canoeing with your LF

[kub]

Hi all,

I'm just wondering how you carry your stuff around water? So far, I have refused to get anything waterproof for my LF, I just put the camera+lenses in my pelicase(for SLR) which won't hold everything and hope for the best. Filters, holders, and all other knickknacks go in my regular backpack.

Have you tried to stuff your packs in one of those Sealine bags? I don't like a truck-size pelicase...

thanks,

[Kirk Gittings]

I hope your better at canoeing than I am......

[Eric Woodbury]

I'm not sure I understand. Do you wish to shoot LF from the canoe or just portage your gear in a canoe? I don't think the former would work, but for the latter there are now waterproof backpacks and as you mention, Pelican cases. Also ammo boxes. What size camera? A small 4x5 is quite portable.

[jp]

The pelican 1510 holds my 4x5 speed graphic, 2 DSLRs and a couple lenses. It makes a nice child seat in the middle of a canoe. If I ditched the DSLRs, it would hold lots of film holders with the camera and lenses.

My tripod (leitz tiltall) is OK to get wet.

The 1510 works as underseat carry-on too if you travel by air.

[h2oman]

You can buy a drybag (used regularly by whitewater rafters) for not too much, and it should protect your gear just fine. Look on the NRS (Northwest River Supply) site.

[Scott Walker]

Hi all,

I'm just wondering how you carry your stuff around water?

thanks,

I use dry bags for everything, although I haven't had my LF gear on the water yet. I plan on bringing it on our annual cruise through the Gulf Islands this summer. When at anchor the only way to shore is via kayak so everything except the tripod will live in dry bags. I have been using the dry bags for a while now and find them to be a great resource especially on the kayak. I even keep my iPhone in one on a cord around my neck when cruising as a waterproof backup for my chartplotter and for emergency communication if necessary.

[QT Luong]

When I used an inflatable canoe in Kobuk Valley (http://www.terragalleria.com/mountain/mountain.kobuk-valley-canoe.html), I simply strapped my Lowe Super Trekker to the canoe, wrapped in a tarp to against water splashes. That's the red thing in the pictures. I am not sure why you'd want a waterproof case. Those boats are pretty stable.

[jp]

When I used an inflatable canoe in Kobuk Valley (http://www.terragalleria.com/mountain/mountain.kobuk-valley-canoe.html), I simply strapped my Lowe Super Trekker to the canoe, wrapped in a tarp to against water splashes. That's the red thing in the pictures. I am not sure why you'd want a waterproof case. Those boats are pretty stable.

That does look like a pretty good stable canoe. I am most familar with using Old Town Canoes made of fiberglass/plastic/wood.

I have been on long canoe trips before where it has rained for days at a time. I've been on sunny afternoon outings where a storm comes along and soaks too. For those reasons, a waterproof case is good.

If it gets windy while canoeing, whitecaps can also splash into your canoe and onto your belongings.

I've also had to rescue people out of the water who have spilled their canoe and it got away from them, and in the process of rescuing you can nearly tip your own canoe over. Climbing out of the water and into a canoe is not a gentle process.

Being on the coast, we also sometimes canoe in salt water. This can be really really bad on electronics or photo gear, so waterproof bags or pelican cases are useful preventative insurance.

[Brian Sims]

I don't spend a lot of time on the water, but anytime I am fording a river more than thigh deep I put my backpack in two black plastic garbage bags with plenty of air and tied tightly. If the current knocks me over the bag will float. Even if there is a small hole in the bag the camera and gear in the pack are not going to get wet.

[h2oman]

The question to ask is, how would your gear fare if you were to fill the bathtub and put it in? If the answer is not good, I'd say use drybags. If you do anything less and you overturn your canoe, your gear very likely will get wet. I think you would be amazed at how much water can get in the smallest of holes, fairly quickly.

If you are fairly certain you will remain upright, and are willing to bet your gear on that, some of the other suggestions offered here will probably suffice.

[ki6mf]

Supposedly there are waterproof cases made by Pelican, Otterbox, Underwater Kinetics (UK International) and S3 which will keep gear dry. I do not know if these boxes should be used with dry bags or how good a job they do. They have the advantage of being hard shell with foam liners which would also protect your gear.

