Travelling with a D-SLR in 3rd world countries.

[Crazy Horse]

Hello! I have searched and searched regarding this topic, and have found lots of good information, but I am still looking for more idea.

In a few months I will be travelling to South America volunteering, and backpacking. I will mainly be in Peru, but expect to travel to Chile and Bolivia, and perhaps other neighbouring countries.

I am not new to 3rd world countries, I have spent a bit of time in the Middle East, and Central America. I usually try to look like a bum, and always travelled with a small Point and Shoot camera that was easy to hide.

This time, I will be taking my new XS with the kit lense and a 50mm 1.8. I know the risks of such a flashy item down there, but I think it is worth it. If I lose it, I will save up and buy another. I have my P&S for backup.

That being said, I would like to protect it as much as possible. My question is about carrying it. I am looking for idea how to carry the camera in a way that is very difficult to grab in the street, as well as something that is accessible for that quick shot. Finally, I would like something that will not draw attention. Something small, since it really isn't a huge camera. Sometime that is not screaming "THERE IS AN EXPENSIVE CAMERA IN HERE!".

Any help would be great!

Thanks a lot.

[mutau052]

Hello! I have searched and searched regarding this topic, and have found lots of good information, but I am still looking for more idea.

In a few months I will be travelling to South America volunteering, and backpacking. I will mainly be in Peru, but expect to travel to Chile and Bolivia, and perhaps other neighbouring countries.

I am not new to 3rd world countries, I have spent a bit of time in the Middle East, and Central America. I usually try to look like a bum, and always travelled with a small Point and Shoot camera that was easy to hide.

This time, I will be taking my new XS with the kit lense and a 50mm 1.8. I know the risks of such a flashy item down there, but I think it is worth it. If I lose it, I will save up and buy another. I have my P&S for backup.

That being said, I would like to protect it as much as possible. My question is about carrying it. I am looking for idea how to carry the camera in a way that is very difficult to grab in the street, as well as something that is accessible for that quick shot. Finally, I would like something that will not draw attention. Something small, since it really isn't a huge camera. Sometime that is not screaming "THERE IS AN EXPENSIVE CAMERA IN HERE!".

Any help would be great!

Thanks a lot.

Get a Marmot Walkabout (they dont seem to make these anymore, but you can find one on ebay) , its a fanny pack but way cooler, and way more confortable. i have one of these that i have traveled the world with, skied the hardest double blacks, and cycled more miles than my car has with it, it does not have much padding in it, but you can pad it yourself and use it as a small travel bag when in other places. Also its easy to run in, after fighting (fist fight and also a volcano eruption) for my life in Nicaragua, and running for miles to get away, trust me this is a great pack. Great travel bag...the best.

[Karl Johnston]

...Expensive?

[YP5 Toronto]

...Expensive?

i take it you are commenting on the OP's DSLR being an XS.

wow... maybe for the OP it has quite a bit of value. or perhaps it is also in reference to the percieved value it has in the the developing nations.

got to love comments like this.... as the kids say these days, your UBER Kajuah.

[mutau052]

i take it you are commenting on the OP's DSLR being an XS.

wow... maybe for the OP it has quite a bit of value. or perhaps it is also in reference to the percieved value it has in the the developing nations.

got to love comments like this.... as the kids say these days, your UBER Kajuah.

before i read it was a xs (which i love, great gear and not knocking it) i was going to say get a cheap kit to travel with.

but if your commenting on my suggestion i would say you can pick one up for 50-70 usd.

[Crazy Horse]

Mutau, that's a great idea! Thank you very much. Which Volcano in Nicaragua are you speaking of? I spent over a month there and visited a few. Spent the night next to the smoking opening of Volcano Telica near Leon admits the cows and horses 1000m up. An image I will never forget!

[Crazy Horse]

...Expensive?


I know, to you it's just an cheap low end DSLR.

Consider this: There are many people out there who wouldn't think twice about killing me for the $600 I payed for this camera and lense.

