Protection of eqipment in tropical rain forest

[goran_safarek]

I am going ta Amazona and I need advice how to protect my

eqipment(body, lenses ,tripod and lots of films) from water on the

ground and in the air.

[paul_ashton]

Years ago when I did fieldwork in the jungles of Southeast Asia with a manual F2 I never really gave this subject much thought. Today, with electronic everything, it is a different story. So the first thought is to take a manual body as your backup for when the electronics fail. Second, ziplock bags and "tupperware" containers were invented to solve this problem, together with well-designed bags/cases that will protect from the bottom up as well as the top down. Dry towels are very useful, stored in zip-lock bags, of course! And, don't laugh at this one, take a folding umbrella! You will take better photographs if you feel comfortable, so don't just think of the welfare of your equipment.

[jim_harrison1]

Hi Goran,

 

I've photographed in a few Central American rainforests and have found a few items very useful for moisture protection. Ziploc bags are great, especially the 2 gallon variety for larger lenses. I cut a lens hole in the bottom of the bag (taping the edges of the hole to keep it from ripping) and use this as a rain cover while shooting. Whole Ziploc bags of different sizes can keep your equipment dry when it isn't being used. Trash compactor or heavy duty garbage bags work well in covering a very large lens or entire camera bag. Towels, bandanas or a chamois cloth are useful for wiping moisture off equipment. If you will have access to an electrical outlet, a little travel hair-dryer is useful for drying out malfunctioning equipment. Silica gel used as a desiccant has been recommended on this forum before, but the one time I used it I had a body fail. (That is when I thought of a hair dryer; the silica can't possibly be effective while you are using the equipment�better to have a quick means of fixing it.) I think the best thing you could do is to have a back-up body (or two). Keeping the film in its little plastic container until you use it, and returning it to the container immediately after it is shot should prevent excess moisture from building up. (And keep the lid on the container otherwise.)

As for keeping yourself dry, any rain jacket and pant should do. Gore-Tex, while very nice most of the time, really doesn't work as a "breathable" fabric in the Tropics. It is far too humid for the moisture building up on your body to pass through the garment. Personally, I'd find something light, compact, and inexpensive if you don't already own something. I also take an umbrella, but find it too awkward to use most of the time. If you are going to have an assistant around, this might make more sense. The one part of your body you will want to keep drying off is your hands. Again, the towels or chamois cloths are useful.

 

Have fun.

[scott bacon]

I've spent a considerable amount of time in the jungles of S. America and just returned from a very wet trip to the rainforests on the South Island of New Zealand. I will second and third the ideas given above: zip-lock bags (lots of them) and tuperware for storage, towels to dry equipment, etc. I have a Lowepro AW (all weather) Topload Zoom case that does a nice job of keeping my EOS 1n and 28-70L dry. If you will be on a boat or raft, and weight is not an issue, you may want to consider a Pelican Case. These are great for air travel, also. I used one on a raft trip and it saved my equipment.

[jim_everett]

Check out another thread on this subject: <http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000One>

[bill_palmer]

In addition to the plastic bags and Tupperware you need something to place in the sealed container to absorb the moisture. There are several comercially available metal containers that contain dessicant that work great for this purpose. To recharge these containers, most recommend that you place them in an oven at a low temperature for a period of time. Some even have indicators that turn blue when dry.

 

Unfortunately, when in the rain forest there may not be ovens to dry your dessicant. I have tried the following with success. 1) If the container is metal, spay paint it FLAT BLACK. Be sure you do not apply the paint so thick as to clog the holes. Then place it in the sun during the day to dry. The solar radiation will do a pretty good job of drying the dessicant. 2) If the dessicant is in a cloth bag or paper container, drill holes in a small metal box (a Band-Aid box works for me) and spray paint the box FLAT BLACK and dry as above.

 

I usually use the dessicant in pairs and alternate their use.

[jim_harrison1]

Joe Van Os has an <a href="http://www.photosafaris.com/ItsInTheBag.shtml"><u>article</u></a> on his company's website this month that might help you pack.

[laughing_buddha]

Check Out Water-Proof Camera Backpack this thread has good info

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=009npk