How To Stop Camera Equipment Being Stolen When Travelling?
Mark
I have the urge to travel a bit, however I am concerned about being able to
prevent my camera equipment, money and passport being stolen. Everything
else (even though it will be annoying) will be replaceable, but these won't.
The plan is to keep those items with me at all times, although this is
wishful thinking as there are probably going to be times when I will not be
able to so, such as when asleep in an insecure place.
I have seen some fantastic photos from great photographers, however it seems
that quite a high percentage of them have had their camera equipment stolen
at some time.
Of course, insurance can cover the costs of replacing equipment, but they
can't replace your photos.
So, any tips?
irwell
Take plenty of memory cards, or other back-up media.
Keep with your passport, credit cards and money in a
secure money belt or other body storage devices.
ASAAR
> The plan is to keep those items with me at all times, although this is
> wishful thinking as there are probably going to be times when I will not
> be able to so, such as when asleep in an insecure place.
>
> I have seen some fantastic photos from great photographers, however
> it seems that quite a high percentage of them have had their camera
> equipment stolen at some time.
>
> Of course, insurance can cover the costs of replacing equipment, but they
> can't replace your photos.
>
> So, any tips?
Wear something to bed that has a secure (button/zipper) pocket
large enough to hold a very small card case or wallet. Or attach
the case/wallet to a strap attached to an ankle bracelet. Or (since
the case/wallet should be very small, find a good place to hide it.
If you forget it, leaving the case behind, don't blame me! :)
You could also bring along a small portable CD burner (standalone
- no computer needed) designed to save the contents of photo cards.
After making two CD copies, keep one in your luggage and mail the
other to your home address. As you stated, photo hardware is
replaceable, but with proper care, photo image gems are forever.
ASAAR
> Take plenty of memory cards, or other back-up media.
> Keep with your passport, credit cards and money in a
> secure money belt or other body storage devices.
What???
Oh, never mind. I thought you said orifices.
:)
Celcius
"Mark" <m...@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:2KCdnWm04u9...@pipex.net...
This what I do: I bought a camera packsack. Eveyone wears a packsack these
days, even in Europe. I went to Italy, France, Spain, Greece, Turkey... in
the bus, subway, train, everyone carries some sort of packsack. So it's not
identified as "photographic equipment". Be sure your packsack is also
secured around you waist. Some people come around with a sharp knife and
grab. If you have both straps on your shoulders and also tied around your
waist, it becomes too complicated...
For your other precious belongings, buy a pouch that you put under your
shirt around your neck. When you're alone, slip a few bills in your pockets.
I put my passports,(when I can't leave them in a secure place in the hotel
or I need it to get some money changed), money and credit cards there.
Take care,
Marcel
Paul Rubin
> I have the urge to travel a bit, however I am concerned about being
> able to prevent my camera equipment, money and passport being
> stolen. Everything else (even though it will be annoying) will be
> replaceable, but these won't.
Why won't your equipment be replaceable the same way as that other stuff?
> Of course, insurance can cover the costs of replacing equipment, but they
> can't replace your photos.
>
> So, any tips?
If you don't mind an additional gadget, the surest approach may be to
get a portable CD burner that records from your camera's memory card,
then burn a new disc and mail it home once a week or so:
http://www.mydigitaldiscount.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.32/it.A/id.301/.f
Simpler may be to simply keep your memory cards someplace very secure,
like in your under-clothes travel wallet. Memory cards these days
don't take much space. If your camera uses SD format, the cards are
already quite small, and you can (with adapters) use the even smaller
mini-SD or microSD (Transflash) formats:
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=82031-00
It would sure be nice if someone made small cameras with two memory
card slots instead of one, so you could copy files between cards for
backup purposes. Some big cameras have that feature but at that point
you may as well bring a CD burner or small laptop.
Actually I have an old Sharp Zaurus PDA that can do that. It has a CF
slot and an SD slot, so copying files between cards should be easy.
AZ Nomad
>Hi all
>So, any tips?
Don't leave your equipment unattended.
David Dyer-Bennet
> I have the urge to travel a bit, however I am concerned about being
> able to prevent my camera equipment, money and passport being
> stolen. Everything else (even though it will be annoying) will be
> replaceable, but these won't.
>
> The plan is to keep those items with me at all times, although this
> is wishful thinking as there are probably going to be times when I
> will not be able to so, such as when asleep in an insecure place.
