding your creative horizons.

Janelle Dransfield

Moving to Iceland now...? Loved this workshop! I really liked the way the modules are split up, and the way you watch Benjamin go out on location for a shot, then immediately sit down and watch his editing process for that specific shot. So much editing to learn too, since he doesn't use presets! The workbook is also super thorough, so printing it out allowed me to pay close attention and just add little notes here and there. The Iceland road guide is also SO helpful and in depth. Can't wait to use it. Also loved that Ben talked about printing your own work. Would be cool to maybe see something from Wildist in the future that goes even more into depth on that (calibrating your own printer, working with a print shop, dropship sites, etc.) Awesome course. Thanks, Hardman.

Alec Brown

First Workshop The first workshop I have ever purchased. I've always been hesitant to invest in a workshop, however this went above and beyond my expectations. Fluid in progression, great insight and a super relaxed learning curve full of information. I feel this has prepared me to take my own personal photographic journey to the next level. Executed to perfection. Nice work guys! 10/10 recommended.

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Backpack Breakdown

Backpack Breakdown

Lesson Info

6. Backpack Breakdown

Lessons

Series Hello & Introducing Benjamin Hardman

Coffee with Alex - Benjamin's Story

Benjamin's Workshop Introduction

High-Resolution Setup

Lightweight Gear Setup