I carry a 4x5 camera and lenses and assorted other equipment that weighs in at about 50 pounds, while my film needs for a week in the wilderness add another 15 pounds to the load. I soon came to the conclusion that letting the river do all the work of transporting me and my gear into fabulously beautiful wild places, might be a good strategy. Very quickly, Westwater Canyon, northeast of Moab, became an area that fascinated and attracted me. In terms of wildness, beauty, and photographic potential, Westwater is like visiting another planet. Red slickrock walls taper down to a sculpted inner gorge of some of the oldest exposed rock on the planet.
Waterfalls pour over the metamorphic walls and feed pools and streams.
And, there are rapids. Since photographic equipment and dirty brown water don't mix too well, I began using metal army surplus waterproof cans and boxes to protect my equipment and film. In any field situation, whether I'm in Oman or Provo, I consider my exposed film to be my most valuable possession after my life. Protecting equipment is always important, but equipment is insured and can be replaced. Images I've made cannot be.