What do you consider an "insecure" place? You're thinking airplanes
and trains, I guess. Is a hotel room secure when you're in it by your
standards?
> I have seen some fantastic photos from great photographers, however
> it seems that quite a high percentage of them have had their camera
> equipment stolen at some time.
I've had my cameras stolen once -- out of my locked home. Never lost
a piece of photo gear on the road.
> Of course, insurance can cover the costs of replacing equipment, but
> they can't replace your photos.
This is an area where digital shines. Burn multiple CDs, carry one
set separate from your camera equipment, mail the other set home.
> So, any tips?
Situational awareness and strong straps. It matters a good bit
whether you're going to Paris or Beirut, too.
--
David Dyer-Bennet, <mailto:dd...@dd-b.net>, <http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/>
RKBA: <http://www.dd-b.net/carry/>
Pics: <http://dd-b.lighthunters.net/> <http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/>
Dragaera/Steven Brust: <http://dragaera.info/>
Shaun Eli
Shaun Eli
www.BrainChampagne.com
Brain Champagne: Clever Comedy for Smart Minds (sm)
PTravel
I travel extensively with my VX2000 camcorder, 10D camera and a whole lot of
support electronics, including a laptop. I've never had anything stolen.
I do _not_ carry my passport with me when I'm out and about. It's far too
easy to lose or have stolen. The hotels I stay in have room safes, and I've
them to be quite secure. If there is no room safe, I'd leave the passport
and any other valuables with the hotel desk to be locked in the hotel safe.
I have also, on occassion, locked up my passport and extra money in the TUMI
carryon that I always take.
When I'm outside, I use a wallet that is worn inside my trousers, with a
loop that goes through my belt. I only carry credit cards and cash that I
plan on needing that day, along with an ATM card. I carry a _photocopy_ of
my passport.
My camera gear never leaves my possession. The camera straps are worn
bandolier-style and I keep my hands on the cameras when I'm in an iffy area.
I use a LowePro backpack, in which I keep support gear, a sweater, an
umbrella, etc. If I'm in a restaurant, I keep it between my legs, with a
leg of the chair through one of the straps. Otherwise, it does not leave my
hands, unless it is checked at a museum and I receive a receipt for it.
I do burn my stills to CD every night, not because I'm concerned about
theft, but to ensure that I have backups of the data.
I've travelled throughout Europe, Asia and North Africa with no problems
whatsoever, though it is a good idea to be familiar with the usual
tourist-targetting scams.
In what "insecure places" are you planning to sleep?
>
>
>
Bob Salomon
kids at school in Atlanta. We parked in the parking garage under the
City Hall and placed the calls. Total time from leaving the car till
return was 20 minutes.
When we returned to the car we could see that it had been opened.
missing were a Linhof Technorama 612 with 65 and 135mm lenses, two
Rollei 6006 with 40, 50, 80, 150 and 300mm lenses, three Rollei SL35E
bodies with 16mm to 200mm lenses. In addition we lost 30+ rolls of
exposed film, accessories, filters, cases, etc. Additionally my suitcase
was taken which had all of my clothes, passport and return tickets from
Munich to JFK. My wife's suitcases were not taken but they were emptied
and all of her belongings were scattered under and around the car.
According to the French Police we were followed into the parking garage
by someone who saw that our car was full of luggage.
First rule - Keep all luggage and equipment in the trunk. Don't load up
the rear seat with luggage or camera cases.
Second rule - keep your tickets and passport on you or locked in a safe.
Third rule - take a deep breath when dealing with the police in a
foreign country - especially when they don't speak or want to speak
English.
Lastly everything is replaceable with a couple of calls and a visit to a
department store except for the pictures. If I had had digital back then
- this happened in 1985 - I would do what I do now. Download to my
computer every day. So far no one has stolen the computer from my room.
When we reported the theft of the passport to the US State Department
they had a replacement waiting for me when I returned to Munich the next
day. Lufthansa agreed to replace the ticket at NC but I had to agree to
pay for it at full fare if my stolen ticket was used within one year. A
department store in Freiburg Germany agreed to alter some clothes the
next day rather then in 10 days once the circumstances were explained
and my stolen aluminum Rimowa suitcase was replaced by a cardboard box
with a piece of twine. The most complicated parts were explaining to US
Customs that the cardboard box was my suitcase and finding the
replacement car keys and house keys our daughter expressed to the
Lufthansa counter at JFK as ours were also stolen. Lastly it took over 8
months for the insurance company to pay off on the theft.
