It's all about the case...

For the most part, I make a concerted effort to look after my belongings. I personally don't find myself to be super uptight about it - I mean it's just STUFF, right? It can be replaced. But I still like to do the best I can to prolong the life of my favorite things. Including of course, my cameras. Which is why I highly recommend hiring either Pelican or Lowepro to protect the goods, depending on the environment.

I can speak firsthand about the virtues of both these types of cases, because right from the get-go, I've hauled my camera with me in temps ranging from -25C to +40C, in a variety conditions from snow to sand to wind to water. I take my gear out climbing with me, I take it skiing, I take it to the beach, I take it to parties. It's kind of like a child to me... and I have to dress it up differently depending on the situation.

I have a Lowepro waist harness bag and a couple of Lowepro individual camera bags, which work well for skiing and hiking. A small camera bag can be tucked into a backpack if necessary, which is how my camera travelled to Bolivia. It really only has room for a body and one lens however, but on a vacation that is not photography specific, it is perfect. My Pelican case came with me to Costa Rica. It's a 1520 and at the time held everything except a tripod. I found this to be a particularly good choice of container, because when it is closed properly, it is watertight and it FLOATS... what a beautiful thing... since I inadvertently got caught out on a large sandbar that I had walked out to at low tide, but had to swim back from at high tide. D'OH! And most recently, I bought a Lowepro backpack, the CompuTrekker AW model. This thing is the bomb, I'm telling you! Yes, the Pelican keeps out dust and water and is mostly indestructible... but carrying it is cumbersome. The CompuTrekker fits all the gear I own right now, PLUS it has a built in rain cover (hence 'AW' - all weather), PLUS my laptop fits nicely in it, PLUS it can be carried on my back! So far, for travelling, I like it the best. I realize I'll have to be careful about how deep I wade when I'm wearing it... but all around, it is the most versatile case I own.

Oh, I'll still use the others... the Pelican serves its purpose in harsh conditions when I don't have too far to go from the car, and the smaller Lowepro bags are great for taking to events, social gatherings, etc. For now I think I'm stocked for cases, but I'll be sure to let you know if I try something new. Cheers.