Grand Canyon Lightweight Suggestions

<p>Hiking Grand Canyon, South Kaibab to North Kaibab and back to Bright Angel. About 45 miles in 2 days. I'm training hard because I know it is going to be hard. Being a serious photographer I'm definitely bringing a camera, likely the D800E if it is released in time. I will likely bring my 28-80 kit lens (the lightest lens I have,) and a wide angle (possibly rokinon 14mm 2.8.) I don't think I can afford to carry the weight of a tripod. This will be in June. I'm reading everything that I can find in the forum but wanted to see if anyone has any suggestions for going seriously lightweight. I may be able to carry more depending on water availability. Lightweight CF tripod would probably be the first thing I'd grab.</p>

<p>Forget the Rokinon, take a longer telephoto. How about a 70-300mm?</p>

<p>What are you expecting the lighting to be like? (Just wondering how much you need the tripod.) I was last at Bright Angel with a D700, a 14-24 and a 150-500 (and a knackered knee). I don't recommend the knee or the 150-500, but I also found that 14mm is awfully wide - in that you need to get very near the edge if you want to get some foreground. My favourite shot was at 24mm (which is a shame, because that's where the 14-24 is weakest). It's also where I ran out of pixels trying to do a 40" print that replicated the field of view. I envy you the D800, although you'll be testing your lens choice. I might not rule out the idea of a small macro (60mm? 90mm?) in case you find anything small scale en route.<br />

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That said, for mobility reasons, I didn't really hike anywhere except along the ridge. I doubt either a 14-24 or a 24mm f/1.4 is going to appeal too much. If everything is light, you could consider the piece-of-string-to-stand-on monopod approach - in fact a monopod in general is probably not a bad idea, because at least you can use it to help walk with. (I used one as a walking pole when I went up Snowdon.)<br />

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Good luck, have fun, and I'll be interested to see the suggestions from people with more experience than I do in this area...</p>

<p>You could hire a burro. By June it's going to be quite hot at the bottom (May would be better), so the weight you will carry in water is likely to exceed the weight of your camera.</p>

<p>It doesn't sound like you will be pushing it too much though, given that people run from rim to rim in less than a day.</p>

<p>Personally I rarely go anyplace without my tripod but then I barely crawled out of the canyon a few times with it. I think a 24 and a 50mm were my most used lenses in the canyon.</p>

Doing this hike in June is a really bad idea. I would have targeted the latter half of March. Take the smallest camera you

can - maybe a Sony NEX - and concentrate on carrying water, Gatorade, sun protection, and survival equipment.

<p>My suggestion would be your current DSRL (or 800) and the 28-80mm and a monopod/hiking stick. It's never about the 22 mile hike in but the 22 mile hike OUT! Taking only one lens will keep the inside of the camera clean. Good luck.</p>

<p>I might suggest, especially with a D800, that erring on the wide side might be better. You can always get a smaller image (at 2011 resolution...) by cropping the middle out of a shot taken with a wide-angle lens. Unless you want to rely on stitching, it's difficult to go wider. Just a thought. (44 miles? I'm glad I stayed on the rim...)</p>

<p>I'm with Dan - take a smaller camera. I was at the Canyon in May and it was pretty warm, and I only hiked along the rim. The weight you should carry is water, not cameras. I just bought a Canon G1x for just this reason, to be able to go lightweight (or alpine style, as the mountain climbers say), carry minimal gear but still be able to get good IQ images. But you do need a wide angle, so finding a lightweight camera w/a good wide angle might be tough.</p>

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<p>It doesn't sound like you will be pushing it too much though, given that people run from rim to rim in less than a day.</p>

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<p>Those people are crazy! At the age of 24 I did south rim to north rim, 22 miles, in 3 days and it was really hard! Granted, I think two days would actually have been easier since we would have been carrying less food and supplies. But across and back in two days? No way in hell.</p>

<p>I hope you are training at elevation. I was gulping for air when ascending above 5000 feet. And I second that - June is a bad time. The bottom is going to be really hot.</p>

<p>And yet, I want to do it again! North Kaibab was especially beautiful.</p>

<p>I'm flying out in a couple days. Will be there this weekend. :)</p>

<p>When hiking, I'm planning on just taking my Fuji X100.</p>

<p>How about, instead of a tripod, a monopod that'll double as a walking staff?</p>

<p>Your agenda begins and ends primarily with your fitness level and the availability of water. Despite one’s photo aspirations, if one can’t comfortably carry the gear at a comfortable pace, the entire agenda can quickly go south. But in the same breadth I will be the first to encourage your venture and suggest that getting a little out of one’s comfort zone and pushing it, within reason, makes for heart soul food. Always good to hang the carrot a little high.</p>

