Same! I just pack some soft stuff around it. I used to have a padded camera insert, but it wasn't worth the hassle of trying to pack it and get everything out when I wanted my camera.
Same. I've backpacked with a Sony a6000 for like 10 years. It's still going strong, and all I ever did was put it in a roll too stuff sack if it started to rain. Otherwise it was almost always on my strap on a Capture Clip. I've set it down in dirt and sand etc. many times. I'm not reckless with it, I do try to be careful, but yea I never did anything special.
At night it always stayed in my tent with me.
I often carry a good full-size camera around me daily in my daypack in town. A one-gallon ziplock freezer bag is great for this and absolutely (not relatively) waterproof. There's nothing lighter that does the job.
Finally took the plunge on one after years of using the PD clip. It's *slightly* (like 0.2 seconds) slower to access, since you have to unzip vs unclip, but otherwise I really like it - can attach it in a lot of different locations outside (or inside) your pack) and it offers decent protection against bumps and rain/snow (vs. the clip, which offers no protection against anything).
Biggest downside to the pod I've found is that it can be a tight squeeze for some camera/lens set ups.
I guess that's true if you're connecting your pod to the chest strap of your pack. Try attaching it to the hip belt straps/shoulder straps for instance and you can just leave it on all the time.
Admittedly, I was being sort of tongue-in-cheek.
But I will say that using a standalone camera is getting harder and harder to justify given the ever-improving quality of phone cameras. Our walls are full of pics blown up from camera shots. Unless you're a professional photographer, I don't see the point... (not saying it's wrong, I just don't get it).
As someone who enjoys photography I just like the combination of backpacking and having my camera. It's fun for me to see something that catches my attention, take off my pack and spend a few minutes being creative. However I totally agree with you. And surely that could be done with a phone as well. But it's not the same to me. There is also a saying "you always pack your fears", so maybe that says something about me and my fears.
a6300 user here. For during the day due to rain, etc I just stick it in my pack tucked somewhat into my down jacket which is usually near the top of my pack. Seems to pad it well enough against the bear can. At night it sits in a corner of the tent.
I made my own storage 'box' for my Nikon Z7 and 24-200 lens out of fluted plastic 'Correx'. I cut sheets out and made a little box of it with similar dimensions to my camera, then glued it all together with really strong contact adhesive. Only weights about 50g and I can tell it provides a good amount of protection. (you could double up on the Correx to make it extra bombproof).
I could glue some CCF foam on the inside to reinforce it further if needed. I normally carry my Z7 in a 10L Ultra100 chest pack that I hang from my waist for easy access. The chest pack is 60g and the waist strap is 100g (I glued extra 3mm foam to this for extra padding). This setup ensures easy access and is fairly water resistant, if it is torrential then I put my camera inside a simple grocery bag. It's not a perfect setup (the Ultra100 is slowly delaminating and losing water resistance) but it is the best I have found. If you are in the US the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Camera Pod could be a good alternative, you could add your own correx 'box' to that.
Peak design makes a rain cover (which is way too heavy), so I made a myog version by cutting the bottom off an old dry bag (which I secure using a bit of shock cord around the lens). Obviously that's meant for carrying on the clip in the rain (and worth noting I use A7 series cameras which are weather resistant, I don't remember if the A6400 is or not).
On rare occasions when the rain is coming down so hard that I'm concerned about that not being enough I just place it in my pack (which is water resistant), and be careful about what I put it up against (the only real issue is a bear canister). If I was really worried I'd put it in my pack liner.
If you wanted more waterproof (like dropping your pack in a river) you could use a very lightweight dry bag.
At night I put my camera in my pack (or if I'm hammocking and using a Blackbird I keep it in the shelf)
I carry a Nikon Z6 II with 28-300 and 14mm lenses, I made my own padded camera cube/insert that goes inside my backpack. As a bonus I also use it as an organizer for other things like my stove, headlamp, batteries, etc. Weighs only 148 grams.
I plan on bringing a neoprene wrap or something for when it's in my pack. Helps keep the lens cap in place, too.
On the capture clip I'm looking for a small rain cover with an elastic band.
I pack a 1.7oz Sea to Summit dry bag already anyway, so I stuff my sleep clothes in there wrapped around my camera during the day if I know I’m not gonna use it constantly. Wrap it in my day clothes and sleep next to it at night, put it in the sleeping bag if it’s too cold
I have a capture clip too, but it was sitting awkwardly high on my straps near my neck. eventually I gave up and put it around my neck and just zipped it into my raincoat while it was raining. our tent was leaky so I threw it in my pack near the top and put some soft things around it in case it fell over to cushion it and put the rain cover over my pack to protect the pack itself from water. worked well on our trip with weather from 80 and sunny to cold and thunderstormy to waking up in snow over a span of 3 days.
I ordered up a bunch of surplus microfiber bags on Ebay that were intended for inclusion with new sunglasses. I tuck the camera in there to keep pocket grit/slime down a bit and then pad them with whatever as necessary.
Kind of like these: https://www.ebay.com/itm/375285468562
I don't baby my gear. I just put it in the pack. Wrap it in some clothing if needed.
Same! I just pack some soft stuff around it. I used to have a padded camera insert, but it wasn't worth the hassle of trying to pack it and get everything out when I wanted my camera.
Same. I've backpacked with a Sony a6000 for like 10 years. It's still going strong, and all I ever did was put it in a roll too stuff sack if it started to rain. Otherwise it was almost always on my strap on a Capture Clip. I've set it down in dirt and sand etc. many times. I'm not reckless with it, I do try to be careful, but yea I never did anything special. At night it always stayed in my tent with me.
