I'm flying soon to Mongolia for a few weeks and I'm still somewhat of a beginner to photography, at least equipment-wise! So, I'm looking for equipment advice mostly. I currently have a Canon EOS 400D with an 18-55mm lens, and I recently purchased a 50mm F/1.8 prime (can't wait for it to arrive!), but I realize that to properly capture the open plains and skies of Mongolia, I'm going to need a wide angle.
I don't have a massive budget to spend, and to be honest, I've been a bit rough on my camera in the past and don't want to bring a long an expensive lens while I'm backpacking. Is my 18-55 going to be good enough? I'm definitely willing to purchase a new lens to take with me, and I would prefer something that would stay useful to me after Mongolia when I move to a city for a bit (heading to Sydney, Australia!).
Also, what would be the right filter to bring along? I don't know much about those and only have a UV filter at the moment.