How do you protect your equipment against theft?

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I traded in my SUV for a pickup truck so I could put a large lock box in the bed. I searched for a removable box for the SUV but came to realize that they all needed to be bolted to the floor of the vehicle.

I burn more gas with the pickup but compensate by driving our plug-inn hybrid 90% of the time. The truck is our road car for trips out of town.
 
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reyhan said:
What do you do to ensure the safety of your equipment when you are driving somewhere or away from home?
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Keep your equipment close and don't display the inside of the bag in public if you can help it. Remove the strap with the manufactures brand and use an after market strap. I use Peak Designs strap. It has amble length to sling across your body and can be removed easily and put back on with just a snap https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1372679-REG/peak_design_sl_bk_3_slide_camera_strap_black.html Do not leave your gear in sight in the car. My home owners insurance will covers most of the thief but not damage.
 
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Calson said:
I had been spending $2,000 each year for insurance but I decided that it was not a good return on my investment and changed my approach. I have different approaches depending on the level of risk and what gear I am taking to a location.

For areas in the USA where I drive with my pickup truck I have a two-drawer strongbox in the bed and it cannot be seen with the black curtains covering the windows of the fiberglass camper shell. A thief would need to attempt to break into the cab and unlock the tailgate and then face the tumbler locks on each drawer. I take the out of sight out of mind approach. This works well at trailheads or parking areas where a thief knows that a person leaving a vehicle is going to be away for an hour or for hours.

For short trips to a location I like to use a "pet bridge" that attaches to the front and rear seat headrests in the cab of the truck. This blocks from view anything on the floor of the cab and also makes a good shelf for coats and anything else. When we are taking backpacks with a single lens and camera this approach works very well.

For overseas travel I take a large Air Pelican case filled with our clothing for the flights and when we arrive at our first destination I transfer the clothing to duffle bags and then use the Pelican case as a strongbox for the room. Any thief would need to have a bolt cutter for the two locks or grab the entire case and run off with it. During the day we take our backpacks into any restaurant we might eat at.

The cargo box cost roughly $1,800 or about the cost of one year of photo gear insurance. It protects gear from theft but also from the elements and road dirt and dust.

The cargo two-drawer unit is held in place with 4 turnbuckles and so can be removed when not needed for travel. A problem I encountered with my SUV vehicles is that the strong boxes were designed to be bolted to the floor for permanent installations in law enforcement vehicles which negated my use of the cargo areas for other purposes. With the SUV the pet bridge was helpful but not a thief-proof soltuion.

Prt of my cost benefit logic is having gear stolem during a trip and even if covered by insurance I still lose the use of the equipment for the remainder of my trip. I look at the total cost of the trip and include air travel, car rental, lodging, guide fees, and food for the trip to have a total cost per day. Loss of a camera and super telephoto lens could result in thousands lost in travel costs for a trip.

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Membership in PPA for $400/year includes an insurance with $15,000 coverage.
 
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EricBowles said:
I am very careful when loading my car and stowing my gear. I pay attention to people in the area and load quickly so gear is not visible for long - especially at popular locations. When leaving gear in my car for lunch or short stops, I make sure my gear is stowed before I arrive at my stopping point. I don't want anyone to see me storing a camera while in a restaurant parking lot so I might pull over a couple of miles away and stow all gear privately.
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Similarly, if I want to leave some of my gear in my vehicle, for example because I'm doing wildlife photography during the day and then an indoor sporting event in the evening without returning to my base, I put the gear I'll be using in the passenger compartment near me and the gear I'm leaving in the vehicle in the most secure, out-of-sight location possible. That way, when I get to a location, I get myself and my gear out of the vehicle and never open any other doors, trunk lids, etc. that might reveal I'm leaving gear behind. When I return from the first (e.g. wildlife) outing, I will repack so the gear for the second (e.g. indoor sports) outing is ready to take with me and the other gear is securely hidden away.

There are some wildlife photography locations where the parking lots are well known for car break ins. A couple even have warning signs in the parking lot. In those cases, I avoid parking in the lots, and instead park some distance away (ideally in an up-scale residential neighborhood) and walk a little farther to get to the wildlife.
 
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Another idea that makes your equipment more difficult to identify is to use some good quality electrical tape over logos etc.
I try to keep all logos, lettering or any other identifiable markings on any equipment I use to a minimum wherever possible.
As an example I have shown a lens before and after.
Camo_example1_BCG.jpg
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Camo_example2_BCG.jpg
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soundbyte said:
Another idea that makes your equipment more difficult to identify is to use some good quality electrical tape over logos etc.
I try to keep all logos, lettering or any other identifiable markings on any equipment I use to a minimum wherever possible.
As an example I have shown a lens before and after.
View attachment 102437View attachment 102438
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That's a Nikon, you can tell by the big red "VR".;)
 
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reyhan said:
What do you do to ensure the safety of your equipment when you are driving somewhere or away from home?
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FIRSTLY ..................... Fully INSURE IT ....................PERIOD

Second ...........................is follow practical protocols as much as possible, i wouldn't walk around and do street photography with a Z9 and expensive lens.

If its going to happen it going to happen.
 
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Knock on wood I have not lost anything through theft yet.

