If you are of that ilk, I have some tour options for you. I’ve picked three sites to help get your ideas of traveling abroad going, plus a listing of my own photo tours, of course. The three sites are run by people I have befriended and would personally enjoy spending two weeks frozen in the Arctic with or a week sweltering in the jungles of Papua New Guinea or exploring the expanse of the Universe from the floor of Death Valley. Have a look if you’re looking for a photography tour or regular tour in 2012 or 2013.

NOTE: While this is a listing of current tours, all the operators here constantly update their sites as new trips are planned. They are all also available for customized tours if your trip idea is not listed.

Jim Goldstein

Jim is a San Francisco based photographer who loves the outdoors. Yosemite is in his backyard and he plans a number of trips there each year. His list of locations also includes Death Valley, the beaches around the Bay area and the American Southwest. Jim’s laidback attitude, while still being a tech-geek at heart, is a great combination of art and the technical aspects of photography making him an excellent instructor. Not only will you learn a ton from Jim’s workshops, you’ll want to hang out and have a beer with him afterward.

• Yosemite Moonbow Photo Tour – April 2012 – Yosemite, National Park, Moon, Waterfalls, Nature, Night Photography
• Tidepools & Macro Photography Photo Tour – May 2012 – Macro, Sealife, San Francisco
• Yosemite Moonbow Photo Tour – June 2012 – Yosemite, National Park, Moon, Waterfalls, Nature, Night Photography
• Glacier National Park, Montana – June 2012 – Glaciers, Nature, Wildlife, Night Photography
• Bisti Badlands, New Mexico – September 2012 – Night Photography, Macro, Desert, Nature
• Death Valley Racetrack – October 2012 – Desert, Nature, Night Photography, Light Painting, Experimentation, Landscape
• The Wave, Arizona – Fall 2012 – Patterns, Desert, Nature, Landscape, Sandstone

Jon Cornforth

Jon plans big. If you’re looking for pure adventure (which might read: some discomfort required to take in spectacular sites and awe inspiring nature) then take a look at what Jon offers. His tours are not for those wanting to sit five stories up on a cruise ship while maybe spotting a whale 3000’ away. His tours are perfect if you want to be in the thick of it; a hundred yards from a polar bear in the arctic or swimming with whales off the coast of Tonga. Really, he gets out there. Take a look at his offerings for the next couple of years:

• Humpback Whale Photography Tour – July & August 2012 – Whales, whales and more whales, sea life, Alaska, Tropics, Tonga, Adventures
• Polar Bear Photography Tour – October 2012 – Polar Bears, Arctic, Wildlife, Alaska, Land-Based, Sea-Based
• Mexico Sailfish Photography Tour – January 2013 – Diving, Sea Life, Underwater, Sailfish
• Japan Wildlife Photography Tour – February 2013 – Snow Monkeys, Cranes, Japan, Wildlife, Eagles

Beth Whitman

While Beth is not offering a specific photography tour, she has in the past. What’s more, Beth understands the idea behind traveling differently. Her tours don’t pass by the highlights at a 30 monument-a-day pace. She takes time to visit local villages and savor local flavors. Her tours are hand spun and she has personally inspected each location, having at least once lead a tour before setting up an itinerary. Her years of experience leading these tours (she’s never home when we gather for happy hour in Seattle!) and kind nature make her an easy choice if you want more of a mix of great photographic subjects and cultural connections.

Beth also offers women-only tours, something the guys above can never offer. ;)

• Vietnam and Cambodia Women-only Tour – March 2012 – People, History, Scenery, Culture, Villages, Angkor Wat, Mekong River
• Bhutan Women-only Buddhism Tour – Spring 2012 – Buddhism, Culture, History, Religion, Meditation, Yoga, Paro Festival, Tiger’s Nest
• Santa Fe Women-only Culinary Tour – June, 2012 – Food, Sun, Cooking Lessons, Native American History, Markets
• Papua New Guinea Mt. Hagen Show Cultural Tour – August 2012 – Co-ed, Culture, Islands, Jungle, Photography, Tribes, Mt. Hagen Festival
• Papua New Guinea Goroka Show – September 2012 – Co-ed, Culture, Homestay, Tribes, History, Goroka Show
• Rogue River Women-only Rafting Trip – Fall, 2012 – Rafting, Oregon, Outdoors, Wild And Scenic River
• Bhutan Women-only Culture and Festival Tour – Fall, 2012 – Jambay Lhakhang Teschu, Festival, Buddhism, Monasteries, Ritual
• Myanmar (Burma) Women-only Culture and Pagoda Tour – October 2012 – Culture, Cuisine, Religion, Tribes
• North India Women-only Cultural Tour – Fall, 2012 – Taj Mahal, Delhi, Bollywood, Hadicrafts, Daily Life

Peter West Carey

On to me. I endorse me because I earnestly love not only traveling but also teaching photography. My tours are focused on photography and experiencing local cultures. I keep my operations small so I can give personal attention to each of my guests, helping them learn photography while in exotic locations as much, or as little, as they want. My trips are centered around either an event, like the four day festivals in Bhutan, or an exotic location rich in photography subjects.  Take a look at what I have on deck for the next couple of years.

