Some of my most useful photography gear in the field is decidedly lofi. Here are four items from the outdoor store that I use all the time.
- Inflatable mini sleeping pad cushion
Originally bought at a camping store to pad my kayak seat, my Thermarest sitting pad is great. When partially inflated, it cradles a lens on a rocky ledge where I can't position a tripod. I'll kneel on it when I'm working low on hard surfaces. I wrap and protect gear with it in my luggage. And I sit on it to eat my lunch. Mine has lasted for 10 years so far. - Microfiber camp towel
Save the optical microfiber clothes for lens surfaces. Camp towels are absorbant, light, washable. Buy a small one, cut it into pieces to wipe rain sprinkles off body and lens exteriors, even clean your bag or pack before you toss it onto the seat. I keep one in the tent too, to sop up rain that drips off my raingear. - Closed cell camping pads
Thermarest sitting pads are easier to pack, but pieces of cheap closed cell pads are also useful in cold weather. I stood on a piece in Yellowstone when I went wolf-watching with the Yellowstone Institute at -25degF. Geared up with sorels, two pair of wool socks and chemical heat packs, I could still tell the difference with the pad. They also can be cut into washable foot beds for muck boats and you can get many spare pair out of one camp pad. - Bicyclist's reflective trouser strap
My first reflective strap was a weird stocking stuffer gift (I don't have a bike). I found a place for it on the hatch of my photo pack, for extra visibility when I'm walking along a road or trail at night. I'll also wrap it around a low branch to mark a tripod location I've scouted for dawn.
