How to Carry a DSLR Camera Hiking

Here are the ways that I’ve tried with some commentary on how they worked for me. Everyone is different so your mileage may vary. Keep in mind that as a avid photographer I sometimes carry a fair bit of photography equipment with me (Canon 7D, 24-105, 70-200, 10-22, 100mm macro, tripod).

Backpack

Osprey Talon 22 Backpack

One of the easiest and cheapest ways to carry a DSLR camera hiking is to just put it in your backpack. I found a number of shortcomings to this though, the biggest being that your camera is not available for use unless you stop, remove your backpack and dig through it. That gets old really quickly and if you want candid shots of wildlife or your hiking companions it will be too late by the time you dig your camera out. I found that I got sick of doing this and would just skip taking many shots. Another hazard to this method is that your camera can bang and rub on other hard objects in your pack as you move. I now only use this method if it’s raining very hard and I won’t be taking photos anyway.

The Osprey Talon 22 can be used with this method.

Regular Camera Neck Strap

Carry a DSLR camera hiking with a Canon Camera Strap

Most cameras come with a strap meant to be worn around your neck with the camera hanging down on your chest. I found this worked poorly for me since the strap chafed my neck, allowed the camera to swing dangerously close to rocks and other objects when bending down and flapped in the wind causing vibrations when I had the camera on a tripod. I now have a growing collection of brand new neck straps collecting dust so that should tell how much I like this method.

Amazon has regular Canon camera straps.

BlackRapid R-Strap

Carry a DSLR camera hiking with a Black Rapid Classic Retro Camera Strap

This is a simple strap worn diagonally across your torso. Your camera dangles from this strap using a swivel fitting screwed into your camera’s tripod screw. A DIY variation of this can be made with some nylon web strap and a carabiner. For some light outings where I’m doing more shooting than hiking (e.g. shooting a rugby game or walking around town) I really like this method. It’s unobtrusive yet leaves your camera immediately available and you don’t look a total photo dork if you’re just walking around the local sports field. For any kind of more serious walking, however, it leaves your camera able to swing around way too much to be of much value on a hike.

The RS4 on BlackRapid.com

The RS4 on Amazon

Toploader

Carry a DSLR camera hiking with a Lowepro Toploader Pro

A Toploader is a small camera pouch worn on your chest (e.g. Lowepro Toploader). It attaches via a lightweight harness you wear over your shoulders (like a backpack in reverse). Toploaders offer an excellent way to keep your camera ready for use but safe from bumps, bruises and the elements. The straps don’t interfere with backpack straps so they can be worn together. Toploader are available in a variety of sizes depending on how long a lens you travel with. I used a Toploader for several years and was very happy with it. My only gripes were that it impaired your vision a little when going downhill and that you still had the bulk on your chest even when you had the camera out shooting.

The Lowepro Toploader on Lowepro.com

The Lowepro Toploader on Amazon

Cotton Carrier

Carry a DSLR camera hiking with a Cotton Carrier G3 Camera Harness

I tried the Cotton Carrier and was instantly sold. This system consists of a lightweight chest plate with over-the-shoulder straps similar to a Toploader and a small slotted hub you screw into your camera’s tripod screw. To fit the camera onto the chest plate you turn your camera so it faces 90 degrees to left or right, slide the hub into a matching slot on the chest plate and then let the camera hang with the lens facing down. The hub is constructed in such a way that the camera is securely locked into the plate when facing down but is free to slide out when the camera faces to the side. I have run downhill on snowshoes and the camera stayed firmly locked in place and yet I could have it out and shooting in less than 1 second. My hiking companions have started calling me ‘quick draw’. For even more security (perhaps when mountain biking or downhill skiing) there is a Lens Stabilization Strap which can be fitted over the lens and a camera tether available. I’ve never felt the need to use either. The Cotton Carrier is now my preferred way of carrying a camera. When I need protection from the weather I use rain sleeves from the same manufacturer. These work well in light rain. In heavier weather I’m unlikely to be taking photos anyway so I just put the camera in my backpack.

