Gallery: Into the Wild Without Worry: Adventure Gear for Your DSLR
Graham Thatcher01mountainsmith-spectrum-day-pack
When we do something awesome, we usually want to share it. But the environment where awesome adventures happen is often where the tools used for documentation -- cameras, mostly -- are susceptible to being damaged. For that reason, your expensive gear often stays in your pack, instead of out where you can get to it right when you need it. A few months back, my work as a photographer took me into the wilds of Switzerland -- a trip that afforded me the opportunity to field-test some new outdoor photo travel gear. Here are the key pieces of my DSLR kit I used to get the shots I needed while on the job, out in the elements. Mountainsmith Spectrum Day Pack ------------------------------- For adventure photography, your kit is going to need to stay minimal to keep things light and relatively fast: One, maybe two camera bodies, two or three lenses, cleaners, flash, remote, and a tight assortment of chargers. Don't let "Day Pack" in the name trick you into thinking it's small -- the Spectrum will house all of those things in padded bliss for the flight to where your adventure starts. Plus, it has a separate padded laptop pocket providing easy airport security access. The [Mountainsmith Spectrum Day Pack](http://mountainsmith.com/) ($120) lets you keep things incredibly organized with five separate compartments. The outermost pocket is thin and fleece-lined, and it's where I found myself stashing my passport and other quick-access travel documents. Since I was traveling to Switzerland, I wasn't as concerned about pick-pockets -- a different itinerary, and I might have put those somewhere else. Next is a small office pocket with room for a note pad, slots for pens and pencils, and a clear pocket where I found I liked having my CF cards where I could see them. This pocket also has some depth and smaller compartments where I stashed battery chargers, extra batteries, a card reader and a small flashlight. The main compartment sits above the padded lens and camera compartment. Since this was my carry-on bag, this is where my inflight entertainment (books!) and must-haves-if-my-luggage-gets-lost items went. It would also fit an external hard drive or two. There are some good compression straps on the side, and stretchy thin mesh pockets designed to house a water bottle or even a small tripod. Though, tripods are always awkward when strapped to a pack, I think a little tripod accommodation on at least one side of this pack could make it slightly less awkward. __WIRED__ Durable and rugged construction. Comfortable when stuffed and weighted down. High visibility interior with colorful, contrasting panels. Plenty of external straps and loops. Easy-access laptop pocket for a tidy TSA experience. __TIRED__ Limited configuration options in the lens/camera compartment. Comes in any color you want, as long as it's black. __Rating: 8 out of 10__*Photo by Graham Thatcher/Wired*
02outex-camera-cover
Outex Camera Cover ------------------ Underwater and water-sport photography needn't be so daunting. [Outex](http://outex.com/) makes a range of fully waterproof molded latex covers for DSLRs ($250-400, depending on the model) with glass lens ports to maintain the best possible image quality while photographing in sopping wet environments. I used an Outex setup for a canyoning adventure where I followed a creek down a narrow canyon. To give you an idea of how wet this trip was, I was wearing a lifejacket, a helmet, and a full-length, hooded 5mm wetsuit. The day included sliding down slick rocks rappelling down waterfalls and, where the pools were deep enough, jumping off 35-foot high waterfalls. I was taking pictures the whole time and holding my camera to my chest as I made the big jumps. The only ports on the case are for the lens and the view finder. If you have all your buttons memorized, the malleability of the latex allows you to change settings and adjust focus and zoom as needed, but it's not easy. Since you can't see the LCD screen, video is nearly impossible, though Outex says it's working on a way to solve this. I'm eager to see the next version. The latex is thick and rugged and would require a substantial effort to damage it in any way. Installing the cover is not easy the first time you try it, but after a few times, a technique is developed. Also, I felt my tolerance grow as I went through the images I wouldn't have gotten without this level of protection for my camera. __WIRED__ Relatively inexpensive waterproof protection. Packs and travels easily. It floats. Glass ports for the lens and viewfinder. __TIRED__ Tedious installation process. No real impact protection. Can't see screen (easily) for DSLR video recording. Boo hoo, it only comes in blue. __Rating: 8 out of 10__*Photo by Jessica Wunderlich/Wired*
Graham Thatcher03mountainsmith-descent-at-chest-pack
