Bag Check: Paris Gore's World Cup Photo Pack

The 2014 World Cup race season kicks of this week, and our team of photographers will be bringing you extensive coverage from Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Take a look into Paris Gore's photo bag to see what he'll be lugging with him to capture all the action.

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Here's a look at all the essentials, not including an assortment of cables, Manfrotto Magic Arm, reflector, laptop, iPad, more chargers and a few other odds and ends. All of the items need to be taken onto the plane as a carry-on - that way if my luggage doesn't make it I can still hit the ground running and do my job. Yes, airlines hate most photographers. Some airlines have weight limits on your carry-on luggage so choose your flights wisely. I ran into this trouble on my first overseas flight with Condor Airlines; if this does happen just be sure to ask for the manager and show them the value of what's inside your bag, which should end the debate quickly. Also be sure to bring any relevant documentation for items like the Ranger battery that look quite suspicious to TSA. It's important to make sure they know what they are looking at to avoid any unnecessary hassles.

Below is a list that's representative of what most of us World Cup photographers bring with us up on the hill all day to get top notch content for Pinkbike's viewers.


Paris Gore's Gear List

F-stop Satori Exp camera bag with an X-Large block inside.
NIkon D4 Body
Nikon D3 Body
Nikon 70-200 2.8 lens
NIkon 24-70 2.8 lens
Nikon 14-24 2.8 lens
Nikon 50 1.4 lens
Nikon 16mm Fisheye
Monopod
Tripod
GorillaPod X2 (I use these for putting speedlights on.)
Nikon SB-900 Speedlight (X2)
Elinchrom Ranger Quadra w/ lighter weight Lithium battery
Elinchrom A head for Quadra
Pocket Wizard Multimax (x3)
Pocket Wizard Plus II
Nikon D4 Battery Charger
Dust blower and cleaning supplies
Memory card wallet with 8 cards.
(Not pictured: X2 Custom DSLR camera straps)
Motorola Radio
Last but not least, snacks! Clif Bars save the day more than anything else in the bag.

In my mind, the F-stop Satori EXP is the ultimate bag for any professional photographer. I love all the gadgets and electronics that come with the job, but to be honest a good camera bag really makes or breaks the day. Luckily, the guys at F-stop know a thing or two about making a sweet bag for action sports photographers. You can remove the inner block and replace it with a smaller one for more room up top. I put a medium size block in for light rides, backcountry skiing, or when I just don't feel like lugging a bunch of gear around.

The bag comes ready to put a bladder inside it for hydration, along with a spot for a rain fly at the base of the pack and a pocket for packing out trash. What the bag could use would be a stock rain fly or a more waterproof outer material, but that's not really a huge deal here. What I've found with other bags while riding is that the weight distribution is a bit awkward, while the F-stop rides nicely whether you're mountain biking, snowboarding or on some other wild adventure, keeping all your gear safe and secure.

Riders that will just be carrying a camera body and a couple lenses may be more interested in one of F-stop's smaller bags such as the Tilopa, Loka or Kenti as it will save you a little bit of weight and size, but if you're a gear whore, this is the bag for you.


The back entry compartment is key, some bags open up on the opposite side but get your back dirty or snowy every time you set it down.


If there were two pieces of camera equipment I had to shoot with for the rest of my life it would hands down be the Nikon D4 (or current model) and the Nikkor 70-200 2.8 VR II lens. One could shoot virtually anything with this set up, other lenses have their place, but the 70-200 is definitely my go to lens choice.


(L) Snacks and Vitamin C - another pair of essential items for a long day of shooting. Putting in 12 hour days means you don't get the chance to eat when you would like to. I always make sure to pack enough emergency food to keep pushing on through the day. (R) I use a Manfrotto Magic Arm to run a second body wired up with Pocket Wizards so I can get two different perspectives of the same moment. I will often use this during finals so I can get a finish line shot and a finish action photo. The GorillaPod is a nice little mini tripod for flashes, light weight and stores easily. Monopods are also great to get a new perspective from higher above where you normally couldn't extend your arms.



parisgore.com @parisgore