Aluminum Alpininst Camera Case Is as Tough as it Is Ugly

This hideous looks like a stoned hippy took to carving his airline seatbelt buckle with a Dremel, but if you're a climber, you're probably going to love it anyway. It's called the Alpinist Case, and it protects your camera from mountains.

The case is machined from aluminum held together with stainless steel screws and filled with low-density foam. Should your camera fall, or get whacked by a passing cliff, then there's a good chance it will survive.

But protection is pointless if you can't get the camera out to take photos. To this end, the flip-up, clamp-shut lid can be locked down, but popped open easily. And you hang the case from your belt by a carabiner, so access is easy and fast. You can also leave the lid un-clamped and it will be held closed by magnets.

There are three sizes, from a tiny case for slim point-and-shoots up to a larger one for bigger compacts like the Leica D-Lux. You won't be carrying an SLR in there, but then you probably don't want to schlep a big heavy camera up a mountain anyway.

Available now (but on back order until late July), from $60 to $120.

Alpinist cases [Betashell via PetaPixel]

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