[Phil]

I was up in the 'Great White North' a few years ago and picked up one of these from Bill and Anne for canoeing, but I expect there would be plenty of room for my 8x10 kit along with a few other things. This is a very well made pack.

http://ostromoutdoors.com/wabakimi-canoe-portage-pack-p-125.html

At one time, they sold a separate water resistant liner for these, but I have had good luck using 6 mil trash bags as liners.

[QT Luong]

If you look at the photos, you'll see that I strapped the bag on the top of the canoe, rather than leaving it at the bottom, which as was mentioned, fills out with water. I mentioned the tarp to "protect against splashes", but now that I remember, it did much more than that. It rained continuously one day, and we were soaked. No problem for the bag. A bit of water won't harm your equipment that much. To be safe, you can put your lenses and film holders in ziplocks, as I did when I hiked the Zion Narrows.

[Jim Graves]

Do make sure you strap the waterproof container to the canoe ... a floating bag is good but if it heads down river without you after capsizing, it is much easier to find a canoe (with the attached bag) than a floating camera bag.

[Fred L]

I don't trust drybags with the folding tops for any electronics. They will leak no matter how you fold them. Won't be a flood but if the bags get dunked and sits under water for any amount of time, there will be some moisture/ water in there. If it's quick drop in/ pull out, you'll be fine I'd think. The fold is key.

I put camera gear into Pelicans ( first choice) or Watershed duffle bags. The latter have been trashed in whitewater and everything stayed dry. These use what is basically a rubber ziplock on steroids and have never popped open. Takes a few minutes to figure out opening and closing but they work.

[Steve Hamley]

Here's how Roman Loranc does it:

http://www.kqed.org/arts/programs/spark/profile.jsp?essid=7081

Cheers, Steve

[jeroldharter]

Dry bags are not waterproof when submerged and they might not float with heavy gear. A Pelican case is heavy but dry, windproof, dustproof, crush proof, indestructible, and they float. This is the sort of trip Pelican cases are made for.

On one of my canoe trips (no camera gear) was through some rapids and we became too comfortable and did not scout them like we should. We bit off more than we could chew at a small waterfall and did a nose dive into the pool below. We dumped everything most of which stayed in the capsized canoe. Would not want my large format gear to have been in a tarp or a dry bag. Of course, I might have been more careful in that case.

[Dave Aharonian]

I've done a lot of sea kayaking with my LF gear. I know of 2 absolutely waterproof containers: Pelican cases and Watershed bags. Pelican cases are great but bulky. Watershed bags are my preferred alternative. Its essentially a big rubber bag with a completely waterproof "ziploc" closure on it. The closure is very heavy duty and is a bit of a pain to do up - but once its closed its completely waterproof. I got mine from Mountain Equipment Co-op here in Canada.

[Vick Vickery]

Reguardless of how you pack it, be sure you TIE it into the canoe...I've lost too much stuff from an overturned canoe over the years from pure lazyness: as in "throw it in and go"! :) Have a fun trip!

[Jim Bradley]

I've got a Lowepro Dryzone 200. A Lowepro backpack with an outer shell made of dry suit type material including the zipper. Definitly waterproof. Weighs a ton empty. Not cheap but I got it as a birthday present.

Jim

[kub]

I'm paddler, and not new to waterproofing my gear. I'm trying to find a better way. I go on back country trips where I take side trips and do hiking along the route. The pelican if big enough to hold LF gear is impossible to carry. I even tried to make a harness system for it but they are uselessly bulky when you are hiking.

I have a good lowpro pack that I use on hiking trips. I'm hoping to find a big water tight(doesn't have to be like submarine) system or bag that I can put my lowpro pack in it, along with the rest of my camping gear. This way, I can take the lowpro on hiking parts of my trip and leave the water tight bag at camp site. I have seen a Sealine 115L bag that has shoulder harness.

Have any of you done something like that?

[Scott Walker]

I'm paddler, and not new to waterproofing my gear. I'm trying to find a better way. I go on back country trips where I take side trips and do hiking along the route. The pelican if big enough to hold LF gear is impossible to carry. I even tried to make a harness system for it but they are uselessly bulky when you are hiking.

I have a good lowpro pack that I use on hiking trips. I'm hoping to find a big water tight(doesn't have to be like submarine) system or bag that I can put my lowpro pack in it, along with the rest of my camping gear. This way, I can take the lowpro on hiking parts of my trip and leave the water tight bag at camp site. I have seen a Sealine 115L bag that has shoulder harness.

