When I started planning my Belize trip, I knew one thing for certain: I wasn't going to make the same mistake I'd made on countless other trips. No massive camera bag. No roller suitcase full of gear I'd never touch. This time, I was going minimalist.

This is a trip log of sorts, but it's also a lesson in how traveling light with your camera gear can actually improve your photography experience.

The Minimalist Travel Photography Philosophy

Something we learned from the trip to England last year that was a basic revelation to us was that we don't need as much stuff as we think we do. This was because we had decided to hike the Canterbury trail in England. This forced us to leave everything behind that wasn't essential for the hike since we had to carry everything we wanted in our backpack. Let me tell you, you can get brutally honest with yourself when it comes to hiking and weight in your pack. To the point of removing packaging from items to simply cull the dead weight.

This led me to also take a very hard look at my camera kit. I normally would take all sorts of lenses in the off chance I would get to do this or that kind of photography. I learned over the years though that I would end up carrying all this gear and never touch it.

The hard truth about travel photography gear: Most of what we think we "need" stays in the bag. Every extra lens is dead weight. Every "just in case" accessory is a burden you'll resent carrying. The Canterbury trail taught me this lesson through physical pain and exhaustion.

My Belize Camera Kit: Leica CL + Two Prime Lenses

Well, I looked at what we would be doing and what I figured I wanted to capture and I took just one camera and two small prime lenses. A crop sensor camera and a 17mm along with a 35mm lens is all I needed. This would cover 99% of what I would be shooting and I would be able to carry it easily in my backpack.

Now, I am on another trip out of the country and I am applying the same principle again. The kit is just as small as last time but with less charging gear. I only brought chargers for USB only this time. This may prove to have been a mistake but we will see. I am also carrying only the back pack again as well.

My complete Belize camera kit:

- Leica CL (crop sensor camera body)

- 17mm f/1.4 lens (for landscapes and general photography)

- 35mm f/0.95 lens (for street photography and low light)

- 3 spare batteries (I usually only use two per day)

- One USB charger and cable (works for both camera and action cam)

- DJI Osmo Action (for video/vlogging)

- Lume Cube Panel Mini (portable fill light)

- No lens cloths, no rocket air, no card wallet, no spare lens caps, no tripod

That's it. Everything fits in a small belt dump pouch that serves as my camera "bag." What doesn't fit goes in a ziplock bag. Total weight? Maybe 3-4 pounds including the action camera and accessories.

Minimalist Leica CL camera kit with two lenses and accessories laid out on surface for Belize travel — The complete Travel photography Camera Kit in one photo!

Why Backpack-Only Travel Changed Everything

The reason I like to travel with a backpack now is that there is no baggage to check or pickup…or lose, since I have it with me at all times. Plus the airport maneuverings is also much easier too. Much easier since you just go in and get your boarding passes (we still haven't transitioned to using our phones yet), pass through security (which you still do even if you check a bag) and go straight to your gate. Easy. Not to mention that I dont have to drag my roller bag around with me AND both of my hands are free as well.

Benefits of backpack-only travel photography:

- No checked baggage fees

- No waiting at baggage claim

- Zero risk of lost luggage with your expensive camera gear

- Both hands free for navigating airports

- Faster through security checkpoints

- More mobility when shooting on location

- Forces you to be selective about what you really need

You see, I despise airports and air travel to be quite honest about it. That is a blog post all it's own though... Haha.

The Journey: Chattanooga to Belize via Small Planes

Day 1 - We wake up at 4:30 and get ready to leave and pack the last few items we think we will need and head off to the airport.

Flying out of Chattanooga is also better to me since it is a smaller airport, the whole vibe is just lower key. This also gets me past the long lines at the big airports at check in as well as the long lines at the TSA checkpoint too. I don't normally bother with photos at the airport like others do but here are a couple for fun. All photos of travel are taken with my phone so I don't have to break out the camera. The below photo is of note though, this is what overcast skies looks like from the other side of the clouds. Looks almost looks like a desert somewhere, doesn't it?

View from airplane window showing clouds from above resembling desert landscape — Flying above the clouds - it almost looks like a desert from up here

Why I love small regional airports for travel photography: Chattanooga's airport lets you move through the whole process in minutes, not hours. Less stress means you arrive at your destination with more creative energy for photography. For more on my travel photography philosophy, check out my other photography insights on the blog.

The camera kit is shown below. I didn't bother with lots of items I normally carry to the point of probably a fault. Lol. No lens cloths, no rocket air, no card wallet, no spare lens caps, no tripod plates (or tripods either for that matter), not even a camera bag… officially. The bag you see is actually a lens "dump pouch" that goes on your belt. It happens to be big enough to hold almost all of the camera equipment I brought. What doesn't fit is in a ziplock bag, like the battery charger and cable and the DJI Osmo Action that I usually vlog with. I didn't even bring all of my spare batteries as I only used two a day at the most so I brought three. Lol…couldn't help myself.

I didn't bother with a spare battery for the Osmo as I never ran one down on my normal days anyways and it USB charges so the same cable will charge the action camera as my camera charger.

The inventory is longer than I had originally planned with me adding the DJI Osmo Action and the Lume Cube Panel Mini (fill light) was a couple of luxuries I really wanted for vlogging but fit in the pack easily enough. I have almost decided that I can vlog on my phone just about as good as the Osmo Action…almost.