• India April 2012 – 16 Days – Delhi, Agra, Taj Mahal, Ranthambore National Park, Amritser, Jaipur, Varanasi – Tigers, architecture, festival, ceremony, religion, daily life, Ganges River
• Mountains, Waterfalls & Stars – 3 Days – Oregon, Cascade Mountains, Waterfalls, Columbia River, Mt. Hood, Night Photography, Mt. St. Helens
• Nepal Sept/Oct 2012 – 21 Days – Kathmandu, Sagarmatha National Park, Himalayas, Mt. Everest,Gokyo Ri
• Bhutan Oct. 2012 – 13 Days – Thimphu, Jakar 5 Day Festival, Bumthang, Religion, Ceremony, Tiger’s Nest
• Bhutan March 2013 – 13 Days – Paro, Paro 4 Day Festival, Thimphu, Tiger’s Nest, Culture
• Nepal Oct 2013 – 21 Days – Kathmandu, Sagarmatha National Park, Himalayas, Mt. Everest, Kalapathar
• India November 2013 – 16 Days – Pushkar 5 Day Festival, Camels, Nomadic Life, Taj Mahal, Architecture, Religion

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

In airports in the USA with bench seats, there are predictable patterns to how people sit under certain circumstances. Failure to follow these rules results in scorn, ridicule, banishment to a dungeon or possibly just a dirty look. You see, we all know once inside the plane we will be sitting next to someone. Closely. So when we are outside of the plane, we want nothing to do with sitting next to someone (unless we know them, and even then it can be tricky if you are catching a 4am flight and are not yet awake). We have rules, unspoken rules, about where to sit. They look like this:

1 Person

With one person in a row the rule is pretty simple; they can sit where they please. Sometimes they will sit in the middle, but if they are considerate they sit on the end of the row so their bag doesn’t take up a seat. Yes, they will have a roller bag. Always. People without roller bags tend to stand. Hippies with backpacks lay on the floor. And kids never sit, at least not for more than a nanosecond. If they have a roller bag, they have a cell phone as depicted below.

2 People

The two person configuration is not much different.

And So On Until The Row Is ‘Full’

Overfull

Most people are happy with the above configuration. Most consider the row full and no one else should sit there. But if a ‘newbie’ traveler comes along and actually wants to rest his feet before getting on a flight, the most often chosen spot is seat #7. This is because the open adjacent seat allows for bag storage out of the general legroom area.

Overfull Exception

This is, of course, unless one of the passengers happens to be an attractive woman.

Power Option

Given the Overfull scenario…

…we now throw in a power pole, always located in the center of a row.

In this scenario, even the most introvert, anti-social, mobile device toting geek amongst us will ask the other passengers to please move their bags so he may suck from the life giving teat.

That is, again, of course, unless there is an attractive woman in the row. In which case most geeks will forgo power for proximity to someone who smells pretty, even if they know they have zero chance of talking to her.

This leaves a clear space open for another geek to gain some power, nearly filling the row.

When Standing Close Is Not Okay

If we take our Full scenario above and in saunters someone who doesn’t want to sit, but instead stands close, this would be most disliked by the rightful sitters.

No one likes to be stood close to when they are sitting, even with a one seat buffer.

When Standing Close Is Okay

However, standing close suddenly becomes socially acceptable if you are recharging something and there is not a seat available.

I don’t know why this is. I think it is because we feel like people have to have a reason to stand close to us. Charging a phone? That’s okay. Eating a burger. Not okay.

The Troubles Couples Have

It’s time for a pop quiz because this little cartoon game just got serious. A couple enters the waiting area. The seating is as such. Where would they sit and in which configuration (woman on left or man on left)?

I know. It’s not easy. Two seats here and two seats there. I’ll give you a moment more to think about it.

Done?

The correct configuration is:

The reasoning is thus: The gentleman would not want his lady friend  having to sit too close to the geek, knowing that she would become uncomfortable as the geek slowly leaned closer and closer to her, lured by her natural charm, while continuing to watch X-Men 12: The Final Mutation on his phone. Thus, being a considerate gentleman, he takes the seat closest to the geek (a ‘geek block’ if you will) while allowing his lady friend (thanks to Melanie for the phrase) to avoid sitting close to people, especially geeks.

If he’s not the considerate type, the configuration would end up like this.

He’s happy because he gets to catch up with friends on Facebook telling them how awesome his trip is going to be. She’s quite unhappy because not only is he ignoring her, having picked this set of seats so he can charge his phone rather than getting her a seat with some elbow room, she also has to sit next to the guy in seat #8 who seems a little too happy. He’s freaking me out too and I’m the one who drew him.

Beyond this, chaos reigns. More people show up and no one is happy, but we slog through it, this time we have around strangers.

The funny thing is, if we get to our destination and mosey up to the local watering hole only to find the same situation, we won’t hesitate to grab a seat next to anyone for a chance to drink a beer. I guess it all comes down to motivation.

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

I was lucky enough to win a tour with G Adventures in Peru thanks to going to a Meet, Plan Go! meeting the year before. It was the top prize and included a 10 day classic tour of Lima, Cusco, Machu Picchu and the Amazon rainforest along the Tambopata River.

The funny thing is I had already visited Peru, and performed this exact itinerary in reverse, in 2008 on my own accord and without a guided tour. Why would I even enter a contest that takes me back to a place I have already visited? I mean, after all, isn’t Machu Picchu supposed to be a “Once-In-A-Lifetime” experience? I could unbalance the whole space-time continuum if I saw it again, potentially.

In the face of such cataclysmic risk, I went any way. And I’m very glad I did. You see, an entire country like Peru can not be ‘seen’ or ‘done’ in one visit. Now one lifetime. Not even Lima, a much smaller subset of Peru, can be done as such. Granularly speaking, it’s because of constant change that I wanted to go back.

I wanted to see what was new. Even at Machu Picchu there were tarps that showed up in my first images that would now be gone. The weather would be different. The people would be different. I’d be riding a train this time (in first class too!) instead of trekking the Inca Trail. And I’d get to go with a friend time.