Mountainsmith Descent AT Chest Pack ----------------------------------- Most of the kinds of adventures I find myself on involve substantial amounts of leg-work -- walking, skiing, biking, and so on. For years, I used a standard hip-holster style camera case. Despite the bulk and discomfort of that case, I would make it work on various adventures because I enjoyed the protection it provided. It made a world of difference to move that bulk away from my constantly moving legs and up to my chest. [Mountainsmith's chest pack](http://mountainsmith.com/) ($90) sits low enough to provide easy camera access, and has a number of pockets and straps to hold everything literally right in front of me while moving around. While the Descent is not a multi-lens system, Mountainsmith does make some nice lens cases that will strap onto the side of the chest pack or a belt. Rubberized zippers and a built-in rain cover makes this pack ready to protect your kit from anything the weather gods may throw your way -- short of a tsunami, but even then you stand a good chance. The harness system is comfortable and easy to put on. The back of the harness is low-profile, so it's comfortable while wearing a regular pack with it. The blessing is also the curse in the area of temperature management. In cooler environments, the chest pack adds extra insulation to your front, meaning you can probably wear one less layer than you would otherwise. But the same is true for warmer adventures, though the padding has vented channels to help breathability. The bright yellow interior of the chest pack contrasts nicely with dark camera parts like batteries, CF cards and such, making them easy to find when it's time to change something in a hurry. __WIRED__ A comfortable way to carry the weight, and it won't interfere with a backpack. Built-in rain cover and rubberized zippers. Durable build. Provides easy access to gear. External straps and loops for accessories. __TIRED__ Gets hot in warmer environments. Makes you look like a Storm Trooper. __Rating: 9 out of 10__ *Photos by Graham Thatcher/Wired*
Graham Thatcher04peak-design-capture-clip
Peak Design Capture Clip ------------------------ If you're shooting in less-hair-raising environments, ditch the hot chest pack and clip your camera -- yes, your DSLR -- to your backpack's shoulder strap to keep it at the ready. You know, for when you round a corner and end up face-to-face with a bear or something equally exciting and you need to get a photo this very second. Previously, to keep my rig within reach on a hike, I would sling my strap across my chest, where my camera would dangle and bang around. The team at Peak Design created the brilliant [Capture Clip system](http://peakdesignltd.com/) ($80) to attach your camera to nearly any strap or piece of webbing on your body. The clip is easy to attach and remove, and locks down with a death grip wherever you attach it. A small, low-profile base plate attaches to your camera and snaps into the clip. While some practice is required to smoothly dock and undock your camera, I never got it to work as smoothly as I'd like. The company has also designed various plates to be compatible with a few tripod mount systems, so if for some unfortunate reason you find yourself lugging around a tripod, you won't need to swap base plates to change from on-the-go mode to tripod mode. __WIRED__ Keep your camera at the ready without letting it swing around on a strap. Clips to nearly any strap or belt. Cross-compatible with certain tripod heads. A lock on the clip prevents accidental releases. __TIRED__ Release could be smoother. Leaves camera exposed to the elements. __Rating: 7 out of 10__ *Photos by Graham Thatcher/Wired*
Graham Thatcher05joby-gorilla-pod
Joby Gorilla Pod ---------------- Weight and bulk are huge considerations on a human-powered adventure, making full-size tripods unwelcome travel companions. Sure, sometimes you need the sticks, so you just suck it up and deal. But I've found that, on many adventures, a small tripod will work just fine with some creativity. The Gorilla Pod by [Joby](http://joby.com/) ($50) usually fits the bill. The knobby articulated legs can wrap around or grab hold of nearly any pole, branch, rock or post, and it can be adjusted to sit sturdily on nearly any uneven surface. The pod comes with a standard 1/4-inch 20-thread mount. Screw it right into your camera, or add your preferred head on it. Joby also makes a $40 ball-head mount with a removable plate for easy setup/breakdown. Be careful how you handle it though -- the little leg knobs popped out on me at times, but they pop right back into place. __WIRED__ Small and light. Adapts to nearly any surface. Lets you get more creative with camera placement. __TIRED__ It's tedious and slow to mount it without a head. When mounted, it's sometimes difficult to get your face behind the camera to frame a shot. __Rating: 9 out of 10__*Photo by Graham Thatcher/Wired*
