Lens Swap!

A version of this post appears on The Trek, which you can read here

Warning: What follows is a nerdy backcountry photography post.

I’m excited. I’m swapping out my Sigma 19mm (28mm APS-C) for a Rokinon 12mm (18mm APS-C).

I really like taking photos. So when I’m out in the backcountry, I have to bring my camera. I use the Sony A6000.

Lens choice is always a big conundrum and my PNT thru-hike was no different. I was on the fence about which lens to take. I went with the Sigma due to its extreme light weight (5.6 ounces) and I thought the focal length would be a good all-around lens. It’s crisp, decently fast at f2.8, the depth of field is nice, and it’s the first auto focus lens I’ve owned in over a decade. The pictures have a very real/matter of fact/documentary style. Straight edges, very angular. I think this would be a great street photography lens. But out here in the big wild country I found the images to be flat and, well, kinda blah. I was uninspired by the lens and felt that due to its documentary “look” I was doing just that—taking pictures to document but not getting into the creative process.

Enter the Rokinon. I love this lens for landscapes and at an f2.0 it’s going to rock if I can stay up/get up early for some astrophotography. It’s a ton of fun to shoot cause the angles are rather unique as it falls into the ultrawide angle lens category. Close-ups get pretty weird with it, too. I love those slightly unreal perspectives. Downsides are it weighs three ounces more and it really is only designed for wide angle shots. But I have my phone (iPhone 7) if I need some tighter shots.

I’m looking forward to exploring and sharing what the lens can do in the backcountry!

My Final Gear List for the Pacific Northwest Trail

A version of this post appears on The Trek, which you can read here

Let’s get down on some gear talk for a second. I love nerding out on my spreadsheets (believe me I do) but I also like my bank account to be larger than my base weight. 

As a backpacking couple I get a nice bonus to split weight on items and can also skirt needing to buy super light options. For example, our Silnylon Tarptent MoTrail is 38oz with stakes. You can definitely go lighter but split two ways it’s 19oz each and under $300. Not bad.

Being patient has rewarded me with a pretty good run with sales. I found my 850 fill down puffer jacket for $14 at a Kohl’s end of season blow out. I don’t have a fancy logo on it but it keeps me toasty, and at 9.9oz no complaints here.

Sometimes I’ve been downright lucky. My Gossamer Gear Pilgrim pack I found at a thrift store, in pristine condition, for $49.99. Whatever gods blessed me on that day I am forever in your debt.

Of course many times I’ve had to just bite the bullet and pay full price. However, I’ve had good luck buying quality items when I do buy new. I’ve had my Enlightened Equipment Accomplice sleeping quilt for 2.5 years now and it’s still going strong. The initial price tag of around $400 was not fun but certainly worth it in the long run, especially if it makes through this summer.

Tl;dr that’s a long winded intro to giving you a glimpse into my pack. Below is all the gear K and I are bringing on our thru hike this summer. It works out to a base weight of  11.1 lbs each. On our longest sections, 9 days and 8 nights, we’re starting off with a total carried weight of 29.85lbs including food and consumables. 

My Sub 2lb Camera Setup

As much as I like to shed weight heading into the backcountry it’s also the time I want the best camera possible.

Sub 2lb set up

Over the last few years I’ve experimented with the balance of weight and image quality. On shorter trips, like weekend trips or day hikes, I’ve taken full frame cameras such as the Canon 5DS R, Sony A7Rii and Nikon Z7. A full frame camera is an amazing tool to have in the backcountry but the weight penalty comes at a premium. The only one I’d consider on a longer trip would be the lightest of the 3 above, the Sony A7Rii (or A7Sii if I was shooting more video) weighing in at 22oz w/ card and battery. Weight aside I just really love the Sonys and already use them for non-backcountry travel and professional shoots.

Which brings me to my current solution for a balance of weight and quality: the Sony A6000. There are newer models (A6300, A6500) with extra features but ever the frugal guy I was able to get a used A6000 with a low shutter count for a bargain.

Photos w/ Sony A6000 and Zuiko 28mm f/2.8 lens

The A6000 has an APS-C sensor which isn’t as nice as full frame but in high light for outdoor shooting I feel it does a great job. And it only weighs 11.6oz with battery and card (no body cap). 11.6oz!

Lens-wise my preference is to use a prime lens. I think the image quality is superb and they are typically lighter and faster than zoom lenses. There are drawbacks like a fixed focal length, but I mostly take landscape photos and it ends up not being a big deal for me. If I wanted to take wildlife photos I would definitely look into a zoom.

