IPCPR 2015: What’s In My Bag — Charlie Minato Edition

This should really be called “what was in your bag”—but here it is nonetheless.

I’ve had the BBP Bags Industries Backpack for about six years. It used to be one of the lowest profile bags that could fit a 17” notebook and a few other items. I also found it to be amongst the more comfortable backpacks designed for the monstrosity laptops of earlier times and use it as my daily bag. That being said, I think this is only my second trade show using the bag, as normally I’ve gone for a much larger backpack to deal with the large amount of things I usually have to carry.

• MacBook Pro 15” (2013) — Two years ago, this was the best laptop money could buy and I feel like I’ve gotten decent use out of it. There’s probably a battery replacement coming in the future.
• Speck Seethru Case — It doesn’t offer a ton of protection, but it does elevate the computer a bit, which I’ve found keeps it cleaner in ash-filled world. It also gives a tad bit of character.
• Canon 6D + BG-E13 + 24-70mm f/2.8L USM — The newest addition to the halfwheel camera stable. We wanted a camera that could back-up the 5D mkIII and still had a full frame sensor. Spending another $3,000 on a 5d that wouldn’t be used daily didn’t seem ideal for our needs, so we picked up a 6D before the show. The 24-70mm f/2.8L is the lens I used to cover the first IPCPR Convention & Trade Show I went to and I fell in love with it six years ago. We’ve had this example for a few years and I love its versatilely. Brooks Whittington was originally against it because he had long been a prime loyalist, but even he’s become a convert and now the 24-70 is our normal studio lens.
• Manfrotto MVM500A + Manfrotto 500PL QR Plate — When we decided we were going to do video for this year’s show, a monopod became essential. Or so I thought. By the end of the show, I was the only one using it, largely because my camera was the heaviest.
• RØDE Stereo VideoMic Pro — Built-in mics on DSLRs are awful. We tested out a few solutions for our needs and ultimately decided on this mic from RODE. A lavalier system probably would have produced cleaner audio, but with a lot of additional steps for the subject each time we filmed. This picked up audio clearly without making a mess for the person we were trying to interview.
• PNY SD Cards + Pelican Case — There’s actually a SanDisk Extreme PRO in the camera when the photo got shot.
• Moleskine Reporter Notebook — Fits in my pocket, great paper, it’s been my go-to for a few shows now.
• Pilot Envelope Address Writing Gel Ink Pen — I’ve used these for years, in the 1mm size. That being said, more and more I’m enjoying the Uni-ball Signo Broad UM-153. Whatever the case, if I’m using a pen, it’s one of the two.
• Anker Astro (2nd Gen) — I didn’t bring the gigantic version with me on a daily basis and barely used this, but it was nice knowing that it was there.
• Gerber 22-41830 EAB + LENOX Gold 20350 — After mauling my Kershaw through repeated openings of cardboard boxes I picked up this razor, which came with a great blade out of the box, and have been replacing it with LENOX Gold 20350 when needed.
• S.T. Dupont MaxiJet — My favorite lighter. It’s pricy, but just better. There’s normally a few JetLines in my bag, but Patrick Lagreid was using them.
• XIKAR MTX Scissors — Like most of the staff, I believe this is the best cutter on the market.
• iPhone 6 Plus + Apple Lighting Connector — While the free internet was pretty good for most of the show, during lunch it was a joke. Also, many trade shows actively jam wi-fi signals (this didn’t appear to take place here) so having an internet device I could hardline into my computer was key. During busier times, I’d use my phone’s LTE and upload the 200mb video files with ease.
• Verizon Mi-Fi — Brought just as a back-up in case the T-Mobile network let me down, which it did not.
• Shure SE535 + FiiO RC-SE1 — One day I’ll upgraded to the new flagship SE846s, but these have suited me just fine for years. As for the FiiO cable, I’ve had luck with it, although I know that’s not always the case. Furthermore, unlike a lot of other custom replacement cables, these have held up to my wear and tear for over two years.
• Wasabi LP-E6 — Given that we use a battery grip, going for the ultra-expensive, but better, OEM batteries doesn’t seem to make much difference. These cheap Wasabi batteries hold enough power and have worked for a while.
• halfwheel stickers + business cards
• Vitamin Water Ice-T — I stopped drinking soda a few months ago, don’t drink coffee but need caffeine