I just returned from one of the longest hikes I’ve ever done, the famous O Circuit in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park! This eight-day hike goes around the Paine massif itself, circumnavigating these magnificent peaks and showcasing them from every angle. For landscape photography, it’s hard to think of a more exciting hike.
But planning for photography during a trek like this can be quite daunting, especially given the weight considerations. Should you bring a tripod? What focal lengths are necessary, and what can you get away with leaving at home? In today’s article, I’ll go through some of the main considerations and tips that I find useful for multi-day hikes like this one.
Although this article is based on my experiences in Patagonia specifically, I think that the lessons here will apply for almost any multi-day hiking.
NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR @ 32mm, ISO 64, 1/250, f/8.0
The Camera Gear I Brought
The camera kit that I brought with me on the O Circuit was far from optimal – I deliberately overpacked so that I could test as many lenses as possible for upcoming reviews on Photography Life. This meant two cameras, seven lenses, and my regular tripod. You can see what I do for our reviews! My kit looked like this:
- Nikon Z7 (675g with battery and card)
- Hasselblad X2D (895g with battery and card)
- Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 Heliar (294g)
- Voigtlander 50mm f/2 APO-Lanthar (370g)
- Voigtlander 75mm f/1.5 Nokton (530g)
- Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR (725g)
- Hasselblad 28mm f/4 P (245g)
- Hasselblad 55mm f/2.5 V (372g)
- Hasselblad 35-75mm f/3.5-4.5 (1115g)
- RRS TVC-24 tripod (1500g)
- Markins Q3i-Tr ballhead (374g)
- Arca-Swiss Quick Link set for tripod and head (139g)
- Total weight: 7234 grams or 15.9 pounds
I also brought along some other accessories, consisting of:
- RRS L-bracket for Nikon Z7
- Arca-Swiss style base plate for Hasselblad X2D
- A small Allen wrench to tighten tripod plates
- USB-C charging cord and adapter
- Extra Nikon EN-EL15 battery
- Small microfiber lens cloth
- Sensor gel stick
- F-Stop Gear large internal camera unit
Here, the main source of weight was the F-Stop Gear internal camera unit, which held all the gear and kept it safe and accessible during the hike. I measure it as weighting 752 grams. The other accessories were very light individually but add up to an extra ~200 grams or so. This puts the total weight of camera equipment around 8.2 kilos / 18 pounds.
It should go without saying that you can, and almost certainly should, pack much lighter than that for multi-day hikes. But I leave the list here for you for reference and to answer any questions about what I brought.
Tips for Multi-Day Photography Hikes
1. Distribute the Weight
I didn’t pack light at all for this hike. Yet my bag wasn’t really uncomfortable, and I was able to keep my hiking speed reasonable without being miserable the whole time.
Part of that is because of how I distributed the weight of the items in my pack. My advice is to keep the heaviest (or really, the densest) items in your backpack as close as possible to your body. That way, they don’t drag you backwards and feel heavier than they really are. Also, don’t put the densest items at the very bottom of the backpack or the very top, but instead, near the middle or a little higher.
As a photographer, this is likely to include your camera, lenses, and batteries. Unfortunately, the best spot for weight distribution is also going to be a little harder to access quickly, so there’s a bit of a tradeoff. But I find that it’s worth distributing the weight better regardless – you probably don’t want to make the whole hike more difficult in exchange for slightly quicker camera access.
There’s also the matter of balancing the weight from left to right. If you bring along a tripod, it’s common to strap it to the side of your pack. But if you don’t counterbalance it with something on the other side, you’ll end up putting more weight on either your left or right shoulder, which can grow into a big problem over the course of many days. The easiest way to balance it is with a water bottle on the opposite side – although it works best when the bottle is relatively full. Personally, I also shifted the internal contents of the backpack a little to compensate.
2. Every Ounce Matters
The little decisions that you make really add up when doing such a long hike. It might feel crazy to cut your toothbrush in half, pour all your trail mix into the same plastic bag, re-use as much clothing as possible, and spend $50 more for a sleeping bag that’s one ounce lighter. But if you do all these things, suddenly your pack is noticeably lighter.
This applies to camera gear as well. Go with just a base plate instead of an L-bracket. Leave your UV filters and your camera strap at home. Bring just 1-2 extra batteries instead of 3-4 (it’s amazing how far judicious battery usage can get you). Congratulations – you’ve now reduced the weight of your bag significantly!
In fact, one thing I’d do differently on a future multi-day hike is to leave my F-Stop Gear internal camera unit behind. It made some sense to carry it on the O Circuit given my excess of camera equipment, but if you only have one camera and 2-3 lenses, you can protect them just fine using the clothing in your backpack instead of a dedicated camera unit.
