How to Safeguard Your Camera Gear in the Trunk of Your Car
In a recent post about “How Camera Gear was stolen in 2015,” it was reported that 31% of gear theft victims had their gear stolen from their car. The good news is that a $30 dollar fix can leave you feeling a little less worried to leave your equipment in the trunk.
With less than $30 worth of locks, you can make a huge impact on protecting your gear even if your car is broken into. Granted, you are out of luck if they steal your car, but that is not the case for most of the break ins.
First you are going to need to purchase something like the Master Lock 4680DBLK $6.98 each on Amazon:
Depending on the type of camera bag, case, or backpack you have, you will need to determine how many locks (and what type) you will need to use so the thief won’t be able to open up the bag. With my Tamarac 5788 backpack I bought 3.
You will also need to buy a bike cable lock:
You don’t need to have the locks on your backpack at all times — you can keep them in the car. I leave the locks on the cable lock which is then attached to the hinge of my trunk.
This is what it looks like when it is all locked into place:
Like I stated above, this is not a completely foolproof way of safeguarding your equipment in an unattended car, but it is well worth the $30 for a good amount of protection. Hopefully this helps at least a few of you prevent the theft of your gear.
About the author: Daniel Schenkelberg is a photographer and retoucher based in San Diego, California. You can find his work over on his website.
