Help: advice on equipment to take with me for a trip.

[Green Mountain Girl]

It might be worth looking in duty free stores when you are entering or leaving a country, you might get some 'cheap' gear. A friend of mine holidayed in Singapore and got a lot of new Nikon gear there for not much.

If you decide to do this, keep in mind that in the US it is difficult to get repairs on non-US-warranteed Nikons.

[hytam]

One thing I learnt on my last trip to Spain was that if you walked around looking like you've got a fortune in camera equipment in your camera case, then you immediately become a target for the many thieves and con men that make a living targeting photographer tourists. Paris is full of them. Remember you are in his backyard and he knows the place better than you and if you're tired from walking around carrying a ton of equipment, then sooner or later you'll need to get rest and that's when they'll strike. My camera bag was stolen from under my nose even though I was with 5 other colleagues and we were sitting at an out door cafe having refreshments when someone distracted our attention and his accomplice then walked away with my bag.
Never sit on the perimeter of an outdoor establishment as you are exposed to public areas where theives can make a quick getaway. I would suggest to you more than anything else, get your equipment insured against loss and get yourself some form of device that could secure your bag to a table leg or arm of a chair when you take a break, like a very large carribina as most of these thieves are the snatch and run sort. I sincerely wish what happened to me never happens to anyone else and I was more upset with myself than anything else. Best wishes for a safe and secure trip and I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself there.
Regards
Anthony.

[rpcrowe]

Luis, I just noticed from your Budweiser device that you are or were a Special Warfare Sailor. Congraulations on that acomplishment.