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A photography vest can be a brilliant alternative to a camera bag or heavy backpack, bringing all of your key and core camera items and paraphernalia onto your person within quick and easy reach.
The Campco Humvee Safari Photo Vest is one of the world’s most popular photography vests on the market, no doubt due to its capacious 21 pockets for storage and budget-friendly price, which helps it deliver maximum bang for your buck.
Some photography vests on the market are padded and insulated gilet types, great for keeping warm in winter. However, as the name suggests, the Humvee Safari Photo Vest is designed for use in warmer climates, and ventilation and breathability are top features found here.
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Having your key camera kit at your fingertips means you won’t spend time rummaging around in your camera bag, which could potentially cost you the shot. This means the Humvee Safari Photo Vest could be a great option for wildlife safaris, long summer days spent in bird hides, adventures and hikes in the great outdoors, and even fast-paced sports and motorsports events. I got hold of one to find out if this popular choice is the one you should go for…
Humvee by CampCo Safari Photo Vest: Specifications
Size | XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL |
Color | Khaki / Black |
Weight | 21.6 oz / 612g |
Material | Cotton |
Warranty | 1 year |
Humvee by CampCo Safari Photo Vest: Price
The CampCo Humvee Safari Photo Vest comes in either Khaki or Black and no fewer than seven sizes, ranging from XS to XXXL. The RRP of the vest is $66 / £66 in the US and UK; however, retailers often sell it a little cheaper.
While it’s brilliant that CampCo makes the Humvee Safari Photo Vest in such a wide range of sizes, some of the less popular sizes aren’t always readily stocked, which can make them hard to get hold of.
It’s about half the price of the competing Moment Exposure 10L Vest, which will set you back around $120, though the Humvee comes with significantly more storage, with over twice as many pockets to stash items like batteries, SD cards, and lens caps. So the Humvee Safari could be a great option for those looking for maximum storage, without leaving a huge dent in the wallet.
Humvee by CampCo Safari Photo Vest: Design & Handling
Following CampCo’s sizing guide, I ordered the Small size, though I found it was about seven inches too big around the chest area for me – this may not be an issue if you want it to be loose and baggy for better ventilation and airflow.
The vest is made from 100% cotton, which is lightweight and breathable, plus there are metal accents from D-rings and a carabiner. The back is also vented to encourage airflow, while the zippers are heavy-duty, and the seams have also been reinforced in key areas to enhance durability.
A photography vest like this is, of course, inspired by fishing vests, and indeed CampCo states the vest can be used for everything from fishing to family outings, camping, shooting, and hiking, as well as photography. Whatever hobby you use it for, there are no fewer than a staggering 21 pockets to stash your key items and accessories, plus loops and D-rings to attach to as well.
With 21 pockets at your disposal, you should have no problem stashing and reaching items like a passport, lens, phone, memory cards, and batteries, so it could be a brilliant lightweight solution if you don’t want to carry around a bulky backpack.
I’ve also been testing out the Moment Exposure 10L, which also features a large pocket on the back that can be used to stash a 14” laptop or hydration bladder. There’s no such luck with the Humvee, so it’s not quite as accommodating of those extra-large items where a backpack comes in handy.
The Humvee Safari Photo Vest does, however, have two open inside pockets that can’t be sealed. There’s also a large pocket on the back underneath the mesh venting, which can be buttoned up, and on the other side of this, on the inside of the vest, there’s a hidden pocket with a zipper that can only be accessed by taking the vest off, so it’s a good choice for stashing valuables.
Humvee by CampCo Safari Photo Vest: Performance
The CampCo Safari Vest is made from cotton and weighs 21 oz. This makes it 35% heavier than the cycling-vest-inspired Moment Exposure 10L, which is sportier and more trim. In practice, you’re not going to feel bogged down by those extra five ounces. What you put in its 21 pockets, however, could weigh you down, depending on what you load the vest up with, and with an almost overwhelming number of pockets to choose from, it’s quite easy to move your kit around so that it’s evenly balanced and loaded up correctly.
While not as sleek and sporty as the Moment Exposure 10L, the CampCo Safari Vest is much more breathable and has many more size options to choose from. Unlike the Exposure 10L, the Safari Vest has a breathable mesh material on the back, making it easy to ventilate, ideal for the hot safari climates it’s been named after.
Looking at the number of pockets alone, the CampCo Humvee Safari comes top of the pack, boasting 21 of various shapes and sizes. It is only beaten in this regard by the PortaBrace VV Vest, which is aimed at videographers – and also costs nearly five times the price of the Humvee Safari! For purely photography vests, the Domke PhoTOGS vest comes in second place with 18 pockets, and while it has less stash storage, its pockets are padded and better for protecting delicate lenses.
There are multiple zippers for a selection of pockets, including a hidden pocket on the back panel for storing valuables. All of the zippers have plastic teeth with a metal sliding mechanism. A very large and chunky zipper is used to bring the two breastplates together – the large zipper teeth ensure this runs smoothly and doesn’t get jammed or burst open – it’s also a two-way zipper, so it can be opened from the top or bottom quickly, for more control over ventilation.
Only four of the 21 pockets have zippers; the others mostly use Velcro tab openings, with the exception of the large back pocket, which features two metal poppers to keep its flap secured. The back pocket is the largest featured, measuring 11×7.5″ – while this is probably most useful for maps, notebooks, documents, or a rain shell, I was surprised to find I could fit my Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens. As a side note, it’s not very protected or comfortable, as the pocket isn’t padded. You could likely stash a tablet in this pocket, though it definitely doesn’t match the 14″ laptop pocket on the Moment Exposure 10L vest, which I also reviewed recently.
Many of the front pockets have elasticated openings, which means they can be stretched open to fit larger items like lenses and snap back shut to keep them securely in the jacket – these are ideal for larger smartphones or small lenses.
There’s no shortage of spaces to put documents, maps, notepads, pens, and multi-tools, as well as camera equipment like small lenses, memory card cases, cleaning kit, and spare batteries – you really can customize it to your heart’s content. There’s also plenty of D-rings and carabiners to attach key rings to.
Humvee by CampCo Safari Photo Vest: Verdict
The Campco Humvee Safari Photo vest doesn’t feel like the highest quality or most premium product on the market, but this is perhaps to be expected at its budget-friendly price. The cotton isn’t wax-treated for waterproofing, the plastic zippers feel a little clunky to operate, and the stitching isn’t the most precise, but without paying big bucks for a more premium product, I suppose this is to be expected.
While it might not feel the most luxurious or look the most stylish, the Humvee Safari Photo Vest is highly practical and is a great alternative to a photography backpack on wildlife safaris, adventures, and hikes in the great outdoors, and even some sports or motorsports scenarios where you need fast access to your core equipment without losing time by diving into a camera bag.
Features ★★★★☆ | Unmatched storage with 21 pockets, D-rings and secret pockets, but lacks padding for lens protection, waterproofing or space for a laptop. |
Design ★★★★☆ | Breathable cotton construction with rear mesh ventilation for better airflow in hot climates and available in seven different sizes. Doesn’t look the most stylish, though. |
Performance ★★★★☆ | Plenty of pockets to distribute the weight of your camera kit evenly. It’s a little clunky to use and the sheer number of pockets can make it confusing to locate your kit at first. |
Value ★★★★★ | Very budget-friendly, it offers plenty of bang for your buck and will help you get the job done on wildlife safaris, outdoor adventures or shooting sports events. |
