Summer means a genuinely packed travel schedule most years, back-to-back shoots across different countries and climates, and the packing list I run into it with this year is built from actually reviewing what got used on last summer's trips rather than an aspirational list of everything that might theoretically be useful.
What earned a permanent spot after last year's review
The core camera kit barely changes year to year, that part of the packing list is basically settled at this point. What I've refined is the support gear: a genuinely compact tripod that's light enough I actually bring it rather than leaving it behind, a small dry bag for anything near water, and the portable power station I wrote about earlier this year, which earned its spot after a single trip where hunting for outlets cost real shooting time.
What got cut after honest review
A second lighting kit that seemed essential in theory got used exactly once across an entire summer of shoots last year, and it's staying home this year in favor of relying on the smaller clamp-on light plus available and bounced natural light for most travel-specific work. A backup laptop, carried out of anxiety more than genuine need, also got cut, replaced by a more disciplined daily backup routine that makes a full second machine feel like unnecessary weight rather than genuine insurance.
- Core camera kit: settled, doesn't change much year to year
- Compact, genuinely portable support gear earns priority over heavier alternatives
- Cut anything used once or never in the prior year's honest review
Why the annual review matters more than the list itself
The specific items on this list will look different again next year, and that's fine, the actual valuable habit is the honest annual review itself rather than any particular gear choice. Packing based on genuine usage data from real trips beats packing based on anxiety about what might theoretically be needed, and it's made every summer's travel kit a bit lighter and more deliberately chosen than the one before it.