For many photographers, the thought of going outdoors to shoot in the rain or snow can seem scary. You’ve made a huge investment in your gear and know that moisture and extreme temperature changes can damage and/or have an adverse effect on that investment.
In this article, we will explore some options for protecting your camera gear and accessories so that you can enjoy shooting anytime – despite the weather.
Protecting Your Gear From Rain & Snow
Camera Covers
Water or moisture in your lens or camera can spell a potentially costly disaster. It’s a good idea to have a rain cover for your camera on hand when shooting in inclement weather. I really like the AquaTech Sport Shield Large Rain Cover () because it not only covers your camera and includes sleeves for your hands to make adjustments on the camera, but it also has a hood over the rear so you easily use the viewfinder and LCD screen.
A good comparable choice would also be the Think Tank Hydrophobia Rain Cover () which also gives you access to attach your camera to a tripod or monopod. The Manfrotto Pro Light E-705 Elements Cover () is also a great choice and can accommodate up to a 70-200mm lens plus a speedlight attached to the camera.
The Op/Tech Rainsleeve () is also a good portable, disposable option that can also work in a pinch.
Camera and Lens Bags and Cases
There are many weatherproof bag and case options out there. Pelican is well known for having watertight cases to store cameras, lenses and other gear. The Pelican iM2500 Case () is a great choice for storing your camera and lenses as its removable dividers offer many padded layout combinations.
As for shoulder bags, I’m a huge fan of the Ape Case Traveler Series Messenger Bag (). It’s stylish for both men and women and comes with a rainshield.
Backpacks can be a convenient way to carry cameras, lenses and other gear. A few options that really stand out are the MindShift BackLight 26L Backpack () for its load capacity and the Manfrotto Pro Light Bumblebee-130 Camera Backpack () for its comfortable, lightweight design and moisture-resistant fabric construction. Both of these bags also come with a rain cover.
The Pelican S115 Sport Elite Laptop & Camera Backpack () is another great choice due to its durable crushproof and watertight construction.
Battery Holders
Have you ever noticed that your mobile phone battery seems to drain quicker during the winter? The same is true for camera batteries. The extreme temperature change from warm to cold tends to effect the battery in such a way reducing its usage time in cold temperatures.
It’s not only a good idea to keep your batteries on your person to keep them warm, but to put a layer between the battery and the outdoor elements to help make your batteries last a little bit longer. No matter the batteries you need to bring, Think Tank Battery Holders for camera batteries () and AA batteries () are a great choice for storing batteries. You might also consider using heat packs, which I’ll discuss later.
Memory Card Cases
Like batteries, it’s also important to protect your memory cards from extreme temperature changes and moisture as the contact points on the cards can be a bit delicate.
For SD cards, I’d recommend the Pelican 0915 Memory Card Case for SD, Mini-SD and Micro Memory Cards () and for CompactFlash memory cards, the Pelican 0945 Memory Card Case for CF Memory Cards ().
Heat Packs and Moisture Absorbers
Moisture can cause damage to your camera and lenses if not prevented or treated. Pelican Desiccant Silica Gel () is a good thing to put in your gear bag when in wet conditions or when switching to extreme temperatures as it will absorb moisture.
We previously discussed how cold temperatures can drain batteries and cause other equipment problems. Porta Brace Polar Heat Packs, Disposable Chemical Hand & Equipment Warmers () are made to not only keep your hands warm, but to keep your gear warm as well.
Anti-Fog Cleaners
Taking your lenses from cold to warm temperatures can cause your lenses to fog up. Having a good cleaning kit at hand is key. Both the Vortex Optics LC-1 Fog Free Lens Cleaning Field Kit () and the Fraser Optics Anti-Fog Kit () are great options for getting and keeping your lenses clean and fog-free.
Rain Ponchos and Tarps
We’ve covered tools for keeping your gear dry and safe, but what about you, as the photographer? You certainly can’t hold an umbrella and shoot at the same time!
The Sachtler SN606 Sound Man Rain Poncho () is a great way to not only keep your gear dry in rainy conditions, but to keep you dry as well. Another tool that is handy to have when shooting outdoors in wet and/or snowy weather is a tarp.
The MindShift Contact Sheet Multi-Purpose Tarp () is a convenient, portable option to set up for cover that is tear-resistant and folds up small enough to keep in your gear bag.
Tying it all together…
Never again should you avoid the chance to shoot in rainy or cold conditions. As you can see, there are a variety of tools out there for you to keep your gear dry, warm and moisture-free. You can now quit worrying about the weather and get out there and create some amazing images.