<p>As for lightweight suggestions, I’m unsure if the question is posed in the photo and/or hiking context. You know what you want/need re: necessities (e.g. camera, lens(es), polarizer, etc.). My carbon fiber Gitzo (2 lbs, incl head and clamp) would be an imperative for dusk/dawn/startrail shooting. It is a photo venture, after all, eh?</p>

<p>Much can be said but I’ll offer just a few brief points re: going light. Give strong consideration to covering miles under darkness and cool temps of night with the aid of a headlamp. Start hiking at 4-5am instead of a more civil time preferred by the rest of humanity. This also reduces water consumption. Consider a very lightweight umbrella, provided you don’t hike with two poles. Some salt is good to retain moisture. Steer clear of caffeine (diuretic). Scrutinize every ounce that’s going on your back. Get hydrated beginning at least 24 hrs before going down.</p>

<p>R Meyers: “It's never about the 22 mile hike in but the 22 mile hike OUT!” This is a very false perception. For those with scant conditioning, hiking downhill with even modest weight on your back at the grades found in The Gr Canyon will eventually soften your thighs to jello. Every downhill step requires braking. This false perception largely contributes to rescues, late exits and ‘overdue’ calls to NPS Rangers. Don’t underestimate the fatigue induced by the downhill portion. You’ll need those same thighs to reach the cooler!</p>

<p>If your taking a D800 that’s pretty much not going “seriously Lightweight”. Not that I wouldn’t take that if I had it, but if you do I think you will need to be very careful about everything else so that you can carry plenty of water. As others have mentioned, it gets really hot there at that time of year. The advice to start out early by headlamp (and everything else Lilly W. said) is right on target. We made it up the Bright Angel trail on the last day before much direct sun ever fell on us.</p>

<p>We covered about the same distance as you are planning, but in three days with a N-90 and film. I would have loved to have brought a tripod along for the evenings, but for me it was sensible to leave it behind. Another thing to keep in mind is that if the wind picks up, it is extremely dusty along the trails so changing lenses might be a problem. Keeping my camera protected from dust and sweat in a chest bag worked well for me. I think a 24-120 VR F4.0 would cover a lot with that camera and eliminate the need to change lenses.</p>

<p>There’s nothing else like drinking a Tecate at the Phantom Ranch Cantina sitting next to a muleskinner that looks like Sam Elliott… have a great trip!</p>

<p>Thomas,<br>

If you are hiking down the South Kaibab and then spending the night at Phantom Ranch, you should be fine with a full Camelback. There is no water on the South Kaibab, but it is the shorter of the two main routes up from the bottom to the south rim. There is a water spigot at boat beach, on the other side of the bridge, at boat beach. They also make pretty good lemonade at the store at Phantom Ranch.<br>

The hike up the north side has water in about three places, but the hike is steeper and longer. The Bright angel has water at Indian Gardens on the hike back up from the river. I hiked up from the river last year carrying my D300 and a 24-70 2.8. I doubt you will feel much like setting up a tripod and with the low light capability of the D800, I doubt you will really NEED one. I use a binocular strap that goes over my shoulders that I clip the camera to, so I don't have to carry it the whole time, or hang it around my neck. I would also bring some way to keep it under wraps in case of the very common thundershowers that time of year. </p>

<p>Heh, now I want to do this hike (although I also want to get remotely fit enough to consider it). Just a thought: if the primary use for a tripod is star trails and the like, perhaps a table-top model would suffice? It'd be a lot smaller and lighter...</p>

<p>I did this very hike during 5 days in late October 2010, but from North to South Rim. Carried D700 w/ 24-85 lens, polarizer, two batteries, plenty CF cards & a walking stick/monopod. Never wanted for another lens. Found 24mm plenty wide. One month later I had a Sony NEX5 & if I go again this is what I will take along. It's become my backpacking camera, even though I prefer DSLR's when weight doesn't matter. www.pbase.com/cwphoto</p>

 

<p>Thanks for all the great responses. I'm going with a large group which has it's pros and cons but changing the days is unavoidable. I will keep a close eye on the weather reports, waterproofing was something I hadn't really thought about. Sounds like I don't have to go as wide as I thought. Perhaps I'll check out the tokina 16-28mm instead of the rokinon 14. No way I'm going to carry a 70-200. I have the nikon 18-200 but seems like putting that on the D800E would be pointless. I will be using hiking poles, I'll look into attaching a short 1/4" bolt to the top of one. Just hoping I don't slip and poke my eye out. I'm reading Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon, making me take this a lot more seriously.</p>

<p>Sounds like you are planning rim to rim to rim over 2 days? In June??? I would be less concerned with photography and more with water, endurance & safety, but then I don't know what your experience and fitness levels are. <br>

