About

This is a little photo blog to document my travels around the world. Comments are more than welcome. I am new to photography in the sense that I bought my first DSLR camera in summer 2015, before embarking on my trip – previously I only owned compact cameras. The fact of owning (and always carrying) a “good” camera has motivated me to experiment with the different settings, so apart from the camera itself taking better pictures, I also hope to improve my photography skills by trial and error throughout my trip.

About my equipment

I shoot photos with a Pentax K-3, using an 18-135mm zoom lens. The only accessories I carry are a battery charger, a neopren case by US brand Zing Designs (highly recommended) and a comfortable China-made carrying belt. To process the photos I use a Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5. I copy the files to the tablet’s microSD card using a USB microSD reader. My camera supports a wifi SD card named “eye-fi”, which I own, but it is very complicated and slow to use.

In February 2016, when my camera was stolen, I used my brother’s Canon PowerShot G16 for some time. Then I only had my phone and tablet with me for about a week, and before boarding the NAVIMAG ferry, I decided to buy a cheap superzoom camera from the limited selection available in Puerto Natales: A Sony DSC-H300. This camera accompanied me for the rest of my travels through Chile. Back home I bought another Pentax K-3, which I’m now using.

My backpack also contains complete camping equipment, most of which I specifically bought for this trip. So far everything has worked well, except that the sleeping bag was not always warm enough. But that’s a compromise I made on purpose: A sleeping bag rated for 0°C or lower is just too bulky to carry all the time, so I took my 46N Helium (a Swiss store brand), rated 11°C comfort and weighing 650 grams. My tent is a Vaude Power Lizard UL, offering a solid waterproof shelter and lots of space at just 1.3 kg (including footprint). The mattress is also very compact while being more comfy than most camping mats – I went for the Thermarest NeoAir XTherm (regular size). Even when staying with hosts, it has come in handy to have my own sleeping surface. For basic cooking, I got a Primus Lite+ gas stove, a Sea to Summit foldable cup, a spork, a Swiss knife, and a cheap set of aluminum pans that I bought along the way (but don’t use enough). I further carry a Sawyer Mini water filter, which is much more useful than I expected, even in cities, since it allows you to drink any tap water. A travel towel (PackTowl) and LED flashlight (Chinese) have also been indispensable. For water storage, I have a 3-liter Camelbak and a 2-liter foldable bottle, enough for a 2-day hike in thirsty weather with some cooking.

My clothing is a compromise between different weather conditions, ranging from shorts to thermal underwear. I have two sets of warm clothing: A pair of jeans, hiking pants, a light sweater and a fleece hoodie. This combination has worked out well for my activities, and I always had something to wear while washing clothes. Weighing each item of clothing has been helpful to choose my wardrobe – e.g. I only carry two cotton T-shirts because they are heavier than synthetic ones.

Sometimes the smallest items have been the most useful, e.g. my sewing kit, roll of Leukotape, earplugs, and lighter. Some other items I carry have been useless so far: An adapter for valveless gas cartridges, a scarf, a head net against mosquitoes, and a compass, among others. To keep track of all my stuff, I have used a mix of lightweight textile bags, waterproof pouches, and ziplock bags. Overall, my baggage is about 23kg split between a 30-liter daypack and a 65+15 liter backpack.

About me

You can find some information about me (including contact information) on my personal website.

Copyright and Licensing

All content © Martin Zoller unless otherwise indicated. You may use these works under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license (CC-BY-SA) Version 3.0 or later. A comment would be appreciated if you like my pictures and/or are using them elsewhere. As of January 2016, I am publishing the photos in full resolution; if you need a hi-res version of an earlier picture, please request it through the comments feature.

2 Comments

  • Susi Spillmann Zoller

    December 28, 2015 at 07:25 Reply

    Hoi Martin, am Samstag feierten wir die Zoller- Weihnacht bei uns zu Hause. Der Truthahn (12 kg) musste bereits um Mitternacht in den Ofen, und brutzelte dann bis zum nächsten Mittag vor sich hin.
    Dein Blog gefällt mir sehr gut, freue mich auf weitere Bilder aus Mexiko und all dem was noch kommt. Geniesse Deine Reise.
    liebe Grüsse, Susi

  • Jesus Castro.

    March 10, 2016 at 17:19 Reply

    Saludos desde Nicaragua me gusta tu bloc informativo sobre la ciudad y pueblo,,,te esperamos en Nicaragua. Saludos cordiales Jesus Castro Director del Museo Nacudari.
    Ns gustaria hacer esto desde nuestro museo y Pueblo de Nindiri-Masaya-Nicaragua, talvez nos ayudas. Gracias.

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