Arriving in Belize: First Impressions and the Small Plane Experience

Once on the ground in Belize we pass through customs and then board a smaller plane to Placencia where we will be staying for a couple of days.

Small Tropic Air passenger plane on tarmac in Belize for regional flight to Placencia — Flying Tropic Air's small planes down to Placencia - a completely different experience from commercial jets

You can also tell that they play by different rules in Belize. Notice how there is no copilot, I wonder what the protocol is for a incapacitated pilot? Makes you wonder… anyway, he did just fine and we arrived in fine order. It was actually kind of nice to take the little plane down to Placencia as it flies at a much lower altitude and I could see the towns along the way really well.

Cockpit view of small plane in Belize showing single pilot and no copilot seat — Notice something missing? No copilot. Welcome to small plane travel in Central America.

I also noticed that our plane had a copy of Microsoft Flight Simulator installed…haha. It is actually neat how technical the instruments have become but still display like the old ones did. It displayed EXACTLY like the old instruments but just on a digital display. I just thought it was really neat to see that.

Modern digital flight instruments in small plane displaying traditional gauge layouts — The instruments look like Microsoft Flight Simulator - modern digital displays mimicking traditional gauges

Small plane photography tip: These low-altitude flights offer incredible aerial photography opportunities. Keep your phone or camera ready for unique perspectives of coastlines and villages you can't get from commercial jets at 30,000 feet.

First Day in Placencia: Testing the 17mm f/1.4

After we arrived and got settled in, we went to the beach and walked in the ocean. It was really surreal to wake up and the outside temperature be 29 degrees and that evening it be almost 80 degrees.

Placencia beach sunset scene in Belize with palm trees and ocean view — First evening in Placencia - from 29°F at home to nearly 80°F at the beach

Once settled in, we went to the beach for a bit to relax a little and for this I took my 17mm f1.4 lens on the Leica CL. This is a great focal length for general photography as well as some landscapes. After our beach excursion it was time for some great food and fellowship.

Belizean dinner meal with local cuisine at beachside restaurant — First dinner in Belize - incredible local food and fellowship

Beach landscape photograph taken with Leica CL and 17mm f1.4 lens in Placencia Belize — Testing the 17mm f/1.4 at the beach - perfect focal length for landscapes and environmental shots

Night photograph shot at f/0.95 aperture with Leica 35mm lens showing shallow depth of field — Successfully shooting at f/0.95 - the 35mm lens proved its worth in low light

We ate a wonderful meal for supper and hung out a while then it was off to bed. I used the 35mm at f0.95 for a change just to see if I could get some photos in focus at f0.95 and it was a success!

Shooting wide open at f/0.95: This was a test to see if I could nail focus at such a shallow depth of field while traveling. The answer? Yes. The Leica CL's focus peaking and magnification made it possible even in low light situations. This is why I love shooting with manual lenses—you stay engaged with every shot.

Living in the Moment: Day 2 Without a Camera

Day 2 was an off day from photo and video collection as I wanted to just be in the moment. This meant no camera gear of any kind. It was really nice to "unplug" for a while.

The best travel photography advice I can give: Not every day needs to be a photo day. Some experiences are better lived through your eyes instead of your viewfinder. This is something I learned through my photography evolution from gear-obsessed to minimalist, and it's transformed how I travel.

Next installment will be the "ruins"…I DID take my camera this time. Continue reading about my Belize photography adventures at Mayan ruins and San Pedro.

Frequently Asked Questions

What camera gear should I bring to Belize?

For Belize travel photography, I recommend a lightweight setup: one camera body and two prime lenses. A wide lens (17-24mm equivalent) for landscapes and beach scenes, and a normal to short telephoto (35-50mm equivalent) for street photography and portraits. The Leica CL with 17mm and 35mm lenses covered everything I needed. Skip the zoom lenses—the weight isn't worth it.

Is it safe to travel to Belize with expensive camera gear?

Yes, but be smart about it. I kept my Leica CL in a nondescript belt pouch rather than an obvious camera bag. In tourist areas like Placencia and San Pedro, camera gear is common and generally safe. Away from resorts, I was more discreet. The bigger risk is losing checked luggage—this is why I travel backpack-only with all my gear as carry-on.

Can you really travel with just a backpack for photography trips?

Absolutely. I did a week in Belize with just a backpack containing all my clothes and camera gear. The key is choosing versatile, lightweight equipment. My entire Leica CL kit (camera + 2 lenses + accessories) weighed less than 4 pounds. This left plenty of room for clothes and toiletries in a standard backpack. See my complete packing list in [my gear page](/my-gear-page).

What's the best focal length for travel photography?

For travel photography, I prefer two focal lengths: a wide lens (17-24mm equivalent) for environmental shots and landscapes, and a normal lens (35-50mm equivalent) for people and street scenes. This combination covers about 95% of travel situations. On my Belize trip, I used a 17mm f/1.4 and 35mm f/0.95 on a crop sensor camera, which gave me roughly 25mm and 52mm equivalent fields of view.

How do you pack camera gear for international travel?

Always pack your camera gear in carry-on luggage—never check it. I use a small belt dump pouch that fits my Leica CL and two lenses. It's nondescript and doesn't scream "expensive camera." Everything else (chargers, batteries, cables) goes in ziplock bags inside my backpack. This system has worked flawlessly for multiple international trips. The key is limiting yourself to what truly fits in a carry-on while staying under airline weight limits.