Rafting Camera Bag Setup

drdoak

I've taken three Grand Canyon rafting trips in recent years and hope to take another soon. Every year I mess around with how I protect/carry the gear. It started with a medium Pelican, then a big ol' heavy Pelican, then a Watershed bag. Each of these was fitted around a LowePro SlingShot 1 or 200 and I could just leave gear in the bag for easy use on the raft or hiking. The Pelicans were on motor trips, so weight and size weren't an issue (though the second one was REALLY pushing it). The third was an oar trip and I needed to be more compact and flexible.

I am no longer a fan of the Watershed... After 4-5 days down there the zip-lock like closure started getting harder and harder to close (I had treated it with the proper preservatives a couple of times before the trip). Not so good when you're dropping into a rapid.

The Pelicans were hardy and served as a nice chair and/or step stool.

SO... I want to come up with some system that will let me carry most of what I want in a smallish case for the next trip. I was thinking of using a belt pack of some kind, possibly stuffed into a Pelican 1430 top load case (13.56" x 5.76" x 11.70" interior) which I happen to own already.

Last go around I carried this on the trip:
Canon 40D w/ EF 24-105mm f/4 L
Canon 430EX Flash
Panasonic GF-1 w/ 14-45 lens (converted for Visible + IR use)
Panasonic TS-2 (doesn't usually go in the case)
HD Hero w/ the head strap mount.
Misc Filters and Batteries

So, anyone that's made it through all of that, any thoughts? Seems like most of the belt packs are a bit too deep to fit in my 1430, but I've got some time to figure this out. I'm thinking modular is good. Maybe something using the LowePro S&F setup.

I'll find right setup yet (by the power of Dgrin)!

roakey

I don't have any direct experience with them, but Lowepro makes some waterproof bags.

Roak

piolet_rampe

After recently doing a Colorado River rafting trip myself this summer, I can definitely say I was thankful that I didn't bring my SLR. Everything gets way too wet, not to mention the sand. If I had brought it, it would have stayed in the Pelican case almost all the time. Instead, what works for me are the Canon waterproof housing for one of their really high quality P&S cameras like the G11/12, or the S90/95. These are the times where the best camera certainly is the one you have in your hand.

That said, when you are in camp, a tripod and SLR will capture those canyon walls and stars nicely. I found the most durable, rubbery made dry bags to be quite suitable for protecting anything that needed to stay dry. Just shove your LowePro into one of these. http://cascadedesigns.com/sealline/dry-bags/baja-dry-bag/product

Art Scott

roakey wrote: »

I don't have any direct experience with them, but Lowepro makes some waterproof bags.

Roak

This is what I was going to suggest also....like Roakey i have no experience with these particular bags but all the LowePro bags i do own are built to last and work very hard.....
As to the beslt system you mentioned......what I use for hiking and motorcycling is made up of a wide webbed military pistol belt / with suspenders with 2 LowePro 75Aw bags one on each side for weight distribution......I have both dslr's always with in easy reach and the weight is on my hips not my back and neck......the belt and suspenders were pick up at a military surplus sell at a gun show....belt was less than $10 and the suspenders were around $15 plus the 2 - 75Aw's I have close to 75$ invested but have been using this set up for almst 5 or 6 years now......

drdoak

I seriously looked at the LowePro DryZones for this last trip, but my research shows (this included some reviews by canyon rafters) that these are fine only if you take time and care with the maintenance of the special zippers and open/close slowly. Apparently the sand getting in the zippers is a real problem if you're not careful . I'm not infrequently taking photos until a few seconds before dropping into a rapid so I have to be able to close them up REALLY fast. Not so easy with a waterproof zipper.

I have a decent sized SealLine Black Canyon bag, but generally only keep it as a backup. There just aren't enough ways to tie it down in the manner I need to. There's also some time involved in sticking the camera in the bag (frequently a tight fit), rolling them down, burping them, clipping them off. What can I say, I'm picky . I'm also then living in fear that someone will crush my camera... I also looked at their wide mouth duffel line, but saw some reviews indicating they could be tempermental if not rolled up exactly right.

