Best Photo Safari Gear

From whales off the starboard bow to volcanoes erupting in the distance, Active Junky’s been in the hunt for amazing places – and images to bring them home.  These pieces of gear have proven essential in-transit and on-site to travel safely with camera in hand.  The results we’ve achieved are evidence that these products deliver.

Bushnell H2O 10x25 Binoculars: Own all you see

If the idea of binoculars conjures up thoughts of big-game hunting or military recon, you’re only partly connected to their trip-transforming power.  Active Junky doesn’t mind toting extra gear on most photo outings – but only if each product contributes to staying out longer and getting better images.  Knowing where to best observe whale cow-calf pairs, capture sea lions parading around a rocky outcrop or hikers descending a volcanic ridge is Bushnell’s purview.  Totally waterproof, easy to grip when wet and fast focusing with an oversized center nob, H20 is a solid platform for steady viewing.  This configuration balances magnification with a worthwhile field of view without inducing motion sickness on a moving boat (trust us).  Bring one for the group.  And prepare to wrestle over who gets the next look.

Tester Comments:  Multi-coated lens technology equals reduced glare, improved clarity and a seemingly-magical ability to resist fogging in humid conditions.  At only 290g, this one’s taken up residence in our camera pack.  Ideal for deciding where to go and what to shoot, sometimes it’s good simply to observe -- without feeling compelled to bring home the pixels.

Best For: All-conditions scouting, pure enjoyment of the present

Check out the Bushnell H2O 10x25 Binoculars >

Klymit Motion 60:  The on-trail truth

Klymit Motion 60 Starting at: $157.58

The brand wants you to grab it for long-haul capacity (as in, over 50lbs) and AirFrame comfort.  Agree, done and no big news there – apart from a shocking 2.7lb pack weight.  Active Junky’s got an even better idea:  This pack kills it as a photo pack.  That rectangular inflation pad inside?  Cushioning for the most delicate digital accouterments.  Diagonal zip pockets on back and top? Filters, memory cards, fill-in flash units and folding reflectors fly in and out as needed.   Triple compression straps and stretch pockets on both sides?  Tripod and sitting pad magnets.  Go ahead and adjust inflation levels as needed with the waistbelt pocket-concealed pump.  But don’t stroll by Motion 60 if you’re out to join the Photographers Pantheon with Ansel Adams.

Tester Comments: I’ll take responsibility for the photo pack idea.  At 60L, Motion’s got enough room for a long weekend digital safari or five plus days on trail with iPhone shooting.  The pump thing isn’t an attention-seeking gimmick – it works better as the load becomes heavier.  Top loading works well with this model.  Pricing is more than fair.

Best For: Travel, photography, testing your fast-packing skills

TORQ Light:  Pull the trigger on pinpoint lighting

TORQ First-Light

Active Junky loves the big, small, ultralight and bombproof burly.  Somehow combining these four attributes, TORQ navigates the world of flashlights and headlamps to bring 155 lumen max output to a unique form factor.  From the company’s roots in law enforcement and military applications, TORQ’s palm-sized, no-slip body houses a pair of AA batteries that squeeze ample – and varied – lighting out of the product.  Gloves-on operation was an AJ favorite as was the independently-controlled red light to preserve night vision.  In hand, on belt or attached to molle pack webbing, 4.4oz TORQ points wherever the user desires without losing table-top stability.  

Tester Comments: Throw in a one-meter waterproof rating and a two-year warranty and we’re sold.  Multi-colored beacon lights surrounded by a beefy structure go to work in finding photo gear in the dark, moving to a time-lapse location before dawn and navigating the way back to camp in unfamiliar surroundings.  With fishing and paddling seasons approaching, looking to TORQ to lend a hand in even more scenarios.

Best For: Adventure travel, outdoor photography and emergency preparedness

ROO Inferno Terrain:  Control in the cold

The story behind this product is as long as the list of plays NFL quarterbacks have called in the past 50 Super Bowls.  Leave it to a collegiate and pro QB – fighting to throw downfield in a blizzard – to know about hand warmth.  Active Junky took the patent-pending handwarmer, created for athletes and re-envisioned for hunters, and made it an ideal tool for photographers.  Early season on-shore and in-water photography along the North Carolina coast proved the system warms quickly and stays toasty for several hours even when wet.  The Special Edition with Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity Camouflage was fun for non-hunters as it didn’t attract unwarranted attention from surfers, paddlers and tourists outside Surf City.  Loops on the belt were good for tucking lightweight gloves and lens cloths.

Tester Comments: After we got over the slight resemblance to a fanny pack, Inferno got busy with enough volume and easy access for fast-paced photography.  Waiting for weather to clear and athletes to get their paddleboards in position, Roo’s PolarTec insulation helped whether one or two hands needed vital BTUs.  Stat.

Best For: Three-season photography, fishing and hunting

Check out the Inferno Terrain >