In the end, arriving back home to Seattle on the last of three flights that left Lima at a bit past midnight, I am ultimately happy that I returned and took this tour. Returning to the ‘same’ (big quotes here as nothing is ever the same after three years) place provided me with some important differences I never would have experienced had I only visited once.

Below I list some of the reasons I’m glad I went back to the same location three years later. I know there is far more in this world to see than I will ever get a chance to experience in one lifetime, but if by chance you are offered an opportunity to return to a distant land for a second time, I hope these reasons will help you decide it likely will be worth your time.

1. New People – I met a whole passel of new folks this time around, from varied and distant lands themselves. None of them were here the last time, even the guides I met. I even got a chance to try out some of my horrible Swedish language skills on a few of the travelers this time around. New guides. New hosts. New everyone.
2. New Sites- This time around I spent more time in Lima, six days instead of one and a half. I saw more of the historic district and Miraflores. I walked the beach (as rocky as it is) and visited Christ (he’s on a hill and a lot easier to find than you may think as he turns blue at night). I ate in different places (one of which was TGIFriday’s for Thanksgiving dinner. Classy. That’s me). I also walked areas of Cusco I had not visited as I was more timid last time. Heck, I even walked up to a different Christ while there.
3. That Familiar Feeling – This was something I didn’t’ realize I’d like so much. I knew where stuff was. I knew how to get around Cusco. I knew which river fed which river in the jungle. I knew how hot it was going to be getting off the plane in Puerto Maldonado (answer: soak-your-shirt hot). I knew my way around Machu Picchu and where I wanted to go for the pictures I would take. That part was cool.
4. I Got To Avoid Crowds At Machu Picchu – Yes, there are places with no crowds at Machu Picchu. While everyone else was busy following our guide after entering the city, I headed up hill to take some photos. I wanted to take some time-lapse images and had a spot in mind I found on the last trip. It’s a spot on the Inca Trail and after the trekkers passed by from their early morning start to visit the city, and before the tourists downhill started making their way up after they spent 3-4 hours listening to their guides teach them about the city, I had time and space by myself. At once point, I saw no one for 30 minutes. It was heaven.
5. I Got To Play More – As I had seen things in most of the locations, I got to be more curious and take my time when I wanted to. I wasn’t struck with the “I must see it all…NOW” feeling that often comes with thinking you will not return to a location. I wandered into the jungle and took pictures of leafcutter ants because it struck my fancy. I met a travel writer who happened to be in town because I had the time.
6. New Experiences – I fished for meat eating piranhas. I witnessed a sunset from 120’ in the air and above the tropical canopy of the Amazon Jungle. I ate in new restaurants. I touched the Pacific Ocean from that side of the Southern hemisphere. I spoke more Spanish. I visited different Inca ruins.  I had a picture of Robin Hood making out with some damsel, above my bed. You know, the life giving experiences we seek.
7. I Had Better Weather For Pictures – This was a big one. See those pictures at the top? The one with better light and blue skies is from this last trip. Gray clouds? My “Once-In-A-Lifetime” trip.
8. Ants!

There are more reasons to consider going back to a place you’ve visited before and we all have personal ones, often. I am very glad I made it back to Peru for another visit. Would I go back if someone offered me another free trip?

In a heartbeat.

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome to a new new 21 part series on The Carey Adventures: Healthy Family Travel Tips. Over the next three weeks I will be sharing things we’ve learned on the road of life as we travel far and near. I hope some of the tips help you and your family stay healthy while exploring the world. To make sure you receive all the updates, subscribe here.

We got this tip from our doctor yesterday when talking about our upcoming trip to Nepal.  His suggestions, among others, was to cut your fingernails back so there is no white showing at all.  The reason is simple; while in a big city like Kathmandu there are all kinds of opportunities for mites and bacteria to get in under your fingernails.  Then something so simple as picking food from your teeth or scratching your ear can introduce you to an infection.  Along with using anti-bacterial wipes or lotion when you’ve been out and about, this simple step will help reduce your chance of catch something no one really wants.

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

Nope. Instead, I’m going to tell you about my best shots from 2012. You see, I’m a believer in planning. I interviewed Michael Riffle recently about this very topic. I also leave a number of things to serendipity, chance, randomness, what-have-you. Planning, for me is putting myself in a good spot to take great photos then just seeing what life has in store. That’s why you won’t see any in this “Best Photos From 2012″ post, because I am simply projecting ahead.

What I see in 2012:

January – I’ll be holding a number of workshops this month and won’t have a lot of time for shooting. Best plan is to get a shot of the surf and sun with fellow photographer Ron Dubin while in CA.

February – San Francisco and Portland are on the agenda, and possibly a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I’m thinking of joining one of Michael’s  meetups (via Google+). The Photographer’s Ephemeris says it will be a good night on Feb 6th to see if a boat ride will gain a good spot. Otherwise, Alki Point works. Who wants to join us?

March – I hope to do more star photography this month in prep for a workshop in June.

April – April’s best photo will likely come from India. I’ll be leading a photo tour there and if last’s trip was any indication, there will be MUCH to shoot.

May – June is a tossup. Plans are in flux so this month might not produce a “Best of” photo. But I just might find something I like.

June – Still under wraps (but wishing to break free) is a small workshop I’m planning for Oregon. Title: Mountains, Waterfalls & Stars, it’s a 3 day in the field workshop about, well, mountains, waterfalls and stars. More details to come, but this will surely produce a winner. I’ll also be competing in the Race For The Cure with a group of friends, raising funds for breast cancer research and support.

July – Totally open. Some fireworks for sure. But maybe a trip to Pennsylvania or Utah.

August – Also open. I’ll likely fill a few weekends with wedding gigs and that will keep me close to home. So maybe a great moonset over the Olympics.

