"non photo equipment" tools for the photobag

Just re-packed my bag after sorting out odds and ends and running the
vacumm cleaner through it.

I usually carry:
-roll of black electricians tape

-penknife

-small flashlight (essential for night shooting)

-couple small and regular size caribiners (to hold/hang things, clip
things to the belt, tripod or bag straps)

-large garbage bag (to bring in the bag from the intense cold and
prevent condensation)



What do you carry as 'tools' in your kit?



Cheers,
Alan.

 

$...

I tend to just take my camera with one fixed lens (20, 28, 50, 85, 135) and
maybe a couple of filters (usually a polarizer / yellow / orange). Tripod is
compulsory for me. I don't know if it's because I'm lazy or whether it makes
me think more about composition when I have just the one focal length. Also
because I combine photography with hiking I like to travel light anyway.
When I (rarely) go on holiday and shoot slide film I take 19-35 and 28-200
zooms, usually with just the 19-35 attached and the longer zoom in my hotel
room!

Roger

 

A level. Tape measure. Various spring clamps. I'm not sure how usefull any
of those are for 35mm but they're in the bag.

Nick

 

Leatherman tool.
Several aspirin in case of headache.
A couple of Band-Aids to keep blood from getting on things in case of a
cut.
Around eight 25 cent coins or whatever the public phones of your country
uses. They're good for coin slotted screws on photo equipment too.
Pencil, pad of paper to record things or exchange info with people.

 

Add to your list: small screwdrivers to fit small screws on camera
bodies, etc., condom (non-lubed) to put over lens when it's raining (old
duck hunter's trick for gun barrel), some really long twist ties and a
couple of double-sided Velcro strips, wide elastic bands (from broccoli)
for removing stuck filter stack caps, some sort of pliers (I use a
Leatherman multi-thingie, which combines pliers, knife, scissors, larger
screwdrivers and probably some stuff I've never discovered). My
flashlight has a red lens to avoid ruining night vision. Substitute
gaffer's tape for elec. tape. I've long had the habit of attaching split
rings to every pack I own; makes it easier to clip the 'biners on.

And last weekend I spent 4 days in the bush, so I also had a folding saw
for firewood and a down vest

 

For me, (basically a city boy) cut the saw and firewood, but bump up the
quarters to about $20 worth. (for parking meters).....Otherwise, I am in
tune with you guys.....

 

Uhhh, lessee...

Multi-tool (I always have a knife in my pocket too)

Flashlight

Rubber bands

Disposable rain ponchos ("Pon - chos! Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em
in a stew")

Heavy string

Mini bungee cords

Velcro straps

Pen and notebook

Ziploc bags, gallon size, and sometimes smaller too


On occasion:

Compass

Memo recorder or tape recorder

Folded paper towels or napkins

Sunscreen and bug repellent, both in film cans

Handi-wipes (mostly for the bug repellent, which contains plastic-
eating DEET)


And I have a photo vest (okay, a fishing vest, because it works much
better with belt packs) that has plastic ground pad, garbage bags, more
paper towels, firestarter *and* lighter, snake bite kit, more cord,
monofilament, and of course several camera-related things which are exempt
under this ruling.

My wedding kit (which wasn't always carried in the bag) also had
straight pins (for corsages), mints, a lighter (always!), and a good
handful of change as child-bribes ;-)


- Al.

 

Might seem silly but I carry a package of "Baby Wipes"
For some reason I always get my hands dirty and they work as a quick
clean-up.

Jim

 

Roger wrote:

....er, you missed the point. What NON-photographic tools do you include
in your kit?

 

What are NON-photographic tools?

 

Al Denelsbeck wrote:

Oh well, if you want to get into emergency kits, that's a whole 'nother
story, involving rubber tubing, safety pins, compass, mirror, ziploc
bags, collapsable water bottle, water treatment, first aid, fire stuff,
orange safety tape, cord, fishing gear, space blanket, etc. Around here,
for snake-bite, we just bite back

For the coin-as-screwdriver afficionados, there's a neat little thing
sold by a Canadian company that deals mostly in woodworking stuff and
garden tools. Many widths in one:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?SID=&ccurrency=1&page=32215&category=1,43411,43417

I've got one on all my various keyrings and stashed in all sorts of bags
and packs. OK, so they're more like $.50 US instead of a quarter

They've got all kinds of cool stuff. I've been buying from them for
years (I'm also a woodworker in my spare time). My camera bag flashlight
and my velcro comes from them as well:

http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.asp?SID=&ccurrency=1&page=45176&category=2,40731
http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.asp?SID=&ccurrency=1&page=45293&category=2,43319,33283

 

I thought the list I provided in the OP was sufficient inspiration. By
"non photographic" I meant odds and ends that we include in the kit that
are not usually sold in a photo shop. Pen knives, tape, caribiners,
pens, coins, etc.

The others who have replied seem to have had no problem with the
question (although I wonder why Al D. brings a snakebite kit in the
woods but not to the weddings!).

Cheers,
Alan.

 

-Mini Mag-Lite
-Mini level
-Swiss Army knife
-A nickel

-Josie

 

Of course a pen (a fine Sharpie works on everything) and notebook. I was
thinking "tools" - like Tim the toolman Taylor, type of thing.

-Josie

 

I was just being a curmudgeon.....(Implying that the only legitimate use for
any tool is photographic)

 

Will be a *huge* problem if you are carrying this in your hand baggage
in/on an Americal airline, won't it?

->HS

 

Exactly!! I've had to leave things home. But, amazingly, I survived
without them.

-Josie

 

Pen and pad. My best ideas occur when i've no means to act on them, so I
write them down so I can fail to act on them at a later date.

 

Similar to your list, but I use gaffer's tape, instead. Leaves less
residue.

Also:

small mirror

box cutter (in addition to a pocket knife)

that sticky roller thing that helps remove lint/animal hair from clothing

twine

index cards

 

Alan, clearly you're not a wedding photographer... ;-)