Before the weekend Avec shoot, here's a look inside my camera bag

On Friday nights, I have a habit of spreading all my gear out on the living room floor. Not the sleeping bag, not the tripod—just the time spent narrowing things down to exactly what I need for a day or two of urbex shooting. What I've learned from seeking out abandoned buildings all across Tennessee is that the lighter you pack, the deeper you can go.

My bag is a single worn-out military-style messenger bag. The strap is wide enough that it doesn't snag when I squeeze through a narrow window gap. I gave up on backpacks a long time ago. Having something on your back means getting caught every time in hallways with low ceilings.

Camera and Film

I carry one body: a Canon AE-1. For lenses, just a single 50mm prime. Without a zoom, I have to move on my feet, but inside an abandoned building, a single step in any direction completely changes the composition anyway. I bring two rolls of black and white and one roll of color. I rarely go through more than three rolls over a weekend. In locations where light is unpredictable, reading exposure slowly saves film.

No spare battery. The AE-1's battery lasts for months. What I always do pack is a small flashlight. When the windows are boarded up, you need light just to check your shutter speed.

What Lines the Bottom of the Bag

• Thin leather gloves. They protect my hands around rusted railings and broken glass.
• Two dust masks. The air in old buildings is worse than you'd think.
• One snack. Usually a granola bar. I often skip lunch and lose myself in shooting.
• One bottle of water.

That's everything. I don't bring a first aid kit or any elaborate survival gear. The places I go are mostly an hour or two by car from Nashville, so if things get truly dangerous, I just head back to the car.

What Gets Left Behind

The tripod stays home. I can set the camera on the floor or a window ledge. Setting up a tripod on an unstable wooden floor is actually more dangerous. I don't bring a second lens either. When your options shrink, you end up focusing on the scene right in front of you. I bring my phone, but not for shooting—just for emergency contact.

Paring down your gear is itself the beginning of the shoot. What you choose to leave out is a declaration of what you intend to focus on at that location. Next weekend, I'm thinking of checking out an old textile mill near Knoxville. The bag will still be the same single messenger bag.