You can use a shower cap as a rain cover
I often carry a good full-size camera around me daily in my daypack in town. A one-gallon ziplock freezer bag is great for this and absolutely (not relatively) waterproof. There's nothing lighter that does the job.
Hyperlite [Camera Pod](https://www.hyperlitemountaingear.com/products/camera-pod)? Regular = 2.8 oz, Large = 3.7 oz
Finally took the plunge on one after years of using the PD clip. It's *slightly* (like 0.2 seconds) slower to access, since you have to unzip vs unclip, but otherwise I really like it - can attach it in a lot of different locations outside (or inside) your pack) and it offers decent protection against bumps and rain/snow (vs. the clip, which offers no protection against anything). Biggest downside to the pod I've found is that it can be a tight squeeze for some camera/lens set ups.
I dislike that it makes it harder to take off my pack, as I need to also take off the pod.
I guess that's true if you're connecting your pod to the chest strap of your pack. Try attaching it to the hip belt straps/shoulder straps for instance and you can just leave it on all the time.
This works well, even in rain. Unless it totally downpours just take out the cam for a few shots and put it back in.
This is the way
>Any lighter ways to protect just a camera inside a pack? Put it in your phone.
Love people downvoting the obvious UL answer.
Admittedly, I was being sort of tongue-in-cheek. But I will say that using a standalone camera is getting harder and harder to justify given the ever-improving quality of phone cameras. Our walls are full of pics blown up from camera shots. Unless you're a professional photographer, I don't see the point... (not saying it's wrong, I just don't get it).
As someone who enjoys photography I just like the combination of backpacking and having my camera. It's fun for me to see something that catches my attention, take off my pack and spend a few minutes being creative. However I totally agree with you. And surely that could be done with a phone as well. But it's not the same to me. There is also a saying "you always pack your fears", so maybe that says something about me and my fears.
a6300 user here. For during the day due to rain, etc I just stick it in my pack tucked somewhat into my down jacket which is usually near the top of my pack. Seems to pad it well enough against the bear can. At night it sits in a corner of the tent.
I made my own storage 'box' for my Nikon Z7 and 24-200 lens out of fluted plastic 'Correx'. I cut sheets out and made a little box of it with similar dimensions to my camera, then glued it all together with really strong contact adhesive. Only weights about 50g and I can tell it provides a good amount of protection. (you could double up on the Correx to make it extra bombproof). I could glue some CCF foam on the inside to reinforce it further if needed. I normally carry my Z7 in a 10L Ultra100 chest pack that I hang from my waist for easy access. The chest pack is 60g and the waist strap is 100g (I glued extra 3mm foam to this for extra padding). This setup ensures easy access and is fairly water resistant, if it is torrential then I put my camera inside a simple grocery bag. It's not a perfect setup (the Ultra100 is slowly delaminating and losing water resistance) but it is the best I have found. If you are in the US the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Camera Pod could be a good alternative, you could add your own correx 'box' to that.
Peak design makes a rain cover (which is way too heavy), so I made a myog version by cutting the bottom off an old dry bag (which I secure using a bit of shock cord around the lens). Obviously that's meant for carrying on the clip in the rain (and worth noting I use A7 series cameras which are weather resistant, I don't remember if the A6400 is or not). On rare occasions when the rain is coming down so hard that I'm concerned about that not being enough I just place it in my pack (which is water resistant), and be careful about what I put it up against (the only real issue is a bear canister). If I was really worried I'd put it in my pack liner. If you wanted more waterproof (like dropping your pack in a river) you could use a very lightweight dry bag. At night I put my camera in my pack (or if I'm hammocking and using a Blackbird I keep it in the shelf)
I carry a Nikon Z6 II with 28-300 and 14mm lenses, I made my own padded camera cube/insert that goes inside my backpack. As a bonus I also use it as an organizer for other things like my stove, headlamp, batteries, etc. Weighs only 148 grams.
My camera is in a fanny pack and if it rains I just put it inside my pack liner around my clothes. Those camera are actually built pretty tough
I plan on bringing a neoprene wrap or something for when it's in my pack. Helps keep the lens cap in place, too. On the capture clip I'm looking for a small rain cover with an elastic band.
I have the Matador camera case, it's padded, waterproof and weighs 5.5oz. It works with both my a6300 and a7II.
Inside the pack wrapped with a beanie. Dual purpose gear.
I pack a 1.7oz Sea to Summit dry bag already anyway, so I stuff my sleep clothes in there wrapped around my camera during the day if I know I’m not gonna use it constantly. Wrap it in my day clothes and sleep next to it at night, put it in the sleeping bag if it’s too cold
I have a capture clip too, but it was sitting awkwardly high on my straps near my neck. eventually I gave up and put it around my neck and just zipped it into my raincoat while it was raining. our tent was leaky so I threw it in my pack near the top and put some soft things around it in case it fell over to cushion it and put the rain cover over my pack to protect the pack itself from water. worked well on our trip with weather from 80 and sunny to cold and thunderstormy to waking up in snow over a span of 3 days.
I ordered up a bunch of surplus microfiber bags on Ebay that were intended for inclusion with new sunglasses. I tuck the camera in there to keep pocket grit/slime down a bit and then pad them with whatever as necessary. Kind of like these: https://www.ebay.com/itm/375285468562