Camcorder on the trail?

[sea2summit3]

Does anyone have recommendations for buying a camcorder for a thru-hike? I'd like something durable with long-lasting batteries if possible. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

~mtn. marmot

[jigsaw]

check out lion king's site www. walkingwithfreedom.com he video'ed his thru hike this year.

[Mausalot]

I think there are some important questions you have to answer so we can help you better.
1. What do you want to do with the footage? Video diary, documentary movie, web bits.
2. How much do you want to spend?
If you are going more of the prosumer route, you need a good three chip camera like the Canon GL-1 or Sony PD 150, upwards of $2000 for a good mini-DV. There are excellent single chip cameras for many budgets froma few hundred to a thousand, but size and weight are a huge concern and again it depends on what you want to do. And yes, batteries are an issue. I used a couple of Sony batteries with my 3 chip TRV 900, a 9 and a 7 hour, for our trek through the hundred mile wilderness. They are heavy, but with smart packing, my pack was still under 30lbs. We did manage to charge them at one place on the way. That is a lot of hours of video tape. There is also something called instant power that is single use and good for emergencies and compatible with many cameras.

That said, I think it is imperative to figure out what editing software you will use (Premiere, Avid, Final Cut, Media Studio Pro) and make sure you are proficent in it before you set out so you know what kind of footage to get and how to use it. I'd also strongly recommend shopping at B and H Photo Video in New York City and reading many magazines and trying out the cameras in stores.

As you may notice, I think taking a video camera on a thru hike is a serious commitment because of the weight and amount of time put into gathering footage. Six months is a long time to carry a piece of electronics on your back.

Cameraman. Director/Cameraman/Editor of the documentary 2000 Miles to Maine http://homepage.newschool.edu/~at2k/
Please feel free to bomard me with more questions.