Backpacking (Lowepro) testimonials...

<p>I have searched photo.net and other resources about recommendations for backpacking

and seams that most of users are suggesting Lowepro Trekker AW series. Few months ago

friend of mine got a distribution of Lowepro equipment and I can get really low prices (under

200 USD for Pro and under 250 for Super model).<br>

What I would like to ask photographers on this forum is if they can post a photo of packaged LF

equipment in one of those Backpacks. Or to e-mail me so not to take bandwidth of photo.net

(but I believe much other visitors would like to see *real* use of that backpacks.<br>

I own and will like to pack Sinar F1 with 3 lenses on lensboards, 10 doublesided film holders,

polaroid back and some more small stuff (dark cloth, 2 bellows...)<br>

The meaning of seeing others equipment is to decide which one will be better for me because

we are (here where I'm living) too small market to have un-sellable things in shops...</p>

<p>Tnx, Janko.</p>

Janko, there is an entire chapter in Jack Dykinga's book, "Large Format Nature Photography" devoted to the subject. He shows pictures of the two models of the Lowepro Trekker backpacks that he uses. He illustrates how he packs them and what equipment he includes. I obtained my copy of the book from View Camera magazine. You can probably get a copy from Amazon.com. It's well worth reading.

I would think with a relativly bulky Sinar F1 and all the holders you want to take, you'd be better off with the larger Super model. I have the smaller Photo Trekker AW, but I use the much smaller Toyo 45AX with Readylaods. There's also an piece in the March/April 2002 View Camera mag by Jack Dykinga with pics if you happen to have that issue. It's called "taking Your 4x5 for a Walk" and has info much like in his book. He uses a Arca-Swiss monorail.

 

Good luck, Ed

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/4x5.shtml

 

Contains picture, with labels and description.

My entire LF kit fits in a Lowepro Photo Trekker AW (the next size down from the Pro). Totally loaded it weighs about 30lbs. With judicious and careful arangement, you can get an enormous amount of equipment in these things (too much, in fact). I just took everything out of my pack and here is the inventory (which supprised me; I even found a roll of tape I had been looking for):<br>

Ebony SV45U, second back with Bosscreen, Cambo reflex viewer, 8 lenses, Lee filter holder and 10 filters, Kodak Readyload holder, tilting loupe, linen-tester loupe, light meter, timer cable, Vivitar flash, trash bag, cotton cloth, BTZS darkcloth, close-up prescription glasses, box of readyloads, small pre-marked tape measures (bellows extension aids), anti-static bush, blower bulb, digital recorder (for notes), countdown timer, 2 relfector cards, bundjee cord, sweat-band, plastic tube (cold-weather, under-the-cloth, anti-breath-fog device), pens, cable release, small gray card, flash diffuser, and one calico cat.<br>

Wait, the cat just crawled in, it wasn't part of the kit. Geez. No wonder my back hurts, sometimes. I can carry all this about 2-3 miles due to the excellent weight distribution of the Lowepro. If it's a longer hike, I generally remove a lot of this and "narrow" the kit considerably. When shooting from the "back of my car", I lug the whole thing. In order to carry 8 lenses, I "stack" them between flip-up padding dividers and use "hard" lens caps. I attached a JPEG of this mess.<div></div>

Steve, Has anyone ever told you that you just have too much crap? ;-) How do you ever manage to make a photograph? And 30lbs? I have the same pack with a Toyo 45AX and 2 lenses and mine is 25.5lbs. The pack alone is about 8lbs. And you really need to start leaving the cat home. Does he clean all those lenses for you?

Take care, Ed

Oh wait, I was including by tripod at about 6.5lbs....

I also use the Photo Trekker AW. It holds a Toyo AX, six mounted lenses, Fuji quickload holder, 1 box of quickload film, 6X7 back, 35mm body with two zooms and a macro lens, and misc. filters, etc.

 

For day hiking, I put a Lowepro Lens Bag #5 onto one side to carry food, water, and other stuff, and my tripod is on the other side (the #5 bag is bigger than most of the Trekker accessory cases). Total weight with tripod = 35 pounds.

 

For backpacking, I stuff my overnight gear into the bottom 40% of a Greggory Denali pack (the biggest pack I could find on the market at the time) and put my entire Photo Trekker AW into the upper 60% of the backpack; the tripod and #5 bag then go on either side of the main backpack. Total weight with tripod = 65 - 70 lbs.

Janko,

Have you ever considered using a Tamrac backpack. I use the Tamrac 787 and there is ample room for all your 4x5 backpacking needs. The Tamrac system also has many accessories that can be used to expand the packs capibilities, such as side pockets, water bottle holders, etc.. Check out the system at www.tamrac.com

I use the Trekker Classic to lug my entire 35mm system (camera + 5 lenses, teleextender/closeup tube) minus the 300/4 plus a Tachihara 4x5 and two lenses (90/8 and 150/5.6). The darkcloth stuffing in the 4x5 compartment gives it good padding, and 6 film holders go in the front pocket. Filters etc. are shared with 35mm and 35mm camera is the lightmeter for now. All of this appears to weigh around 20 lbs, and is very good for hiking. I did a 7 mile hike in the Virgin river at Zion with this pack (but without the 4x5) a couple of years ago and it went quite well. I got the trekker classic from New York Camera in Germany for about $110 bucks, quite a good deal I believe.

