翱耻迟蝉颈诲别听video producer has plenty of experience traveling with expensive camera equipment鈥攕he made trips听with the U.S. women鈥檚 soccer team as a staff videographer for nearly two and a听half years leading up to the Olympics in Rio. Bruce flew with the team an average of four times every two weeks, never quite knowing what conditions she鈥檇听touch听down in, so she learned how to shoot in snow, hail, thunderstorms, and high humidity. Here are her nine tips听for keeping your gear safe and clean on any adventure.
Zeiss Lens Cleaning Kit ($30)

鈥溙齢as everything you need to clean lenses the right way,鈥 says Bruce. Contents听include听a microfiber cloth, a brush, cleaning fluid, wipes, and an air blaster. 鈥淭hat doesn鈥檛 mean just wiping the front lens, but the rear lens, too. And don鈥檛 forget to clean your mount.鈥澨鼿umidity, rain, and dust听can leave hard-to-remove residue on your lens, and this kit will save you.听
EZ Sensor Cleaning Kit ($24)

Included in the is a听liquid-sensor-cleaning solution, five听sensor-cleaning swabs, and a stain-removing solution. 鈥淣o, a听Q-tip, which is more abrasive and fuzzy, doesn鈥檛 count as a sensor cleaner,鈥澨鼴ruce cautions. She recommends following from the Adorama Learning Center to听clean听your sensor properly.
Altura Photo Professional Rain Cover ($15)

鈥淲eatherproof does not mean waterproof when it comes to camera bodies and lenses鈥攚ater will get in if it rains hard enough,鈥澨鼴ruce says. 鈥淚n an emergency, you could use a Ziploc bag, but 听isn鈥檛 too expensive. It鈥檚 worth the investment if you want to really protect your gear.鈥澨齌o install,听slide the rain cover over the camera and lens, zip the bottom waterproof zipper shut, tighten the Velcro听strap around your lens, and access your camera through the side hand holes.
Pelican 1510 Case ($180)

鈥淚f you鈥檙e traveling and flying a lot, is great for withstanding bumps and bruises, thanks to its solid waterproof, dustproof, and crushproof construction,鈥 Bruce says. 鈥淣ever check equipment in a soft case, as you鈥檙e opening it up to being damaged. As always, plan on having TSA go through your nicely organized gear.鈥 The foam inserts are easily removed so you can customize the case to your specific gear needs.听
Tiffen听UV Protection Filter ($7)

鈥溙齱ill protect your front element from scratching when you鈥檙e out and about,鈥澨齭ays Bruce. 鈥淚t鈥檚 cheaper to replace a scratched UV filter than a scratched lens. And at $7 a pop, you might as well pick up a couple.鈥听Plus, these will help reduce UV light and blue casts on images.
Leatherman听Skeletool听Multi-Tool ($70)

鈥淎 solid multitool听like is essential to have around for quick tripod fixes, tightening screws, and adjusting mounting systems. You鈥檒l have to check these along with other luggage, as the knife won鈥檛 get through TSA,鈥 Bruce says. This Leatherman has a partially serrated stainless-steel blade, needle-nose pliers, regular pliers, wire cutters, a large bit driver, a bottle opener, and a removable pocket clip.
LaCie Rugged Mini听Portable Hard Drive ($160)

There鈥檚 protecting your physical camera equipment, and then there鈥檚 keeping your hard-earned digital photos safe. 鈥淵ou should always back up your content in two places in case one fails or you lose one while traveling,鈥 says Bruce. 鈥溙齣s burlier than others, thanks to the included rubber bumper.听A good rule of thumb is to carry one of your backups on the plane with you, in case your checked luggage gets lost along the way.鈥
Anker PowerCore 10000 ($32)

鈥淚t鈥檚 a good idea to carry an external battery pack with you to charge your camera,鈥 says Bruce. 鈥溙齣s lighter than its competitors and has a 10,000 mAh [milli-Ampere-hour]听capacity, which should give your camera at least one extra charge to get the job done.鈥
Travel Insurance (Price varies)
鈥淚f you lose a piece of gear or you break something abroad, travel insurance will be there to save you,鈥澨齭ays Bruce. 鈥淵ou can buy travel insurance anywhere that offers regular car or home insurance, like Progressive or Geico. Make sure you are covered in your intended travel destination, as some travel insurance听plans only work in select countries. You can buy it for a single trip or听for the year.鈥 Most companies will reimburse you for the cost of lost or damaged equipment, but the level of coverage will depend on your specific plan, so make sure to read the fine print before embarking on your next adventure.