Traveling for bird photography workshops means I need gear that’s reliable, lightweight, versatile, and easy to carry through airports. Over the years I’ve refined my setup to something that works really well for the way I travel and photograph birds.

So in this post, I’m breaking down everything inside my bird photography camera bag in 2026, from camera bodies and lenses to backups, storage, tripods, and travel essentials.

🎒 The Camera Bag Itself

Guru Gear Kiboko 22L

For the last four years I’ve been using the Guru Gear Kiboko 22L, and honestly… I love this thing.

I’m not sponsored by them, but years ago they sent me one to test out and I ended up using it so much that I literally wore the zippers out. Their customer service and warranty were incredible, and they replaced the bag for me. At this point, I really have no reason to use anything else.

One thing people sometimes mention online is the weight distribution, because the bag is divided into two separate sides instead of one giant compartment. Personally, I haven’t had issues with it.

Most of the time I’m only carrying it fully loaded through airports anyway. Once I arrive somewhere, I unload most of the gear and just keep the essentials with me.

📷 My Camera Bodies

Nikon Z8 — My Dedicated Bird Photography Camera 🦅

The Nikon Z8 is my main bird photography body.

This camera is completely built around fast wildlife photography. My autofocus settings, custom buttons, and shooting modes are all configured specifically for photographing birds quickly and efficiently.

Its job is simple:

👉 Capture birds.

That’s it.

I’ve actually made a full video on how I set up my Z8 for bird photography because there’s a lot that goes into making it work efficiently in the field.

Nikon Z6 III — My “Everything Else” Camera 🌎

My second body is the Nikon Z6 III.

This camera handles:

• Landscapes

• Travel photography

• Behind-the-scenes footage

• YouTube videos

• Portraits

• General adventure content

It also acts as my backup camera in case anything happens to the Z8 while traveling.

I’m actually filming the original YouTube video with the Z6 III.

Having one camera dedicated to birds and another dedicated to everything else keeps my workflow really simple.

🔭 My Main Bird Photography Lens

Nikon 180-600mm

My primary bird photography lens is the Nikon NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR.

This lens basically lives on my Z8 and rarely comes off.

I absolutely love it because it’s:

✅ Relatively compact
✅ Extremely versatile
✅ Affordable compared to super-telephoto primes
✅ Great for travel workshops

I’ve used lenses like the 400mm f/2.8 and 800mm f/6.3, and they’re incredible… but for the way I personally travel, they’re just too large and difficult to carry around constantly.

The only other lens I’ve seriously considered is the Nikon 600 PF because of how lightweight it is.

🌄 My Favorite Travel Lens

Nikon 24-120mm

The Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S is one of my favorite lenses ever.

This lens lives on my Z6 III and handles almost everything outside of bird photography.

I use it for:

• Landscapes

• Environmental wildlife shots

• Travel moments

• Portraits

• Video work

• Behind-the-scenes content

Honestly, if I had to stick with only two lenses forever, I’d probably be perfectly happy with:

• Z8 + 180-600mm

• Z6 III + 24-120mm

Birds are covered. Everything else is covered. Simple.

🌅 My Low-Light Seabird Lens

Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8

Last year I added the Nikon NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S to my setup.

I mainly picked this up for photographing:

• Puffins

• Gannets

• Seabirds at sunrise and sunset

During workshops in Newfoundland, birds often get extremely close in low-light conditions, and I wanted something wider that still performs incredibly well when the light gets difficult.

🎥 Action Cameras & Video Gear

DJI Osmo Action 5

For behind-the-scenes content and quick field moments, I bring the DJI Osmo Action 5.

I love action cameras because they’re:

• Tiny

• Lightweight

• Low profile

• Easy to carry

• Fast to pull out

Filming in the field with a full mirrorless setup can honestly be a pain sometimes, so having a tiny action camera has massively improved both my YouTube and social media workflow.

I also bring:

• Extra batteries

• A small tripod

• Charging accessories

🎤 Audio Setup

Hollyland Lark M2

For audio, I use the Hollyland Lark M2 microphone system.

I watched a bunch of reviews before buying it and it seemed very similar to the DJI mic systems without the huge price tag.

I’ve been super happy with it.

The sound quality is great, it performs surprisingly well in wind, and viewers haven’t complained about my audio since switching to it.

Highly recommend it.

🔋 Batteries, Memory Cards & Backups

This stuff is honestly extremely important.

I always travel with:

• Extra batteries

• Lots of memory cards

• Two SSDs

One of the best travel photography tips I can give you is:

👉 Keep spare batteries and memory cards in your pockets, not buried deep inside your bag.

I’ve missed shots before because I had to dig through my backpack while birds were actively flying around.

My Backup Philosophy 💾

Years ago I heard the saying:

“One is none. Two is one.”

Meaning if you only have one backup… you basically have no backup.

Every single night while traveling, I back up my photos onto two separate SSDs.

One SSD stays with me.
The other stays inside my bag.

Because if something gets stolen while traveling, it’ll probably be the camera bag.

The camera gear would be devastating to lose… but the memories and photos are truly irreplaceable.

SSDs I Use

• Samsung T9 Shield 4TB

• Samsung T7 Shield 1TB

💻 Laptop for Travel

I bring my laptop mainly for:

• Editing photos and videos

• Teaching during workshops

• Backing up files

• Running my business while traveling

If you’re only traveling for a week or less and have enough memory cards, you could probably leave the laptop at home.

But this year I’ll be in Newfoundland for close to two months running workshops, so for me it’s absolutely necessary.

🌤️ Filters

I keep filters extremely simple.

The only filter I really travel with is a variable ND filter, mainly for:

• Video work

• Occasional long exposures

Other than that, I don’t really use filters for bird photography.

🧼 Cleaning Supplies & Accessories

I always carry:

• Blower brush

• Microfiber cloths

• Lens wipes

• Camera straps

I use:

• A longer strap for the Z8 + 180-600mm

• A smaller hand strap for the Z6 III + 24-120mm setup

Simple stuff… but incredibly useful while traveling.

🦵 My Travel Tripod

For travel I use a cheap K&F Concept tripod.

Honestly?

It’s not an amazing tripod.

But it’s:

• Lightweight

• Cheap

• Compact

• Easy to carry

I mainly use it for recording myself and basic travel content.

Years ago someone told me:

“Do you really want to trust $5,000 worth of equipment on a $60 tripod?”

And honestly… fair point 😂

For serious wildlife work, I occasionally bring my larger Gitzo + Wimberley setup, but that requires a totally different travel system.

📬 Free Bird Photography Settings Cheat Sheet

If you want help getting sharper bird photos, I created a free Bird Photography Settings Cheat Sheet Ebook that walks through the settings and techniques I personally use.

It’ll also get you onto my email list where I share:

• Weekly bird photography tips

• Behind-the-scenes stories

• Workshop updates

• Early access announcements

👇 Download it below!

[PRESS HERE!]

Final Thoughts 📸

At the end of the day, this setup works for me because it balances:

✅ Image quality
✅ Travel convenience
✅ Weight
✅ Reliability
✅ Versatility

There’s always newer gear out there, but I think it’s really important to build a setup that actually fits your style of photography and travel.