[Paddlewise] FW: Trip Photography: (was

>>
I'm trying to use my kayak to get to places that are difficult to get to   from
land, especially with 30-40 pounds of photo gear.  I also want to be able   to
take shots from the kayak as I paddle along.  My Looksha IV ain't got   alot of
storage space in the cockpit so what to do?
>>

I know an avid photographer and kayaker who cut a hole in his foredeck
just in front of the cockpit and inserted a Pelican box, making an   easily-
accessed waterproof "glove box" for his kayak.

My approach is a bit different. Though I have a couple of different
watertight Tundra cases for my SLRs, even the smaller is too big to go
through the small kayak hatches on my Romany, and too awkward to use in
the cockpit. What I did was to buy a Lowe Elite padded camera case and
make a drybag for the interior. I chose the Lowe Elite because it is
narrow enough to fit between my knees without discomfort; also, it has
a hidden waist belt that can turn it into a fanny pack.

I made the dry bag using heat-sealable fabric from Seattle Fabrics. The
bottom of the bag has square corners to fit the interior of the camera
bag. Velcro strips on the outside and inside of the dry bag fasten it to
the interior of the camera bag and allow me to use the camera bag's
partitions inside the dry bag. The top of the dry bag rolls down and
fastens with a Fastex buckle like other dry bags. There is room inside
for my Nikon FM2, three lenses (one on the camera), a flash unit, film,
and a few accessories, such as a cable release, polarizer, lens cloth,
etc.

It is possible, though not very convenient, to open the bag in the
cockpit. Mostly, I just stow my SLR gear there for use on land, and
use my Nikonos on the water. Because it makes entering and exiting the
boat more difficult, I tend to bring it along only when exploring new
places. When I do, I also stow a small tripod in the bow of the kayak
where, because one leg fits into the keel, it takes up very little
extra space.

I have tested the drybag twice, once in my bathtub and once in Lake
Superior, when I accidentally capsized the kayak while getting into it
while it was afloat. Despite the weight of the camera gear, the bag
floats quite high with the top well out of the water. When I capsized
in Lake Superior, a little water seeped into the top of the drybag, but
not enough to damage anything.

The reason I put the drybag inside the camera case rather than outside
was to reduce its size, making it easier to roll and unroll in the
cockpit.

Chuck Holst


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