My Marching Arts Media Coverage Gear

After yesterday’s power debacle…

https://twitter.com/kevingamin/status/1426392111549669378?s=21

…I intend to be much more prepared for today’s DCI Celebration event. I have a whole camera bag of gear which I use to cover drum corps for Drum Corps Planet and Drum Corps World. I thought I’d give you a look at what’s in my bag before heading over to the stadium.

Camera: Nikon D5600 with Sigma 18-300 mm lens.

When I made the move to an actual camera instead of whatever smartphone I had at the time, I chose Nikon. I started with the D3400, but I upgraded to the D5600 because the D3400 did not hand built in WiFi or Bluetooth. The D5600 does, which means I can sync photos to my phone or tablet and post them on social media almost immediately. This is how I was posting photos last night…before the single camera battery I brought with me to the stadium ran out of juice. Fortunately…

…I have PLENTY of batteries, fully charged, for today.

Laptop/tablet: Apple 2018 12.9 inch iPad Pro with Apple Magic Keyboard

Like I said, I can sync the photos I take from my camera to my tablet. With the keyboard, I can also compose my posts to social media and Drum Corps Planet, essentially live blogging the event. I type over 80 words per minute, which is very helpful when trying to describe a drum corps show as it happens. I can also then write my Drum Corps World show reviews on this device thanks to the free Pages app. And, to make sure I have enough juice to last the show, I have this:

Battery: Jackery SuperCharge 20000 mAh external battery.

The SuperCharge, as its name suggests, provides an extra 20000 milliamp hours (mAh) of power on top of my iPad’s built in battery. It also connects via USB-C for proper power delivery to a device of this size. This ensures I can cover a full day of events without the need for a power outlet.

If I do need a power outlet, I’m prepared for that, as well.

Charging station: Phillips 3 Outlet Travel Surge Protector

This little doodad has three standard US power outlets and two USB-A charging ports. The plug on the back folds into the body for easy storage in my bag when not in use.

And there you have it. Everything I need and use to bring drum corps and the marching arts to my social media and DCP followers.