Honestly, for a big Japan trip, you gotta be careful with the budget but dont skimp on the power. Id definitely suggest going with the ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type B Gold 128GB over the XQD card. Even though the Z6 is an older body, the CFexpress tech is way faster, we are talking 1700MB/s read speeds, and you can actually use that card in your next camera later. XQD is basically a legacy format now. Regarding the juice... definitely stick with the Nikon EN-EL15c Rechargeable Li-ion Battery. Third party packs are okay for backups but the Z6 is kinda picky about voltage. I would suggest staying official because you get that 2280mAh capacity and USB-C in-camera charging. Cheap batteries might report 100% then drop to 0% when youre halfway up a mountain in Kyoto... better safe than sorry, ya know?

Just saw this. Honestly, I had issues with those off-brand batteries before and it was such a letdown... they just dont hold up. Since the Z6 supports USB charging while off, maybe grab an Anker 533 Power Bank PowerCore 30W to top up during lunch instead. For the card, the Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B Silver Series 128GB is a great budget-friendly pick that wont let you down.

@Reply #1 - good point! Totally agree that CFexpress is the smarter play for future-proofing. Been thinking about your trip and honestly, reliability should be your top priority when you are overseas.

• Storage: Consider the SanDisk Extreme PRO CFexpress Type B 128GB. It is built like a tank and handles data bursts better than the older XQD tech. In my experience, these cards stay consistently cool during long shooting sessions and handle humidity well, which you might hit in Japan.
• Power: Since you are worried about juice mid-hike, the SmallRig EN-EL15c USB-C Rechargeable Camera Battery is a solid alternative. It has the same capacity as the official Nikon but adds a USB-C port directly on the battery casing. This means you wont need to carry a separate wall charger in your pack, you can just top it off with a power bank while you are grabbing lunch. Stick to high-quality storage and power for a big trip like that. You dont want to spend your time troubleshooting gear errors when you could be taking photos.

Man, I am in the exact same boat and it is honestly driving me a little crazy. I have been a Nikon shooter for years but trying to weigh these specific brand options for my own Z6 setup has me totally paralyzed with indecision.

• Staring at the Sony versus ProGrade card specs until my eyes hurt
• Debating if the Wasabi savings are worth the risk compared to the Nikon originals I have been dealing with this for over a month now and still havent clicked buy on anything. It is so frustrating because I just want a setup I can trust while I am away, but every time I think I have a winner, I find another review that makes me second guess everything!

Bookmarked, thanks!