Hi all,

well, a couple of days ago I flew Sydney to LA then LA to Calgary, arriving to discover that none of my checked in luggage had made it (and now, 30 hours later it appears that it never will...). First problem was how to stay warm wearing a t-shirt, a thin jacket and jeans. At least none of my film went near a scanner - one small victory at least.

The next and far more serious problem remains the issue of shooting my 4x5 with no tripod, which was checked in with its lovely geared head. Never mind the tons of clothes and motorbiking gear that has gone as well.

So early today, sporting a new heavy jacket, my mobile phone and a little Fuji X10 (with one battery and no charger) I decided to follow the excellent advice in Darwin Wiggett's "Banff National Park" (see oopoomoo.com/ebook) and headed out to scout some good spots, check for light/crowds etc. in the hope that my tripod would arrive for tomorrow (Fri). Wow - Banff is unbelievable and I am happy to plug Darwin's excellent work - his book has taken me places I would never have found otherwise.

Anyway - it appears all my gear has been either lost or stolen and I certainly won't be seeing it while in Banff (only here until Sat morning). So this means that tomorrow I will attempt to use my 4x5 with no tripod and no rangefinder (other than my Linhof viewer). I think I will stick to Tri-X 320 for some extra speed and keep my fingers crossed! Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

I did the rounds of Banff during today to seek a loanable/rent-able tripod, perhaps foolishly thinking that someone in a camera store might empathise and help me find a solution* - only needed for a day. The guy in the Banff store (near the bridge) showed no interest, said his tripods were all new and too small (which is probably fair) and that as far as the X10 was concerned, I could either buy a charger for $50 or he would happily charge it up for $12. I had a similar reception from their sister store in the Banff Springs. "Damn dude - that's a shocker. You could either borrow one of mine or I'll ring a mate who'd love to help out." That's what we'd all say, right?

So any advice will be appreciated. I will set out tomorrow with the 4x5 and hope to get some usable shots. If I do, I'll post one or two!

Anyway - take care and cheers!

David (now the proud owner of new socks, undies and toothbrush!)