I just got this Rebel T7 because I'm finally taking that trip to Oregon in two weeks and I'm honestly so stressed out trying to figure out what else I actually need to bring. Every blog post I read says I MUST have a 50mm prime lens and a three hundred dollar carbon fiber tripod but I only have like 150 bucks left in my budget after buying the camera kit itself so that is just not happening right now.

I spent three hours last night looking at camera bags on Amazon and it is a total mess because half the reviews say the bags are too small for the T7 and the other half say they are huge and bulky. I really just want to be able to hike without the neck strap digging into my skin the whole time because that is what happened when I took it to the local park last weekend and it sucked so bad. I saw some people mentioning lens pens and extra batteries but then some guy on a forum said third-party batteries will fry the camera and now I am scared to buy anything that isnt Canon brand even though they are way more expensive.

Do I really need a UV filter to protect the lens or is that just a waste of money? I'm mostly gonna be doing landscape shots and some stuff in the city so what are the actual essentials that wont break the bank before I leave...