Don't let rain or low light ruin your photos

As a dedicated gear geek living in the Northwest, I've explored virtually every option for keeping my cameras dry while outside shooting in the rain. I've reviewed some of the better ones in this column. Now I've found one that trumps the rest: the Shutter Hat camera rain cover by FM Photography.

The Shutter Hat, made from lightweight, coated nylon, folds into a tiny pouch about the size of a deck of cards (weighing just a couple ounces). I keep it clipped to my tripod. When needed, just unfold and slide it onto the camera. A small rubber foot slips into your camera's flash mount to keep the Hat in place on the camera, and a couple of Velcro tabs hold the front sleeve on the lens barrel.

The Shutter Hat isn't perfect. The light material can be whipped around in the wind. But a couple extra-large rubber bands around the side of the Hat cures this problem, allowing me to use it even in 40+ mph gales. The Shutter Hat is simple, effective, lightweight and compact — as near to perfect as I've found when looking for ways to keep my cameras dry. It sells for $39.95. More info: www.fmphotography.us.

With a dry camera, your next concern is the low light level of rainy winter days. The obvious answer is a tripod, but rather than drag a big, bulky extendable-leg tripod, consider the newest Gorillapod by Joby. The Gorillapod SLR-Zoom can stabilize cameras up to 6.6 pounds and can be used virtually anywhere. The flexible-legged tripod can be set up like a traditional three-legged camera stand, or the ball-jointed legs can be independently wrapped around tree limbs, rocks, roots or even other tripods!

If your camera system isn't that big, go for one of the smaller models — the standard SLR model supports a small SLR and lens up to 2 pounds, while the Original Gorillapod is perfect for compact point-and-shoot cameras. The big Gorillapod SLR-Zoom model weighs just 8 ounces and sells for $49.95; the standard SLR weighs 5.8 ounces and sells for $39.95; and the tiny, original Gorillapod is just 1.6 ounces and sells for $21.95. More info: www.joby.com.

— Dan A. Nelson, special to The Seattle Times

Freelancer Dan A. Nelson, of Puyallup, is a regular contributor to Backpacker magazine, and an author of outdoor guides with The Mountaineers Books. For the purpose of review, gear manufacturers lend products, which are returned after a typical use of four to six weeks. There is no payment from manufacturers, and they have no control over the content of reviews. Contact Dan with gear-related questions at gearguy@adventuresnw.net.