September – More workshops and it’s time to start packing for Asia!

October – A month of photo tours in Bhutan and Nepal. It’s going to hard to narrow down the number of shots as both countries are rich in experiences, people, scenery, life.

November – Winding down the year and sorting all the images from the last trip. November has always been lucky for me with a great sunset or cloud pictures.

December – Again, I’ll be at home and prepping the list for Best Photos Of 2013!

So here’s to the new year ahead and all the great photos we will all take. Speaking of which…

What are your plans for great photos in 2012?

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

For the photo nuts out there, Camera Gear is listed near the bottom.

Clothes

• Synthetic or Wool long under wear (base layer-top and bottom) – Didn’t need them! It was never cold enough and the hotels were plenty comfortable/warm.
• Fleece Pants – Didn’t need these either.
• Fleece Coat or warm sweater – Used my Marmot down jacket often when walking about at night.
• Jeans or quick-dry pants, consider zip off pants
• Long shorts – Didn’t wear them as pants were comfortable the whole time.
• Short sleeved shirts
• Long sleeved shirts – Required for entry to many places.
• Water Proof Rain Jacket and Pants (pants optional, a poncho can also suffice) – Didn’t need the pants as we weren’t ever out in the rain for hours on end. The jacket was useful, though.
• Trekking socks – Loved them. Always do.
• Sock liners if you tend to need them when hiking
• Underwear – Have I mentioned how much I love the ExOfficio quick dry underwear? It was perfect.
• Sleepwear – See Underwear.
• Sunglasses (good quality) – I did not have mine and wish I had. Too much squinting.
• Wide brimmed hat for sun during the day – I had a baseball hat and a wide brim hat would have been smarter for my white skin.
• Boots or trail shoes – Yep, needed these.
• Sandals – Comfy around town or in the hotel.
• Gloves if you tend to have chilled hands – Didn’t need these either.
• Bandana – Always.

Personal Items

• Waterbottle – My trusty Klean Kanteen was perfect.
• Sun Block (small bottle)
• Headlamp/small flashlight – Used a lot at night when shooting stars.
• Day pack – I used the LowePro FastPack 350 AW and it fit just the right amount of gear.
• Water proof cover for day pack – I used it once in a while.
• Duffel bag for all other items
• Books/reading material
• Writing Journal (optional)
• Small notebook
• Passport
• Copy of Passport
• 2 extra Passport Photos
• Guidebooks/maps (optional)
• Credit/Debit cards – There are not a lot of cash machines (ATMs) in Bhutan. I had to try a couple in order to get out cash. It’s not hard, but not as super easy as at home.
• Cash (cashiers checks can be cashed, but it can be a pain and scarce)
• Cell phone (optional and needs to be capable of accepting a different SIM card)
• Cell Phone Charger
• Travel documents
• Alarm clock
• Watch (optional)
• Photos from home to share with locals (include family, location, attractions, etc…)
• Gifts for locals and guides
• Extra batteries (I suggest rechargeable as Bhutan has no service to recycle spent batteries)
• Snacks you might be partial to
• SPOT device or other satellite communication device – optional and I will have my own, which I use to mark the end of each day and it will send an email to family back home. This is just a one way device and not a satellite phone. – Mine was stolen in Nepal. :( I’ll be SPOTless for a while.
• iDevice and charger if you need music or distraction, especially while traveling to Bhutan
• Water purification – I prefer the Steripen device, but good old iodine works. While not required, I personally prefer to not buy bottled water as much as possible as Bhutan has little in the way of recycling. – While water bottles are provided each day, I’d love to see more people not using them.
• Small Binoculars

Toiletries

• Plastic bags for all liquid toiletries (in case of altitude or rough handling induced rupture)
• Deodorant
• Shampoo/Conditioner – Most hotels had some if it was forgotten, but again….lots of small plastic bottles.
• Hairbrush/Comb
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrush
• Dental Floss
• Hand lotion
• Towel (I suggest a quick dry version) – Didn’t really need this as all hotels had nice towels and plenty of them.
• Razor
• Face lotion
• Chapstick/lipbalm
• Extra eyeglasses/contacts
• Contact solution
• Facial soap
• Tweezers & nail clippers
• Feminine products
• Emergency toilet paper

First aid kit including:

• Tiger balm or pain reliever
• Accupressure bracelets or ginger candy for motion sickness
• Prescription medicines
• Anti-diarrheal
• Insect Repellent
• Malaria prophylaxes (consult with your doctor as to whether you want to take this)
• Tea tree oil (for cuts)
• Antibiotic cream
• Ace bandage
• Handi-wipes or anti-bacterial gel
• Safety pins
• Eye drops or flush
• Lip balm
• Band-aids
• Pain killer of choice
• Antibiotics if you know how to use them
• Cold relief tablets, antihistamine, cough drops
• Earplugs(For some reason, in some places, Bhutanese dogs are fond of barking all night long)
• Dramamine (for motion sickness – to challenge Bhutan’s hairpin turns)

Camera Gear

(options to consider beyond your normal gear)

• Power plug adapter for battery charger (same plugs as India) – Make sure your chargers are ‘international’ – I forgot mine! But was able to buy one while there.
• Portable power strip to charge multiple devices with one outlet – Still comes in handy, especially when only needing to use one adapter.
• Polarizing filter – Was used a number of times, will bring again.
• Neutral density filter – Didn’t use this as much but will in the future.
• Graduated Neutral Density filter (2 or 3 stop, soft transition) – Yep, loved it at times, as always.
• Extra lens cap in appropriate sizes – Got lucky when I didn’t pack these.
• External harddrive for backup of photos (or laptop) – Felt a lot better having this along for backups.
• Card reader
• Sensor cleaning material if you are comfortable doing this yourself – My camera needed cleaning a number of times just from the dust of travel.
• Extra batteries – We will have electricity in most locations, but it’s best to have backup – Again, the hotels all had power (although some had time limits on it).
• Gray card
• GPS – Optional, but handy for tagging photo locations
• Small packable umbrella (optional) – These were handy a couple of times to keep the rain off cameras.