Finally, depending on the trek, there may be huts along the way with snacks, meals, and even beds. These are likely to be quite expensive, and it’s tempting to save money by bringing your own gear instead. However, I would say that for photographers, it’s better to take advantage of these creature comforts if at all possible. Your bag is already going to weigh more than that of most hikers; if you can reduce the weight substantially by spending more money during the hike, think of it as a necessary evil.
Minimizing weight isn’t my primary goal on multi-day hikes; getting good landscape photos is. But for a variety of reasons, a lighter bag does lead to better photos!
3. Stop Frequently for Photos
It’s easy to get in your own head a little bit when doing a multi-day hike. Especially on some of the later days of the trek, it can feel like your main focus is far away from photography – it’s on things like food, sleep, and where to place your next footstep. Also, I find that new scenery can feel less and less “new” as the hike goes on. You can lose the motivation to stop and pull out your camera again.
But I encourage you to try not to fall into this mindset. Day seven of the trek may feel similar to days 1-6, but I suspect it’s still very different from what you normally see in your daily life. Don’t be satisfied by pulling out your phone and taking a snapshot, or only taking pictures at the most dramatic spots. If you were willing to carry all your heavy camera gear this far, stop and use it often.
If you’re even slightly on the fence about stopping, stop! Take some proper photos, even if it slows you down a bit. Unless you go out of your way to do the entire multi-day hike again, there’s a good chance you’ll never be back to this spot, and you don’t want to regret missing out on taking a photo.
4. Do You Need a Tripod?
I’m a huge proponent of tripods. And I don’t think that just any tripod can do the job, especially in windy conditions. I knew how windy the O Circuit can get, so I ultimately brought my middleweight tripod (the RRS TVC-24) instead of my lightest travel tripod.
This ended up being the wrong choice. I could have saved about 800 grams / 1.76 pounds by bringing my lighter tripod kit instead (the Gitzo GIGT1545T with the RRS BH-25 head). It’s not that I totally regret bringing the sturdier tripod, but I think I would do it differently in hindsight. Granted, that’s partly because it ended up being less windy than expected, which isn’t something that can be predicted ahead of time.
But aside from the unique conditions of my particular hike, it’s simply possible to push your gear further these days without a tripod, or with a lighter tripod. You can go a long way through a combination of higher ISOs, image stabilization, and careful depth of field placement.
In fact, for one day during the hike (the hardest day, an out-and-back climb totaling 18 miles / 29 km), I left my tripod and various gear at one of the huts to lighten my pack. I was trepidatious about it, since I knew there would be some interesting waterfall photos that day, and I expected a tripod to come in handy. But it ended up being just fine. In-body image stabilization, along with taking a burst of photos to select the sharpest later, worked flawlessly. I managed to take a lot of sharp handheld photos around 1/15 second, which even allowed me to use base ISO 64.
Again, I’m still glad I brought a tripod, but I’m probably going to use the lighter one next time. And other photographers aren’t as religious about tripod usage as I am, so you’ll need to make that decision for yourself. It hurts a little to admit it, but I think that multi-day hikes are one of the rare times when the cons might outweigh the pros – at least depending on the level of image quality that you’re willing to accept, and how much low-light photography you’re planning to do.
5. Don’t Compromise on Focal Lengths
It’s not a bad idea to make some compromises on camera equipment for a multi-day hike. The tripod situation is one example; so is your choice of lens. For instance, choosing something like a variable-aperture zoom instead of an f/2.8 or f/4 zoom is reasonable, even if it comes with some image quality drawbacks. I think it’s okay to lower your image quality standards somewhat on a multi-day hike.
What I don’t think you should compromise on, however, is focal length. I consider it vital to carry along the full range of focal lengths that you expect to be useful for the trip. You definitely don’t need the sharpest or brightest lens at a given focal length, but leaving big gaps in your kit is another matter.
Of the seven lenses that I brought with me to the O Circuit, I was only reviewing six of them. My seventh lens – the Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 – covered focal lengths that the others missed, especially on the telephoto end. I’ve already reviewed this lens and didn’t need any sample photos from it during the hike. But I carried it with me anyway, since I didn’t want to be left without a telephoto during a once-in-a-lifetime trek. The decision paid off, and I took some of my favorite photos during the O Circuit in the 300-400mm range.
Conclusion
I hope these tips gave you some ideas and inspiration if you’re planning a long hike as a photographer. I’ll have a lot more photos and articles to share from my trip to Patagonia soon, but in the meantime, let me know in the comments if you have any questions! This article only scratches the surface of multi-day hiking as a photographer, but in the comment section, I’d be happy to answer any questions about the O Circuit specifically or backpacking in general.
Most interesting area! How busy is this famous trail? Would like to go!
