I have a lumbar compression fracture, so I have to keep things as light as possible. A camera, a good zoom lens and that’s it. I don’t want to have to swap lenses in a storm. Either my car or home is never far away, so I don’t need to worry about going hungry, but I often take a snack of dry goat’s cheese. I can stay outside for hours. The camera is protected by a bag, and I wear standard gear and a thin glove on my right hand, which is partly protected by the bag.
The wind is my biggest enemy – I use disposable tissues to wipe the lens. It’s not what the professionals do, but if I took a special cloth, I’d only be able to use it once. You also have to deal with the risk of condensation and sudden temperature changes that cause the lens to fog up.