[mutau052]

i take it you are commenting on the OP's DSLR being an XS.

wow... maybe for the OP it has quite a bit of value. or perhaps it is also in reference to the percieved value it has in the the developing nations.

got to love comments like this.... as the kids say these days, your UBER Kajuah.

before i read it was a xs (which i love, great gear and not knocking it) i was going to say get a cheap kit to travel with.

but if your commenting on my suggestion i would say you can pick one up for 50-70 usd.

[yabbie]

I use a black Lowepro TLZ1, and a black lens bag (padded) for the spare lens, all packed within a daggy, very used-looking day pack.
I only get attention when the camera comes out. And in extra-dodgy places, I pack nasty (dirty towel, underwear...) or daggy stuff right at the top of the bag, so if the bag is opened, the camera is left alone.

Look out for bus trips - when I was in Central America a few years ago, it was very common for tourists on local buses, with their nice looking day packs under their feet, to have expensive contents removed mid-trip, such as video cameras, still cameras, laptops etc. Especially those in bags that looked like laptop or video camera bags. I always had my bag between my legs, with the opening facing up, where I could see it.

In Mexico City, I even went to the special effort of placing tampons and pads at the top of every openable pocket in my bag for metro trips, never had anything stolen there, but often had all of my side and top pockets opened when the bag was on my back standing up, they freaked at the tampons though and looked no further. Worked in Egypt too.

[yabbie]

Ooh, just realised, you're in NB, Canada?
I studied at UNB on exchange for a year and a half from 2001. Are you a climber- ice/rock, geology person, engineer, student - someone I might know??

[Jannie]

I have a couple of friends who have taken flat black tape and taped out the word Canon and any other thing like 5D etc on the camera body and lenses. Another friend has taken a black felt marker and blacked out the red ring on his "L" lenses. And for heavens sake don't use the red Canon neck strap. To thieves I was told, they are just looking for anything they can sell and the word Canon is a generic word for "expensive" so it doesn't mean anything as to which one it is, they are all "Canon's".

[4g63photo]

Im in the same situation Crazyhorse. I really really hope i dont get mugged.

[Cuervo79]

The best would be a sac backpack or something of the sort, anything made for camera gear will draw attention.

The best advice is to be alert, since you've traveled to central america I think you might get what I'm talking about. I've seen quite a few instances when someone thinks that leaving a purse or something of value next to you and not putting attention to it makes it safe just to realize that the item gets stolen under your nose.

[sharky]

I've traveled to a few potentially risky places myself so might be able to offer some advice. While traveling the camera can be carried in just about anything - for my next trip I'm going to use a Lowepro Terraclime 100, probably with the Lowepro logo removed. These days I'm not so concerned about padding as I think the modern DSLR can take a bit of rough handling, but a light jumper makes a good padded wrap if you're concerned. As a few others have suggested it's often good to cover Canon logos and remove the strap, but to be honest any DSLR will make an attractive target for a thief, whether it be Nikon, Canon, Sony or Olympus.

Although it's sometimes hard, be careful where and how often you chimp on the rear LCD. Not only does it assure potential thieves that you're using a digital SLR (as opposed to harder to sell film bodies), it also distracts you from what's going on around you and makes you a little more vulnerable. I tend to take a series of shots and then check them only after I've found a nice wall to put my back against.

Traveling photographers are often trying to find that unique vantage point, away from where the tourists take their holiday snaps. While this is reasonable, I think some thieves have figured this out and position themselves accordingly. I know of a couple of slightly out of the way positions at Mexican ruins that are notorious for camera theft. With this in mind I always use several 2-4 gig cards and store them separately, so that if the camera gets taken I don't lose all the shots I've taken.

Finally, how you carry yourself is incredibly important, and looking like you know where you're going and what you're doing can often deter thieves. A couple of times in Mexico I found myself being followed and I know that if I'd walked into an uncrowded area I might have been in trouble. So instead I stayed in the main thoroughfare and turned around checking out potential shots, making sure that the guys following me knew that I'd seen them. They pretty quickly lost interest.

