Do you keep a checklist?

[Vaughn]

No. When it is time to go photograph, I've decided which format(s) the night before and loaded holders and got the bags ready. A quick check in the morning and out the door I go. Too many formats to have each packed up with everything anyway. Fifty plus years of living out of a backpack, bike packs or mule packs for a week to months at a time along with almost as long using a LF in the wilds has made checking my surroundings before I leave an automatic thing.

My list would be about half of Kevin's if I made one.

[G Benaim]

I try to keep each format I use as ready to go and self sufficient as possible, though mostly I tend to stick to one outfit per project. That one outfit is always ready to go the night before, and I know where everything is. The less I have to remember and worry about, the less room for forgetting and mistakes. And yes, that often means unloading and reloading film holders late night and tired.

[Drew Bedo]

Hi, do you keep a checklist of the contents of your camera bag, if so have you got one in a file you could share?
Thank you all in advance

GoodOldNorm:

Did any of this he;p you out?

What is your current thinking on how you work with the gear you have?

[axs810]

I keep an excel file of all my gear with serial numbers, date of purchase, retailer, price, etc in case any gear gets stolen.

[ColonelKurtz]

By the time I realized I had left my light meter on the roof of my car, I had driven 40 miles towards my home from Big Sur. I haven't needed a list, since that $500 mistake.

[GoodOldNorm]

GoodOldNorm:

Did any of this he;p you out?

What is your current thinking on how you work with the gear you have?

Hello Drew, yes, the answers have helped me to come to the conclusion that I have to get more organised. I have now got dedicated bags for 35mm, med format and large format equipment. I have made a list of which filters I have that fit the lenses I own and which filter step rings I need. I attach a reminder to each bag to notify me to check that I have a light meter, spare batteries and enough film etc.

[Eric Woodbury]

Testicles, spectacles, wallet, watch. Camera, cloth, tripod, film, lens, and a meter would be nice. Over the years, I've managed to forget any one these. I can make it work without the cloth or the meter.

[LabRat]

I'm pretty good with gear, but the biggest problem is to remember other important information like contact info, directions, phone #'s etc...

Another hot tip is to put your address or personal ID label in or on your gear or bags... If you leave your gear somewhere, you would be surprised how many folks would try to return it... Simple addition...

Steve K

[Drew Bedo]

Hello Drew, yes, the answers have helped me to come to the conclusion that I have to get more organised. I have now got dedicated bags for 35mm, med format and large format equipment. I have made a list of which filters I have that fit the lenses I own and which filter step rings I need. I attach a reminder to each bag to notify me to check that I have a light meter, spare batteries and enough film etc.

Other things I have done to simplify:

I use three lenses most; a 90mm, a 150mm and a 210mm. I got step-up rings for each lens to standardize ion72mm filters. The rings stay on the lens with a Sky-lite filter mounted. Snap-on lens caps go over that. When shooting, the sky-light filter comes off or stays on depending on conditions.

Each shutter has a dedicated cable release screwed in to minimize fiddling around with bits of gear while the light changes.

To avoid fumbling around, each lens box is labled with the focal length.

[Drew Bedo]

Eric: I haven't heard that joke in years .. . .my father used to say that before driving off on a family vacation.