The Art of Packing

The other day I was thinking about packing. I know weird thing to randomly think about right. In the past when I’ve often traveled with my wife and our packing setup has been something like this. We each carry a backpack of some kind with things we need to keep handy. I swear by crumpler backpacks by the way. Then we have one large rolling suitcase that my wife pulls along with clothing and larger items. That’s the bag that get checked if we are doing a plane trip. You often have to pay to check bags at this point but we feel it's usually worth it. Sometimes I’ll also place another bag with handles on the back of my wheelchair over top of the backpack. I was thinking though what if I was traveling on my own or with someone I couldn’t share a suitcase with?

Packing is not going to be a one size fit all solution by any means. The fact that we all have different abilities and strengths means that some could push a rolling suitcase along while others may not be able to. I might be comfortable with a bunch of weight on the back of my wheelchair but for some that is a huge balance issue.

If you’re traveling and using a wheelchair I have a few basic tips.

1. An under the seat pouch is great for things you need to be able to get right away and want to keep safe. Things like your passport or boarding pass are good to keep there. Maybe some allen keys for wheelchair repairs.

2. If you’re traveling by plane or a train have a reasonable size carry on bag. For me this is a backpack that fits onto the back of my wheelchair. This is where I keep my camera gear, laptop or ipad. Maybe a change of clothes just incase and some snacks too.

3. Regardless of the size or style of bag you use for you clothing make sure it's something you can maneuver without too much trouble. Perhaps this is less important if you’re just going to travel by car. But if you have to trek through the airport or from public transit to your hotel that bag is going to seem a lot heavier as time goes on.

4. Consider if where you’re going to be has some kind of laundry facility. You can get away with packing light if you’re able to wash everything part way through you trip. Even if you have to pay it could be well worth it.

In all how you pack is going to be a very personal thing. If I was going on a long trip on my own I think I’d do something like this. A seat pouch bag which I always carry anyway. Next would be my backpack for carry on. Finally I'd take a four wheel rolling bag if it was a longer trip. If it was a short trip I'd take a bag I could strap to the front of my chair or put over my shoulder and rest above my feet.  

Packing is a pain, I don't enjoy it even though I enjoy planning a trip so much. However it's one of those things that has to get done. Take the time to think about what you really need and try and pack as light as you can. You'll thank yourself later. 

Let me know below what you do for packing. I'd love to hear some ideas.

Ottawa Mini Trip - Train Edition

As I've said in a previous post. Due to a growing family here we are not going to be making a large trip this year. However I am going on a mini trip to the Ottawa Ontario area to visit some old friends. The last time I visited Ottawa I flew but this time I'm going to take the Via Train. Yes flying is expensive, however I had a large travel voucher to use up that I got due to Air Canada temporarily loosing my wheelchair once. Basically you're paying for the time savings as the flight takes something like an hour and the train trip take just over four hours. 

Booking the trip a bit complicated. First I tried to book online. I didn't see an option to let them know I was traveling with a wheelchair. So I decided to call and book it with a real person. This turns out to be a good idea. Via rail of course offers the option of having a companion travel free of charge for those who need it. There are two ways to prove you need a companion. The first is if you're a member of an organization on a this list. Oddly of the spina bifida associate of Ontario is missing from the list. The other way of course is to have a doctor write a letter. At that point though you might as well just fill out the appellation for the Easter Seals Travel card. 

The tie down spot for a wheelchair is in business class. This means if you don't get the companion fare and you're traveling with someone and staying in your chair. You'll pay economy fare and partner will pay for a business class ticket. If you're able to transfer you can sit in which ever class you want but your chair will still go to the tie down in business class. It's a stange setup. I really wish if you were staying in your own chair they would just charge both people economy class. It's not really a fair choice in my mind to make one person pay extra just because I will be more comfortable in my chair than in their seats. As it stands now we will travel in business class and I'll stay in my chair. I'm sure it will all work out fine. 

I'm excited for our little trip though. I'm not sure what we are going to do when we are there. Mostly just visiting with our friends but I'm sure we will go out sight seeing too. If you have any suggestions on things to see or do in the area please let me know. 

Travel Photo Accessories

Regardless of what camera you take on vacation having some great accessories can make things a bit more enjoyable. I've picked out a few that I think are worth your time and money. Let me know in the comments below what your favourites are and I'll considering add them to the list too. 

Western Digital Wireless Hard Drive

The Western Digital wireless hard drive is something that I wish I had with with me on many of my past trips. Sometimes you just don’t want to travel with your laptop. The problem is then that backup and reviewing your images on the road becomes an issue. This drive lets you directly download an SD card to the 1 or 2 TB drive. Then you connect connect to it via WI-FI a hotspot the drive creates to review your images on a tablet or phone. You can connect up to 8 devices to it at once. It’s also battery powered so you can do this while still in the field if you want. Once you get back home you can use usb 3.0 to more quickly access the files on it.

Joby Gorillapod

I’ve owned a Gorillapod for a number of years now. I don’t normally travel with a full size tripod as I tend not to use one that often. I will however take the Gorillapod incase I want to do a quick night time long exposure. It weighs almost nothing and is pretty versatile considering it’s size. I have the Gorillapod SLR from when I use still using a larger camera. However it still works perfectly with the Fuji X-T1 of course.

Fuji SP-1

The Fuji SP-1 is a fun device regardless of what time of photography you do. It’s basically just a WI-FI instant printer. Polaroid for the digital era if you will. This printer was designed to work with smart phones, android or iPhone via a downloadable app. However it also works with a number of fuji cameras that have WI-FI built in. This includes the X100T and XT-1 among others. The printer is especially fun when you travel. Being able to make a print for someone you’ve just met and made a portrait of is really cool. It can help break the ice and leaves them with something special at the same time. The paper isn't super cheap but I still think it's worth it. 

Good Coat / Rain Gear

You might think this is an odd thing to put on a accessories guide. However trust me you’ll appreciate it when it’s pouring rain or freezing cold and you have to walk 3 blocks to that next attraction you want to see. I picked up a The North Face jacket last fall and it’s made winter outings much more bearable when it's -20 C. For the summer I have a Gor-Tex rain coat which is pretty great. I’m not one who loves to go out and shoot in the rain but when you’re traveling you’re not about to sit around at the hotel just because of some rain right?