Every year I spend two weeks walking a route in the Alps with my girlfriend – We camp near the rifugios and we can cook. about saving weight: These days I bring my 810mm lens every time! A 20MP Nikon J5 with the excellent 70-300mm lens weighs together 800 grams !; – excellent other lenses the 6.7-11mm and the standard 18,5mm lens. I have 120cm prints on my wall that look great. But of course if i would be a pro landscape photographer i would choose the Hasselblad. My 50 liter Osprey backpack is only 1.2 KG and very good.
Thanks for the expierence and tipps Spencer!
I really laughed when you listed the gear :D Thanks for your effort!
„Should you bring a tripod?“ I hate that question. As for myself i decided not to bring it on multiday hikes with tent and food. I further narrowed down the gear to only the z7 with 24-120 f4.
What I find most valuable is to have the camera within reach, while also beeing protected. I use the Hyperlite Camera Pod in front of the chest or on the hipbelt for that.
I can‘t emphasize your comment enough to not get lazy and use your phone instead. Having the camera handy helped with that.
Thanks, Arne! The more that you need to carry in non-camera gear, the more the calculation shifts toward leaving the tripod behind. Three high-calorie meals a day, clothes, a camp stove, sleeping bag, tent, ground pad… that’s a ton of weight already, especially for hikes lasting 5+ days. I doubt I’d bring a tripod in that situation, and probably also not full-frame. Maybe something like the Nikon Z30 + 12-28mm + 18-140mm instead.
Great stuff, but a massive gear overkill!
I have done many multi-day hikes, and I have finally settled on taking just my Z7 and the 24-200, no tripod, one spare battery. Weight really is important, and we often have to carry crampons and other heavy gear too (in the Alps).
I previously tried having a short lens and a long lens, but the main use of a telephoto is wildlife, which tends to leave by the time you change lenses. If a bearded vulture turns up, you have to have the camera in hand, because they fly in a straight line and do not come back… The 24-200 is a bit short, but 45 mp allows for cropping. Maybe I should think about the 28-400?
Massive gear overkill is my middle name!
Admittedly, if I weren’t testing lenses, I would have carried a very different kit. Most likely the Nikon Z7, 14-30mm f/4, and 28-400mm f/4-8. Possibly a Z30 for backup. I also considered equivalent Canon and Sony systems before the hike, but when I put a poll on our Member Page last month, the Nikon Voigtlander + Hasselblad kits were the two winners.
I think you should consider the 28-400mm f/4-8. I thought it was a great lens for this trip, nearly perfect for my needs. It’s a little heavier and worse optically than the 24-200mm, but if you have wildlife photography in mind, then I don’t think 200mm is quite long enough. It would be a different story if you’re not expecting wildlife photography or anything else in the 300-400mm range.
Fantastic place to be! But the best tip for saving weight, do not ever take two different camera systems if you’re hiking at a remote location and you need to save weight. Just if you like a second camera body for back-up compatible with your main camera. Oh, and don’t overpack. But dress/take clothes for the weather’s worst case scenarios but as light as they can be. It really sucks to freeze in the wild. Also really important try out your camping gear, backpack and shoes before you go. You need to know beforehand if you can handle your backpacks weight so you just don’t find yourself miserable in a fantastic place. And finally take much more batteries than just two 🙂.
Thank you, Lars! I doubt that I’d even take a second camera body for backup on most hikes like this… maybe something tiny like a Nikon Z30, but I’d need to think about it. And you’re absolutely right – if you do bring two cameras, make sure that both can take the same lenses.
As for the rest of your suggestions, I agree except for the battery. One extra battery is fine as long as you have a way to recharge your batteries during the trip (an external power bank with USB charging, or on some multi-day hikes, shelters along the way with power). On multi-day hikes, you’ll likely be carrying an external power bank anyway to charge your phone and GPS, so more than one extra camera battery is superfluous.
That said, in the scenario where you don’t have an external power bank, and there are no stops along the way to recharge, then yes, I’d take at least 3 batteries and probably 4-5 in total.
How many Sherpa accompanied you? ;-)
Unfortunately, I spent all my funds on the plane ticket to get there!
Hi Spencer,
What a great trip.
I’m not sure I could carry that much weight for that time, so well done.
The image quality is amazing, such depth. I’m not sure which camera performed best, but the Z7 images certainly compare with, if not best the Hasselblad. I doubt the large format cameras you sometimes use could do any better.
Regards John Taylor.
Thank you, John! At web sizes and even up to some fairly large prints, the Z7, Hasselblad, and large format kits will all look excellent.
I enjoyed very much the initial glimpse into your trip. Fifteen pounds on a hike like that is truly astounding. I would add that it helps to train at the gym for strength some weeks before and take a rest in the final week before. A workout for shoulders, arms, and back help a lot.