And there you go! I need to adjust my clothes selections for the next trip, but all in all, the list served me well. I kept my main pack under the Druk Airlines weight limit (20kg) and it was ease to move from place to place.

If you’re interested in joining me on my next Bhutan Photo Tour, I would love to have you along. More information can be found here or simply drop me an email and I will respond promptly.

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS

The fine folks at Pentax are lending me this newer point and shoot that is all ruggedized, perfect for this trip. I have only had it for a day to play with, but having GPS (and an alarm!) will be awesome. The camera is crushproof, coldproof, water proof to 33′ for 2 hours and dust proof (which is kinda redundant, since, if water can’t get it, neither can dust). It’s proof. And it feels good in my hands. It will take me a bit to relearn using zoom in a different location than my trust Canon SD1300 IS, but it looks like it should fit the bill.

Sabrina and I have been playing with the smile detection technology and it’s kinda fun. The camera waits for you to smile before shooting. It also has a super close Macro mode as well as a self portrait assist mode, where it can show you how you are framed when holding the camera out for a self portrait. Looks to be fun. Have I mentioned fun enough? The GPS can pull down the batteries so I bought a travel charger, because the charger with the camera is actually bigger than the camera!! It has a cord and that will not work when trying to pack light.

Eye-Fi Pro X2 wifi SDHC card

After finding out I will have the Pentax WG-1 GPS to test, I contacted Eye-Fi to see if I can wrangle a card of theirs. It will be an 8GB card and if you don’t know about Eye-Fi, the idea is pretty cool. The card has a wireless transmitter and can be set up to use wifi to transfer pictures to the internet (and shared out to the likes of Flickr, Picasa, Facebook, etc…), to your laptop and apps for the iPad, iPhone and Android. I am a bit skeptical how it will work on the road as I will have to set it up with new wifi credentials each time (it’s meant to work best at home, where it already knows the network info and password), but the Pro X2 version comes with support to use AT&T’s network such as at Starbucks and the like.

Still, I’ll be in some remote areas. One feature I do like is ‘endless shooting’. Once the card knows it has transferred files and they are safe, it will then write over them without you needing to format the card. I have big hopes for this card with USA based travel, but we’ll see how it does in Asia.

Sigma 4.5mm Fisheye Lens

The fine folks at BorrowLenses.com are lending me a fun and new (to me) lens to write about. The Sigma 4.5mm Fisheye lens is intended for crop sensors, like my Canon 7D, and will show a circle view inside the normal rectangle sensor area. It covers 180 degrees and as fellow photographer Jim Goldstein put it “…avoid getting your feet in the frame by accident. Very easy to do! “. I look to play around with this lens in different situations and to see how far I can push the usefulness of it. It’s a different look on the world and I’m thankful for the chance to try it out in such diverse locations!

Rent the Sigma 4.5mm Fisheye Lens from BorrowLenses.com

Western Digital My Passport Essentials 500GB Portable Drive

This little device was my own purchase. I want something to backup photos while on the road. I considered a ruggedized version, like the LeCie 500GB unit, but in the end the price point was a deal breaker. Maybe I’ll regret my decision, but, for me, as long as the drive parks the head away from the discs while not powered on, there should be little hard impacts on this trip. Hopefully.  My plan is to keep my cards with the original data on them and then backup to this drive, through a computer.

Originally there were other items on this list. The tripod was not shipped in time, the boots rubbed but only on one foot (I did not try them on before having them shipped), the time-lapse camera is just too big and the f-stop Gear will not arrive in time due to being held in Customs. So is the way of gear testing.

I hope to have the tripod and bags to test in Peru in November. Until then, the above devices make for more than enough to play with.

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

If you would like this list in PDF format to print out, here it is: Bhutan Packing List.

Clothes

• Synthetic or Wool long under wear (base layer-top and bottom)
• Fleece Pants
• Fleece Coat or warm sweater
• Jeans or quick-dry pants, consider zip off pants
• Long shorts
• Short sleeved shirts
• Long sleeved shirts
• Water Proof Rain Jacket and Pants (pants optional, a poncho can also suffice)
• Trekking socks
• Sock liners if you tend to need them when hiking
• Underwear
• Sleepwear
• Sunglasses (good quality)
• Wide brimmed hat for sun during the day
• Boots or trail shoes
• Sandals
• Gloves if you tend to have chilled hands
• Bandana

Personal Items

• Waterbottle
• Sun Block (small bottle)
• Headlamp/small flashlight
• Day pack
• Water proof cover for day pack
• Duffel bag for all other items
• Books/reading material
• Writing Journal (optional)
• Small notebook
• Passport
• Copy of Passport
• 2 extra Passport Photos
• Guidebooks/maps (optional)
• Credit/Debit cards
• Cash (cashiers checks can be cashed, but it can be a pain and scarce)
• Cell phone (optional and needs to be capable of accepting a different SIM card)
• Cell Phone Charger
• Travel documents
• Alarm clock
• Watch (optional)
• Photos from home to share with locals (include family, location, attractions, etc…)
• Gifts for locals and guides
• Extra batteries (I suggest rechargeable as Bhutan has no service to recycle spent batteries)
• Snacks you might be partial to
• SPOT device or other satellite communication device – optional and I will have my own, which I use to mark the end of each day and it will send an email to family back home. This is just a one way device and not a satellite phone.
• iDevice and charger if you need music or distraction, especially while traveling to Bhutan
• Water purification – I prefer the Steripen device, but good old iodine works. While not required, I personally prefer to not buy bottled water as much as possible as Bhutan has little in the way of recycling.
• Small Binoculars

