Body Cam Hack

I was doing some serious thinking (this is my serious face) about a silly idea. Wouldn't be cool to use a cell phone as a body camera. I have a Go Pro with the cool water proof case and the clever mounts. It is a little weird to walk around the restaurant with a camera on top of your head. Besides I carry a cell phone a lot more often than my Go Pro.

It really is not a phone it is sophisticated computer camera, video, map, flashlight etc. So the problem is how to do a cell phone hands free. Then it hit me duhh... It is a simple sewing project.

Step 1: Sew Two Shirts Together

Take two T shirts one with a high collar on the inside and one with a slightly lower collar on the outside. Pin them together where the cell phone would fit between the collars. Using three pins mark the edges to form a pocket. Create the pocket between the two shirts by sewing a continuous seam from the top of the collar to the lowest pin and back up the other side to the collar. .

Step 2: Test the Angle

Test the pocket by putting the cell phone inside and face the mirror. I turned the phone around as if doing a Sellfie so I could push the button to test the angle of the dangle. If your chest is not flat you may need to pad the pocket to change your camera's point of view.

Step 3: Cover It Up

Put on the outer shirt and leave the top button open. (This is my half serous face). This leaves an opening for the lens. To hide the camera just close the opening in the outer shirt. If stealth is important you can camouflage the cell phone lens by casually hanging a pair of sunglasses in your collar such that the camera lens is under the sunglasses lens. One advantage of having the camera mounted on your chest instead of your hat is less movement when you look around. And you don't feel near so silly.

After a pleasant canoe trip I met my wife and some friends for dinner and no one noticed I was still wearing my body camera. When I told them I was packing, they were shocked that I could have been taping them at dinner. I pointed out there were working cameras all around the restaurant.

Other options are to use the ear buds and microphone for a crisp clear audio. There are blue tooth remote devices that will turn on and off the camera if you wish to have more hands free options such as still pictures.

Other straps could be installed to keep the phone inside the pocket if you plan on hanging upside down or capsizing your canoe.

Step 4: Record Responsibly.

Start the phone in either video or time lapse mode and put the phone in the hidden pocket. Begin creating your video. I have trouble getting rid of that serious face.

Caution just because you can take a video it does not make it interesting. Proof of that is this test video. Now you can have a body camera that rivals that of the expensive police cameras. And your video will be on YouTube faster than a duck on a June bug.