The camera is only half the story. What actually determines whether you come home with usable footage or a memory card full of shaky, badly-framed clips is the accessories you build around it. Here’s what’s genuinely worth adding to your kit, organised by activity.
The essentials, whatever you’re doing
A spare battery. Action cameras chew through battery life fast, especially in cold weather or when shooting high frame rates. A dual charger that lets you top up two batteries at once means you’re never caught out mid-trip. See options on Amazon.
A fast memory card. For 4K footage, you want a card rated at least UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) and Video Speed Class 30 (V30). Anything slower can cause dropped frames or corrupted clips on longer takes. Carry a spare card too; running out of storage mid-adventure is a rite of passage everyone regrets once. Check this SanDisk Extreme 128GB card on Amazon.
A protective case. A small hard case that fits in a backpack keeps your camera, mounts, batteries, and cables together and protected, and it’s genuinely one of the most-overlooked purchases until the day you need it. See options on Amazon.
For hiking
A chest mount. This is the standout choice for hikers and backpackers: it gives a natural, chest-high point of view without needing to hold anything, and works well for long treks where you want continuous footage without babysitting a handheld grip. See options on Amazon.
A head strap, as the alternative. If you’d rather capture exactly what you’re looking at rather than a chest-level view, a head strap mount gives a true first-person perspective, better suited to narrower trails or moments where framing what you’re seeing matters more than a wider shot. See options on Amazon.
For cycling
A handlebar/pole mount. Look for a quick-release, adjustable design that clamps onto handlebars, seat posts, or similar cylindrical surfaces. The best versions let you cycle through angles quickly and hold firm even over rough terrain, and are worth pairing with a durable housing if you’re riding anywhere technical. See options on Amazon.
A helmet mount, for POV shots. Where a handlebar mount captures the bike and trail, a helmet mount captures where you’re actually looking, which is useful for descents, technical sections, or anywhere the view itself is the story. See options on Amazon.
For water sports
If you’re shopping for your specific camera model, it’s worth checking GoPro’s official accessories range to see what’s designed specifically for your setup.
A floating hand grip. Non-negotiable for surfing, kayaking, or snorkelling. If you drop the camera, a floating grip means you get it back instead of watching it sink. This is the single accessory experienced water-sports creators mention most. Check GoPro’s official Handler grip on Amazon.
Dive filters. If you’re shooting underwater, colour correction filters help counteract the blue/green cast that naturally occurs below the surface, giving footage that looks far closer to true colour once you’re back on dry land editing. See options on Amazon.
A submersible housing, if your camera doesn’t already have one built in. Check your model’s native waterproof rating before assuming you need one.
Building a starter kit without overspending
If you’re just getting going, you don’t need every accessory on this list at once. A sensible starter kit covers: a spare battery, a floating grip (even if you’re not doing water sports yet, since it doubles as a stable handheld grip on land), a mount suited to your primary activity, and a fast memory card. Add specialised mounts and filters as you figure out what you actually shoot most.
The honest lesson from anyone who’s built out a full accessory collection: buy for the activities you actually do, not the ones you imagine doing. A small kit of accessories you use every trip beats a drawer full of specialised mounts gathering dust.
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