By the sounds of it you've traveled pretty extensively already, so you've probably already got good situational awareness. There are times when a really great shot presents itself but you just know that getting the camera out at that point would be too risky. Just go with your gut instincts and you'll be fine.

Have a great trip!

[drPheta]

A backpack works great too. I used my Burton Zoom camera backpack when I spent 2 weeks in Nicaragua. No one gave me a hard time (granted I was always with a group of 4 or 5 people). However, the zipper is on the part of the pack that is against your back, so no one can sneak it out of the bag while you're wearing it. And, no one knows it's a camera pack. We were San Juan Del Sur, Managua, and Siuna.

I had my 10-22, 70-200/2.8IS, 24-70/2.8, and 50/1.4 along with my 40D, grip, 580 EXII, and Gitzo. Aside from the tripod, no one on the trip knew I had the camera gear until I whipped it out.

The problem with the camera is once it's out people know you have it. So, depending on the country you may be safe or in danger. Also, larger cities tend to draw more issues than the country side.

[Synenergy52]

Funny how Kajuah never defended himself haha

[Ivoryplum]

Even though its not a rigidy old thing, I own a Lowepro Flipside...where the only compartment to get into from is the back. So when you're carrying it, there isn't anyway for someone to steal it or open up pockets.
You could always dirty it up, and pull the lowepro emblem off.

Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Lowepro-Flipside-300-Backpack-Black/dp/B000YA33DC/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1232524531&sr=8-1)

Images:

Link (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2300/2289368157_8da5aa1c6b.jpg%3Fv%3D0&imgrefurl=http://flickr.com/photos/j-c/2289368157/&usg=__2Zv-aqwIlQancPU3xRlFeyyQz5A=&h=500&w=387&sz=113&hl=en&start=12&sig2=6GU9VIsKOBh74VT428LI1w&um=1&tbnid=jj5aOtu6AYMPLM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=101&ei=O9V2SYS-BIP8MtOwoBw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dflipside%2Blowepro%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den %26client%3Dopera%26rls%3Den%26sa%3DN)

Flipside 300 (http://images.digitalmedianet.com/2008/Week_13/4cnfurvg/story/flipside300interior.jpg)

Flipside 200 (http://www.photoreview.com.au/news/productnews/Flipside200_Stuffed_sml.jpg)

I have the flipside 200, and can fit my 50D with grip (albeit tight, but it fits) with a 70-200mm f/4 lens, a 10-22mm, and 50mm...plus room for 2-3 more things. This would be plenty for you.

Buy a use one off ebay, if you can find one.

[gravity]

If you really want to go low key, then any type of back pack or shoulder bag will do. put in some padded / sponge (or whichever is easier for you to find) to use as a buffer and put the camera in there. that way it won't even look like a camera bag.

but safe camera back pack, i'd agree with Ivoryplum's comment about LowePro flipside. IMO that's one of the safest backpack because the zipper's on the back panel.

[griptape]

My suggestion would be to take a film SLR. For the prices they're going for, they're practically a disposable camera, and any drug store will give them to you digitally on a CD when you develop them. Although you didn't mention exactly how long you would be gone, or exactly how many pictures you plan on taking, so the cost of film may add up. But something to think about.

[SOK]

Errrr, not sure I agree with the advice to go the film route.

My advice;

1) Get travel insurance.

2) Be aware of your surroundings.

3) Keep your eyes and ears open.

4) Enjoy your trip.

5) Don't forgot #1.

[griptape]

Errrr, not sure I agree with the advice to go the film route.
Yeah, it wouldn't be for everyone. But if you've shot film before, and you're used to it, it really isn't a bad option.

[sebr]

The bag options depend on what else you will be carrying. You said you will be backpacking, can you fit camera/lens in your backpack or do you want to carry an extra bag for the camera. How big a backpack would you need to feet your personal things and the camera?

[DrMitch]

Some of the Lowepro bags (Novas and others) have removeable inside padding - take that padding (if you have a Lowepro) - put it in a "regular" messenger bag - canvass, army surplus or backpack. Electrical tape over the Canon, no Canon neckstraps. There was a similar "urban jungle" thread that has all sorts of tips (if you can sift through the talk of carrying sidearms) - bring a few memory cards - swap em out regularly - that way should something happen, you have SOME of the pics to take home!

