I remember when I was 20 years old, ready to embark for my first international photography trip. I was going to backpack through Europe for around 30 days, and I had no idea what camera/equipment to bring.

This is an excerpt from my new and upcoming book: TRAVEL NOTES. To be the first to know when the book drops, subscribe to ERIC KIM NEWSLETTER >

Of course theres no perfect equipment to travel with in photography, but my general suggestion is this:

Travel with one camera, one lens.

Assuming your camera breaks during your trip, you can just end up shooting photos on your phone. Or you can just buy a new point and shoot camera while you’re on the road at a local camera shop (and put it on the credit card).

For your bag, I would recommend just traveling with 1 backpack. I generally recommend the ‘ThinkTank Perception 15’ series (for a smaller backpack). If you want a bigger camera backpack, I recommend the ThinkTank Perception Pro.

Ideal travel photography camera

If you have a heavy DSLR you don’t want to lug around for your trip, I recommend purchasing a RICOH GR II — it has an integrated 28mm lens, a great APS-C (dslr-sized sensor), and it is super-light. Oh yeah, did I tell you it also has an integrated flash? Get a RICOH GR II and pair it with an ERIC KIM NECK STRAP, or an ERIC KIM WRIST STRAP, and enjoy your trip.

Another option is to invest in a FUJIFILM X100-series camera. The X100-camera is probably the best ‘bang for the buck’ camera for traveling and street photography, and has a great integrated 35mm “full frame equivalent” lens. Pair it with an HENRI NECK STRAP and you’ll have a great trip.

The lighter and less obtrusive your camera, the more you will enjoy your travels, and shoot with less exhaustion!