Keeping My Stuff Safe from Pickpockets

blazer003

blazer003

Well-known member
Around here (Eugene, OR) I don't have to worry much about getting pick pocketed, and usually when I'm out and about with my camera I'm actively using it anyway.

However in two weeks I embark on an adventure to Thailand and Cambodia. I know what to expect, I've been there three times before, but this time I'm going, in part, for some serious video work. In turn, I'm bringing some of my serious video tools.

My GH2, 3 lenses, lots of memory cards, my tablet, tripod, etc. In the past I just had my DV handy cam, or last time my Canon HV-20. I guess my HV-20 was a pretty expensive piece, but some how the thought of taking my GH2 is a little more scary, with all the lenses and what not, and also my Senheiser wireless LAVs and video light and a $300 light carbon fiber tripod.

Right now I'm rocking the Case Logic SLR Sling 205 and I think it should serve me pretty well. I can swing it up and wear it more on my front. I also plan on (and have tested) zip tying the plastic clasps together so that someone can't unsnap the belt and run. I'm debating putting a small pad lock on the two zippers of the main pouch, but I'm afraid that may be more hassel than it's worth if I need to get the camera out in a hurry. Of course, that's famous last words if the camera gets stolen if I was to let my guard down.

CaseLogic_85854206587_sized_525x544.jpg

So I will of course be careful, as always, in the crowded markets, and what not. Ok, I'll be careful everywhere. But I just wondered if anyone has another camera bag that they feel keeps their stuff secure, is convenient and not to bulky. That sort of thing.

Just wondering who's got some experience and wisdom they'd like to share.
 
As a veteran of over two hundred foreign shoots all over the globe here are my words of wisdom: If you are worried about being robbed, don't buy a bag that screams "expensive gear in hear" and don't attach that bag to your body. Check out the bags from Think Tank and Tenba - very well made and stealth assured. I use them all time. Also, don't assume because you are a long way from home that you are in more danger of being robbed. I can assure you a GH2 and a few lenses won't turn any heads in Bangkok. Stay alert, be watchful, but above all else be cool, oh, and get insurance.
 
When I travel in unknown parts, I use this for all my camera gear: Flipside

They come in several sizes. Here's what's neat - you access the inside of the bag from the back - so when you wear this backpack, the access to the bag is flush against your back... nobody is going to pick pocket this! They'd have to tear it off your back to gain access. The other thing, is that it's superfast to access for you - all you do is slide one shoulder out from under the strap, swing the backpack to the front and lay it out in front - it hangs against your stomach (because it's belted around your waist) with the back side up, ready for you to move the zipper around to completely open up the back and there you have access to your cam, lenses and whatnot. Super-secure, and superfast. Bonus - it doesn't look a thing like a camera bag, just like an ordinary backpack. I've had it for years now, and it's been all over with me, Europe, US, India.
 
I use Kata's 3N1-33 backpack for the HDSLR needs, & ThinkTank StreetWalker Harddrive for larger cameras. Both are sized for International flights, but the Kata is easier to deal with in a crowd.

The Kata's relatively stealth, & it's easy to access a body with lens, or three other lenses, by only unzipping part of the bag. There's two zipper systems on the main compartment, & I keep their tabs under the buckles.

Kata's changed the styling, but mine looks like this...

http://tinyurl.com/Kata3N1-33

The Kata always travels with me, & has a strap on the back so it can connect to a roller cases handle.
 
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Actually, you have to look always for your gear but Southeastasia isnt that dangerous when it comes to pickpocketing and robbery exept in tourist areas (i.e. Thailand burglary into bungalows), I had never problems in several months . I had a DSLR with me just to shoot photos, and a travel zoom. So I was just a backpacker with a DSLR and my expiriences as a tourist, thats difference of course to your situation since you carry more gear.

Southamerica was different, I did expirience more than once pickpocketing. One failed attempt to open my backpack when I was walking in a crowd of people and actually one successfull theft at the airport, a present from a shop I bought only minutes before and didnt watch the plastic bag just for a minute . My solution was to secure the zipper with a thin wire which wasnt much visible, this was the reason the pickpocketer could not succeed. Once, I did put my dslr in a plastic bag from a local supermarket and wear local dress (T-shirt, short and flip-flops), this worked because of the difference ethnic groups living in this country, from european to afro.

Best advice is not to create a sensation with your backpack/bag already or to wear expensive watches and clothes. At the end get insurance, stay relaxed but watch your gear. I did secure my backpack with locks during longer travels with local transport.
 
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I did a docu shoot in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti last summer and I'll echo the advice to simplify your kit and be inconspicuous. I was shooting on a GH2 too, with a zoom and a few other lenses. I brought the following bag: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/672935-REG/Lowepro_LP36144_PEU_Pro_Runner_350_AW.html
I had a ton of stuff in there and I was concerned: camera, lenses, batteries/cards, smallhd monitor, lav, shotgun mic, etc pus a monopod hooked to the back. Less than a day into the trip I had basically abandoned much of my kit back at the compound where we were staying, and was walking around busy streets with a handheld gh2/kit lens in the crappiest-looking backpack I could find, sometimes covering it in a trashbag when shooting. Obviously depending on your shoot you'll have to decide what equipment you absolutely need, etc -- but scale down as much as possible, because naming all the cool pieces of gear you're bringing right now is a lot different from how you might ultimately want to conduct your shoot when the time comes. Hope this helps!
 
First and foremost, travel light. I would only bring 2 lenses max. The 35-100 and a real fast prime if you need it. Also I've been in Thailand before and honestly no thieves. More so just people wanting to sell you things and the females trying to show you love........
 
I've found that using large high quality insulated lunch bags offers protection against bumps and eyes. Some even have convenient compartments similar to photo bags.
 
I've never heard of anyone having a dramatic theft problem in thailand although one acquaintance had a bit of a scrape in Bangkok. I have witnessed several very dramatic ripoffs here in South America, all shared some interesting characteristics:

-all were at night
-all involved cameras
-all involved gear in backpacks
-the thieves all worked in teams

I would conclude that working at night, with gear in a backpack, alone, might be high risk activity. Some sort of non-descript, drab, shoulder bag or sling and a friend to watch your blind side would probably reduce your exposure.
 
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