The Best Camera Holster for Hiking: Spider X Backpacker

Both Dustin and I love taking photos and videos on our adventures. We usually use a combination of professional cameras along with GoPros. For normal adventures, regular camera straps work wonderfully. However, on dangerous hikes and activities where we need both hands, we found that camera straps can be cumbersome. This is because the camera usually swings around when scrambling or scaling the sides of the cliffs. Dustin usually has to use one hand to secure the camera, which makes it unsafe for both him and the camera. After tons of research, we came across the Spider Holster X Backpacker, which you can purchase here. It’s a small device that you can install on the strap of your hiking bag so the camera can attach quickly and securely. This Spider Camera Holster is our favorite camera holster for hiking, canyoneering, and other adventures.

What We Don’t Like About The Spider Holster X Backpacker

Price

One of the main complaints about the Spider Holster X Backpacker is how expensive it is. Depending on what website you purchase it from, it ranges from $75 to $95. It is not something we would spend just for a GoPro or an action camera. It is a bit too expensive and overkill for a $350 GoPro. However, when it comes to keeping our more expensive gear safe, $100 for a camera holster is not bad of an investment to take for hiking and other dangerous adventures.

Installation Process and Design

Another issue that we have with the Spider Holster X Backpacker is the installation process. At first, it’s a bit tricky. You have to push the two lobes at the bottom together while pushing the plate out at the same time. It does require some strength. This means that whatever backpack you put it on, it will most likely stay there for a bit. After a few times, it does break-in, which makes the process a bit easier, however, we almost rage-quit in the beginning. In a way, it can be reassuring because we know that the Backpacker won’t come off easy during dangerous activities. If you want to see how it’s done, you can watch our video below.

Because of the design, the little pin at the bottom of the camera plate sticks out. It can be a bit annoying for some people. However, it wasn’t a big deal for us. After a few times, we got used to it. One more issue with the design is that it puts all the weight of the camera on one shoulder. During longer hikes or adventures, it can be quite uncomfortable. Also, the camera plate seems to get loose a few times on our adventures. Luckily, it is an easy fix. We just had to tighten the screw with the D-ring.

This last point is not so much of a negative rather than its capability. The Spider Holster X Backpacker is meant for smaller, mirrorless cameras such as the Sony A7iii or action cameras such as a GoPro. It is not meant for a DSLR or heavier camera set ups.

What We Love About The Spider Holster X Backpacker

Self-Locking System

Now, let’s talk about all the positive things about the Spider Holster X Backpacker. Besides the fact that it is made in America, the Spider Holster X Backpacker also provides a quick way to access the camera. You can quickly take the camera on and off, that way, you won’t miss any important moments. It has a self-locking system, which automatically locks the camera in as soon as you drop it into the slot. To release it, you just have to pull on the little locking lever on the side as you pull the camera out. If you prefer to keep it unlocked the whole time, you can always keep that little level in the upward position.

Hands-Free and Quick Access Camera Holster for Hiking

The way Spider Holster X Backpacker is designed to give us a hands-free way to securely and safely carry the camera. This way, we can use both of our hands when rappelling or climbing up and down boulders and cliffs. This also eliminates the need for a camera strap. So, it will give you a better range of motion when shooting with your camera since you’re not limited to the length of the strap. This makes it a perfect little camera holster for hiking, boulder climbing, and more. In the beginning, we (more Dustin) were worried that we would forget that the camera is not attached to a strap and accidentally drop it. However, without the strap, the camera feels completely different so we don’t have any problem not remembering.

The Design

The General Design

We also love the design of the Spider Holster X Backpacker. You can tell that they put a lot of thought into it. The Backpacker has a solid construction, with nice padding where the camera’s coming into contact with your chest. This helps protect the camera from banging into you. It also comes with a rubber piece that sandwiches between the two sides of the device. This keeps the Spider Camera Holster from sliding up and down the backpack’s strap.

Because it’s designed to provide quick access, the camera does swing around a little, nothing significant. However, if you want to keep it from swinging around, there is a bungee strap on the side of the pad that you can use to strap down your camera. Since this limits the quick access, we usually only use this on sketchy parts. Most of the time, we don’t really use or need this little feature.

As we said previously in the negative section, the design puts all the weight on one shoulder. Fortunately, you can take off the holster portion out of the main holder. It has a clip on the back that can be clipped onto your belt. This is super useful if you want to alleviate the weight from your shoulder and put it on your hip instead. We were super grateful for this little feature on a few of our 8-10 hour hikes.

Camera Plate

There are two plates that come in the box for the Spider Holster X Backpacker. One is for a professional camera, the other one is to use with a GoPro or an action camera. The camera plate has an Arca Swiss tripod mount built-in that can be easily attached to the bottom of the camera using a screw with a D-Ring. This way, you won’t need any extra tools. This makes it quite convenient when you want to take the plate on and off the camera holster while hiking. Because the plate is the Arca Swiss style, you can also put it straight onto a tripod. The camera plate also has a ¼-20 thread that you can use to attach other tripod plates as well as a camera strap.

GoPro Plate

The plate for the GoPro attaches directly to standard GoPro mounts. It acts as a steady chest mount for the GoPro. This means once you mount the GoPro, it’s meant to stay there. You can take the GoPro on and off, but not quickly. If you prefer the use it the same way as the mount for the professional camera, you can purchase a selfie stick that has a ¼-20 thread. You also have to purchase the small pin that would drop into the little slot on the Backpacker. Spider Holster sells this little pin for $12 (including shipping and handling). As we mentioned above, it is overkill for a small GoPro.

The Verdict

After almost a year of using the Spider Holster X Backpacker, we love it. The positives definitely outweighed the negatives. If you’re thinking about using this setup for a GoPro or an action camera, we don’t recommend it. There are cheaper options out there. However, if you’re planning to carry your professional cameras with you on your adventures, we definitely recommend the Spider Camera Holster X Backpacker. It’s a perfect little camera holster for hiking and more. You can purchase the kit through either Amazon or Spider Holster website. We found it cheaper through Amazon.