How should I pack equipment when travelling in countries with high crime rates?

Question

I'm going to travel individually in Sub-Saharan Africa where the crime rate is high. Most of the time I will do landscape photography and only a few shots in urban areas. I've been there already, but without valuable camera gear. I'm not sure if I should strip down my equipment to low budget but evidently suffer loss of quality and focal range.

How do you pack your stuff when travelling such regions? What is your experience?

Answer

I live in a country where crime-rate is quite high but that doesn't prevent the photographers here from buying/using expensive gears. All you have to do is be a little more careful than usual. I'd suggest:

1. Avoid lone journeys. If possible gather a group of people.
2. Use public transports as much as possible avoiding taxis.
3. Try to avoid late night and too early in the morning shootings.
4. Be as inconspicuous as possible. Prefer black lenses over the white ones!
5. Ask hotel/resort manager about the place before going to shoot there.
6. If possible, ask someone local to assist/accompany you during your walks.
7. Do not carry any company branded (Canon/Nikon etc) camera bag. Use something that doesn't make it obvious that you're carrying expensive gears.

One of my friends once got in the hand of a group of thugs. He introduced himself as a journalist of a local leading newspaper and later successfully managed to escape them paying a few dollars only for their treat. Just in case, you might use the trick! =)

EDIT: It just came to mind, several companies offer insurance for your photographic equipments. If you're seriously worried, you can try reading through their offers and get a suitable plan for you. A simple google search helps!

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