Backpacking Recorder

[Kyle P]

Often at work, I find that listening to "The Sounds of Nature" on Spotify can be calming and keeps me focused. That got me thinking then that it would be neat to attempt to make some of my own recordings. I could use a recorder when camping, backpacking, hunting, fishing, etc to capture the sounds around me. So my questions for all of you are:

Have any of you used a recorder when backpacking? If so, any recommendations?

I did some searching online today and found some articles from Backpacker that gave some pointers, but I wanted to see if anyone here had experience with this.

I think it would be neat to have recordings from backpacking to go back and listen to whenever I like. A stressful day at work seems like it could be remedied by listening to the sounds of a campfire and the typical camp conversations that some buddies and I had in the past. Or even just the sound of walking along a mountain trail...

Thanks in advance!

Kyle

 

[Wyatt Carson]

I guess it depends on the sound quality you are looking for but it seems a lot of folks are using iphones or ipads from almost everything these days, maps, navigation, reference books, video/audio recordings and more. They don't have shotgun mikes if that is what you need to capture some of the sounds but they do some pretty impressive things for their small size.

 

[Nick]

@Dave probably knows a lot about this.

 

[Dave]

A smartphone mic can work but it's not the best tool for the job. A cheap handheld recorder like something from Zoom or Tascam will get the job done. The Zoom H4 is used by a lot of amateur DSLR filmmakers. The Tascam DR05 is compact and lightweight.

 

[Q-see]

A smartphone mic can work but it's not the best tool for the job. A cheap handheld recorder like something from Zoom or Tascam will get the job done. The Zoom H4 is used by a lot of amateur DSLR filmmakers. The Tascam DR05 is compact and lightweight.

I have a Zoom H1 recorder and I like it.
Pros:
- sound quality
- slim case
- weight
Cons:
- the case is cheap plastic and squeaks when I hold it in the hand

I know there are better recorders especially regarding the case but you get enough for the money.
I usually use it with a spider mount on my DSLR, that way the cheap case doesn't matter. I also use a dead kitten to avoid wind noise.

If you are going to make a slideshow, I recommend to add a some sound, it gives it a much more realistic touch.
Doesn't have to be much sound, just here some wind, there some water, or a squeking dead tree.

 

[Parma]

I am so glad that this thread is about an actual recording device you were referring to and not a little flute/recorder.

 

[Kyle P]

Thanks for the tips everyone!

I'm liking the Zoom H1 and Tascam DR05 right now. Those are in the price range I'm looking for. I'll have to dig in and research them a little more.

Thanks again,

Kyle