--
To reply no_ HPMarketing Corp.
Matt Ion
Get a bunch of body piercings... install rings... chain equipment to
said rings.
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Douglas W Hoyt
>>>>straps on your shoulders and also tied around your
waist, it becomes too complicated...
We did have a friend, though, who was clutching her purse on a bus in Rome,
and someone slit open the bottom of the purse and removed valuables while
she was holding it tight.
Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)
1) Buy a pak-safe: a wire mesh bag covered in black cloth and a wire
cable to attach to a secure location. Most travel stores carry them.
A large one is at least $50 last time I looked. If I go out of the
hotel, things are locked up in the bag. I lock the bag under
the bed to the frame if secure, or other hidden location, even inside
my locked suitcase if there is no place solid to lock it to.
2) I keep all my important documents in a money belt inside my pants,
including passport.
3) I carry my camera gear and laptop with me whenever possible,
including going to dinner. That gets real big when I carry
the 500mm f/4. This sometimes precludes going into some museums.
4) I never leave camera or expensive gear in a car--I carry it with me.
I violate this with my own car, where I have a large metal locked
box to put valuables in, and the box is bolted to the car.
Roger
Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)
Don't get on crowded buses in cities, or those bus boats in Venice.
If you do, it is a risk. If you must, only get on if you can
get to a wall or corner where you can better protect yourself.
The thieves with x-acto knife can slit open a bag and pull
something out without you ever feeling it--very impressive.
Don't get surrounded by people in crowded places (especially
tourist spots).
In a restaurant, when you put your gear down, put it in front
of you under the table and put a strap around your leg.
Don't flash expensive stuff (jewelery, money, camera gear).
Most of all: be aware.
Roger (never had anything stolen on travel)
sna...@mailinator.com
Dennis Pogson
Thank heavens I kept my little Coolpix when I bought my DSLR.
Dennis
Ron Hunter
on the internet. Another is to dump them to CD/DVD and mail them home.
Exercising reasonable precautions, such as NOT sleeping in insecure
places, can go a long way to preventing theft. I have seen people leave
laptops on a chair in an airport and go to the restroom! Trusting
people you don't know to watch your belongings is just plain STUPID, but
many people do this.
Travel with friends, and help eachother with security. Keep valuables
out of sight. If in close contact with other people, wearing a
moneybelt isn't a bad idea.
Celcius
"Douglas W Hoyt" <what...@boudin.net> wrote in message
news:LbPcg.529$Cy1...@fe02.lga...
Right you are.
The other thing is to watch one another (spouse, friend). When we walk on
the street, we pay attentiion on who's following, using show windows or
stopping on some pretext. Mind you, one shouldn't become obsessed. Shit
happens. If it does, be sure you have some back-up (copies of phone numbers,
passports, etc.)
Marcel
ColinD
nailer wrote:
>
> before we leave home, I create pdf files of all documents, tickets,
> etc and keep them on a memory stick (in a pocket).
I create the pdf's, but I upload them to a Yahoo email account. I am
able to access that from anywhere, and if perchance I am hospitalized or
in a position not to be able to access the account myself, I can give
someone the userID and password to retrieve them for me. Memory sticks
can get lost as well as the original docos.
Colin D.
*** Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com ***
tjab
>> can't replace your photos.
>>
>> So, any tips?
If you leave your camera for any length of time, take out the memory card
and keep it on your person. For extra protection, use several smaller
memory cards instead of one big one.
AndreLTR
My advices are three fold:
1 - NEVER leave your equipment unattendedn never
2 - Buy a packsack
3 - Use an internal pocket to carry your cards, passport, etc.
Finally concern about your safety depends where you go. In Europe
there are nio problems generally writing. In South America it can be
hard, tough depends where you go in the cities no dange in the
countryside. In Africa specially in the North things can be VERY HARD.
In Asia the southern most countries are easy except you must
understand the way of being of muslim people who are in northern Africa
as well no preconcepts intended.
Sincerely,
André Luiz
Bob Salomon
"AndreLTR" <andrel...@gmail.com> wrote:
> In Europe
> there are nio problems generally writing.
