Originally posted by mom2mny We will be hiking a lot.
Hiking, as opposed to a photo walk where you can stop and change lenses? Consider buying a used 18-135mm WR lens here on PF. It is a great walk around lens for this sort of event,, both wide and telephoto. and with the KP you can crop in post to get some more detail in far wildlife. Also, get a map of your planned hike, and think about the terrain of the places you'll pass through, and plan you camera and lens combo accordingly. I don't recommend changing lenses outdoors unless the air is calm and you are not in a sandy dusty, loose dirt area, so you might find you are only using the 55-300 at the times when you have settled in for the day OR when you are going to be doing a ridge top hike and can take advantage of longer distances. I prefer a wide angle for landscapes ,but if you are not familiar with stitching panoramas, give it some practice, it is more about composition and planning the shots, I use Microsoft ICE to do the stitching for me, it is very easy. I have a Joby tripod for DSLRs. It has a detachable plate to mount on the camera, but it is light enough that I can leave it on the camera and move around as well.
Originally posted by UncleVanya Mine does. It has an additional small strap that helps with that. Mine is sold by case logic.
I have the same bag, and for day hikes with a camera , a water bottle, some snacks and a spare lens, it is fantastic. It's side pocket for the camera access means I can sling it to the front for a shot, then put it back if I am going to be hiking for a distance before the next scenic overlook.
Originally posted by timb64 Spare battery or two.
At least one, and 2 extra memory cards as well.
Originally posted by Kendra59 I would add to this a small First-Aid kit to deal with potential scrapes, wounds, or blisters. I would also add a small rechargeable headlamp.
I agree.