MYOG: Bubble Wrap and Duct Tape Camera Case

Why not just use this:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/bubble_pakit_4x6.html

Ashley – I see your point!

Hello Sam,

I love the photo of you on the Pacific Northwest Trail. The photo is fuzzy on the details but it is wonderfully atmospheric, Ron Strickland

Think I might try to make one out of windshield sun blocker (thin reflectix), black duct tape to form a loop for attaching to sternum strap or belt, and have a lid that closes with a patch of hook and loop.

* Gasp * I did forget to include the weight! The finished product weighs in at a scant 5.47 grams.

If someone already has a BubblePackit bag it could easily be beefed up with some duct tape for use as a camera bag. The beauty in this MYOG project however is the precision fit it will have to your camera.

Ron, I don't particularly remember where that photo was taken otherwise I'd be more specific. If I had to venture a guess I'd say it was taken a day or two's walk West of Baker Lake.

In terms of the use of foam instead of bubble wrap, that would be an obvious step up in terms of strength, safety and durability. The bubble wrap was chosen for mostly two reasons – its light weight and to reuse an otherwise throw-away resource.

Post photos of your own creations here. And if anyone makes one for an SLR, contact BPL to possibly do a Part II of this article covering the project.

I too use the MYOG closed cell foam, but then I put THAT into a ziploc bag, and then into a hipbelt pocket. I never know when I might fall in a river or get caught in an unanticipated downpour, so water proofing is at least as important to me as shock absorption.

slightly off-topic, but hey…hello everybody.

@James…could you say more about that solar charger? Did you make it yourself, or is it a commercial product? Do you buffer the energy in lith. battery or you just connect to the phone directly? have you come up with solutions to power different devices with the same charger – like a camera, an ipod nano, a phone?

I'm very interested in your solution… I have the solio, the freeloader and a DIY solution – which suffers a bit from the lack of a buffering battery as devices tend to expect constant mA currents. The solio has functioned very reliably on a 500mi arctic trek, but it's heavy…

Thanks for a great idea! I had a camera that needed a pocket case, and some spare bubble wrap and duct tape lying around, so this article couldn't have been better timed for me. I really like the case and have already tested it on a couple of short walks.

Here's a pic of the result:

Michael

Here's a two year old version of the same idea plus a made to fit stuff sack cover … had reflectix left over from insulating ductwork at home.

Haven't had it on trail though … the camera was a present for my wife and she likes it too much to let it out of sight:-)

I go into that a bit in the article. It's simply an aesthetic I was aiming for.

Jim, the reflectix material works well for that I see.

Hi Johannes – you were asking about my solar charger. It's a commercial product, the Global Solar Sunlinq 6.5W (ME² Solar in Europe). It's a folding design, with 4 solar panels mounted on a rubber-like pad. It doesn't have a weight saving over your Solio – mine is 255g (9.0 Oz), but it has the advantage of having a 12V car charger (cigarette lighter-type) connection so it's suitable for many devices, as well as having a fairly hefty 6.5 W output (I think the Solio is less than a Watt). It doesn't have a built-in battery, but I believe Global Solar do have equivalent models with one – my phone's battery was of too high a capacity to make use of the battery though, so I got the basic (lighter) model without a storage battery, and connect it straight to my phone. It works very well, taking my phone's 1350mAh battery right up to 100% charge.
http://www.globalsolar.com/products/flex-6.5watt.php

I combine this with the Hama Piccolino USB charger, which is another 11g (0.4 Oz):
http://www.hama.de/portal/articleId*166923/action*2563;jsessionid=B683F00C4CF575354CB689E2C9614233.tomcat_de_lin33

USB cables are then another 30g or so, in long lengths, or less if you can find shorter ones. Another lightweight & inexpensive option are these USB chargers from Hong Kong on eBay at around 12g. There are a few different sellers, including this one:
http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/EUNION-SHOP__W0QQ_sidZ369118829?_nkw=usb+charger&submit=Search

This combination caters for both my phone and my digital camera.

I've just realised another quality of these lightweight cases – both the bubble wrap & closed cell foam are very insulating. Most electronic devices will have an acceptable operating temperature range, and my phone even stops charging if it gets too warm – but inside its case it stays relatively cool.