Rent a GoPro or Insta360 for your next trip

Older bodies cost least. Hero 11 combos sit at the bottom of the range, Hero 12 and Hero 13 combos above them, and the standalone Hero 12 and Hero 13 near the top. Insta360's X3 is one of the cheapest options here, while the X4 bullet-time combo costs more. In the current listings, Hero 11 combos cost less per day than a standalone Hero 11, so check combos first.

Mounts and add-ons such as chest mounts, helmet straps, suction cups, red filters and spare batteries are listed separately at a few dozen rupees a day, so you can build your own kit around a standalone camera. Each combo listing says exactly what's in the box.

Combos are named after the activity they are packed for. Match the combo to your trip, then add any single mount the combo leaves out.

A GoPro shoots a fixed wide frame. What you point it at is what you get, and clips are ready to share straight off the card or through the GoPro Quik app. It's the simpler choice for dives, rides and point-of-view footage.

An Insta360 X-series camera records everything around it in 360 degrees. You choose the framing later in the Insta360 app, and the selfie stick disappears from the shot, which gives the floating-camera look in travel reels. The trade-off is editing time: every clip needs reframing before you post it. Rent a 360 camera if you enjoy editing and want unusual angles; rent a GoPro if you want to shoot and share fast.

The GoPro HERO13 Black launched in India at ₹44,990 for the camera alone. Mounts, a dive housing, spare batteries and a fast memory card add more on top. If you take two or three adventure trips a year, renting for those days costs a fraction of that, and you always get a current model with the right mounts for the trip.

Action cameras take a beating, so a few minutes of checks at pickup saves a ruined trip.