[mutau052]

Mutau, that's a great idea! Thank you very much. Which Volcano in Nicaragua are you speaking of? I spent over a month there and visited a few. Spent the night next to the smoking opening of Volcano Telica near Leon admits the cows and horses 1000m up. An image I will never forget!

I believe it was Cerro Negro and it was in 1999, the danger was really floods and mud slides. I ended up staying in a baptist church in Somotillo and finishing out at a school in rodeo grande, it was a magical trip, and a saw the most amazing thing ever, two guy dig a 50ft water well with a shovel, third world is really where you start to understand what life really is about.

[Crazy Horse]

I believe it was Cerro Negro and it was in 1999, the danger was really floods and mud slides. I ended up staying in a baptist church in Somotillo and finishing out at a school in rodeo grande, it was a magical trip, and a saw the most amazing thing ever, two guy dig a 50ft water well with a shovel, third world is really where you start to understand what life really is about.

Ah yes! I loved everything about that country from the beautiful volcanoes to the shabby hostels. All part of the experience.

I think I will check through the local shops here for a messenger bag that will do the job. With a bit of duct tape, and some use before hand.... I will have it so it's not screaming 'CAMERA IN HERE!'


Thanks everyone! :)

[luigis]

Rural areas of South America are totally safe. Where totally means people are good and will want to help you without even looking at the camera.

Cities are like any other cities in the world.

So if you already know how to use the camera in a US city you don't have to take any special considerations.

Luigi

[twiggles]

+1 for insurance.

I will have to disagree with Luigi though. Having recently traveled to Buenos Aires, I must say that one must be a bit more on edge than in a comparable US city i.e. New York. But the difference isnt huge. Just be smart, watch your back,and if someone tries to take your camera, give it up and dont fight, because if you take my first advice, you will have insurance to cover it. Trust me, the peace of mind that insurance gives you is priceless. I think my premium was like $65 for over $5,000 worth of gear/year. (This was a rider on my homeowners insurance)

[tvphotog]

Here's my two cents. the first is the Lowepro Classified, which has no colored logos, all embossed leather. It opens from a zip top like a clam shell, keeps camera handy for a quick grab. You can carry a Speedlite in it, or another lens. Fits over the shoulder, not easy to rip off.

The second is the PacSafe 100 strap. It has two stainless steel cables running through it and two camera attachment points which are covered with a Neoprene sleeve. Also OTshoulder. The pad has a grippy surface on the inside to hold it on your jacket while you swing the camera to eye level. The strap moves through the loops while the pad stays in place. Very fast.

I use this as an everyday strap. No camera maker logos to announce it. As light as a standard strap. Available at www.rei.com (http://www.rei.com). I have one in reserve for an extra body I might buy. Can't cut it through with a box cutter as a thief could a 3/8" nylon camera strap webbing.


Photos courtesy B&H; PacSafe

[luigis]

I live in Buenos Aires and I feel safer here than in NY, quite logical because I'm a local. I guess we should ask a guy from Europe that visited both cities if we want a more objective evaluation...

+1 for insurance.
I will have to disagree with Luigi though. Having recently traveled to Buenos Aires, I must say that one must be a bit more on edge than in a comparable US city i.e. New York. But the difference isnt huge. Just be smart, watch your back,and if someone tries to take your camera, give it up and dont fight, because if you take my first advice, you will have insurance to cover it. Trust me, the peace of mind that insurance gives you is priceless. I think my premium was like $65 for over $5,000 worth of gear/year. (This was a rider on my homeowners insurance)

[jrm27]

Last time I traveled I used a homemade bag. It's a ver non descript drab/olive green messenger bag (the Jack Bauer bag). I bought a small and soft 6 pack cooler from walmart and fashioned it into an insert that can hold my XSi, the kit lens, and a spare lens. It sits nicely in my unassuming green shoulder bag and my camera is always at hand. Since I didn't take a bunch of lenses with me, there was still room in the bag to pack other things for the day's outing... a bottle of water, a book, a small/light pullover. Worked out really well and no one was the wiser.

