Kiamichi canoe trip & electronics

[Torrey]

Does anybody have any experience canoeing the Kiamichi river in southern Oklahoma? Some friends and I will be making a 3-day canoe trip in a month, and I'm trying to decide if it's safe to take a DSLR (no housing). I'm looking into waterproof bags and boxes, but I'm worried about hitting bad spots while I've got the camera out and not having enough time to put it away. I'd hate to miss some good shots...

[toverman]

Because of the relative bulk of any DSLR with lens attached, and the fact that it's in more than one piece, I'd recommend either picking up a cheaper point-and-shoot or opting for one that's waterproof/splashproof. Never been on that river, but I'd say any river spells potential fatality for anything electronic that's not meant to get wet!

[studiocygnet]

There was a thread about canoeing and kayaking with a camera last summer.
Let's see where is it? Ah ha, I found it here:
http://www.texasphotoforum.com/forum...light=kayaking

[Torrey]

Right now, I'm leaning toward a 1-gallon thermos, similar to this. It's waterproof, easy open, easy close, roomy inside, thick and insulated, and floats if it gets in the water. I would put some padding inside to keep everything from moving around, and would only be pulling it out when the water is calm. The canoes are pretty stable, and we've never turned one over yet, but I want to be prepared. I saw on the other thread he was using tupperware, but if something goes wrong, I don't think I could trust a tupperware lid.

[studiocygnet]

Originally Posted by Torrey

Right now, I'm leaning toward a 1-gallon thermos, similar to this. It's waterproof

That's a whole lot cheaper than a Pelican case. Are you sure they are waterproof if they are floating down a river on their side? I'm wondering about the spout?

[Torrey]

I'll give it a thorough testing with weight inside equal to my gear before relying on it with expensive equipment. I thought about the spout too, and since I won't be using it, I will probably remove the spout and seal it from both sides with silicone.

I got the idea while waiting for a prescription at CVS yesterday and browsing the store. It caught my eye as I was staring at the Shamwows on the end-cap. I've got a carrying case that I don't use that has padded dividers...I could probably glue some velcro into the thermos and actually make it look pretty good and secure. Not to mention, a thermos would probably be the last thing anybody would break into a car to steal (unlike a pretty black bag).

[TBoat]

Thats a good idea, but i have had a number of thermos like that through the years (kids in soccer, basball, football) they all seemed to leak at some point. I dont think they are designed to be "water tight"
Ill be watching this thread because I have a trip coming up this summer myself.

[Torrey]

I tried a $13 igloo 1-gallon jug last week, and it was a tight fit with my Canon XSi and a 18-55mm and 70-300mm lens. I was in Wal-Mart yesterday just looking at camping equipment and I noticed igloo also makes a 2-gallon jug...and they were only going for $8.88! I bought one and brought it home. This one doesn't have the flip spout on top, but instead has a push-button spout at the bottom, and a little vented hole in the lid (picture here). The vent hole in the lid will be easy to fill with silicone to seal. I took the spout off from the bottom (screw-on plastic fitting), and I'm going to try to hit a lowes today to see if I can find a screw-on plug that I can put in its place. There's certainly a lot more room in the jug for everything, and I can even put the camera straight in there with even my largest lens still attached. I plan on picking up some stick-on velcro too so that I can fasten some padded dividers to the inside. I'll update again once I pick up those parts.

[CaptainTom]

sounds like a good storage option. Keep in mind that Pelican cases cost a LOT more, and are not "waterproof". It's spelled out all over their boxes , packaging, brochures, etc.
Just because a package won't let liquid OUT, doesn't mean it can't get IN, especially under any sort of pressure differences.

Thorough testing before use would be prudent.

[Coelus]

There's always the option of renting a body and lens and getting the insurance on them.

[Torrey]

Originally Posted by CaptainTom

sounds like a good storage option. Keep in mind that Pelican cases cost a LOT more, and are not "waterproof". It's spelled out all over their boxes , packaging, brochures, etc.
Just because a package won't let liquid OUT, doesn't mean it can't get IN, especially under any sort of pressure differences.

Thorough testing before use would be prudent.

I'll be testing in a friend's pool once it's finished. Being a diver, I'm familiar with the precautions that need to be taken to make sure things are properly sealed before submerging them. The chances of a turnover are relatively small, but if it does happen I want to make sure it will float well enough to minimize the exposure of the seals to water. The river is not deep at all, so there's no real risk of pressure issues. But yeah, there will be testing.

[Torrey]

Okay, for those who might be keeping up with this thread or just want to see how crazy I am, here's what I've put together with the 2-gallon water jug. This do-it-yourself project consists of:

• 2-gallon Igloo water jug
• RTV silicone gasket maker
• PVC threaded plug
• PVC threaded cap
• Nylon washer
• Velcro strips
• Padded camera bag dividers

All in all, I probably spent about $15 on supplies. I already had the padded dividers from an old bag I wasn't going to use anymore. I started with the jug (note the rubber seal on the inside of the lid):





I then unscrewed the spigot, leaving a nice hole:



Using the original screw-on plastic washer from the spigot (with o-ring), and the pvc plug, cap, and nylon washer, I sealed the hole with a little help from the RTV silicone gasket maker:







I also sealed a vent-hole in the bottom of the lid with the RTV silicone:



Lastly, I put a few strips of velcro inside to attach the padded dividers, and then I used another divider for a lid to keep the lenses from bouncing around. It's not easy to see, but I also had some padding on the bottom for the lenses to rest on. My camera, a canon xs, will sit perfectly on top of the divider with the 18-55mm IS kit lens attached:



Once the lid is screwed on and sealed (a quick couple of turns), everything is snug and should be waterproof. I haven't tested it in water yet, but hope to this weekend.

[studiocygnet]

Is there a handle on that Igloo somewhere. The other thing I would do is tie it to a gunwhale of the canoe, so if you do flip, it will be floating alongside the canoe, and you won't have to chase it downstream. I broke my foot once running down the Pedernales chasing floating sleeping bags and coolers that weren't tied down. I caught my foot sideways between two rocks on the bottom. Best to have everything tied to the boat, so it's all floating together.

[Torrey]

That's a good idea. Yeah, it has a handle, and I always keep some rope handy on these trips.