I tend to shoot with a partner or two and we watch out for each other. I keep my gear with me and I frequently shoot in places popular with other photographers so there is too many of us for someone to try to sneak up on us to grab our gear.

Vehicles are always a worry. I never leave expensive gear in sight, I have a pickup truck with a hard tonneau cover so nothing is visible.

I am super cautious about trail head parking lots. I would never leave any equipment in there if the lot is unsupervised. In that case I only bring what I will use and I take it with me when I go for the hike.

If however the lot is highly supervised I will park in a conspicuous spot and I might leave extra gear in the truck bed. Again nothing in plain view.

When staying at a hotel I bring the camera gear into the room, I do not leave it in the truck. A do not disturb sign goes on the room when I arrive and stays on there until I am ready to leave. As an extra caution I usually hide the equipment out of sight typically under dirty laundry.

I like the idea of trying to be inconspicuous but I find that impossible because I tend to use equipment that draws attention. I usually bring a Z9 and the Plena to public places and there is no way that combination is inconspicuous. Also, try to shoot with an 800mm pf and a tripod or monopod. People ask me about the cameras, some ask if they can look through the viewfinder.

It probably helps that I am a big guy.
 
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reyhan said:
What do you do to ensure the safety of your equipment when you are driving somewhere or away from home?
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I have a large investment in my camera equipment. Other than Property Insurance, there is no economical, or fool proof guarantee that camera gear won’t be lost, or stolen at some point in time no matter the location, or circumstance.

It is relatively inexpensive for the peace of mind knowing you are protected. My policy includes accidental damage as well. Which I have used several times over the past 20 years.
 
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Petrphotosss said:
It would be extremely helpful if you can use English when posting on this forum since most of the people here are from English speaking countries or speak English as their second language 🙂

But to answer your question, I have seen some people using AirTags hidden in their carrying bags. While it wouldn’t prevent your equipment from being stolen, it might help you locate it if someone does steal it. Other than that, if you're not living in a high-trust society, it's best not to show off your gear too much. I know people who use camo gear, not to hide from animals, but from other people, to avoid drawing attention and potentially being robbed.
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I have an airtag in my camera bag. I have everything insured. Depending on where I am, I carry a pepper spray with dye and a small sound alarm.
 
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Michelelabelle said:
I have an airtag in my camera bag. I have everything insured. Depending on where I am, I carry a pepper spray with dye and a small sound alarm.
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here’s my take on pepper spray


under most circumstances pepper spray isn’t a good choice for self defense


it is a half-assed answer that counts on luck and ideal conditions and provides a false sense of security to civilians that are untrained .

those who talk about how well it works have obviously never had to use it ...

it is amazing how people draw conclusions about things they never had to count on or actually see work .. the civilian version is nothing like the spray or dispenser law enforcement uses.

it is not that the spray is not effective . the spray can be .

the problem is the pepper sprays come in different types and some require more notice and aim than others .

for anyone who has never tried working the small muscles while under stress of attack , you lose the ability to do fine motor skills and that is the problem .

odds are you will not be able to aim , deploy and actually operate these small sprays without plenty of advance notice

in fact you would be better off with a rabbits foot then the small pocket ones .

it will work well in cases where you are not attacked and shouldn’t likely
have had reason to spray someone.
 
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I bought Bear Mace when I bought a remote property with a very large bear. We never saw him but 8 inch paw prints and huge piles of poo.... My daughter was 11 and couldn't help experimenting while I was off on the tractor. A breeze blew the Mace back in her face. She was uncomfortable, not incapacitated but it showed me how useless a spray is outdoors.
 
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Mal Paso said:
I bought Bear Mace when I bought a remote property with a very large bear. We never saw him but 8 inch paw prints and huge piles of poo.... My daughter was 11 and couldn't help experimenting while I was off on the tractor. A breeze blew the Mace back in her face. She was uncomfortable, not incapacitated but it showed me how useless a spray is outdoors.
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yep , it is very likely you will end up in the mist too…

it really is a false sense of security
 
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It depends on where I’m going and what I’m doing when I travel. If I have a safe home base, like a friend’s or relative’s house where I can leave things without worry, then I tend to bring more in a big pelican case and leave it there. I take only what I’m going to use for an outing when I go out. If I’m driving myself around, I can lock the pelican case to something in the trunk.

When I’m flying somewhere without a safe home base then I tend to pack much lighter. I plan ahead for what I’m going to focus on shooting and then bring only that. Everything else that I’m tempted to bring “just in case” gets left at home. If I’m going to be packing it around all day I don’t want to overburden myself. I want to be able to enjoy my trip. For example, one of my favorite travel combos is the Nikon Z 14-30 with the Z 24-120. It covers almost everything I want to do in a city and it’s nice and compact to boot.

I also tend to stay away from dedicated camera bags these days. If I’m not packing long glass I usually go with a smallish Osprey backpack or a bike courier’s messenger bag that I put a padded insert into. Both are very comfortable and blend in much better than a dedicated camera bags I find.
 
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Man the leaving the TV on all day thing is the worst if you have night work in a hotel and someone does that. At least keep it low. I’d definitely be contacting the desk if the TV is cranking all day when I’m trying to sleep.
 
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