When considering the possibility of inclement weather—from the humid Amazon to the freezing Antarctic—Wolfgang Kaehler told me that the best preparation is simply for photographers to know their gear really well, from personal experience.
I was interviewing Kaehler for a piece on travel photography, which he has been doing for decades, to every continent and more than 200 countries. (WOW!) He says he simply knows what his equipment can and cannot take, and so he heads to the plane with confidence.
Kaehler also mentioned that he has always used high-end gear, currently the Nikon D3 and that, generally, “you get what you pay for.” But his point was not simply to spend more money. If you’re not going to travel to the humid Amazon and the freezing Antarctica in the same season (as he has) you might not need a D3 or equipment anywhere nearly as tough. But you will need to know what your camera can take, and you should know before you leave home.
I found it interesting that Kaehler has never used special gear to protect his equipment, such as “rain suits.” He simply carries plastic trash bags for emergencies. He sees no reason to do more. From experience, he told me, he knows that he can photograph in the rain, and that his camera—even his high-end digitals—perform fine after they have dried out.
Frankly I can’t imagine photographing in New Zealand in the rain without freaking out about my equipment, but then, I haven’t traveled to more than 200 countries, nor tried doing so with my own equipment. So I’ll take Kaehler’s word for it that it’s possible, but I’ll test my own equipment at home before I try it on assignment.