When it comes to digital cameras these days the technology is constantly improving. Buy a camera today and in what seems like a few months the manufacturers have released something with more bells and whistles. More megapixels, better autofocus, and built-in Wifi are just a few of the things that seem to be included as cameras models are upgraded. One part of the camera that has yet to be improved on in decades by the manufacturer is the strap.   

The factory strap is better than no strap at all, I’ll give the manufacturers that, but is still something I recommend anyone with a camera, especially those who do a lot of hiking while photographing birds and nature upgrade. Not having the weight of a camera and lens swinging from my neck has certainly made my time in the field more enjoyable and less painful. Even a light DLSR and kit lens begins to feel quite heavy after a few hours of walking resulting in a sore neck at the end of the day. 

Over the years I have tried several different systems from harnesses to straps for carrying my camera with varying degrees of satisfaction. Most I found were not much better than what came with the camera while others like one very popular shoulder strap on the market only transferred the weight from my neck to my shoulder thus transferring the pain with it. Furthermore, I found that a shoulder strap with the weight of a camera attached caused that shoulder to sit lower than the other. This may not seem like a big deal but as someone who has had back surgery being even slightly off-kilter induced or exacerbated back pain negatively impacting my outing. After spending a considerable amount of money and amassing quite the collection of straps and harnesses, I finally settled on the Cotton Carrier carrying system.

I fully admit my own frugalness prevented me from buying the Cotton Carrier first as they are not inexpensive. However, if I added up all the money I spent on substandard camera carrying systems I could have bought a Cotton Carrier and a bunch of other cool accessories for my camera. Lesson learned. It has been over six years with near-daily use and my Cotton Carrier still looks like it did when I took it out of the box save for a few frays on the strapping. The Cotton Carrier is incredibly durable. 

Using the Cotton Carrier is incredibly easy. It simply goes on over your head while a strap wraps around behind your back buckling at your side securing it in place. Everything is fully adjustable ensuring a comfortable fit. A small aluminum hub threads into the bottom of any camera then fits into the camera mount on the front of the Cotton Carrier. As a result, the weight of the camera and lens is distributed evenly over both shoulders, not just one and not your neck. The unique part of this hub system is the camera has to be rotated 90 degrees to get it out of the mount. This ensures the camera does not fall out while hiking. There is also a velcro strap you can put over the lens further securing the camera in place guaranteeing it will not move or swing.

There are some amazing videos online of people downhill skiing, mountain biking, and even doing flips on a trampoline with a camera secured in a Cotton Carrier. Also included with the Cotton Carrier system is a safety strap preventing your camera from hitting the ground in case it slips out of your hands when removing it from the mount or snapping photos. This feature has saved my camera and lens on a couple of occasions. 

My camera and telephoto lens weigh just over 5 lbs which may not seem like much, but over the course of several hours or even a full day at Point Pelee or Rondeau during spring migration 5 lbs feels like a ton especially if that weight was around my neck or on one shoulder.  With my Cotton Carrier, I hardly notice this weight at all as it is distributed evenly across my shoulders. My camera does not swing around and it is right in front of me at the ready when a shot presents itself.

I have since purchased the Cotton Carrier Wanderer which allows me to carry a second camera body. Why do I carry a second camera body you ask? I don’t all the time but in situations where I may want to photograph landscapes as well as wildlife I do. In these instances, my second DSLR and wide-angle lens are stowed in the Wanderer. I used to carry a series of shorter lenses in my backpack and would switch between my telephoto and something more suited to landscape photography but inevitably as soon as I switched to the shorter lens a great wildlife situation would present itself and unfortunately I would miss the shot as a 10-18 mm lens obviously lacked the required reach, thus the two camera approach.  

In the above video I demonstrate how the Cotton Carrier works and explain why I love it so much. 

If you are unhappy with your camera strap and are tired with the strain it puts on your neck or shoulder consider switching to a Cotton Carrier system. Don’t let the price intimidate you like I did as this system is worth every penny. I can honestly say that the Cotton Carrier is by far the best accessory I have purchased for my camera. With it, I can spend as much time as I want in the field enjoying my favourite pastime and am never left with a sore neck. My only regret about the Cotton Carrier is that I did not buy it first before wasting all that money on all those other straps. I think if you give the Cotton Carrier a try you will agree that this is the best system for carrying your camera. 

Good birding,
Paul 

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