The G3 Camera Harness on CottonCarrier.com

The G3 Camera Harness on Amazon

There are no doubt other ways to carry your camera but these are the ones I’ve tried so far. If you have other ways which work well for you I’d love to hear about them. I have no affiliation with any of the products listed here.

Originally posted April 2011. Updated July 2020.

The post 5 Ways to Carry a DSLR Camera on Outdoor Adventures first appeared on Pack & Trail.

Gullies and Shipwreck Rock

The beginning of October marked the end of our 2012 outdoor climbing season. With weather growing colder and wet, the prospect of dry rock in the Comox Valley was slowly disappearing. The season’s prime was in full effect in beautiful Smith Rocks State Park, Oregon! Jen Eaton and I had planned for this trip six months prior, and we were both very excited when the day was upon us to head south. We left on September 28th, gone for ten days with eight full days of climbing. The perfect getaway before the winter!

Our trip down was full of anticipation, with some beautiful weather and amazing timing of the full moon, which was rising as we were making our way through Mt Hood National Forest. As we were pulling into the Smith Rock Bivy area, the silhouette of the rocks in the moonlight, coupled with the crowds of climbers, dirt-bags, high-liners and fellow adventure bound folk, only urged the excitement of the week to come!

Morning Glory

Our first day we started on the Morning Glory wall, in the sunshine. Five Gallon Buckets was the first route of the trip, a beautiful 30 meter line of giant holes and pockets in the wall, made for a great warm up and intro to the style of bolting at Smith Rocks. The bolts here are further apart than most other climbing crags. Many say they are run out, but the locals say it’s normal. To each their own I guess. The rest of that day was spent exploring many routes on the front side of the rock group. The second day we got right down to business with an amazing multi-pitch route called Wherever I May Roam. Five pitches of beautiful climbing, with some nice exposure on the third and fourth pitches, made for a nice day of 5.9 climbing with an incredible view at the top. Four rappels down and we were back at square one. From the Base of that climb we hiked back around the Smith Rock Group and scouted out some other nice routes and walls.

Jen on Nine Gallon Buckets

Another day on some fun sport routes for our third, then day four was a rest day with a fun little multi-pitch in the morning called First Kiss. This was located on the Kiss of The Lepers Wall. It sustains 5.5 to 5.7 climbing for the first four pitches, with a 5.4 “bolted Sidewalk” on pitch three. The highlight of the route was the final pitch of beautiful fun climbing on 38 meters of vertical 5.7 terrain. Once at the top with another classic Smith view, we hiked off the back.

Jen on Toxic

A couple days of exploring other walls led us to some amazing routes. Highlights of these would be, Nine Gallon Buckets extension 5.10c, Wedding Day 5.10b, J.T’s Memorial 5.10b, Toxic 5.11b (very reachy moves), Phone Call From Satan 5.9, Scary Hissing Llamas 5.8, of course many more.

Beware: many routes here have a crux, or what feels like some really hard moves, just before the first bolt. To escape this problem many climbers use a stick-clip. Also, the first bolts are very, very high.

The final route of the trip, we went out with a bang!

We had some other friends there who agreed to climb the Monkey face with us. They led the first two beautiful trad pitches of the west face variation, which got us to the famous “Bohn Street” ledge. From Bohn Street we had a 18 bolt ‘Bolt Ladder’ . Leading was fairly easy, although I give credit to the second. Jen did a stand up job muscling her way up this thing, with tiny if not no foot holds and a slight overhang at the top. It was a bit of work but well worth the Beer in the mouth of the Monkey Face. From there you step out of the mouth over the Panic Point with a sheer 200 feet below, and keep going up, through a fun short 5.9 pitch to the top. Exhilarating! Two rappels, one with two 60 meter ropes, and you`re on the ground. Thank you very much Martin and Fraser for leading us up the first half!

Our final night, was the culmination of the many like-minded climbers in the Bivy. Jen and I had collaborated with our fellow Canadians Martin and Fraser, and hosted a Thanksgiving Potluck for all the Canadians in the Bivy, and of course any other who wished to join. With an awesome turn out, meeting new faces and hearing many climbing stories from all over the world, we left our new family and friends and headed back north with some serious motivation for next seasons climbing adventures.