Again, being a frugal guy I tend to be an opportunist when it comes to lenses (and everything in life). The lens I take with me is an old Olympus Zuiko 28mm f2.8. Yes. That’s what I take. I picked it up at a consignment shop for $20 (they tend to run $50-$75 on eBay). All manual everything. With the crop factor of the Sony APS-C sensor (x1.5) the 28mm becomes a 42mm (if I lost you crop factor explained). To me this lens packs quite a punch for its compact size and the weight isn’t too bad at 6.2oz.

My $20 Zuiko 28mm f/2.8

The downsides are the OM to Sony adaptor weighs another 3oz, no auto focus and it’s a sort of atypical focal length for landscapes. I’ve been considering getting a wider lens, something between 18mm and 28mm, and probably will but it’s hard to justify spending the money.

Outside of my camera setup I love the Peak Design Capture clip. To have my camera on my shoulder strap ready to shoot photos means I use my camera a lot more. It’s actually easier to access than my phone.

I also take the Pedco Ultrapod. The tripod is great for long exposure photos (astrophotography)  and low light situations (morning, dusk) and I trust it with a lot of weight. If you need a tripod it’s great, but I’ve been finding that I rarely use it and, at 4.2oz, would consider leaving it at home when I’m counting every ounce. It’s not that hard to find a rock or a log to balance the camera on the rare occasion that I use it.

A breakdown of my typical backpacking camera setup (*new version of Capture Clip is even lighter than mine!):

New Gear Testing

I did an easy two nights out to test a few new items I purchased to lighten my pack on solo trips. The first night was in a steep valley near a river approx 8,200 ft in elevation. Not normally an ideal place to camp given the cold air will sink to the valley floor, but I wanted to see how the gear performs in more humid conditions. Night 2 was above an alpine lake, approx 9,800 ft in elevation. Forecast was for lows near freezing on Night 1 and upper 30s on Night 2. Chance of rain was about 30% each night.

New gear tested:

-Enlightened Equipment Enigma 30F Short/Slim - $265

-Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol Sleeping Pad - REI $35

-Outdoor Research Helium II - $65, REI Garage Sale

Night 1

Night 2

Enlightened Equipment Enigma 30F Sleeping Quilt:

Those of you who know me know it’s pretty rare that I buy new items or drop serious coin on gear (patience is key to finding good deals). However, EE makes amazing gear and when I do buy new I like to support good folks. I love my 20F EE Accomplice for 2 person trips so it was a no brainer to go back to the well for my solo quilt. Night 1 was, as predicted, humid and just above freezing. With base layers and a hat on I was nice and toasty. Night 2 was in upper 30s and much less humid and I slept well without base layers.

For sizing I got the short/slim. The EE site says short is for “5’6” or under”, I’m 5’ 7 1/2” and I find the short to be the perfect size for me. My feet are snug in the footbox and the top of the quilt comes nicely to my chin. The slim size is for “50” or smaller”, I measure myself at 51”. I sleep in a corpse position and like to be essentially swaddled so this works great for me but it’s about the the smallest I’d go. If you’re the type of person who feels restricted in a mummy bag you’ll want a bigger size. The insulation value is in the loft, if the quilt is too tight around you it’s making the quilt less effective.

Fox friend at Lost Lake night 2

Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol Sleeping Pad:

Is it weird that over my many years of backpacking I’ve never used a closed cell foam pad? I’ve always had inflatable mattresses and only once over who knows how many nights have I had to deal with a leak. However, for $35 I figured it was worth a shot, especially since it weighs about the same as inflatables that cost $100 or more. While it’s not as comfortable as an inflatable I like a firm mattress and I slept pretty well. On a longer trip it’d probably get uncomfortable but for a week or less I think it’ll be fine. The best thing was the set up. Just throw it in the tent and you’re done. Amazing. Con was the bulk, I have to strap it to the outside of my pack, but for the cost savings I can deal.

Lost Lake in the morning

Outdoor Research Helium II Raincoat:

This piece of gear makes its on to a lot of UL lists. I’ve been eyeing it for a while but at $150 retail you can about guarantee that I’m not going to buy it new. But when I saw one at an REI garage sale for $65 I figured it was time to go for it. On my scale the small weighs in at 5.7oz, a full 10.3oz lighter than my current raincoat (REI Crestrail). The 30% chance of rain never materialized so I didn’t get to put it through its paces but it did work nice as a windbreak layer in the evening.

The $50 Pack

I’ve wanted to transition to more ultralight gear for a while but the cost is prohibitive. So when a casual trip to the local thrift store uncovered this Gossamer Gear Pilgrim 36 I almost fell over. What is this pack doing 1. At a thrift store 2. In Madison, WI and 3. Is the person that knows about this kind of gear still around cause we should hang out.

As far as I can tell the pack is in great condition and at $50 it’s ~$100 cheaper than new. It’s smaller than the one I’ve been eyeing up (the Gorilla) and frameless (not sure if I’m ready to make that jump yet) but for $50 I can’t not buy it.