Toiletries

• Plastic bags for all liquid toiletries (in case of altitude or rough handling induced rupture)
• Deodorant
• Shampoo/Conditioner
• Hairbrush/Comb
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrush
• Dental Floss
• Hand lotion
• Towel (I suggest a quick dry version)
• Razor
• Face lotion
• Chapstick/lipbalm
• Extra eyeglasses/contacts
• Contact solution
• Facial soap
• Tweezers & nail clippers
• Feminine products
• Emergency toilet paper

First aid kit including:

• Tiger balm or pain reliever
• Accupressure bracelets or ginger candy for motion sickness
• Prescription medicines
• Anti-diarrheal
• Insect Repellent
• Malaria prophylaxes (consult with your doctor as to whether you want to take this)
• Tea tree oil (for cuts)
• Antibiotic cream
• Ace bandage
• Handi-wipes or anti-bacterial gel
• Safety pins
• Eye drops or flush
• Lip balm
• Band-aids
• Pain killer of choice
• Antibiotics
• Cold relief tablets, antihistamine, cough drops
• Earplugs(For some reason, in some places, Bhutanese dogs are fond of barking all night long)
• Dramamine (for motion sickness – to challenge Bhutan’s hairpin turns)

Standard Camera Gear

(Fill in your own list here to ensure all your vital gear makes it to Bhutan)

Camera Gear

(options to consider beyond your normal gear)

• Power plug adapter for battery charger (same plugs as India) – Make sure your chargers are ‘international’
• Portable power strip to charge multiple devices with one outlet
• Polarizing filter
• Neutral density filter
• Graduated Neutral Density filter (2 or 3 stop, soft transition)
• Extra lens cap in appropriate sizes
• External harddrive for backup of photos (or laptop)
• Card reader
• Sensor cleaning material if you are comfortable doing this yourself
• Extra batteries – We will have electricity in most locations, but it’s best to have backup
• Gray card
• GPS – Optional, but handy for tagging photo locations
• Small packable umbrella (optional)

Even if you missed the Bhutan tour this time around, I am offering trips twice a year for your photographic exploration. More information can be found here.

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

It’s a wonderful thing sometimes.  In reading through tweets this morning I noticed someone I followed, let’s call her theclimbergirl, because that’s her name on Twitter, mentioning getting travel vaccines.  Upon further inquiry I come to find out she’s trekking to a mountain in Nepal named Pumori.  Tweet this, DM that, email this and presto!  You have this blog post.  Sara asked if I had any advice about trekking, what I wish I had known on my first trek last year, tips, etc…    And that’s what’s below.

You can check out Sara’s explanation of how Twitter got her connected to the team on her blog here.

I cut and pasted this post from that email.  So this is advice from a guy to a girl about trekking in Nepal.  I hope you find it helpful.

OH! And if you are interested in joining a photo trek in Nepal this October, I will be leading a group on an 18 day trip specifically designed for photography. More information can be found here.

