8 pounds of camera gear is always worth it

11 Comments

Last Friday as I was wrapping things up at work, Chris and I decided that our Friday night plans would be best spent camping. The only problem was we have NO gear. Chris picked me up with a long checklist of must-have items and we set off for the cheapest outdoor gear store we could find.

Mirror Lake

Luckily, the first place we went to was the perfect place. Seriously. Besides backpacks (which we already had) we got completely outfitted for our hike-in camping adventure for under $190. We lucked out with an awesome sales associate who found us a $40 tent. Yup. Awesome.

We left a little late, which meant our hiking and set-up was all done in the dark, but it worked out really well. Chris managed to pack all of our gear and I managed to pack Penelope (nearly 30lbs) and my camera gear. I had a little argument in my head whether or not it would be worth it to take my camera and tripod and luckily the smarter part of my brain won out. Just before we went off to bed I took out my gear and looked for just the right shot. It was a beautiful night. As I was setting up the moon had just come out and the skinny tree branches of the trees created sweet silhouettes against the glowing sky. Seriously it was beautiful.

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I’m so happy that this photo (above) worked out so well. It made packing the camera SO worth it. That night Penelope and I snuggled inside a mummy bag just big enough for the two of us. High-quality Z’s weren’t the name of the game, but I sure had fun snuggling with the Nels.

Exploring the countryside was so fun, this area was incredible. We’ll be doing this again. Definitely. Read more about our adventure on Whrrl.

Click here for the story.

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    1. Shanna says:

      ooooooh! fabulous shot!

    2. cara says:

      aw. you’re so awesome. i wanna go camping with my little cub.

    3. Naomi says:

      Spectacular pictures! They actually make me feel guilty that I’ve never gone camping…

    4. brandi says:

      that photo of your tent and the moving night sky is stunning. i LOVE camping. my husband and i are going to try to get out there one more time before its too cold. i can’t wait to see our usual camp spot covered in changing aspens..

    5. Dima says:

      Nice picture of a lonely tent at night!

      Did you make it to Ruth Lake, by any chance? If I recall correctly, it’s near the Mirror Lake, but more isolate.

    6. nicole says:

      I love your “tent and night sky” shot. Stunning.

    7. Ashley says:

      That night shot is fantastic. I’m glad you guys had fun!

    8. Tiffany says:

      Amazing photos! It does make carrying all that camera equipment seem reasonable to capture a shot like that. I love the fact that you came up with an last minute idea and went for it, such as camping. My husband and I miss those days. Now we need to find a baby sitter before we go anywhere.

    9. Allison says:

      That photo needs to be sent into a magazine, or framed and put in your living room at the very least. Amazing.

    10. peggy scott says:

      As always, amazing photography. Uncle Ray should be proud!

    11. camping outdoors is one of my favorite, it is quite relaxing to be with friends.,~-

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