Thus far, I've never gotten any of the camera's I've taken wet and never destroyed one with sand with them out long enough to take 1500-3000 photos a trip. You do tend to get a few grains into the lens rings, thought he 'L' lenes seem fairly resistant. Ironically, the only one I've mostly killed was a waterproof/drop proof model...



Anyone have specific experience with LowePro Toploader Pros or their verious beltpacks?

Art, do the 75 AWs compress much depth wise? That's my big problem usually with the Pelican toploader. What bodies do you stick in them?

Thanks guys/gals!

roakey

Given your requirements it's sounding more and more that you need an underwater case or try a different waterproof model for the splash and about-to-splash shots.

Roak

Ps. I'll be able to give you an opinion of the Toploader 75AW in awhile. Based on Art's reply, above, I just added one to a B&H order I was putting together!

Art Scott

drdoak wrote: »

Anyone have specific experience with LowePro Toploader Pros or their verious beltpacks?

Art, do the 75 AWs compress much depth wise? That's my big problem usually with the Pelican toploader. What bodies do you stick in them?

Thanks guys/gals!

I usually carry a body with lens attached and in the little compartment under the les is where I keep extra batts....as to the lenses......on my KM7D's it was a 24-70f2.8+flash alongside....the other bag had body+70-210f2.8....I have never tried to compress them for any reason..butthey are pretty stiff so I doubt that they would........if it is a predominately wildlife outing....then I drop a body with Sigma 50-500 which is a tight fit but it fits...both the 70-200 and 50-500 have tripod mounts always on them........and they have nice rain covers in the front compartment......but I also spray all y bags with camp dry every year.......as I am out in the elements all the time and sometimes do not have time to get the rain covers out and on the bags....so I spray them with the added protection.

With the D300's it is bsasically the same except in one bag I put either the 18-70 on the cam and the 18-200 on the bottom and a little cushion between it and the D300 with 18-70........I have fit a D300 with MB D10 grip mounted +70-200f2.8 and extra batts in lower compartment...that is when I put the 2 SB900 on the belt in their original carry bags.............

piolet_rampe

drdoak wrote: »

I seriously looked at the LowePro DryZones for this last trip, but my research shows (this included some reviews by canyon rafters) that these are fine only if you take time and care with the maintenance of the special zippers and open/close slowly. Apparently the sand getting in the zippers is a real problem if you're not careful . I'm not infrequently taking photos until a few seconds before dropping into a rapid so I have to be able to close them up REALLY fast. Not so easy with a waterproof zipper.

I have a decent sized SealLine Black Canyon bag, but generally only keep it as a backup. There just aren't enough ways to tie it down in the manner I need to. There's also some time involved in sticking the camera in the bag (frequently a tight fit), rolling them down, burping them, clipping them off. What can I say, I'm picky . I'm also then living in fear that someone will crush my camera... I also looked at their wide mouth duffel line, but saw some reviews indicating they could be tempermental if not rolled up exactly right.

Thus far, I've never gotten any of the camera's I've taken wet and never destroyed one with sand with them out long enough to take 1500-3000 photos a trip. You do tend to get a few grains into the lens rings, thought he 'L' lenes seem fairly resistant. Ironically, the only one I've mostly killed was a waterproof/drop proof model...





Thanks guys/gals!

That Lowe Pro bag you are talking about looks great, and I may buy one, but honestly for whitewater rafting you need a zero fuss, guaranteed dry solution. The right dry bag would hold any general camera pack, including the Lowe Pro Dry Zone one you are referring to. I don't want to be messing around with sticky zippers when that wave comes over your head, or when you go over into the water. I would want one system to hold the surplus gear, this could be the Lowe Pro bag INSIDE a dry bag and would hold extra batteries, lenses, etc that are not immediately being used. You wouldn't be accessing this stuff anyway until you get a lull in the action. No I don't work for this company, but they make a shoulder wide mouth dry bag which would be perfect for this application. http://cascadedesigns.com/sealline/packs-and-duffles/widemouth-duffle/product

I would rather go over board with my camera in this, than any product with zippers. All zippers can and do fail. You can shove something in a dry bag and roll it shut about as fast as anything. Air in the bag is a good thing, since if it were to go overboard, it will float.

get what you want, but unless these trips are pure float trips where you don't really get wet, I sure wouldn't be exposing all my equipment like that.