Andre,
After are stuff was stolen and we returned to Germany and went to buy
new clothes we told the sales girl that we needed the clothes the next
day. She was insistent that the alterations would take 10 days. Then we
told her that we needed them the next day as we had been robbed.
Her reply was "France or Italy?" Then said she understood and the
clothes would be ready the next morning.
Everyplace can be risky. Always be aware of your surroundings.
nathantw
photographed. Your best bet is to take a disposable camera with you and
not worry about it getting stolen. For those "wow, gotta have it"
photos, just visit a store and buy a postcard. The postcard will likely
have a photo that was taken at the best time of day and year.
The majority of the time the only pictures that really mean anything to
anyone are the ones you take of the people you're traveling with and
yourself. All the others you can get on a postcard.
Don Wiss
> For those "wow, gotta have it"
>photos, just visit a store and buy a postcard. The postcard will likely
>have a photo that was taken at the best time of day and year.
The problem with that is postcards have gone down hill over the years. You
used to be able to get a picture on one side, with a description on the
back. Now almost all have plastered across the picture what the picture is
of.
Don <www.donwiss.com/pictures/> (e-mail link at page bottoms).
nathantw
>used to be able to get a picture on one side, with a description on the
>back. Now almost all have plastered across the picture what the picture is
>of.
Wow, I must be living in the past if that's how they are now days. I
was under the assumption that it was still the way it used to be. Sad.
In that case then my suggestion would be to take whatever you can carry
and take everyone's great advice.
Mark
Absolutely. So, how did you hard wire your gear to a fixed source?
"nailer" <m...@home.universe.org> wrote in message
news:qd4872phs9ruv1h8a...@4ax.com...
> not viable for 8 MP digital camera and high quality jpegs. I had a
> laptop and separate 2.5"HD. After 1 months overseas I had more than
> 500 pics plus films. We stayed in hostels, but we chose double room.
> More expensive but more secure. Luggage hardwired to a water pipe or a
> heater.
> Be careful in many countries - street violence, robberies. Universal -
> US, some parts of Europe, South America.
>
Douglas W Hoyt
>>>>>> under the table and put a strap around your leg.
That's right. The one time I got ripped off a girl selling flowers at a
sidewalk restaurant lingered too long at a neighboring table, so that the
waiter came over to chase her out, which resulted in a screaming match.
Then, a woman came along and shoved a flower in my face to rivet my
attention, and at that moment an accomplice must have come from the booth
behind and grabbed my bag which was on the bench next to me (which I had
figured was safe since it was between me and the wall), but it was not
strapped around my leg. I have to admire the great theatre and flawless
execution of it all, though.
Ken Weitzel
Hi...
The great effort they went to makes me wonder if it wasn't an
obviously "rich man's" bag?
Suspect that if that should be the case, they's reasonably assume
that a rich man's bag wouldn't likely contain a rich man's expensive
toys, making it a more tempting target.
Might be worth considering carrying your stuff in a bag that's
a walmart special, and even add to that by beating it up just
a little. One that appears almost ready for replacement.
Not nearly so attractive to thieves.
Take care.
Ken
Paul J Gans
>Don't flash expensive stuff (jewelery, money, camera gear).
>Most of all: be aware.
Yup. Does make one wish that Canon did not make those standout
white lenses. I get comments just walking down the street in my
own neighborhood.
---- Paul J. Gans
2
>
> Don't flash expensive stuff (jewelery, money, camera gear).
I was treated with profound respect by cops on a job in a Chicago airport.
A cop walked us to the security gate where a guy gave a hand inspection. He
turned the wand off, waved us through.
Why? I asked the fellow escorting me. He said, "It happens sometimes. I'm
the spitting image of the Chicago Prosecutor, and didn't anyone ever tell
you that you dress like a cop? Well, I did then - black trousers, leather
jacket, military-like shoes, blue shirt. Of course, that outfit sure
wouldn't work in a National Park. :)
Dress like Smokey the Bear.
Aside: It would be cool to set up some stings. Backpacks with a GPS locator,
remote trigger, full of explosive gentian violet (stains skin for weeks).
Let 'em steal it, wait until they get home, then take out the whole nest.
Frank ess
You may need a longer raincoat .. <smiley face>
VK
While there is some excellent advice on this forum, let me point out
that the odds of having your gear grabbed isnt as high as you might
think. Exercise common sense, keep your gear where you can see it,
dont leave visible stuff lying around in your car and you'll be fine.
