Photographers often tend to collect a ridiculous amount of gear over the years. To prevent my studio from getting swamped – or my lovely wife kicking me out for that matter – I try to invest wisely and sell on equipment I don’t really use.

• Batteries: always bring extra batteries, as in some locations AC power sockets are far and wide in between. For now this is still more reliable and cheaper than a high capacity power bank or solar panels;
• Battery grips: I regularly use Canon battery grips on my bodies for double battery life + easier vertical shooting;
• Battery holder: I love the DSRL battery holder of Think Thank. And what about this simple but great hack: put a red and green sticker on opposite sides of every DRSL battery you own, this way you can see on a glance which are still full. This saves valuable time;
• Beanbag: offers a stable platform for your camera if you use your car as a mobile hide, like on safari’s. They pack away easily and every travel destination sells beans or rice as filling;
• Extension tubes: great value to focus even closer. Don’t buy the big brand names as extension tubes contain no optical elements, but make sure autofocus will still be enabled;
• Flash: I use a Canon Speedlite 580EX II with Canon OC-E3 Off-Camera Shoe Cord, often with a Westcott Micro Apollo softbox and a Nikon SB-28 flash for camera trapping;
• Filters: I prefer using filters in the field compared to post-processing. Filters are used in situations like long exposures with moving water, or in situations with a higher dynamic range. I use Sirui filters;
• LensCoat: overpriced but they do offer good camouflage and extra padding. The white large super-telephotos of Canon might be easily recognizable during a sports game, it’s terrible when photographing wildlife;
• Memory Card Holder: I use Caruba and Gepe card holders to protect my CF and SD cards against shocks, dust and moisture;
• Mobile hide: when working in a fixed spot or set-up, you can bring a mobile dog blind that sets up in mere seconds;
• PocketWizard: for remote photography I use two PocketWizard Plus III, which are very reliable and have a wide range;
• Recharger + power strip: having multiple batteries and only one recharger is a definitive no-go. You don’t want to have to set your alarm for the middle of the night in order to wake up and change your batteries while on assignment #beenthere. I always bring a travel adapter, a power strip and two Canon rechargers;
• RocketBlower: I love this simple but effective tool from Giottos to clean my camera bodies and lenses of pesky dust;
• The Plamp: if you are into macro photography, I recommend The Plamp by Wimberley. Excellent for keeping flowers or other subjects steady in front of your lens;
• Cotton carrier camera harness: best way for hands-free hiking with big backpacks;
• Camtraption: I use one of their sensors and a camera housing for camera trapping.