Have any of you done something like that?

Check out West Marine they have a really decent on-line catalogue.
Good selection of waterproof duffel bags and back packs along with dry bags of all sizes.
I have 30 or more of these things from tiny to duffel bag sized, if you spend enough time on the water dry bags become part of every day life. As some have mentioned here the dry bags will not do you much good if your camera sinks to the bottom of the lake in one but if properly sealed absolutely no water will enter if used on the surface. Quite often when anchored we will swim to shore and toss what ever we need for our time on land into a big dry bag (dslr, food, towels, etc) and blow it up before sealing it then just tow it behind while swimming to shore. Everything stays dry and the big bags all have handles & or shoulder harnesses for carrying.

[John Schneider]

I've never taken LF gear in a small boat (that's where a Nikonos is great) but I have taken it canyoneering, which is probably a more severe test. I've found dry bags to be worthless in those conditions, and the Pelican et al cases are too bulky and heavy to carry on your back.

The best thing I've found are the waterproof kegs from Cur-tec. They're made for shipping dry chemicals and are made from blow-molded HDPE, so they're MUCH lighter than a Pelican case. Since they're barrel-shaped, they can be made strong yet lightweight, and for that reason it's also easy and lightweight to make a screw-on lid with a good o-ring seal. They're still bulky to carry on your back and unfortunately the kegs go from too small to *really* big too quickly, but I've found that they work well for carrying a Cambo Wide, light meter, and a pair of Grafmatics.

The only other thing I trust in those conditions is a mil. surplus special ops underwater dry backpack made by Viking (and you probably don't want to find out what they cost new:eek: :eek: )

[Fred L]

hey kub

Since yer paddling, presuming canoe, then carrying larger loads is not much of an issue even if yer carries are long. Depending on how much gear you bring along, maybe stuff a small camera backpack in a barrel if you're on a river trip. Otherwise, I'd think about a waist bag (Lowe or Think Tank) and put that in a Watershed duffle bag. The Watersheds really do their job and work are worth the $.

My other option if you're doing lake trips is the Dryzone packs. Haven't stressed mine on a wet trip yet but wouldn't worry about it if it got dunked at a portage while loading/ unloading the canoe.

[Ken Kapinski]

Kub, I have a Sealline 115 that I use when I go canoeing. It is plenty big, big enough to hold a small person I would say. I think it would be perfect for what you are trying to do. I also have a smaller Sealline 35 which gets used a lot more often and has spent a time or two in/out of overturned canoes. It keeps the water out.

Ken

[Thad Gerheim]

I use a tundra (same as a pelican) which measures 15"x19"x7.5", that I stuff in a backpack. I had a Fenwick pack that was the perfect size for the case, but uncomfortable for backpacking. I just bought a front loading Kelty which needed the zipper modified so it would fit. I can get camera, 3 lenses, light meter, readyload holder and about 6 film holders in it. I really like this system, it is easily accessible and fairly bullet proof. I take it canoeing, rafting, and horsepacking. I've wondered if it would hold up if a horse stumbled of one of the trails deep in the Frank Church Wilderness.

[kub]

Thanks all for responses, I'll report what I come up with.

[kub]

Updating on this post for benefit of those interested.

As I had said my challenge was to take a full set of LF gear on a week-long backcountry paddling trip that also involved couple of day hikes.
I usually take my 35/MF and digital stuff in a pelican, that was not an option due awkwardness of those boxes while hiking.

So, I got a Sealine 115pro and tried to put my lowpro hiker in it. It would fit but now I didn't have room for any of my camping gear. The lowpro has way too much padding. Back to drawing board, I thought all I need is a soft shell bag without any padding that would keep things separate and organized. I got a $10 cheap bag with lots of pockets. Now I could take in and out everything with one action out of the Sealine bag, and fit all my camping gear and tripod in it.
Problem solved, I can paddle and hike with all my gear, and be reasonably protected.

[Tatrawee]

SealLine make a bag called "Zip Duffle". It is waterproof up to 2 meters for 30 minutes. They are quite large (75 or 110 liters). You should be able to put your LF camera bag in it.

[rguinter]

Others here have suggested Pelican cases and I can affirm that that is what I have used for years while canoeing in the North Maine woods. I have two of them. One the size of a small suitcase and the other the size of a briefcase.