Smith Rock Beta

First Kiss Multi-Pitch 5.8 – Fourth pitch is a long traverse around a buttress. It gets very difficult to hear your partner once at the next Belay station, so make sure you have an adequate communication backup plan to avoid any complications. Great rest day activity!The sunny areas get very hot very quickly. Chase the shade, but bring warm clothes! The sun and shade were two extremes. Be prepared. Good areas are the backside in the morning, then the Dihedrals or Christian Brothers in the evenings. Morning Glory is great first thing in the morning. Once the sun hits morning glory, you have about an hour before it’s too hot to climb anything really hard, let alone bare it.

Classic Routes – If you have a limited amount of time, stick with the classics. The 3 and 4 starred routes in the guide book are very true to their claim. Do your homework, plan out what routes are where and hit them up! They are well worth the little bit of extra time.

Martin on The Monkey Face

Monkey Face – This is a must do! Pick your route of choice, there are many. It is a classic multi-pitch, take your time and enjoy it! It’s a lot of fun to do with a couple friends! The west face variation is a 5.8 route. First two pitches are 5.8 and 5.7 Trad climbing with bolted anchors. Pitch three is the bolt ladder, and then Pitch Four is a choice of 5.7 to the Nose, or 5.9 to the top of the head. The panic point is the ultimate highlight!

Bivy Beta – You arrive and wonder where you set up your tent? Hike towards the open field and there are many spots with trees where you can make your home for the time. Once your tent is up, head back to where you parked and setup the kitchen in the centre communal picnic area. Mingle with the other climbers; after all they are all there to do the same thing. Climbing Partners, Beta, ride shares, and many more opportunities await you in this bivy community! Respect it, pick up after yourself and please share the tables, weekends get busy and there aren’t enough tables for everyone to have their own!

Spend the money, and buy the guide book. It is an amazing resource, with beta like you’ve never seen in any other guide book before. Don’t go down to Smith with the intention of just ‘grabbing one on the way into the park’…this year they were all sold out, and waiting for more to arrive. The “Smith Select” is good, but we were constantly sharing our guide book with others that had the “Smith Select”. So order one online, or make a MEC run before you head down there.

Use the campground to its full potential. By this I mean talk to as many other climbers as you can. They are the ones that are going to give you that last minute beta you never would have thought of before heading out the next day. Plan your multi pitches using other’s advice. It seems like everyone wants to share their thoughts and advice, so take them!

The hike around the park is fantastic. Do it on a ‘rest day’. Fun view point of climbers working their way up Monkey Face. Other great rest day activities: a trip into Bend with a stop for Huckleberry ice cream at the little store on your way back into the campground.

Brett Watson

** Brett Watson is a photographer, outdoor enthusiast, traveller, and adventure seeker, whose passion lies in expressing his experiences and adventures around the world. Currently living in the Comox Valley, on Vancouver Island, he spends the majority of his spare time photographing, mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking, or surfing. While planning and saving for the next adventure abroad, Brett continues to photograph the beautiful landscapes and people of Vancouver Island. Find more of Brett and his photography at  Brett Watson Photography and on his flickr page.

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The post Smith Rocks 2012: A Climbing Trip Report from Brett Watson first appeared on Pack & Trail.

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Loved the colour of these vines! 

There are some amazing pictures to be captured on just a short walk around your neighbourhood if you keep your eyes open! 

Rose hips, so beautiful this time of year. 

This little tree had amazing colour! 

Sometimes you can capture an interesting perspective with multiple subjects, like this row of colourful trees I found along the side. Fall is a great time to remember to look up with your camera! Sometimes a field can have a very interesting view. 

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I know you want to see more sunshine but that’s all for now. You can find more of Lainy’s great, colourful photography on her page, Lalainia Noel Photography.

The post A Fall Walk About: A Photo Essay from Lainy Bekar first appeared on Pack & Trail.