The Essential Backpacking Photography Accessories

Olympic National Park High Divide Camechs

Backpacking is one of my favorite ways to experience the outdoors.

Something about hiking miles in the wilderness with friends along with everything you need is extremely rewarding. Backpacking also gives us opportunity to see places that are otherwise completely inaccessible. This is why I never leave my camera behind.

Though this usually means I pack in a little heavier, the images of wildlife and wilderness landscapes make the added weight completely worthwhile. I’ve been experimenting with various gear over the years to help make backpacking easier while carrying a DSLR. I’ve finally found a stable setup that keeps my gear minimal while being convenient for most situations.

Here are the 8 accessories I use myself and highly recommend. I typically don’t leave without these items on my backpacking trips.

 

1) Capture Clip

If you haven’t heard of the capture clip by now, you’ve been missing out. I’ve actually created an entire article on why the Peak Design Capture Clip is the best hiking ‘strap’ alternative. Trust me, this is a must have.

This is Peak Design’s quick release system that can be added to a backpack or belt loop. I don’t know about you, but I was very happy to say goodbye the neck strap. When hiking up mountain with a neck strap the camera is always bobbing around and annoyingly strains your neck. While neck straps are great for general usage, I always prefer the capture clip quick release system with a backpack. These are especially good if you use trekking poles while backpacking and need your hands to be free most of the time. Even if you don’t use trekking poles, it really is an understated luxury to have our hands be free. The capture clip is also capable of using a QR plate such as the Manfroto RC2 system, so you don’t have to worry about swapping out plates during your trips.

https://www.peakdesign.com/collections/clips

Peak Design Capture Camera Clip V3 (Black with Plate)
  • Camera mount securely holds DSLR, compact and point-and-shoot cameras during any physical activity.
  • Access your camera fast with a quick release button that withstands over 200 lbs. of force.
  • Attaches to any strap/belt up to 2.5 Inch (7.6 cm) wide and 0.6 Inch (1.5 cm) thick.
  • Peak Design adapter plates/kits enable Capture (Clip Only) to carry lenses, GoPros, or binoculars.
Peak Design Capture Camera Clip V3 Solo (Black Clip...
  • Camera mount securely holds DSLR, compact and point-and-shoot cameras during any physical activity.
  • Access your camera fast with a quick release button that withstands over 200 lbs. of force.
  • Attaches to any strap/belt up to 2.5 Inch (7.6 cm) wide and 0.6 Inch (1.5 cm) thick.
  • Peak Design adapter plates/kits enable Capture (Clip Only) to carry lenses, GoPros, or binoculars.

 

 

2) Travel Tripod

I used to love the Joby Gorilla pod for backpacking. It’s versatile and difficult to beat in terms of weight. The more I backpacked with it however, the more I found myself restricted in getting the shot I wanted. They seem great at first because you feel that you can attach the tripod anywhere and get any shot. More often than not though I found myself stuck with ground level shots. Or the branch you found is too thick, or it’s unstable unless the legs are in the perfect configuration because there are infinite configurations, or the tripod slides around a pole you fixed it on and your lens is the first thing to get smashed. Alright, end of rant.

After ditching the Gorilla Pod, I looked for an affordable and lightweight set of tripod legs to compliment an existing tripod head. Browsing the market for quite a bit, I found that a full tripod weight around or under 3lbs provided a good balance of cost and functionality.  I also noticed that the cost to weight savings ratio of carbon fiber travel tripods are just not extremely impressive. I ended up going with the Slik Pro 340DX Tripod Legs. The legs come in at 2.6 lbs, and I plan to pair this up with the Manfrotto 492 Center Ball Head which only weighs 7oz, with the total weight coming in at 3.0 lbs, perfect! This combination has a pretty standard weight capacity of 8.8lbs.

This tripod head uses the RC2 system, and is fully compatible with the Peak Design Capture Clip mentioned above! If you want a super lightweight setup with a bit more sacrifice, check out our article on the best tabletop and mini tripods!