[condyk]

I am looking for idea how to carry the camera in a way that is very difficult to grab in the street, as well as something that is accessible for that quick shot. Finally, I would like something that will not draw attention. Something small, since it really isn't a huge camera. Sometime that is not screaming "THERE IS AN EXPENSIVE CAMERA IN HERE!".


I use a small canvas bag I bought in gap a few years ago. I wash it now and again but otherwise let it get scruffy. The camerta sits nicely inside and room for a battle of water and usual stuff. When walking around I usually have a handstrap and keep the camera at my side and it's very unobtrusive. I only take it out when I can tell that I'll likely want to shoot something.

[Crazy Horse]

Ooh, just realised, you're in NB, Canada?
I studied at UNB on exchange for a year and a half from 2001. Are you a climber- ice/rock, geology person, engineer, student - someone I might know??

Hey Yabbie!

Oh, which city did you study in? I spent most of my life in, as the say... 'the armpit of Canada', Saint John, NB. :)

I don't suppose you would know me. In 2001 I was still in High School. Did you enjoy your time there?

[Jahled]

Finally, how you carry yourself is incredibly important, and looking like you know where you're going and what you're doing can often deter thieves.

^this is also invaluable advise for being with your gear even out and about with it in any environment where there are lots of people around. Sticking out like a stranger, looking lost, coming across as locality-naive simply draws the thieves to you; even in central London or your hometown or where ever. Appearing as if you 'don't know the local score'
in any situation never helps if you are a tourist; being festooned with several grands worth of obvious kit is simply going to make you more an obvious target.

That said I didn't even get any of my kit out until on a reserve in Kenya, and the fool who tried to mug me with a bottle in Barcelona I punched so hard I my hand hurt for days :)

[mzondeki]

You can put some cello tapes patches on camera body to look as if it is broken.
Travel with primes, that will make your camera look smaller. Particularly XS+NiftyFifty looks really small.
In case you get mugged, give the thug the cam and ask if he is generous enough to let you take your SDcard.

[tkoutdoor]

In the Philippines, especially in Manila it was quite crowded. This is a bit of an advantage for thieves because you don't have a measure of distance that keeps you comfortable as a safeguard against people that are trying to move up on you. Also, their comfort zone is much closer than ours here in the states. When people can get in close like this it was common there for thieves to slice the bottom of your bag or purse with a razor and pull out whatever they could get. This happens to even the locals. We were traveling in a group, always with a local or two and even though the local knew the score (she advised us to carry our bags like an American football [not futbol!] squeezed against us and to try to cover the bottom) they still knifed her bag. When this happened she shouted and asked if anyone saw anything and none of our group did.

Determined thieves can be very clever. Be aware that they work in teams. There may be a kid or a woman to distract you by begging, asking for help or whatever else (take my picture). They will try to hold your attention to make it easier for their buddies to fleece you. I've trained myself so that when I see someone trying to single out our attention I immediately begin looking at the surrounding people to be observant of who is watching us or may be trying to move in. When they see this kind of awareness I think it helps to protect you. I wouldn't intend to stare somebody down though, I just casually glance around (as though undeliberate, just glancing about) and try to be seen doing it without making direct eye contact. When you walk into a place and everyone looks at you, you have to be on your guard. Soon you will have the little kids begging around you and the adults eying you. The kids will be observant of you when you get out of your transportation and they are sort of the eyes that will see you first. In the Philippines orphans and runaways in the big cities may be "owned" more or less by gangs of thieves who they are expected to beg and steal for for the days food. If you give money to one you are instantly a target and you may soon be swarmed by the network, resistance is best when it can be accomplished. Rings, earrings, perfume (even fragrant deodorant), and flashy stuff in general will make it painfully clear that you aren't a local. People have earrings torn off their ears and rings taken from their fingers in some places. If you can avoid these things you're going to be much closer to being "off the radar", so to speak.

