Camera packing list for Southeast Asia

Heat, humidity and salt water are hard on cameras. All of the gear on our photography page travels with us to Asia; this list is about keeping it working.

Tick things off as you pack. Nothing is saved.

Bodies and lenses

Canon EOS R5
Canon EF 35mm F1.4L II USM on the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R
Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R
Canon RF 50mm F1.2L USM
Canon RF 85mm F1.2L USM
Canon EF 70-200mm F2.8L IS III USM
Camera backpack: Lowepro Tahoe BP 150 Ad*

Drone, action cam, phone

DJI Flip. At under 250 g it needs no registration in the Philippines, though local rules apply, for example on Boracay. Thailand wants NBTC and CAAT registration plus insurance for camera drones, within 30 days of arrival. Vietnam requires a permit for every flight, applied for through a Vietnamese company
GoPro HERO12 Black for snorkelling and boat rides
iPhone 16 Pro Max as the backup camera

Against humidity

Silica gel packs in the camera bag
Let the camera warm up in the closed bag before you step out of air conditioning, so the lens doesn't fog up
Rain cover for camera and bag
Several lens cloths; they get sandy

Power and storage

Four original Canon batteries; heat drains them faster than at home
More memory cards than you think you need
Backup every evening: we copy the cards to an SSD
All lithium batteries in hand luggage

Salt water

Rinse the GoPro and anything else that touched sea water with fresh water the same day
Floating handle or wrist strap for the GoPro
Dry bag for the main camera on every boat ride

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Sources

Rules change. We checked these on October 11, 2026; confirm the details that matter for your trip before you fly.