Camera. One-chip, three-chip, hi8, VHS, SHVS, Beta, digital... I couldn't begin to cover all the variables. Go to a camera store or start reading books (or both). The very best thing you can do is to borrow someone's video camera and use it extensively before buying anything of your own. You will quickly realize which features are missing that you need and which ones you have that you never use. You will see if the technical quality is acceptable for your purposes and how much more you have to spend to get the image you want...
	Batteries. Most people buy a video camera and never need more than the standard rechargeable battery that comes with the camera. If you are going on an (extended) trip to a foreign country then batteries will quickly become your albatross. But first, here are some of your choices: Many rechargeable batteries. This gets expensive and requires you to be extremely organized (especially if you are out of reach of electricity for days at a time). Non-rechargeable custom-made expedition batteries - they are heavy (mine weighed upwards of 20 lbs), expensive (for 60 hours of footage the requisite battery power cost $1,500) and somewhat risky (only one of my fifteen batteries worked once I was in the field). Generator - heavy, cumbersome, finicky - but at least you're in charge of your own power source. Solar panels. Apparently some very durable ones were developed during the Gulf war. They are quite expensive. I never tried them because I figured that anything left outside for any length of time would eventually be stolen or smashed by little boys' rocks. Belt battery pack. Expensive but will give you a whole day's filming. Then you need to find a power source to recharge it. As you can see, there are no easy (or inexpensive) answers. Most people can make do with a few extra rechargeables - I was beyond electricity for weeks at a time and so had to come up with some pretty extreme solutions.
	Tape. Bring more than you think you'll need. Don't skimp on your shots because you are saving tape - your per-minute footage costs are trivial. And buy the best tape you can. You've made the investment in the trip and the camera and your time - don't shortchange yourself on the tape.
	Tripod. Buy one. Bring it. Use it. Anytime you should be using a tripod and you're not, your footage will be visibly bumpy. I've heard several professional camerapeople say the tripod is their single most important piece of equipment.
	Fluid head (for your tripod). They certainly are useful but they are also heavy.
	Carrying bag. This should be roomy enough to fit everything easily and comfortable enough to carry with you wherever you go. It should also be sturdy, dust resistant and water resistant. Your tripod probably needs a bag too.
	Hard carrying case. I never used mine except in airplane transit. They are simply too bulky. But I was hiking miles each day with a backpack. If you are traveling by car...
	Video light. They use up a huge amount of power and provide relatively poor lighting. On the other hand, if something extraordinary is happening after dark, no lighting means no filming. Another possibility is a Coleman lantern and some foldable reflectors.
	Wide-angle/telephoto lenses. Both are useful but not essential. Consider what you are filming (an elusive bird? A mountaintop vista?) before making your choice.
	Camera manuals. Bring them, no matter how well you think you know your cameras.
	Desiccant. You probably don't need it. Salt works just fine.
	Filters: a skylight and circular polarizer are very useful. Many cameras have a built-in neutral density filter.
	White card. Very useful if your camera doesn't white balance automatically. I lost a lot of footage because my camera would white balance fifteen seconds into a shot - changing the colors dramatically.
	Lens cleaning kit.
	Waterproof housing. This is a luxury but a wonderful one. Are you going to be near the water? In the water? You can also buy a waterproof/water resistant camera (I did) but beware - if the weather is very damp then moisture will tend to condense on the inside lenses, fogging up your picture. This is because the motor heats up the air inside the camera.
	Head-cleaning tape. Bring one of these if you plan to shoot a lot (more than is recommended between cleanings).
	Audio: Most small cameras have lousy audio. This was a huge problem when we tried to turn my footage into a documentary - nowhere was there really good ambient audio. That means we couldn't have people talking on tape (including me when I was speaking Vietnamese) and the entire documentary had to be voice-over. If you're serious about all this, consider mounting a shotgun mike on your camera. If you're really serious about all this, bring along a radio mike. If you have money to burn, hire a boy and a boom.