Comfort In The Backcountry

Get a roof over your head and inspiring locations for photos by exploring the possibilities of remote lodges

By James Kay

Published September 1, 2004
Updated June 20, 2016

Imagine waking up in a warm, dry bed with jaw-dropping scenery outside the window of your cozy room. There are no roads in sight. The aroma of a hot breakfast fills your nostrils. Your camera gear is nice and dry. You don’t need a huge backpack stuffed with your camera gear, tent, sleeping bag, food and cooking gear to get here. The only pack you need is a day pack filled with camera gear, a water bottle and an extra jacket. Imagine gourmet meals. No setting up camp in hailstorms. Hot showers. No mosquitoes buzzing around your head as you shovel down your evening gruel, and no threat of being flattened by speeding RVs as you jockey for position amid 20 other photographers at the side of the road. If this sounds appealing to you—and I know it does—then you’re going to love the world of backcountry lodges.

To read this On Location article, become a Member.

Become an Outdoor Photographer Member to access this On Location Article, plus techniques, inspiration and equipment reviews from the pros!

Featured Articles

Spring Forward

Simple, elegant photographs express the beauty of spring’s renewal.

Raccoon photo taken with Nikon Z 7.

Hands On With Nikon Z

First impressions of Nikon’s new full-frame mirrorless system in the field, from wildlife and landscape photography perspectives

To access this content, you must purchase Outdoor Photographer Membership.

California's Eastern Sierra - Sunrise Moonset, Mt. Whitney, Alabama Hills.

California’s Eastern Sierra

Explore the many opportunities for dramatic landscape photography on the sunrise side of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Super-Telephoto Challenges

Super-Telephoto Challenges

Ways I’ve learned to use a super-tele to attain the best possible images

To access this content, you must purchase Outdoor Photographer Membership.

Hybrid Hiking/Photography Backpacks

Hybrid Hiking/Photography Backpacks

For comfort, convenience and sheer capacity, photo backpacks are hard to beat.

The Highs And Lows Of A Horizon

Four ways to place the horizon in your photographs for creative emphasis

To access this content, you must purchase Outdoor Photographer Membership.