how to keep camera interior dry?!

[forrestdweller]

one of the items in my bag is a fuji xp80 pocket camera (supposedly waterproof and bought in 2015 after posting a thread on here looking for a new toy )which i carry to take occasionally pics of wildlife. i noticed since a while that the screen got blurry around the edges, today (after not using the camera for some time) i noticed some "fuzz" growing all along the edges of the screen (like cobwebs) -- sadly the humidity of the tropics finds it's way into everything and slowly destroys it no matter how much care you take :-( . i'm rather sure the seal(s) are intact and moisture gets in during charge (which happens via USB cable, meaning the camera housing is open during this time. i've always charged the camera on sunny days and around noon to reduce risk of moisture getting in)
is there a way to trap the moisture which gets in and remove it by simple DIY/ household methods?! i was thinking of a few grains of rice (=to be replaced every time i charge my camera)
(i'm currently not rich enough to buy a new camera so i'd like to use mine a bit longer and (as i dislike them) don't carry my phone with me when going out so that's not an option for taking pics)

thanks!

 

[Fadcode]

Those little packets of silicon, packed inside a dry bag, also never leave a camera inside a bag too long, I use a Billingham bag, which although waterproof has plenty of vents in it, so the air circulates,, you can buy de-humidifier granules in a plastic container in the £ shops which collect the moisture, they are quite big so you would need to see if they would fit in your bag. Also a bag of rice would soak up moisture.

 

[knowledge=gain]

Also a bag of rice would soak up moisture.

correct me if i am wrong yet if one puts rice in say a clean sock and place the riced sock and electronic device in a bag the rice will wick the moisture from the electronic device

 

[forrestdweller]

thanks for the replies
i'll wait for the next dry day (it's been pouring down all day...) and then open the camera and put it in a bag of rice (which is easy to come by as it's a staple food here in the caribbean )
i normally leave my camera inside my shoulder bag (otherwise i'll forget it and it's not there when i need it, but wipe it dry (and don't stick it back until everything is dry again) if i got caught by a tropical storm or other misfortune involving water -- but given that its a waterproof camera some external moisture shouldn't be a problem?!

 

[Mesquite]

Moisture proof is slightly different to waterproof.

Moisture is much finer and can seep slowly over time though seals if you leave the camera constantly in a damp or extremely humid atmosphere.

Being as you're in the caribbean your best bet is to keep the camera out of your day bag when not in use and keep some of the moisture absorbing satchets around it.

 

[Broch]

We always made sure our cameras were packed in sealed plastic bags when we moved between temperatures in tropical areas - the worst was going in and out of air conditioned hotels. It didn't stop one of my lenses getting ruined by condensation though

 

[forrestdweller]

Moisture proof is slightly different to waterproof.

Moisture is much finer and can seep slowly over time though seals if you leave the camera constantly in a damp or extremely humid atmosphere.

Being as you're in the caribbean your best bet is to keep the camera out of your day bag when not in use and keep some of the moisture absorbing satchets around it.

thanks for the advice
that moisture here is indeed good at sneaking into everything and slowly destroying it :-( (which means permanently checking and TLC to avoid unpleasant surprises...)
the camera is basically part of my edc (whenever i leave the property), but i guess i've to get into the habit from now on to take it out of my bag in the evening, sticking it into a small plastic (tupperware) box with some absorbent sachets (or rice for now until i got some) and remind myself to transfer it into my shoulder bag before heading out...
makes me wonder if i should store my recently acquired monocular in the same box as well to avoid humidity issues when not using it (it's supposed to be waterproof and filled with nitrogen + has lifetime warranty but better safe than sorry...)

Broch's advice about air condition is a good one too -- the places where i'm normally going fortunately don't have any but keeping a few ziploc bags ready when having to go to public places like hospitals and court houses etc. is probably a good idea

 

[YEOLDOAK]

Apart from maybe using silicone gel sachets, or even the re usable ones,
I used to keep my little Cannon compacts in Otter boxes, or little Peli boxs
when not in use for any length of time, chuck in a couple silicone sachets,
it was mainly to keep the stuff dry from the Knoydart weather : )