M6 tri-x hike in the rain?

[sirius]

Dear RF members,

Could I have your advice? I will be doing a 7 day hike on the West Coast Trail of Vancouver Island, Canada. I would like your advice on what camera to bring.

I expect there may be a lot of rain and high humidity. Weight is a premium on a 7 grueling day hike.

As heavy as a Leica is and bulky film canisters can be, I am considering bringing my M6 and 35mm summicron with a bunch of tri-x and perhaps a disposable waterproof camera. I really do not want to over pack!

Do you have any personal experiences in such situations to share? What would you bring?

 

[wontonny]

Keep the hood on. Keep the camera over your shoulder or around your neck or on your shoulder under your jacket and you should be fine

 

[sirius]

Nikonwebmaster, it is a maintained trail and Parks Canada controls the number of people that go on it each year. My feet, well, I will see what happens there...I don't see myself shooting a lot in the pouring rain, but there will be high humidity and once things get wet they may stay wet for days if not the whole trip. How does a Leica and tri-x hold up to those conditions? Am I crazy to carry the extra size and weight?

 

[rogertai]

Gore-tex jacket is a good option. It is a raincoat for you and your camera. Just like what wontonny mention about.
Have a nice trip.

 

[Artorius]

My M2/3's stood up well during the monsoons in Viet Nam in the early 70's. No reason it would be any different now. Our NW rains are no match for the weather there. Use common sense, keep it under your coat, or in a water resistant bag(something we didn't have back then) and you should be fine. A little drizzle won't hurt, but has always been said, "Keep your Powder Dry". I went through our Olympic Rain Forest at it's wettest with no problems.

Protect yourself first, camera second. More important, enjoy yourself, and show us the pics.

 

[Tom A]

The West Coast Trail can be miserable in the rain and mud - but also spectacular if the sun comes out.
The M6 should do fine, if you keep it out of direct rain (wipe it down regularly and keep it under a jacket when not in use). Take the film out of the canisters and pack them in Zip-Loc bags. It cuts down on bulk and also seals them from moisture reasonably well. The high humidity should not be a problem and if you want to be cautious, stick some slilica drying packs in the bags.
You biggest problem will be loading/unloading in wet weather. Direct rain drops on filmleaders can cause it to "stick" inside the cassette,
Make it a habit that every night you wipe down the camera and check for moisture trapped inside. From a bright point - the high humidity keeps the dust down!
Take one or two sets of spare batteries along - Murphy's law applies here - the chance of your batteries going flat increases exponentially with the distance to the nearest supply!
I would also recommend a UV filter as you are on the West Coast of the Island and there is a lot of salt spray from breakers along the beach.
You are also going to have to climb the infamous ladders and scramble over driftwood so a " padded" waist pouch might be handy for when you need both hands - it still keeps the camera handy, when you need it (back packs tend to be overpacked and it is a hassle to have to slide it off every time you want to take a shot).
This is definitely a one body/one lens situation - even a seemingly light second lens is going to weigh a lot after 7-8 hours of hiking!
Have fun, use good boots and take plenty of socks - nothing worse than having only wet socks to wear!
Let us know how it goes and please post shots from the ordeal!

 

[raid]

If you have an Olympus XA or a Rolleiflex 35mm or a Minox GTE, take one of those instead. The XA fits in your pocket and you will not even fee lit as you hike.

Taking along a waterproof pouch would be a good thing to do.

I wish you a great hiking experience.

 

[MartinP]

I would suggest putting the camera in a padded case on the hip-belt of the rucsac. You will find that you use it far more than if you keep it under a sweaty waterproof jacket - every time you bring it in to the (relatively cold) open air, from under the jacket, you will have condensation problems on the lens and finder which will involve lots of wiping and generally really make you fed-up with the idea.

I use cases from CCS but have no idea if they are still available. There are probably other cases that are just as functional.

The idea of a single-body and one lens is something I would recommend. Don't forget a lens-hood (against rain) and several sets of batteries for the meter. And film is quite light... 😉

If there is persistent rain, just remember to take a couple of disposable polythene shower-caps with you, and put one over the bag if it gets really bad.

EDIT: Reading the comment about socks. I learned to dry them by draping them down the armpits of your jacket, then finishing them off by putting them in your sleeping-bag pockets (it does have internal pockets one hopes). If you have time to get used to the idea I recommend the Lifa inner socks for inside the wool pair(s), and take enough Micropore tape for doing your toes up, plus some footpowder decanted in to a small container.

 

[sirius]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm glad that it is not discouraging. My fellow hikers are going to carry small digital point and shoots with a lot of extra batteries. I know they will get good if not exceptional photos from them. I would like to keep using the kind of cameras I've come to love...

So, what do you think would a good amount of film to bring? I will be working hard on the trail and expect I won't be wanting to be incredibly creative and keeping the others waiting. I am thinking 3-4 rolls per day?

I think the trail may do well in black and white. There may be some great sunsets, but if it is a grey day would colour help much? Is tri-x more sturdy in difficult conditions than colour film? I had a colour roll get some moisture once and all the pictures we ruined.

I like your suggestions about some kind of hip belt. I will have to think that over more as pack my pack has a hip strap and, yes, it is hard to swing off the pack and fish out a camera on the fly. Over my neck and under a coat may take too many knocks and bounce around.

Thank-you for helping me think this out, everyone. Tom, thanks for all those wonderful specific details, very helpful! It sounds like you have done the trail?

 

[sirius]

By the way, Tom, we are starting with the ladders and full packs! Yikes, I'm scared...