I pack my camera gear inside and tie them each to the canoe with a long rope.

Properly sealed the Pelican cases are waterproof and float. No problem in the water at all. Bob G.

[John Brady]

I work from a Kevlar canoe, A small boat called a Ghenoe and a small Boston Whaler. I also hike into the swamps of the Everglades so I have lots of experience on this topic.

If you are shooting 4x5 a dryzone 200 will do a graat job. It has a unique waterproof zipper. I am shooting 8x10 these days so I use the dry zone for digital. I know you plan to hike as well as paddle so you have some additional challenges. I bring all of my 8x10 gear in two large pelicans. My non folding Ebony is in one and my filters light meter two additional lenses loupe etc. goes in another one. My film holders go in large ziplock bags and then into a playmate cooler. I use large drybags for dark cloths and any other junk I just gotta have. I also bring my photobackpacker pack in the dry bag and if I hike away from the water I pair down what I need to that one bag leaving the other items with the boat or hidden in the brush.

www.timeandlight.com

[Ron McElroy]

I work from a Kevlar canoe, A small boat called a Ghenoe and a small Boston Whaler...... .

www.timeandlight.com


OK I have to ask. How do you get back in the canoe after making a photograph in the water as in the picture you posted?

[John Brady]

OK I have to ask. How do you get back in the canoe after making a photograph in the water as in the picture you posted?

The boat in this picture is my Gheenoe. With this boat it's easy to get back in since it is almost tip proof. This boat is like a canoe on steroids, it has a 15 hp outboard and will go about 25 mph. You can stand on the rail and not flip it.

With my 35 lb canoe I would still keep it near me while photographing in the water to keep my gear in and work from but then you have to pull it to shore to stabilize and hop back in.

www.timeandlight.com

[jeroldharter]

The boat in this picture is my Gheenoe. With this boat it's easy to get back in since it is almost tip proof. This boat is like a canoe on steroids, it has a 15 hp outboard and will go about 25 mph. You can stand on the rail and not flip it.

With my 35 lb canoe I would still keep it near me while photographing in the water to keep my gear in and work from but then you have to pull it to shore to stabilize and hop back in.

www.timeandlight.com

That Gheenoe looks great. I did some internet research just to check it out. What is the roughest water you have had it on? I wonder how it handles with whitecaps and wind? I don't go out much if it is too rough but sometimes the weather whips up.

[John Brady]

That Gheenoe looks great. I did some internet research just to check it out. What is the roughest water you have had it on? I wonder how it handles with whitecaps and wind? I don't go out much if it is too rough but sometimes the weather whips up.

I have a custom 15.6 with tiller steer. In light chop it's fine but in two footers in can beat you up and gets some spray. I have gone 30 miles into remote places along the gulf and I use it to get into really small creeks. Its heavy but I can still drag it in a couple inches of water.

I talked to some hard core Gheenoe guys when I was in the Ten Thousand Islands one day and they told me about a new model called the LT. You can set one up with a 25 hp and center console. It is supposed to be super dry and rides much better in the waves. If I was doing it over again thats the one I would get.
http://www.microskiff.com/reviews/boats/gheenoe-low-tide-25.html

Some day I need to get a video of my Gheenoe doing 20mph through a tight windy creek. Thats a blast.

Sorry to the OP, didn't intend to highjack your thread.

www.timeandlight.com

[Leonard Metcalf]

I use a pelican most of the time, I had my camera bag made from the inner of one, so that it now fits perfectly inside.

I have also used the sealine bags extensively. When you fold them up, you need to be very sure there are no creases in them or they will leak. They also have to be very tight. They only leak when you are lazy. But after being in cold water for too long this is often the case, so I use a light weight silnylon one first, then the heavy weight one on the outside. Basically I swim with my large format gear regularly. The two bag approach works perfectly for me. Though the peilcan case is so much more convenient. Me, I am shopping for a canoe myself at the moment too. Good luck with it all. regards,

Len

[Caivman]

It makes a nice child seat in the middle of a canoe.

oh god the physical cringe i went through reading that.... lol. Letting children sit on your LF case is asking for problems. To each their own though.

Pelican cases are great, but there are several hard case waterproof options out there for transport. As far as SHOOTING LF in a waterproof environment, you'd have to be pretty crafty to make that setup.