Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board carrying a DSLR on long hike

any tips for having my camera (nikon d40) at the ready while hiking the JMT?

basic: shoulder strap, dust brush, zip lock for bad weather.

advanced: polarizer, ND gray filter, gradient gray, closeup filter, spare battery (especially if you can't keep from looking at the LCD screen), super light tripod (made one of old tent poles, gaffer tape and a mini desktop tripod, total 6 ounces)

lenses: 18-55 works for most things, a super wide maybe, telephoto only if you're into stalking animals or photos are the only reason you're out there.


consider the camera expendable like a pair of shoes and you're going to get great shots. If you're worried about scratches on it, leave it at home.

I started a thread not long ago on the subject and it had some good advice:

I ended up buying the Tamrac 519 pack and I feel it's perfect for keeping the SLR safe and easily accessible on your chest, my complaint at the moment is I bought the chest harness system for it and the straps are rather primitive and don't feel very comfortable to me.

Lowepro also has a top loader with chest harness available. I think a top loader with harness is the way to go. I would definitely get a UV filter if you don't already own one to protect against dust while you're hiking.

I'm glad you like the Tamrac. You could try some inexpensive carabiners hooked through the front of your shoulder straps rather than the harness. Also, since it's a modular system their lens cases slide right into the sides of the bag (I keep mine in my pack lid).
I hauled my XTi, tripod, 18-55 and 50 1.4 up to the summit this weekend.
The 50 stayed in the bag all weekend; I really needed the wide angles to capture everything - I guess I need to save up for the 16-35 (my g/f is going to kill me).

You can also look into the ThinkTank systems they have a beltpack style bag and a a few that can use a chest harness. They are likely more expensive but are geared towards the pros and have a great reputation.

http://www.thinktankphoto.com/ttp_products.html