 

[FrankS]

Nikonos or Nikon Action Touch

 

[Tom A]

Sirius - No I have never succumbed to the desire of doing the trail. Tuulikki did parts of it at one time. I grew up in "nature" and I have a highly developed dislike for it. I much like it paved,small brass plaques telling me what the hell the name of the tree/bush/flower is.
However. I know a lot of people who have done the Trail - they try to extol the virtue of mud,rain, fog etc. I have flown above parts of it in a chopper, many years ago, shooting some trees and potential logging sites,
The ladders look interesting and are obviously a bit of a challenge, but I haven't heard of anyone falling off them. Probably a great photo-op too.
I think that if the weather is nice, it can be spectacular - the West Coast of the Island is dramatic and with the long "rollers" in the Pacific - it is special.
As a Vancouver resident, shooting in rain is a normal state - so I would just apply the padding and the hood/ UV filter to handle the rougher part of the Trail.

 

[sirius]

I grew up in "nature" and I have a highly developed dislike for it.

Ha, ha. Thanks Tom! 🙄

 

[charjohncarter]

I have always fantasized about this kind of thing. I lived in Panama' and used my Spotmatic in the rain forest, and I have been to the Olympic peninsula in the rain with my Leica IIIf. BUT I was always in shelter at night and could put my camera near an air conditioner or the heater. I figured put your camera in a really good zip lock bag with those moisture absorbing cell (they used to be in Japanese stereo stuff) and I think you can get them at Radio Shack. Then when you get back to your car stick the camera in front of an air conditioner out flow for 100 miles.

 

[sockeyed]

Hi Sirius,

I've done the West Coast Trail three times (1996, 1997 & last year). It is an absolutely unforgettable and unique experience, which is why I've done it three times. I would be happy to share thoughts with you here or off-line.

Here is my set from 2007:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sockeyed/sets/72157601157129504/

Are you going south to north, or north to south? If you start at the south, you'll have by far the hardest section at the beginning, and you'll be carrying the heaviest pack, but you get to look forward to easier hiking as the trail goes on. South to north is my preferred choice.

Weather makes a huge difference. Every time I've done it, it has been wet and VERY muddy. You spend more time going side-to-side trying to make forward progress through the mud. Folks who have done it in the dry wonder what the big deal is.

Goretex doesn't work on the WCT, trust me. After my first very wet trip (in March 97), I learned this. It just wets through. Instead, wear synthetic and fleece underlayers, and a wind-proof shell, and just get wet and keep moving. When you get to camp, change into something dry and put on lightweight waterproof clothes there (goretex is OK, but coated nylon is fine).

Definitely wear gaiters to keep out the mud, water and sand, and definitely full-on leather hiking boots.

Definitely bring trekking poles - they will help stabilize you, and they will help you poke around in water holes for solid ground. Also bring a waterproof pack cover. Mountain Equipment Co-op in Vancouver is a great place to get any gear you'll need for the trip.

Try and hike on the beach as much as possible. This of course will depend on tides, so keep a close eye on your tide table (you'll need low tides to get around certain headlands).

Take the water taxi back to your starting point (assuming you've left your car there). It's wonderful to see the trail from the water, and the fellow who drives the boat (Brian) is an amateur biologist who tracks orca pods in the area. Chances are you will see the whales.

In terms of cameras, on the last trip I carried my Bessa R4M with the 28mm f/3.5 on it (and the 40/1.4 which I used once or twice). The 28mm is very well-suited for the kind of shooting one does on the trail, but a 15mm would have been nice from time to time too. For more foul weather, I had my Olympus Stylus Epic with the fixed 35mm f/2.8. The Bessa was kept in a Newswear pouch on the hip belt of my pack and the Epic in a small Lowepro pouch, and I had a small roll-top drybags for the Bessa. When it got foul out, the Bessa went in my pack. In terms of film, I shot Fuji Reala in the Bessa and Superia 400 in the Epic. While I shoot a lot of b&w, I would definitely recommend shooting colour on the Trail.

Here's my R4M on day 4 at Cribs Creek:

A few other images...

The "Wet" Coast Trail:

Bonilla Point:

Ladders:

Cable car across Carmannah Creek:

Fatigue:

Crab at the half-way point! Worth every penny (along with the burgers at Chez Monique:

Near Nitinat Narrows:

 

[jky]

Sockeyed: nice photos! Definitely entices one to lace up & go... btw, where's the nearest Starbucks? 😉

 

[shimo-kitasnap]

wow cool! were is this place you went backpacking in, near, around......?

 

[sockeyed]

It's on the west coast of Vancouver Island, on the Pacific Coast of Canada. It's a 75km trek from Bamfield to Port Renfrew (or the other way around). It's remote and rugged, with only access at either end and at one point in the middle. It was originally built as a life-saving trail due to the large number of shipwrecks along this part of the coast.

 

[Chuck Albertson]

Don't figure on being able to carry your camera under your jacket, with any sort of exertion your camera will be bathed in sweat and the glass will fog up as soon as you take it out. I carry mine outside my jacket in a Zing neoprene case (don't know if they're made any more) that fits quite snugly, and also carry a few large Ziploc bags for storage when I'm not carrying the camera. When close to the surf itself, beware the salt spray--it doesn't sit well with even the M6's minimal electronics. Even though I don't like to use filters, I use them on the trail.

Also, a bar towel in the pocket is handy for wiping off moisture.

 

[sirius]

Hi sockeyed,

You have given me a lot to process. I really enjoyed looking through your pictures. I'm glad to see smiling people ;-)

I appreciate all the outfit tips. I think this will make a big difference, as I was planning to bring gortex!

I'm looking forward to it and trying to get lots of exercise in preparation.

I have never really thought about carrying the camera around my neck like that. I imagined it would bounce around too much. But, I am beginning to think it might afford the most flexibility.

cheers