How to Protect Your Camera From Rain and More During Travel

Bringing a camera with you when you’re traveling is a great way to both capture memories and to take some unique photos. This means you may have to take your camera into different types of terrain, some of which can possibly cause damage if you’re not adequately prepared. 

Especially if you have an expensive camera, you’ll want to be extra careful in keeping it safe and secure. All it takes is some preparation and careful handling, and you’ll be able to take amazing photos without any worry.

Follow these tips to keep your camera safe while you’re on your next vacation.

Bring a Camera Bag And Neck Strap

It may be tempting to leave your camera bag at home or where you’re staying, but if you bring your camera everywhere you go, you may be thankful that you did. You can protect your camera from many different types of environmental dangers by keeping it in a bag when not in use.

For example, it can keep your camera from getting too cold. It can also keep out any dirt, sand or other things that could potentially hurt your camera. It’ll also be a lifesaver if you find yourself on a difficult walk or hike or if it starts raining.

Another item that can help you is a neck strap. If you still want to keep your camera out a lot, having one of these will keep your camera from being accidentally dropped or lost. Like a camera bag, it’ll also make walking around with your camera much easier.

Get a Rain Cover

Sometimes you may be traveling somewhere that’s very rainy, or you may catch yourself in some unexpected rain. While a camera bag can offer some level of protection from this, depending on the severity of the rain, you may need more to protect your camera from rain.

There are many things you can use as rain covers, such as plastic bags, rain ponchos, or backpack covers. There are also rain covers specially made for cameras, which may be a good thing to buy if you spend a lot of time in those types of environments.

Bring Extra Batteries

Batteries are extremely important for any photography venture. It’s a good idea to bring multiple, fully-charged batteries whenever you go on a trip. This can help not only when your original battery dies, but also when you’re out in cold weather.

Cold weather can significantly decrease the life of your battery. So if you find yourself in a colder climate, multiple batteries are necessary. You can easily store these in an insulated camera bag as well to keep the extras from getting cold.

You may also want to think about bringing more than one SD card, instead of one with a large amount of memory. This way, you’ll be able to store your photos in more than one place, making it less likely to lose them. You can also use extra SD cards to back up photos just in case one gets damaged. 

Consider De-branding Your Camera

If you have an expensive looking brand-name camera, you can definitely become a target to potential thieves if you’re traveling somewhere that tends to be busy. In order to combat against this, you can de-brand your camera so the brand is not visible.

To do this, you can take a piece of black tape and stick it over any branding on your camera. If you have a rather large camera, though, this may still put you at risk. If you can, think about buying a smaller, more compact camera you can use specifically for travel in places where carrying expensive devices may not be safe. You may also want to avoid using neck straps that advertise the camera brand.

Keep a List of Your Gear

When moving from place to place during your travel, it can be difficult to keep track of all your camera gear. This is why it can be helpful to use a list in order to keep track of your items. You can double check your list at any point before you move on from one location to another to make sure that nothing has been lost.

You can keep a list the old-fashioned way using pen and paper, or alternatively you could keep a list on your phone, which may make it even easier to access and keep track of.

Keep Your Gear Nearby

If you’re traveling with expensive equipment, losing any of it could be a big issue. One way to keep from losing anything or having something stolen is to keep it near your person as often as possible.

For example, during plane travel, it would be best to bring your camera and gear as a carry-on in order to ensure nothing gets lost during baggage procedures. This is a very common way things can get misplaced. Also, as mentioned above, making sure you have a way to carry your things while travelling will help you keep things close without much hassle.

Traveling With Your Camera

A camera is definitely a great item to have while you travel, so you can remember your trip and share it with friends and family. As long as you pay special attention to the safety and care of your equipment, you should be able to enjoy a worry-free trip that you can remember for years to come.