SLIK Sprint 150 Aluminum Tripod with SBH-150DQ Ball...
  • Folded Length: 19.9", Leg Sections: 4
  • Carrying Case Included
  • Single-Lock Ball Head
  • Split Center Column, Bubble Level
Manfrotto MH494 Center Ball Head Bundled with ZAYKiR...
  • Compatible with tripods or support systems that feature a 3/8"-16 mount
  • Ball-and-socket joint provides 360° of swivel control, is tiltable down to a 90° angle, and can be locked into place
  • Primary locking knob allows ball-and-socket joint to be quickly swiveled, angled, fully tilted, or returned to its upright position
  • Excellent Smoothness - Ergonomic Knobs for Safe Grip
Sale
Manfrotto Befree Advanced Lever 4-Section Aluminum...
  • Advanced Travel Tripod kit
  • QPL Travel lever secures maximum stability and easy setup
  • Center Ball Head with three independent ergonomic controls
  • Side pull selector ensures quick setup with both hands

3) Camera Strap

If you’re using a Capture clip, there is no real reason to have a neck strap anymore, as the camera’s home is either your backpack or belt. A neck strap can be relatively bulky and might even be annoying if attached to your camera while being attached to your backpack. Ditching any type of strap entirely makes me uneasy though, so I moved to a much lighter wrist strap. This ends up pairing perfectly with the capture clip. It’s easy to on and off of your wrist, and removes a ton of bulk compared to the neck strap.

Now you don’t have to worry about having a death grip on your camera with the lack of a neck strap. You can be a little more confident putting your camera over ledges and water to get those high risk shots. I personally use a Joby hand strap, but any light and strong hand strap will give you the convenience I describe here.

View Camera Wrist Straps on Amazon

Bestseller No. 1
Qiang Ni Camera Wrist Strap: Green Paracord Camera Hand...
  • CAMERA WRIST STRAP - The Perfect Choice for Photographers on the Go! This green camera hand strap is designed for all mirrorless cameras, digital cameras, DSLRs, and small...
  • QUALITY: The camera strap wrist is made of high-quality parachute cord, with excellent hand feel and weighing only 1.16 ounces, ensuring your comfort and your camera's safety...
  • DESIGN: Our camera wrist strap with quick-release design can be adjusted to fit all wrist sizes. You can easily and quickly thread the strap through your wrist for fast camera...
  • PACKAGING: Each package of the camera strap comes with one camera strap, one circular leather pad, and one circular stainless steel ring, making installation and use more...
Bestseller No. 2
Altura Photo Camera Hand Strap - Rapid Fire Secure...
  • SECURES YOUR CAMERA: Grips the hand and wrist to prevent accidental slips from turning into disastrous drops, adjustable for all hand sizes our leather camera strap is made of...
  • COMPATIBLE CANON CAMERA ACCESSORIES STRAP WITH CANON EOS REBEL: T8I T7i T7 T6 T6i T6s T5 T5i T4 T4i T3 T3i T2i Sl2 SL3 M50 70D 80D 90D 77D 6D 6D Mark II 5D 5D Mark II 5D Mark...
  • COMPATIBLE SONY CAMERA CAMERA ACCESSORIES STRAP WITH SONY ALPHA: A6000 A6100 A6300 A6400 A6500 A6600 A5100 A68 A9 A9II A7 A7II A7III A7RII A7RIII A7RIV A7S A7SII RX100III...
  • COMPATIBLE NIKON CAMERA ACCESSORIES STRAP WITH NIKON: D3500 D3400 D3300 D3000 D5600 D5500 D7500 D7200 D7100 D750 D780 D850 D810 D610 D500 D60 D5 Z6 Z7.

4) Quick Release for Hand Strap

This one is specifically an accessory for the hand strap above, or straps in general. The Anchor Links by Peak Design are essentially quick release buckles for your camera straps. Peak Design has really identified the pain points of photographers and satisfy all our “quick release” needs with very elegant solutions. This is yet another Peak Design product that we had to create a dedicated article for: Why you Need to be Using Anchor Links.

