[pct-l] Camera Weight

[Barry Teschlog]

Eric makes an excellent point of making sure your camera is accessible.   If you can't grab it at a moments notice, you won't take too many pictures.  I'd also add that for me, the extra couple of pounds for the camera were SO worth it.  Having good pictures and video from the hike are priceless.  


I carried a "SLR Like" digital - more than a point and shoot, but not a full on DSLR, so I could use filters (and I'd highly recommend using a polarizing filter - the "pop" you get on the sky, plus the clarity since with a proper setting haze is eliminated, is something you just can't get with a phone camera).  There were no good (e.g. light and compact) chest packs available for this camera, so I made my own.  I wasn't about to keep the camera in the pack, as I'd never take the pack off, get the camera out, etc, etc - too much hassle versus a quick unclip of the case lid and camera grab.

The chest pack:  I cut up a solid foam sleeping pad (a cheap one from an Army surplus type store) and duct taped together the pieces to form a snug fitting open top box around the camera.  I then sewed a cover for the box out of sil-nylon.  The opening on top had the foam piece sewn into the cover.  This way, the camera was totally encased in ~1/2" thick firm foam padding.  Buckles were added to the front of the body and top keep it closed and a couple side clips attached it to small loops of cord I tied onto plastic fittings on the shoulder straps of the pack.  When taking the pack off, I'd unclip one side of the camera case and clip it on to the loop on other side, so it was entirely on one shoulder strap.

This custom case was a fraction of the weight of a store bought chest pack.  With sealed seams, the sil-nylon made it water resistant to light to moderate rain, but it was in no way water proof.  I kept a gallon zip lock bag between the fabric cover and the foam box to store the camera in for creek crossings or for the few really rainy days.