Thanks Jason! I agree about training for a long hike beforehand. Might as well add a leg workout and cardio while you’re at it. And always bring hiking poles on the hike so that you can take some weight off your legs!
Spencer, as always well written article.
Spencer, don’t tell me you hiked to the Base Las Torres with this whole kit. If you did hats off to you. I recently returned from 2 week trip to Patagonia. I carried D750, Tamron 15-30, Nikon 24-120, and Nikon 70-200. I used my wide angle probably 3/4 times.
Thank you, Jigar!
Luckily I didn’t. When I mentioned the 18 mile day where I left some gear behind, that was Base Torres! My phone measured me as walking 17.9 miles and gaining 3200 feet of elevation that day. At least at my fitness level, I don’t think it would have been physically possible for me to do that hike with the full bag.
In particular, I left the tripod and the Hasselblad 35-75mm lens behind, along with a variety of other things – all of my spare clothes, most of my food for the week, the F-Stop ICU, the camera tripod plates, and so on. I was extremely judicious about eliminating weight that day, and it made the hike very doable, even pleasant to have a day with such a lighter pack.
Thanks for the info. Amazing place to visit! Definitely on my bucket list now:)
If I may, here’s something I would add for comparison, from a 10-day package trip to NZ about a year ago, a much more relaxed affair that might involve “up to” 10km of walking on pavement and improved paths per day and similarly breathtaking, if occasionally somewhat crowded vistas:
First is not about photography but probably important: Pack medicine and watch what you are packing. Travelling to faraway places means a fair chance of picking up unaccustomed bugs; I got some and the cold medicine I packed is caffeinated, kept me up at night, and made it even worse. It was quite miserable for a couple days, I ran a fever and a cough for most of the rest of the trip, and that’s after I got some replacement medicine and lozenges from the next pharmacy I found. This would have been a lot worse, or probably even dangerous, had it been a multi-day hike beyond most of civilization like yours, combined with the physical exertion.
I could second the advice about focal length. I did not quite know what to pack, or get, having more or less really got into photography for the first time, in part for that trip. Ended up – in part thanks to Photography Life’s advice – with the excellent kit Z 24-70mm f/4 zoom, plus the 35mm f/1.8 for environmental portraits, low light, and astro, with a Z6 II body. This met 95% of what I turned out to need, but I found it wanting in telephoto reach in a few occasions, and – while not really landscape per se – was caught out with the exquisite Edwardian interior of the old railway station at Dunedin with the 35mm mounted, no time to change lenses, and either way doubtful that the 24mm end of the 24-70mm would have been sufficient, at the time. Compact Z telephoto offering was much less plentiful when I put the kit together for that trip in late 2023, but I would probably have packed the 24-120 plus maybe the 70-300, or the 24-200, plus something wider, had I known. Now I’m still waiting for a reasonable Z native wideangle zoom that went up to 35mm and does not cost too much. As to astro, I turned out to only have the chance to take *one* passable photo out of the whole trip rather than a planned few hours at a dark sky site due to the aforementioned fever, which is also one of the only two occasions I got to put the mini tripod I packed to use, the other being some nighttime cityscape long exposure through the windowpane of a hotel room. A full-sized tripod would have been less useful.
Third, stopping frequently for photos might be occasionally difficult, when you are travelling on an itinerary as with a packaged tour, or with non-photographers, especially family:) A multi-day hike without a strict itinerary would have been much nicer and, yes, why bring the good camera when you won’t be using it as often as possible?
That’s all I have on my mind at the moment.
James, you should definitely go! It’s not the easiest place to reach but is really remarkable.
I agree with you on all counts. A medicine kit is essential, and so is a backup plan in case of illness or injury. One good thing about the O Circuit is that there are a few places along the way where you could end the hike early and get transportation out if necessary – three spots where it’s an official option (camps Grey, Paine Grande, and Central) and another 2-3 where it should be pretty easy if you had a more serious illness or injury.
Regarding stopping for photos with friends and family, or with a tour, one possible option is to hike with your camera on the outside of the backpack using something like the Blackrapid or Peak Design clips. These strap systems aren’t ideal from the perspective of adding more weight and harming weight distribution, but they’re not too bad in those regards either. And they make it so much faster to access the camera, so I would definitely use them in a large group environment.
A well written and thoughtful article! I hike in the mtns with my camera gear often and your advice is very consistent with what I’ve found throughout my experiences. The tripod is always the most difficult decision, unless I’m planning for astrophotography.
Thank you, Bryant! No perfect answer here, but at least for me, I’ve settled on just bringing my lightest tripod + head on future hikes like this. At about 1200 grams / 2.6 pounds, I think it justifies inclusion in the bag.