Summer is coming, and for many photographers, that means traveling with your camera and taking lots of photos everywhere you go.
The problem is though; how can we be sure that all of our equipment is going to be safe?
Is it worth the hassle of carrying around all of the necessary gear, being worried that it may be stolen?
I say yes! You shouldn’t let anything put you off taking photos, so here’s a collection of my 9 favorite tips to keep your equipment safe: whether it’s from thieves or the elements.

Camera hard cases are very significant as they provide your expensive camera the ultimate protection. There are different types of camera cases available in the market, some are more lightweight than others. Camera hard cases usually have foam on the inside that protects your equipment.

Table of Contents

Use Padded Cases

When I travel, I always bring two bags with me. The first is a backpack, which carries everything I may need.
The second is a day bag (which I get below). These bags are incredibly well-made and heavily padded.
If you’re moving around a lot, the last thing you want is to use a poor-quality bag, which not only makes it uncomfortable to carry but doesn’t protect your gear.
A good, padded case, is often going to be very well-made and waterproof too. I recommend the Gura Gear Kibobo 22L+.

Shoulder Bag

The last thing you want to do while walking through the crowded streets of a busy city is to be knocking stuff over with a big backpack, which can be easily opened from behind your back.
When I’m traveling with my camera, I always carry a shoulder bag, even if I’m only using one camera and lens.
I can hide my camera discretely and it’s always at my side, so I’ve always got an eye on it.
The bag I use is the UNDEFINED One Bag, with a leather cover, and camera insert. It’s very well-padded (enough to keep 8 cans of cider cold until I’ve finished the last one, haha), and stylish too.
It uses a zip and a clasp to make it harder to enter undetected. It also doesn’t look like a camera bag. Review to come soon.

Carry Your Gear In Your Hand Luggage

I barely trust baggage handlers to look after my socks, let alone thousands of pounds worth of camera equipment. Unfair? Perhaps. True? Absolutely.
So it goes without saying that I always carry my equipment with me when I go on the plane.
Most long-haul airlines understand this and are pretty lenient about the weight of your bag in these circumstances.
My camera bag was overweight when I flew to San Francisco earlier this year, but as soon as I showed the man at the check-in desk what was inside it, he allowed me to take it with me.

Hide or Remove Camera Branding

I know it feels great to pick up a brand new camera, without a scratch or mark on it, looking shiny and brand new, but guess what? Thieves like picking these up just as much too!
When I’m away, I take a small bit of black duct tape, and I put this over any branding on my camera. That usually just means the logo on the body, but sometimes the lenses too. And definitely get rid of your manufacturer’s strap.

Wire Camera Strap

I’ve been a pretty big advocate for the Sun Sniper strap because it’s the first strap of its kind that I tried. Over the shoulder, on a carabiner, which slides up and down the strap, making it much easier to access your camera quickly.
The good thing about this strap is that it has a steel wire running throughout it, meaning that if anyone tries to cut it off while you’re not looking, they’re going to be met with more resistance than they were expecting.

Use Multiple Memory Cards

Try as we might to keep our gear safe, there are still people out there who wish to take it from us.
Your gear is replaceable, but a lot of the time, your photos are not. That’s why I always suggest spreading your photos out over two or three memory cards throughout the day.
This is good practice, whether you’re traveling or not, because memory cards, like hard drives, do break.
They have a life span, and you don’t want to find out the hard way when that life span ends. I replace my cards every two years. Just to be safe.