[philmont] Photo Gear at Philmont

Dave wrote:

"...I figured you all may have a bunch of photo experiences to pass along."

The two treks I've been on, I've taken a Nikon Coolpix camera. It served me
well, especially the small and light size, although I would prefer a better
optical zoom but I'm not sure I want the additional bulk or weight. I use a
watertight plastic box, bought from REI to carry the camera in. I put
packing foam in the box and cut out a space for the camera and for extra
batteries. I also added a strap and carry it around my waste, in front,
similar to a fanny pack. I've used this contraption for 3 plus years,
through rain, canoe trips and drops down hills at Philmont, and my camera
has not suffered any damage.

For my last trek, 2006, my youngest son brought his video camera, a Sony
Handycam (DCR-DVD92). He carried the camera in a typical camera bag but
kept the camera itself in a ziplock bag. He carried extra DVD's, but only
one extra battery, which wasn't enough. I was skeptical about this, but the
video he took was priceless. It wasn't scenery, I was able to capture that
well enough with a still camera, it was the interaction of our crew and the
jokes they played on each other, and the times just sitting around camp, and
his personal thoughts when he turned the camera on himself that make it one
of my most treasured keepsakes. Things like my son's thoughts as we climbed
Baldy can never be captured by still pictures, and fade from memories
amazingly fast.

Other than video, I recommend keeping a journal. This is lower tech, but
just as effective at ensuring your experiences aren't forgotten. I found a
journal from a trip we made in 2001 and read to our troop last week. While
reading it, I was transported back to that trip and memories which I had
forgotten about came rushing back. It was as much fun for me to read them
as it was for the boys in the troop to hear. A journal also helps you put
together a good trip report which you can post on this list, that is my
favorite thing about this list, reading all of the reports from returning
treks.

I'm sure others will have much better suggestions for cameras and other
weatherproofing techniques, but I figured I'd try to help out as much as I
can.

I hope you and your son have a wonderful time on your trek.

Thanks,
David Wheeler
Philmont '04 (23), '06 (30)

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Received on Sun Feb 11 13:14:08 2007