Traveling with my gear to potentially dangerous places

[Msteelio91]

Hi all, looking for some advice on traveling with your camera gear.

I'll be taking a trip to Peru with my girlfriend in June. This will be a pretty intense trip and we'll be traveling relatively light while staying in hostels.

We'll be hitting the following cities and places:

-Lima
-Puno
-Lake Titicaca
-Cusco
-Machu Pichu
-Sacred Valley
-Puerto Maldonado
-Huacachina

Super excited and I'm expecting a ton of great photo opportunities. However I am honestly worried about my gear. I'll be bringing my D7000, a couple lenses, GoPro, tripods, some filters, SD cards, batteries/chargers, etc. Typical camera gear for traveling, basically all stuff I don't want getting stolen or killed over.

SO - To the meat of my question: How can I travel with my gear in a way that won't attract too much attention, while keeping it close to me and not weighing me down too much. I've been thinking a sectioned backpack may be a necessary move, though I'd like to avoid a bag that screams "HEY, VALUABLES IN HERE".

Also, does anyone have any experience with travel insurance for your gear? Is it worth it for what I'm bringing?

Thanks for any input!

 

[SnappingShark]

Stick tape over it - make it look old and weathered.

errr - be proud and don't try to hide it - otherwise you'll appear worried and nervous and a seemingly easy target.

Other than that - invest in Google Glass!

Sounds awesome - have a great trip! Please don't come back with braided hair and a thousand henna tattoos!

 

[sm4him]

One word: Insurance.

If your gear is insured, there's not much need to worry about it getting stolen.

 

[Steve5D]

One word: Insurance.

If your gear is insured, there's not much need to worry about it getting stolen.

With the obvious exception of not being able to take photos during the trip...

 

[D-B-J]

Make it look old and beaten up. Try not to attract too much attention. Always keep an eye one it. Carry it in non-descript bags, and be ready to fight off someone if necessary. I have the feeling that if you are confident and don't seem nervous or scared, the likelihood of something bad happening will be pretty slim. Enjoy the trip!!

Jake

 

[Steve5D]

I'll be bringing my D7000, a couple lenses, GoPro, tripods, some filters, SD cards, batteries/chargers, etc.

and not weighing me down too much.

It sounds like you want the best of both worlds. It's like you want to go swimming but you don't want to get wet.

When I don't want to be weighed down to much, I'll travel with one lens; maybe two. Tripods? As in "more than one tripod"? Why? If I'm traveling lite, I'll bring a Pod, instead.

I think you need to decide how much you plan on shooting, and what, and go from there.

As far as security, don't act like your the first person to ever visit these places with expensive camera gear. Don't be careless. Be mindful of your surroundings and your gear and you'll be fine...

 

[Overread16 4]

1) Use a normal bag or a camera bag taht hasn't got brand logos printed all over it

2) Just use your camera as normal, most people you see are going to be decent normal people.

3) Get it insured.


In general moving around in daytime and avoiding known hotbed/dangerous regions is a big part of safety. So is walking with confidence and a general sense of where you're going; appearing lost, confused, unsure etc... can send out signals that you're new and scared which makes you easy prey.

 

[Msteelio91]

Great advice guys. Any favorites for insurance?

Steve maybe I'll just stick with one lens as well. The reason for 2 tripods is that I have a cheap full size aluminum one and a cheap Pedco tripod for walking around with.

Time to get "artsy" with some tape. Never thought I'd be making my camera look crappy on purpose hahahaha

 

[vintagesnaps]

I don't travel much but take a camera and a lens and that's about it. Having done sports I have cameras and lenses that look like they've been dragged all over the place so any of those would probably be a good choice! I only take along what would not be the end of the world if it got stolen (jewelry etc.).

I'd maybe think about renting and/or insuring it in case something happens.

 

[minicoop1985]

Invest in a very, very good strap too. Might help prevent the snatch-n-grab types from getting it.

 

[The_Traveler]

You will see lots of people with much more expensive gear than you have.
Just don't be stupid.
Lock stuff up and lock it down - that will stop most thefts of opportunity.
Many hostels have storage closets.
I've traveled a lot and never lost anything.
I always take an extra camera body and sensor cleaning stuff.
OTOH, I've never taken a tripod.

Insurance is usually available through your house or renters insurance broker and, if you aren't in business, is called something like 'high valuable personal property' rider.
It costs 1-2% of declared value/year.
Be certain to get travel medical insurance that pays for repatriation; in 2010 I was flown back first class from Thailand after serious fall.

 

[Msteelio91]

Sadly I don't have any beat up gear to use

I do have a solid strap though!

 

[The_Traveler]

Pacsafe Anti-theft mesh - I have one that I've never used and would be happy to lend it to you.

I live in Columbia, MD

Lew

 

[Msteelio91]

You will see lots of people with much more expensive gear than you have.
Just don't be stupid.
Lock stuff up and lock it down - that will stop most thefts of opportunity.
Many hostels have storage closets.
I've traveled a lot and never lost anything.
I always take an extra camera body and sensor cleaning stuff.
OTOH, I've never taken a tripod.

Insurance is usually available through your house or renters insurance broker and, if you aren't in business, is called something like 'high valuable personal property' rider.
It costs 1-2% of declared value/year.
Be certain to get travel medical insurance that pays for repatriation; in 2010 I was flown back first class from Thailand after serious fall.

Good advice, thank you! We have contacted our insurance agent for some information, I'll definitely be getting insurance.

 

[Desi]

I just got back from 2 weeks in Lima. Peru feels a lot safer than it used to be. I walked around with a 24-70 without attracting too much attention. Some people thought I was a journalist.

Before going somewhere, ask if it is a safe area and plan accordingly.

Use a plain strap that doesn't say something like "Nikon D800" in shiny gold letters.

I've seen people taking pictures in downtown Lima with Pro-looking bodies and lenses that have electrical tape covering the bright-shiny areas.

Maybe use a regular backpack and go light, then it won't be obvious that the bag is filled with photo gear.

Enjoy the trip. Peru is a great place to visit.