equipment security on holiday - advice please

Yardbent

Yardbent

Messages
7,517
Name
John
Edit My Images
Yes
planning a week in Keswick - at a guest house or a hotel

what do you do when going out for dinner..........:beer:

leave in room - already had 1 theft in Toronto - never again - all my holiday pics...:(

hotel safe - bit of a faff getting it in/out.constantly..?

carry with you - in a [big] backpack.?
D300
2 primes
2 zooms
Canon A-1
3 primes

buy a metal case and chain to radiator etc...:rolleyes:

or ..........................?
 
•

… or get a Minox!
 
Leave it in your locked room & out of view.

If you are worried about images you've already taken, put the memory cards in your wallet. ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: ACW
OldCarlos said:
Leave it in your locked room & out of view.

If you are worried about images you've already taken, put the memory cards in your wallet. ;)
Click to expand...

was in Toronto.......management suspected a staff pass key...:(

good idea about the CF cards
 
I Always put stuff in safe if it is big enough. I know there is the risk of theft from people with pass keys but I can't carry it all around and it is insured and I take key things with me when possible. Good idea about the cards.
 
Id question whether you need all that kit. For family holidays I take one body and lens and make do, it's liberating. But if you're on a photo trip..
 
I purchased a medium size Pacsafe, which I use depending on how sketchy the hotel/area feels. It comfortably takes my LowePro 400 AW filled with gear (typically 2 bodies, 4 lenses) plus my laptop and case. The photographs don't really do the product justice, as the metal feels incredibly strong, and short of a would-be room burglar having bolt cutters, the contents of the bag should remain safe. The set up came in useful on a shady overnight Poland-Hungary train ride I recently took. The metal cage folds down to a pretty small size when not in use.

As to the CF cards, I often keep them separate from the camera bag when I leave it at the hotel, as realistically a thief won't be interested memory cards - I'll either put just the cards in the safe, or take the cards out for dinner with me in a pocket or my partner's handbag.

pa000nt_pacsafe-55l.jpg
 
Last edited:
Get insurance and make sure you stick to its rules. My home insurance covers me if it's locked in a room so if I can I leave it there. If I'm out and about where the options are to leave it in the car or take it with me I take it with me as I'm not covered for in car theft. I've been out on photo trips with friends where we have been in a pub with 4 big camera backpacks, it does get a bit cramped around the table but at least we are not going to be out of pocket if it was stolen from the car. A pacsafe seems to be another option to stop chance opportunist theft from the room. I can see it being useful on some places but Keswick is pretty safe compared to other places. Some bags have built in locks, the think tank airport series has a lock and cable so you can lock up the main zips and secure it to something too. I used to use one for airport travel were locking the bag up and to the chair/table was helpful if you dozed off.

posiview said:
1. respectable hotel/hostel
2. camera insurance
3. memory cards with you
4. stop worrying or it will spoil your holiday

(y)

Cheers.
Click to expand...
I totally agree with this. If your biggest worry is losing the images rather than the kit then get something that's easy to backup to and carry with you. There are several hard drive type devices that are easy to backup your images to and fit in a pocket so can be kept separate from the camera bag. Just remember a backup isn't really a backup if they are kept together (two cards in one camera but never separated).
 
We stayed in Buenos Aries and had all kit safely tucked away in the room safe. Got back about midnight and we had to leave at about 5am to catch a flight to Ushuaia so thought I had better get kit out of the safe. Tried the code several times before getting the management out when we were told the code memory was run by battery.. Which was flat. Got somebody out and it took them 3 hours to drill hole in the door...
Woke up the whole of the hotel :)
 
Livin The Dream said:
Id question whether you need all that kit. For family holidays I take one body and lens and make do, it's liberating. But if you're on a photo trip..
Click to expand...

100% photo vacation - and fancy taking a film camera too.....:)
 
I take a truckload of kit when we holiday in The UK. I secure the most expensive stuff in the safe if there is one or use a cable or two from my think tank bags. Those pac safe systems look good but I agree with other folk about the Lakes not being crime ridden! The cautionary tale about the damaged lock safe made me pause for thought tho! I will have a look at one of those pac safes although I am not sure a wheelie bag would fit in them. We tend to stay at the Kirkstone Foot apartments - not the cheapest but well appointed and in Ambleside, our favourite lakes town.
 
Me and Bestbeloved have this argument when we go on holiday. I took my digital plus 5 lenses, Bronica plus 2 lenses and binoculars. She took two telescopes plus bins.

She carries stuff around to be safe, I take the body and lenses I want that time and leave the rest. The nearest house to us last week on Mull was 1/2 mile away which I thought was safe.
 
@rob-nikon
got an insurance quote from EVERSURE - reasonable so will do that......(y)

''may'' take my Nikon F80 instead of my favorite Canon A-1
that way i can use the Nikon lenses of my D300, and prob get them all in 1 backpack
 
small 12" laptop in hotel safe with one copy of all images
small hd (WD my passport ultra) with second copy of all images in my camera backpack out with me.
Insurance.

As long as there are 2 full copies of shots in 2 separate locations then insurance will cover the rest.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top