• Go slow.  This is one thing pounded into my head that really helped. My wife can relate the difference, when she tried keeping up or just went at her own pace the first year.  I found a nice comfortable pace and stuck with it.  Sometimes I’d have a burst of energy and feel invincible….don’t trust that. :)  it fades.  Go slow
• Drink lots of water.  I know you know this, but it’s extra important at altitude.  Yeah, you know that too.
• Consider bringing a SteriPen.  I know I drink a lot of water and as we were teahouse trekking I knew I’d have to get water in between stops for the night.  Rather than carry an extra 4lbs of water, I brought a Steripen so I could fill up from creeks on the way.  On your route the water will be ‘touched’ by more than is safe to drink straight, although it is so cool and clean tasting it’s tempting.  If you do get a Pen, consider one that takes AA batteries.  We had both the older one with 4 AA and the newer one that needs CR123 batteries.  It is easier to find AA in a pinch.  The new Pens are awesome because they have a timer and smiley/frowny faces to let you know how things went.  More on batteries in a bit.
• More water stuff!!  Consider a water bottle instead of a bladder.  I don’t know which you prefer.  A bottle is easier to handle around camp, easier to refill from a boiling pot of water (for when you’re not using a Steripen) and best of all, when filled with hot water you can throw it (or them) in the bottom of your sleeping bag.  Water bladder, no so fun in the sack.  If you go with Klean Kanteen or Sigg , don’t forget a cozy to keep from burning yourself.  That metal really transfers heat!  Plus with a water bottle you can easily use a Steripen.  Have I mentioned how much I love the Steripen? :)  Bring at least one bottle even with a bladder as it’ll make filling the bladder easier.  Get a hose insulator if you do bring a bladder and an extra mouthpiece.  Even if you don’t need the extra mouthpiece, someone will.  And a broken mouthpiece means the bladder is now a useless plastic bag to carry around.
• Sunblock.  Duh
• Get used to dahl baht.  If you haven’t tried it already, do so.  Annapurna Cafe up on Capital Hill is a good place.  It’s everywhere and a good food to like.  Plus, it makes you seem more ‘local’ in teahouses because you’ll often be served when your guides/porters are.  It’s about as local as you can become. :)
• I assume you already know about Diamox and all that.  If you haven’t tried it yet, take some for a bit and find out if it has any regular effects on you.  Different people are different.  Again, I’m probably preaching to the choir here.
• Bring a boogie rag.  I usually carry two bandannas, one blue and one brown.  Brown is for buggies.  You’ll be using it a lot.  Don’t use one of the microfiber/quickdry towels.  They feel better but don’t ‘collect’ the buggies better.  Get used to keeping it in your pocket.
• Batteries!!  We brought a foldable solar panel for charging.  With the group you’re heading there with, I’m sure it’s figured out. If not, consider your own panel.  $$$ but light, and strapable to your pack, they can save you from carrying extra batteries.  Some would argue, rightfully, that you could carry enough batteries as compared to the panel.  But for me, I’d rather not throw away my batteries, especially in a place like Nepal that doesn’t have the infrastructure to handle them properly.  Bring a few ‘regular’ batteries and especially so for vital equipment, but for headlights (unless you’re night climbing), cameras and such, go rechargeable.
• Learn as much language as you can now.  Get a phrasebook. Sure, more and more people there know English, but as with any culture, you’ll go further if you can speak the language.  And they Nepalis, Sherpas especially, don’t really thank people.  It’s an odd switch coming from our culture, but people do things there and never expect thanks, regularly.  It’s hard to get used to, not saying dhanyavad (which is easy to remember because it sounds like “Done ya bad”) when someone does something, but it’s really not expected like it is here.
• Trekking poles.  Another duh.  Get the rubber tips too that stay on well so they don’t come off and your poles poke a hole in your gear bag on the way there.
• Flying into Lukla is a trip.  If flying in small planes freaks you out, start preparing now (not worrying about it, but preparing to help yourself relax).  I can insert a story here, but I’ll save it for another time.
• Drink lots of water.
• Use a rest step when you need to.  Just like climbing any mountain, get into the grove when the altitude starts getting to you (or maybe you’re the lucky type and will be fine!).
• Little kids along the way, especially on your route, will want stuff from you.  “Candies?” “Pen?” is heard a lot.  Decide if you want to bring some of these things to hand out or not.  I sat in one spot and watched some kids do it over and over.  My wife gave them a pen and as soon as another group came up, the kid dropped it and ran off asking for more.  Your mileage may vary.
• Get used to saying Namaste.  And feeling it to, both speaking and receiving.
• If you have a SPOT device on you, keep it pointed mainly East.  The satellite is over Japan.  I wish SPOT kept more than 7 days of data so I could show you how it performed for me.  As mentioned, it didn’t show a lot of track points, but when I hit “OK” for the night and set it out, it almost always worked.  Since we were using it to send our location to my then 7 year old daughter back home, I’d also hit it in the morning just to make sure.   I absolutely love using the SPOT for travel and a friend of mine created a mashup with Flickr hastags, Twitter hashtags and the SPOT called The Wonder Map.  http://thewondermap.com.  (I turned it off on this last trip right at the border).  Technology rocks.
• Be prepared for gracious, open people.  They smile a lot too.  It’s easy to make genuine contact even with the language barrier.  It’ll be easier because you’re a woman.
• Bring unripped bills.  As with a lot of countries, Nepal doesn’t want our old, beat up greenbacks.
• Toilets.  Yeah.  Get your squatting muscles in shape now.  Always have toilet paper with you.  Preferably enough for someone else too when they forget to pack theirs.  I normally don’t pack toilet paper in a day pack but it became automatic once I saw others forgetting and asking for mine.
• Feminine hygiene,  I haven’t a clue.  Actually I do, but I sound more manly tough if I pretend I don’t. I’ll let my wife talk to that since I’ve never actually met you. :)
• The first part of the trek from Lukla to Namche is forested and warmer.  After Namche its far more exposed and cooler.
• Bring. A. Deck. Of. Cards.  Or two.  And learn games before you go.  I loved sitting around playing cards at night, plus it’s another cross culture thing to do.  Our Sherpas picked up rummy pretty quickly (I have the score cards in my journal to prove it!) and they play cards a lot, with games they can teach.  We also brought a cribbage board, but that’s a personal preference.
• Consider hiking shoes for the approach.  I brought hiking boots but never wore them the whole 75+ miles we trekked.  Instead, I had on a pair of $10 Value Village used running shoes.  Comfy as hell.  I felt bad for our dzokyo that carried my boots that whole way.  I know you just tweeted about new boots, but you’ve also probably heard the climbing adage that a pound on your feet is like five on your back.  Stow the boots until you really need them in snow/ice.
• Give yourself the right to sit.  Just sit.  Not necessarily lots of meditating sitting, if you happen to have a Bhuddist slant.  Well, actually, that works well too.  But at any rate, don’t bring a lot of distractions.  Life is ok without an iPod or book or what have you.  Give yourself time to just sit and look around.  Hell, do it today. :)   Personally I don’t consider any one place more special than the next.  Where I am right now is the most special place on the planet if I can just live it.  But for some, a place like Nepal holds more than a kitchen table on Whidbey Island.  If that happens to be you, allow yourself space to soak it in.  Life really can be simple over there when everything is taken care of for you (cooking, cleaning, setting up camp).  It’s a gift, so accept it well.
• Bring an iPod.   LOL!!  I know, I like contradictions. :)  I mean for the parts of the trip where it helps, like airports, planes, and other times you just have to block it all out from overloading your system.  Also, consider a nice set of noise canceling headphones.  I swear by mine for flights as I believe the noise fatigue of flight contributes a lot to jet lag and the run down feeling.  When I use mine, I feel great.
• Be prepared you can adjust quickly heading West.  I adjusted almost immediately.  So much so that I complained when we got up at 3am the first morning to see a sunrise Bhuddist ceremony because “everyone’s clock will be off anyway!”  Mine wasn’t.  Mine wanted my butt parked back in bed.   Coming back though, flying East, can be more work.  Allow for a couple of days on the back side of the trip to veg.  Expect it’ll take you a week or 10 days to really get back into the swing.
• As with any normal packing, pack and then throw out half your stuff.  You won’t need it.  Here’s my initial packing list http://thecareyadventures.com/blog/2008/nepal-trekking-packing-list/ and it’s close to what I brought.
• Legs.  You’ll probably hear both sides of this argument and it’s a womens only thing, sorry.  In Kathmandu it’s normal to see women showing their legs.  But in the Khumbu, I feel, it’s still respectful to have them covered.  That’s just me.  Especially when entering a monastery.
• Drink lots of water.
• If you like souvenirs, get good at haggling.  Nepalis love to haggle.  And it’s usually fun.
• Expect it to be cold, and hot, and to snow, and be windy.
• Try rakshi.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raksi I really liked it but some don’t.  And boy does it go to your head faster at altitude!!
• And after the rakshi, drink lots of water.
• Be prepared to come back different.  You won’t be the same.  You’ll start looking for Nepali events in Seattle (there’s a bigger community in Portland, but a sizable one here).  You’ll hang prayer flags.  You’ll get some of those door coverings.  You might even bring back a singing bowl.  Or maybe you won’t!  Just be open to what the country has to offer.  It’s nearly impossible to travel to place, any place, and not have some of it come back with you.
• See if your group will be leaving things behind in Kathmandu.  This is a treat, because then you can pack hot weather clothes for in town (plus something a bit nicer) and leave them behind while you trek.
• The domestic terminal at Kathmandu is a zoo.  Just go with it.  Resistance, in any area of life, is futile.  And that whole “have a quart sized bag for liquids”…yeah, no.  Not once you’re there.  <insert another story here>
• Keep your passport handy when flying into Luklaas you’ll need it to get out of town.  If I remember right.
• Always stay uphill from dzokyos and yaks.  Always.  It’s a long way down if they bump you.
• Take pictures of the mundane stuff.  It wasn’t until the last few days that I realized I didn’t have a picture of the cooking stoves you see in all teahouses or the ‘guest book’ where they write down your order.  Those little things bring a smile when I see them now.
• If you’re camping it the whole way, you’ll probably get washing water when you arrive to camp, before eating and when you wake up.  It’s a luxury and really nice to freshen up.
• The trail can be dusty, thus the blue bandanna.  And water.
• You will have odd food cravings you can’t explain.  Go with it.  My wife wanted Pringles chips (we are an organic kinda people).  I wanted eggs, even though they aren’t the best for me.  They have all kinds of Western junk food up there for when you do get the craving.  But you’ll pay more for it because someone, or something, had to carry it up there.
• If you bring some crisp $100 bills to exchange while there, you can usually demand a higher rate at the money changers in Kathmandu.  As previously stated, haggle.  Walk away (there are a lot of money changers in KTM).  It’s better to have a $100 bill than 5 $20s the first time you change money.  The one guy who brought travelers checks took a long while to change his.  Cash talks.  Have someone else in the group go in first with small bill and get theirs changed first, then go in with the $100s and haggle.
• Bring US dollars for your entrance visa into Nepal.  Last I checked it was $40 for 30 days and $100 for 90.  It may be different now, but they take USD or Euros.
• Change your email password before you leave as you’ll be checking it (if you do) in shops in KTM and on the trail.  I always feel safer changing it before and after a trip.
• You’re appetite may wane with altitude, obviously.  You may already have experience with this.  For me, I tend to eat double when traveling and especially on this trip.  I don’t know why, I’m not a big guy nor do I eat tons.  But from KTM until halfway through the trip, I ate two of everything.  Then it tapered off.  Just go with it if that’s the case.  Your body knows what it wants, stop for a second and listen to it.
• Keep it simple.  Make a list of vital things you can’t live without (especially things you can’t get high up).  Then don’t sweat the rest. Clothes can be bought, equipment too, or borrowed.  Passport-journal-pen-phrasebook-waterbottle-some money-womanly items.  Really, that’s the important part.  Everything else can be bought if you forget it.
• Drink
• Lots
• Of
• Water