My one rule is - I try not to look like a tourist. I never pull out a
map and read it on the street, and I never walk around with my camera
around my neck (it is always in a shoulder bag, ready to be pulled out
at a moment's notice). 40 plus countries visited so far, and nary a
problem.
So dont worry too much about theft...
Cheers,
Vandit
Phil Kempster
> On Tue, 23 May 2006 20:32:18 +0100, "Mark" <m...@privacy.net> wrote:
>
>
>>Hi all
>>
>>I have the urge to travel a bit, however I am concerned about being able to
>>prevent my camera equipment, money and passport being stolen.
>>
>>So, any tips?
>
>
> Keep a pair of very soiled underpants on top of your case.
>
http://www.shomer-tec.com/site/product.cfm?id=99887213-F553-E130-7F2BE5BED6A1828B
<grin>
Phil
Paul J Gans
<grin>
----- Paul J. Gans
Father Kodak
>
>While there is some excellent advice on this forum, let me point out
>that the odds of having your gear grabbed isnt as high as you might
>think. Exercise common sense, keep your gear where you can see it,
>dont leave visible stuff lying around in your car and you'll be fine.
>
Just today I had a conversation with an offduty police officer about
this very subject. She is on the force of a medium-sized city on the
West Coast of the USA.. She said that thieves will steal wallets and
checkbooks, laptops, cellphones, and cameras. The cellphones they use
for a few days then throw away because they usually get blocked.
Most holdups are grag-and-run jobs. No thief wants to linger on the
scene longer than absolutely necessary. In practice this means that
if it takes you more than a few seconds to take off your backpack or
belt-pack, you will probably not use it. You could even try to refuse
to hand over a shoulder bag.
Her advice: never argue with someone with a weapon, but be reassured
by the fact that a holdup very rarely results in bodily harm.
She was talking about her West Coast city,but that information seems
generalizable.
Father Kodak
Father Kodak
to rnclark)" <user...@qwest.net> wrote:
>
>Don't get on crowded buses in cities, or those bus boats in Venice.
In London or Paris, you will almost certainly have to use the subway
(tube or metro), so you should avoid the rush hours. Now in Tokyo,
the trains can be crowded any hour of day or night, but Tokyo is, or
at least seems to be, an incredible safe city. People carry lots of
cash there for things like restaurant bills.
Once in Rome, I was in a tourist area and got approached by a bunch of
10-year-olds. It was obvious that they had marked me. So I took my
Nikon F2, swung it around my head like a bolo and started shouting.
Those kids took off fast!
>
>Don't flash expensive stuff (jewelery, money, camera gear).
Then how do you take photos? Gotta take your camera out of the bag.
My policy is always to put it back into the shoulder bag right away.
>Most of all: be aware.
So true. That includes overnight trains in Europe, notably in Italy.
>
>Roger (never had anything stolen on travel)
Me neither.
Stewy
wrote:
> Hi all
>
> I have the urge to travel a bit, however I am concerned about being able to
> prevent my camera equipment, money and passport being stolen. Everything
> else (even though it will be annoying) will be replaceable, but these won't.
>
> The plan is to keep those items with me at all times, although this is
> wishful thinking as there are probably going to be times when I will not be
> able to so, such as when asleep in an insecure place.
>
> I have seen some fantastic photos from great photographers, however it seems
> that quite a high percentage of them have had their camera equipment stolen
> at some time.
>
> Of course, insurance can cover the costs of replacing equipment, but they
> can't replace your photos.
>
Obviously don't travel with too much stuff.
If you're hiring a car, it's all too easy to take stuff you MAY need.
Remember the first rule of travel - Never take more that you can carry -
if you're out there with 2 35kg suitcases each and a couple of tote bags
you're asking to be robbed. People with a lot of luggage ALWAYS carry
valuables.
Carry passports, tickets etc in a waist pouch or around you neck inside
your clothing. Get a good quality (padded for comfort and sweat) daypack
and ONE suitcase or backpack - the latter is best. Be aware of what's
around you. Dress down, try to look less conspicuous which means leaving
those Hawaiian shirts for the 5 star hotel days. Try to remember you
probably make more money in a day than many of these locals make in a
month. You are RICH even if you feel you're traveling on a shoestring.