Gear
Bring home the colour you saw.
The kit that makes the places in our films easier to see and to shoot. No prices here: each link opens an Amazon search, so you can compare brands and pick what fits your bag.
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Get the colour the photos promised
Most "unreal" water is real colour hidden under glare. Cut the reflection and it comes back.
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Circular polarising filter
Cuts the glare off water and deepens a blue sky. It works best with the sun to your side. On turquoise lakes it is the difference between white shine and the colour you came for.
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Clip-on polariser for phones
The same effect for a phone camera. Rotate it while you watch the screen until the reflection on the water drops away.
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Lens cloths and a zip bag
Spray from waterfalls and salt water dry on a lens as a haze you only notice later. A cloth in every pocket, and a zip bag for the phone on wet days.
Film it on your phone
A modern phone is enough for most of these places. What it lacks is a steady hand and a way to stay still at blue hour.
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Phone gimbal
Turns a walking shot into a smooth glide: down a cobbled lane, along a boardwalk, across a bridge. The single biggest step up for travel video.
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Small travel tripod with phone mount
Sunrise and blue hour need longer exposures than a hand can hold. Look for one that folds to bag size and stands on uneven rock.
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Bluetooth shutter remote
Start a time-lapse or take a photo of yourself in the scene without running back and forth to a ten-second timer.
Go up for the view from above
Half of the places in our films look best from the air. Know the rules before you pack one.
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Lightweight drone (under 250 g)
Many countries treat drones under 250 g more lightly, but almost all still restrict flying over crowds and in protected areas, and US national parks ban launching them. Check the local rules for each stop before you go.
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Spare drone batteries and a charging hub
One battery is about one good flight. The light at sunrise does not wait while a single battery charges.
Power, storage and plugs
Video eats battery and memory faster than anything else on a trip.
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Power bank (carry-on size)
Airlines only allow power banks in carry-on bags, and the common limit is 100 Wh, which covers the usual 20,000 mAh size. Enough for a full day of filming on a phone.
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Fast memory cards (V30 or faster)
4K video needs a card that can keep up. V30 is the rating to look for, and two smaller cards are safer than one large one.
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Universal travel adapter
One adapter with USB-C ports charges a phone, a power bank and a camera from a single socket in any country on these trips.
For the 4 am starts
The best light is at the edges of the day, and some of these places are only at their best in the dark.
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Headlamp
The blue flames of Kawah Ijen are only visible before dawn, so the climb starts in the middle of the night. A headlamp keeps both hands free on the crater path.
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Packable rain jacket
Mountain weather turns fast, and the clearest views often come right after a shower. A jacket that folds into its own pocket earns its place in any day bag.
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Dry bag
For kayaks, boat days and sudden rain. A phone, a power bank and a jacket in a roll-top bag stay dry even if the boat does not.