You first attach the base links to your camera and install the matching female links onto your hand or neck strap. Now your camera is capable of swapping straps in a matter of seconds.  When I’m getting ready for backpacking trip, I simply unclip my neck strap from both quick links, then click in my hand strap onto the side link. Too easy! If the hand strap is ever getting in your way or slapping around your tripod in the wind, its super quick to momentarily remove the strap and reconnect when ready. No more routing belts through your camera’s strap mounts every time you want to change things up.

peakdesign.com/products/anchor-links

Peak Design Anchor Connectors for Peak Design Straps...
  • Anchors attach your camera effortlessly to any Peak Design strap in seconds.
  • Incredible strength: Anchors hold 200lbs (90kg) of weight - each.
  • Lightweight thermoplastic-molded Anchor disks are smaller than a penny and never scratch the camera.
  • Spare anchors let you use our straps with more cameras, POV video devices, binoculars, and more.

5) Microfiber Cloth

Being in the wilderness and camping for multiple days in a row, there is a big concern for camera cleanliness. Especially if you baby your camera gear like me. There are tons of cleaning supplies out there for cameras these days. Air blowers, lens pens, lens cleaning solution, q-tips, alcohol pads etc.. The list goes on. I found, even on my most rough and dirt prone trips, all I really needed was one quality microfiber cloth. I must put strong emphasis on the cloth being of high quality, especially because this is the only cleaning item on your trip. Microfiber cloths can remove dust and debris with light passes, and they can also effectively remove oils and smudges from your glass.

Though it would be nice to have a lens pen or an air blower, they are certainly not necessary for 1-2 week trips. You will certainly survive and be capable of taking quality photos without your entire cleaning kit. There is also some joy in the simplicity of not carrying everything that lives in your camera bag.  View Microfiber Cloths on Amazon

Nikon 8072 Microfiber Cleaning Cloth
  • Perfect way to safely maintain and clean your lenses
  • Durable, micro-fiber material
  • Anti-static quality great for cameras and other delicate equipment
  • Use on any other lens optics such as binoculars, telescopes, and spotting scopes

6) UV Filter

First off, if you’re wondering if a UV filter affects optical quality, YES, it can. With that being said, UV filters offer very important protection in the wilderness and hiking environment. Multiple times have I scraped my UV filter across rocks and had my camera fall on my lens face, and more that I am not proud of. I would gladly sacrifice a nearly unnoticeable amount of optical quality for the longevity my glass. We’ve all spent perhaps too much money on lenses, but we do this because we know our lenses should outlast our cameras many times over. The UV filter gives a bit more security to our lens’ life.

If you’re in a studio environment, or simply walking around the city, it makes more sense to remove a UV filter. I know a lot of photographers who usually order a UV filter with their lens, and have never used said lens without the filter due to the protection. I definitely understand this, and the risks are certainly amplified while backpacking for multiple days.

Bestseller No. 1
Tiffen 77UVP 77mm UV Protection Filter , black
  • Most popular protection filter
  • Provides basic reduction of ultraviolet light
  • Helps eliminate bluish cast in images
  • 77 millimeters diameter
SaleBestseller No. 2
Tiffen 67BPM14 67mm Black Pro-Mist 1/4 Filter
  • Country of Origin: United States
  • Package length: 3.54"
  • Package width: 2.95"
  • Package height: 0.59"

7) Camera Sleeve

Whenever the camera is not on your capture clip, you’ll need a safe place to store it. This includes during camp at night or even when traveling by car/air before and after the trip. Camera sleeves are minimal pouches that only accommodate a camera and an attached lens. These are made to take up the least amount of space as possible while providing good protection.

While I don’t own a camera shaped one as in the link, I found another solution with an item lying around the house. This is a tablet sleeve that ended up fitting my full frame Canon 6D Mark II with an attached lens. There is actually a bit of extra room here too because of the rectangular shape, and I am able to store an extra battery and SD card as well. Another bonus, this tablet sleeve came with an integrated microfiber cloth. However, it is a poor quality cloth and won’t replace the one mentioned in #5.