There.  Is that enough for now?  Are you still awake?  I’m sure I’ve got more, but I really need to get to editing Nepal photos now. :)

Do you have any advice to give to Sara or anyone else looking to trek in Nepal?  Please drop a line in the comments section below.

And if you’re looking for specific photography advice for trekking in the Khumbu, check out my other post Photography Advice For Trekking In The Himalayas Of Nepal

UPDATE: I have a post on the Avid Trips.com blog about one of my days trekking, if you’re looking for a bit of real trail life.

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

I am happy to announce the release of my 2011/2012 Photo Tour dates.

Nepal Photo Treks:

• Sept 28 – Oct 15, 2011 (registration close Sept 19)
• April 26 – May 13, 2012 – Rhododendron blooms and Baisakh Poornima festival
• Sept 27 – Oct 17, 2012 – Trek to 18,000+ for unforgettable panorama opportunities

Bhutan Photo Tours

• Oct 2011 – Registration closed
• March 30 – April 11, 2012 – Paro Tshechu festival
• Oct 18 – Oct 31, 2012 – Bumthang Jakar Tsechu festival

India Photo Tours

• April, 2012 (dates pending outcome of inspection trip in Fall 2011)

All of my photo tours are designed at a slower pace with ample time to stop and photograph as you desire.  Experienced guides, quality establishments and an authentic experience are what’s in store on these unique adventures! Once the tour is over, the learning does not stop. I will be available to help you with editing questions via email and video chat to insure your images represent the wonderful experiences these countries offer.

More information can be found at Peter West Carey Photography or you can email me with questions.

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.