Trip Itinerary for a wild adventure on the Isle of Mull

My Trip Itinerary for a trip to the West of Ireland and the Isle of Mull, Scotland. The Irish trip will help fine tune anything I’ve missed for the wilds of Mull. I don’t wish to get caught up with the technology of thing but more the practical needs and requirement for taking finest photographs in the cold and windy conditions. The moon image to remind me to take note of important tidal changes.

  • Car GPS
    As I’m flighting to the UK  and then renting a car at the other end I reckon it makes sense to take along my car’s GPS with me.  The little Garmin GPS unit is loaded with maps from across Europe. This will serve to get to locations quickly and in comfort (without the stress of time). But let me make it clear, a good Ordinance Survey map is a essential while hiking and searching out places more on that below. The GPS is just useful for main roads.
  • Mobile Phone Charger for Car + Audio 3.5mm cable
    Ok, I’m using the all in one device – the iPhone. Many new Cars have AUX input jacks, so I might be lucky to have one in the rental car. Not only is this great for listening to music and podcasts along the way, but it also acts as a hands free device once connected to the AUX input via the audio cable. So as along as the iPhone’s mic is placed in range, about 30cm away is fine, not perfect but acceptable. No doubt when I get off the ferry onto the Isle of Mull, I’ll switch off any music or podcast to start absorbing the atmosphere and spirit of the place – an important factor when making photography.
  • Water Bottle with foam holder
    A light plastic bike bottle is all that’s needed. The aluminum ones are too heavy to bring along – anything to reduce weight means more room for camera equipment! The foam holder makes it easy to clip on to the side of the camera bag and also provides some temperature isolation.
  • GPS Logger
    The thorn in my side, they still haven’t made a proper solution for a Canon cameras regarding GeoTagging. Unless you willing to pay a fortune or rely on cheap lossy electronics or some convoluted solution.  There was hope of a company ‘ATP’ which makes a simple standalone cardreader which stamps your images with GPS data. However the dumb thing doesn’t support RAW files, just JPEG. So back to the drawboard again, I’ve decided to use the iPhone with some GeoTag App to do the job. I know, you can take  an image with the iPhone’s camera and import into Aperture etc.. But it’s all too messy. Why is GeoTagging such a disaster on Canon ? I could also use the Phototrackr which works just about. This another reason to bring Ordinance Survey map to mark off place you’ve being.
  • Card Reader with short USB cable
    The short cable it just neater.
  • Voice Recorder with headphones
    Essential are the headphones here,  to prevent  clipping and to ensure the level is correct. The voice recorder I’m using is the Yamaha Pocketrak CX, it has great battery life, super quality and it’s light. Perfect for taking notes and recording sounds along the way. Just don’t forget to take along a windshield for the mics. In fact with two dabs of super glue the windshield is now permanently stuck on.
  • Flask for a hot drink
    Addition to the Water Bottle a flask is a great comfort when you can pour out a cup of tea of coffee while standing around waiting for the light to change.
  • Ordinance Survey Maps
    To discover the hidden away places and to arrive accurately at your destination. A contoured map as such will help you route your  when walking especially in the wilds of Mull.
  • Ski Underwear
    This might sound odd, but if you are photographing in the same place in the great outdoors no doubt you’ll be often standing or not moving too far in one place. Keeping yourself not only dry but warm is a necessary requirement.
  • A buff
    Very useful to keep your ear or neck warm when exposed to the elements   http://www.buff.es
  • Asprin
    For some reason I get headaches that boom through my head. Asprin seems to resolve this quite quickest so it doesn’t disturb my photographing.
  • Tide Information
    As I’m photographing around the coast of the Isle of Mull. Tidal information is very important to take into consideration when setting out and when to return.

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