Packing for The Khutzeymateen

I am getting ready for a trip to the Khutzeymateen Inlet for some grizzly bear viewing and photography. Accommodations will be at the Wilderness Lodge where I will hopefully be able to get out for three separate days of excursions into the inlet via a 24 foot zodiac.

Since there are no roads to the lodge, visitors must arrive by float plane. One of the things about travel by float plane is that baggage and carry-on weight is limited. Personal luggage is weighed and must be less than 20 lb. Fortunately photography gear is separate but is still weighed and requested to be kept to a reasonable minimum.

With all that in mind, I have tried to keep things simple in terms of clothing and camera gear. The challenge is that weather in the area is often cold and rainy. That means I also have to accommodate bringing sufficient warm wear and rain gear. Rather than just bringing a big heavy jacket, I am going with a layering approach. It is generally a better way to go as it is less bulky and allows for more flexibility depending on the weather.

As far as photography gear goes, I am bringing just two camera bodies and three lenses. Two bodies are, of course, pretty standard to avoid changing lenses in the field and as a redundant backup. Given that most of the action is reportedly typically close up, the only long lens I am bringing is the Nikon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6. Beyond that, I am bringing a wide angle and normal zoom. Other than a few accessories and rain covers, that is pretty much it.  

For clothing and personal items, I am going with a basic Patagonia 40L Black Hole Duffel. All my camera gear will go in my Gura Gear Kiboku 22L backpack. Fortunately, the size and weight of all this is such that I should also be able to go full carry-on for all my commercial airline flights getting there. The Patagonia bag is coming in at about 16 lbs., while all the camera gear in the Gura Gear backpack, (including the MacBook Pro) is about 24 lbs.

Below is my packing list.