Wilsons Promontory Hiking Trip

Hey Guys!!

Over the Easter break my partner and I went hiking in the famous Wilsons Promontory in Victoria. We went for 4 days, camping along the way. The map below details the route we took.

Wilsons Promontory Hiking route. 4 days.

Of course, I had to bring my DSLR and photograph the beautiful landscapes. But when carrying your home with you on your back though, this isn’t so easy. You really have to limit the gear you take on hikes. We had about 35km to cover, and taking all my photography equipment wasn’t an option.

Weather conditions can also be unpredictable, and you must ensure you take steps to protect your camera equipment. For this trip I wanted to keep it simple. I took along the following gear;

Canon 5D Mark III body with grip and L-bracket.
Canon 16-35mm 2.8L II lens
Hoya UV filter (helps with weather sealing on the 16-35L lens)
B+W Kasemann MRC CPL filter
Lee 100mm filter holder
Lee Little Stopper (6 stop ND filter)
Lee Big Stopper (10 stop ND filter)
Lee 0.9 Pro stop 3 stop ND filter
Lee ND graduated filters
Remote for 5D Mark III
Slik Pro 713 CF II Carbon Fiber Tripod
Giottos MH1301 Ballhead

Here are some tips for managing your photography gear on a hiking trip;

Take only gear that you really need. Make sure you don’t forget anything!
Make sure you have a way of protecting them from the weather, I used a dry sack which could fit my camera with lens attached.
Bring a polarizing filter! CPLs help to deepen skys, saturate colour and remove unwanted reflections.
Bring a lightweight, but sturdy tripod
Make sure your batteries will last the distance, keep them warm in cold climates.
Take time to take photos, plan breaks around the best light for photography.

Here are some results from the trip!! All taken with 5D Mark III and 16-35mm 2.8L II lens