My wife and I in November hiked Bright Angel trail down and back over 2 days in November. We camped at Bright Angel campground, but arranged for mule transport of tent and sleeping bags. I carried a Canon400D with a Tamron 17-50 (similar equivalent focal lengths to what you are considering), a polarizer lens, small table-top tripod (Ultrapod), LensPen, and extra memory cards. My hiking staff was capable of doubling as a monopod. I carried my camera gear in a holster-type bag over my shoulder so I didn't have to constantly take off my pack to access it. Occasionally I wished for slightly wider, slightly longer lens -- but not enough to have to deal with extra weight and time to fiddle with lens changes. Actually, I think a small flash unit would have been used more often to better balance shadowed foregrounds with bright backgrounds. An extra battery would have been a good idea, although I didn't need it.<br>

You are definitely planning an ambitious and difficult (and potentially dangerous - I'm not kidding!) hike. You aren't going to have time to wait for perfect or even improved light at a particular location, and I question whether you will have enough time to often make use of a tripod. I think you are on the right track -- minimize your gear (one camera, one lens -- hey, it worked for Galen Rowell!) and focus on the experience. It is a fabulous place! Enjoy your hike.</p>

 

<p>Sign encountered on hiking Grand Canyon:<br>

"Hiking to the bottom -- optional. Hiking back to the top -- MANDATORY!"</p>

<p>Thomas, I think you nailed it. Basically: "What would Galen Do?"</p>

 

<p>Thomas,<br>

Depending upon your fitness level, the detour out to Plateau Point coming back up Bright Angel has some really nice views of the river. Most of the hike, the views of the river are limited. From this vantage point, of about 800 feet above the river, you have some pretty nice views downriver towards Horn Creek Rapid, one of the more challenging rapids on the river. Also, the drop off is pretty dramatic. <br>

Michael Ghiglieri, the author of "Death in the Grand Canyon", also wrote a similar book about Yosemite, called "Off the Wall". It's also an interesting read about the history of the park, and, of course, the history of all who have died there. They both make you appreciate the risks inherent in the wilderness, and also the incredible ineptitude of some of the people who go there.<br>

As for other books to appreciate the canyon, John Wesely Powell's book, "Down the Great Unknown", is an interesting read of his epic journey through the canyon. It will make you appreciate things like the water at Indian Gardens and Phantom Ranch along your journey.<br>

I've spent somewhere around a hundred days rafting and hiking the canyon, and it is still one of my most favorite places on the planet. It is phenomenally beautiful, and also very unforgiving. Rim to rim to rim in two days in June is very ambitious, and also doable depending upon your condition. The temperature at the bottom can easily be in the high nineties to low hundreds, I've seen many people who have overestimated their ability in that heat. Water and something to snack on, is going to be way more important than an extra lens or tripod. I would take a gorllapod or something similar for group shots, and that's about it. </p>

<p>June will be very hot at the bottom. I would keep the weight as low as possible. I use a Fuji X100 + extremely light Gitzo tripod + polarizer for photography. A long time ago I hiking to the bottom then hiked out the next day, all from the south, in October. It was very warm - hot on the bottom. IMHO if you carry to much the hike will be harder and there will be less interest in photography and as such less need to carry heavy equipment. F8 and be there is more important. You should be able to keep the skin out weigth below 30lbs with tripod and lots of water.</p>

<p>I recommend you read the book Andrew Surka just wrote about lightweight hiking, the ultimate hikers gear guide.</p>

<p>I hiked from so. rim to no. rim abt 1996 before digital with a K1000 Pentax and two lenses. a 28-70 and 70-200. I could have left the 70-200 at home. I took two rolls of film and had all of the shots I needed. I was used to hiking up in the morning and down afternoon. The hike out in the late daytime is tiring and very long. We were going to hike back the next day but it snowed on the way out. We took the van back to the so. rim. I started from the so. rim at abt 6:00 AM. topped out on the no. rim abt 5:00 PM. The weather on the so. rim at 6:00 AM was cloudy and 45 Degrees F. The weather at the bottom at 1:00 PM was 90. About 2 mi. past the ranch they were lifting a body of a man that had died from the heat while hiking. This was the last weekend in October. Imagine the heat in the summer! Someplace a little breeze would be nice. On the way up to the no. rim it seem much longer than going down. One lens would be better. I carried 2 quarts of water and filled up at every available source. Hike of a lifetime but don't underestimate the conditions. They change quickly. Have fun and hike with a buddy close by. <br>

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<p>Forget the D800 and forget the 14mm. How about a Fujifilm X10 with its 28-112 equivalent zoom? Bring several extra batteries for that one. Or the Leica/Panasonic D-Lux 5/LX5? Both are very,very good in daylight. The X10 is fantastic in low light--very good high-ISO performance. Your body will thank you!</p>