There are some travel bags out there with an internal cable mesh to prevent them from being sliced. Also bags with cable through the belt etc. so the belt can't be cut off you. There's also a cable net that you can put around a pack. I've never seen one of these in use, but the ads show people sending their check-in luggage this way or locking their bag to a pole or the like. I wouldn't be inclined to leave my stuff locked to a pole and walk away, but it's out there for an extra measure of protection. It would probably be very useful for things left in your room, even things put in the motels safe. I'm not convinced it would be smart to have the mesh outside the pack by default while walking around as it would scream "valuables inside". The place I saw these special bags was at REI in the travel section.

A lot of good advice has already been stated before me. Always be alert and watch your back or put a wall against it when you want to be less alert. Watch your group and have them watch you. Don't let someone straggle from the group. The theft of goods is not your only problem. The theft of people is an industry in many third world countries. The less obvious it is that you "have" value (and that you "are" valuable) the better. Caucasians who comport themselves as Westerners and speak English already have a strike against them. This is why I think in Luigi's case that he hasn't got the full picture about the safety of international cities. It's stereotypically a higher probability that a Caucasian Westerner will himself be more valuable and carry more valuable goods than someone who fits in (a non-Caucasian local). Thieves aren't politically correct, they recognize stereotypes as having validity. The skin color stereotype doesn't apply once one is in the States as that is the common skin color. It's presumable by a thief in the States that if you aren't Caucasian that you are less likely to be carrying valuables. That is unless you're flaunting them... and that gets you in trouble any place in the world.

My trip to Nicaragua (Managua and surrounding countryside) a few years ago seemed safer than the Philippines. Maybe because the crowds were smaller and the comfort zone (how close someone can stand to you before you feel uncomfortable) was similar to the States. I've never gone out of my way to get into the problem areas (though I've been in them) and I've always been fortunate enough to have a local with me who knew what to look for. That helps.

From what I've seen, the thievery begins in the airport, perpetrated by the airport security and/or customs agents. It makes a lot of sense to have locals meet you who can speak the language of the airport security. Bribery is a way of life in many third world countries and locals can be valuable in either steering you clear of it or getting you out of a jam. The police are not necessarily your friends either. It's relatively common to get pulled over and charged with something stupid and expected to pay a bribe to be allowed to go on your way with minimal disruption. All it takes is for you to be a Caucasian driver or have out of state/country plates on your vehicle. Some travel guides say to check in with the embassy not long after arrival in the foreign country so someone knows where you are. I've never had a problem with public corruption in the States or Canada.

One can't underestimate the importance of keeping their guard up and being alert. I've never traveled with an SLR in a third world country so far, because I wasn't into photography then. I don't relish the thought of becoming a target with my gear on. I think small primes and no brand names evident would help. I definitely feel much safer in the countryside and "at home" when in a compound or an embassy. I'd be less worried in the country with a little better lens so long as it's not being flashed around too much. Some of the gear with cabling embedded in the fabric and zippers against the back (in backpacks) would be something I'd try too.

[Crazy Horse]

tkoutdoor,

Thanks for the reply. Some very good advice there.

I ended up buying this bag, it should be here in a week or two.

https://www.vistek.ca/prodimglarge/241820.jpg

It is nice and small, and will fit my XS + Nifty fifty + kit lens and a few accessories quite well. It looks like it should also be quite easy to keep infront of me, or tucked under my arm. I will make it look less interesting. I find duct tape works wonders. ;)

I am aware how 'good' these kids are at distracting you. While I was in Nicaragua, we were approached by... hundreds of street children. Some of them wanted food, most wanted money, my girlfriend had a bag stolen while we were distracted at a restaurant. We assume it was while one of the many children came to our table while we were eating.

We had many many children ask for a photo as we passed, for most of them, it seemed to make their day to see themselves on the camera afterward. This little boy on Isle de Ometepe clapped his hands with a huge smile on his face as we showed him his photo.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y49/Crazy_Horse/Nicachild.jpg