View DSLR Sleeves on Amazon

Bestseller No. 1
USA Gear DSLR Camera Sleeve with Neoprene Protection,...
  • PROTECT YOUR DSLR CAMERA with this form-fitting neoprene case that cushions your camera from bumps and scratches. The case allows you to easily insert and remove your camera...
  • CARRY YOUR CAMERA WITH EASE using the matching camera strap (not included) that works with the case. The case conforms to the shape of your camera and standard-sized lens for...
  • SECURE AND STRONG hook and loop connector strap allows you to attach the case to your belt loop while you are using your camera. *Not meant to hold the weight of your camera*
  • STORE YOUR SMALL ACCESSORIES such as memory cards, spare batteries and lens filters in the zippered pocket of the case. The interior dimensions of the case are 6.5" x 6.25" x...
Bestseller No. 2
CADeN DSLR SLR Camera Sleeve Case with Neoprene...
  • 【Easy-Access】 Size: 7.5*3.5*6.3 inches/19*8.9*16.5 cm (L x W x H), Please make sure your camera and lens fits for its size.
  • 【Secure Loop Connector Strap】 Secure loop connector strap design, Which allows you to attach the case to your camera strap loop while you are using your camera. (Note: Not...
  • 【Scratchproof Waterproof Material】 7mm thickness padded waterproof neoprene material, Inner soft plush design scratch resistant, Reinforce durability to provide maximum...
  • 【Convenient and Lightweight】 The neoprene pouch is flexible, lightweight and allowing you to easily insert/remove your camera in the case.

8) Dry Sack

If you foresee wet conditions on your trip, a dry sack is a must. A dry sack is waterproof, unlike the camera sleeve. This is not only limited to bad weather. Many of my backpacking trips involved hiking through rivers and around waterfalls. We all know from one experience or another that water can find its way anywhere. Dry sacks are very lightweight, and provide an important additional layer of protection when used with the camera sleeve above. View Dry Sacks on Amazon

SaleBestseller No. 1
Outdoor Products Ultimate Dry Sack 3-Pack
  • Three lightweight, waterproof dry sacks for backpacking, kayaking, or adventure travel; includes 2-, 4-, and 8-liter bags
  • Soft and flexible rip-stop fabric with watertight roll-top closure for maximum compression
  • Polyurethane-coated with watertight, double-stitched, tape-sealed seams for waterproofing
  • 8-liter sack measures 10.75 x 22 inches; 4-liter sack measures 9.5 x 15.5 inches; 2-liter sack measures 7.75 x 13 inches
SaleBestseller No. 2
Frelaxy Dry Bag 3-Pack/5-Pack, Ultralight Dry Sack,...
  • Keep Your Gear Organized: A set of 5 ultralight Dry Sacks in Five Different Colors and Sizes (3L,5L,10L,15L,20L), so you can easily recognize the contents. Best design for...
  • Stay Dry on your Adventure: Pro-grade Waterproof Polyester with a fully taped seam, combined with a Solid roll-top closure system provides a secure watertight seal. (Avoid...
  • Ultralight & Durable: Made of 210T high-quality Tear Resistant Polyester Material, Effectively balances LIGHTWEIGHT ( 3L-35g,5L-40g,10L-45g,15L-55g,20L-60g), and DURABILITY,...
  • Considerate Design: 1. The base of the sack is rectangular for space-efficient packing, and the black base is dirty-resistant. 2. D-ring is easy to clip to your backpack.

9) Electronics Case

This last item is a small bonus that is not absolutely necessary, but you most likely already have a small electronics pouch if you backpack. If you have a few other electronics with you, such as a powerbank, charging cables etc. it makes sense to add your camera electronics as well. This gives you a consolidated pouch that keeps the electronics all in one place. This can also be thrown into your dry sack above if you’re expecting bad weather. I also use a small soft drawstring sack that works as well.

Vaultz Mesh Zipper Pouch Set - Pack of 4 - Mesh Pouch...
  • STORAGE - Organize the chaos with these color-coded mesh storage bags! Great for organizing miscellaneous items like computer cables, chargers, notebooks, pens, and more.
  • EASY ACCESS - Each mesh zipper pouch has a diagonal zipper for easy access to your contents, as well as a plastic clip that can attach to any loop or ring for extra security.
  • VERSATILE - These multipurpose zipper pouches for organizing are great for storing all of your miscellaneous items from office supplies, school supplies, charging cords,...
  • VARIATION - Enjoy 4 different mesh storage bags with zippers, ranging in 4 different sizes and colors: Small (5"x7"), Medium (5"x8"), Large (5.5"x9"), and Extra Large...

This specific pouch here weighs almost nothing and is helpful because you can see anything with the perforated design.

View electronics pouches on Amazon