Fwd: gear in rainforest?

["BIRKEY, DUANE" <dbirkey@hcjb.org.ec>]

>How do people protect their bodies & lenses in extremely humid  
>environments? Say carrying them around a few weeks straight in a  
>jungle. Are ziplock bags counterproductive for less used gear when  
>it is in a (more or less rainproof) camera bag?

One thing you will find out on an extended jungle trip is just how 
non-waterproof a lot of clothing and camera bags are.  I rarely go into 
the jungle for more than a day or two at a time.  But when in rains in 
Ecuadorian jungle, it only takes a few minutes to get soaked.  If I'm 
traveling light, (ha!) I can fit a Domke 803 satchel under my Gore-tex 
jacket or in my day pack.   For non-hot areas I wear a Domke vest under 
my jacket if I'm worried about rain.  

I would highly recommend buying or taking a  water proof day pack as 
you will want some place to put your rain gear, food, water.  It's easy 
to carry and you don't ever want to place things on ground as it tends 
to be muddy and insects can find their way into your pack.  Your camera 
bag can be placed within a large zip lock freezer bag or wrapped in 
plastic and placed in the daypack to insure dryness.  I would not keep 
it in plastic any more than you have to, as once your bag or gear gets 
wet, plastic will not allow it to dry out.   Heat and humidity in a 
plastic bag will make fungus and mold grow faster than you think.   I 
would take zip lock-bags as they don't weigh much but only use them as 
needed.  In some regions it's sunny all morning and rains all afternoon 
and night.  So let the weather be your guide as to when to use them.  

I wear mid-calf rubber boots everywhere I go in the jungle so walking 
in mud and crossing small streams isn't a problem.

One  word of advice to anyone flying into the jungle.  Don't keep your 
equipment in sealed cases or bags during the flight.  The first time I 
flew into the jungle I put some equipment in a Halliburton 103 case.   
When I opened my case, condensation formed on and in every bit of 
equipment in the case and I was not able to use a single item in that 
case for the time I had at that particular village.

The jungle canopy can be quite thick so the jungle floor is often 
fairly dark on sunny days, if it's overcast above it gets to downright 
pathetic lightlevels on the floor so I carry and use a tripod for many 
photos.  Flash is nice for insects, butterflies and anything that  
moves.   I usually carry some 400 ASA film on those trips for mammals 
or birds.   

Before you go, I would recommend that you load your daypack with 
everything you think you will want and carry it around on your back for 
4 or 5 hours to get a feel for whether you are carrying too much stuff 
around.

Have fun,

Duane Birkey
HCJB World Radio
Quito Ecuador