 

Praveen

Janko,

 

Consider an F64 BPX pack. I use it for a rail, an Arca-Swiss F Line Field, extra bellows, rail, meter, holders, cloth, notebook, meter, 6 lenses, filters, compendium lens hood, etc. It weighs less than the larger Lowe and its price is competitive.

 

Bob

Yup me too.

 

I carry a Toyo 5x7 Field Camera (the older one) configured to be a 4x5. I carry about ten 4x5 film holders, a Polaroid 405 film back (and an extra pack of Polaroid film), a Cabin 4x loupe, a 65 SA f8, a 90 SA f8, a 150 Xenar, a 210 Symmar convertible, and a 300 f9 M Nikkor. The lenses are small and my back thanks me!

 

As well I have a Minolta IVf meter, a BTZS darkcloth, various filters, a couple of cable releases plus cloth cleaning rags, bellows calculator, a note book. Plus there's a lens changing wrench, a bubble level, and a multitool.

 

If I think that I will need more film than I've loaded I bring that, a changing bag and some empty film boxes. Generally though I like to leave that stuff at the base camp.

 

My Photo Trekker AW is a little bit older than the current model and I can't use the LowePro tripod hanger. It's designed for the Photo Trekker, just not mine; which LowePro has gone out of its way NOT to talk about. So I try to lash the tripod (a wood Beurleback with a Manfroto ball head) to the back in some fashion, although I carry it by hand if it's a short trip.

 

Since I just find it so much more comfortable to be able to sit down to compose, rather than kneeling on a pebble, I do bring a small tripod camping chair that I attach to the outside of the bag.

My packed Pro Trekker AW looks like <a href="http://www.twestbrook.com/Photography/Large_Format/Arca-Swiss/packed-up.jpg">this</a>. More comments about the pack <a href="http://www.twestbrook.com/Photography/Large_Format/Travel_Gear/travel_gear.html">here</a>.

<p>

If you only plan to use the bag as a camera bag for fairly short trips, the LowePro will work fine (though the F64's seem to be lighter for the same size). If you want to <i>really</i> backpack and want to carry the camera gear along, the LowePro's are worthless--the harness system doesn't seem to be designed for long-distance trekking, and it weighs too much at about 9 lbs. For backpacking with photography, you'd be far better off buying a pack made for backpacking & adapting it to fit your camera gear.

<p>Hello to everyone and tnx on fast and good responses.</p>

Well, as much as you guys want to help, so much I "hate" you... JOKE! ...I just "have" to hate all

that people who can try before they buy, who can rent before they decide, who can return to

shop if they don't like... and especially people who can choose...<br>

<i>I live in small central European country (maybe someone have heard or read about

Croatia?... the country where tie was invented... horrible thing :)) where photography is really

small market, and specially "classic - analog" photography, not to mention LF. We can choose

between Sinar and Sinar, between Rodenstock, Sinaron (same but cheaper here!) and Nikkor...

no Schneider, no Fujinon and not to mention something else... no Toyo, no Linhof, not to speak

about Toho or Calumet or... Neader we can buy quickloads or Polaroid material... Hopefully

there is e-bay and crazy high import taxes, but all of that is some another story... sorry folk, but

I'm just in some slow-motion-blues mood.</i><br>

Well. That is. No Tamrac bags, just Lowepro, Tenba and CaseLogic. So I can choose between

several Lowepro models. That is. If I want to buy some, I have to order and wait... I can not go

to the shop with my suitcase full of stuff (not that full as Steve's backpack:)) to check which

backpack will fill my needs. There are no bags. Just catalog. And prices (tnx to my friend, I can

get lower prices).<br>

I could get something more to choose on second-hand on-line market (you now the name) but

for those kind of stuff, I want new one. That is something what should *cover* my equipment!

(snow, fog, dust, sand, horse, fall...) SO that is reason why I have asked for some photos...

(Scott, tnx on link). I can not subscribe on View Camera mag (don't understand why... I just got

such answer form UK) so I can read just few lines on-line... can some one scan photos from that

article and mail me? 72dpi previews will be fine. Not the whole story, not high resolution (that

may obuse copyrights) just some preview..</p>

<p>Tnx again. Janko</p>

<p>btw, rather than on mine e-mail you can send me scans (if you can get some) on my firm's

address (unlimited space in mailbox... terabyte server :)))<br>

well, here it is: janko[at_sign]handdesign.hr</p>

<p>tnx</p>

<p>Tnx Tom. Fine descriptions behind link.<br>

Anyway, I'm not much afraid of taking all my stuff on my back - I'm mountaineer (not alpineer, or

however you call people who travels on ice and stone like spiderman) end can carry as much as

14 kilo... (my own record is 17,5 kg). But as I get more ages, I like to cary less... I will walk from

half hour up to 5 hours (ones in a year). I will climb to 500 meters and to 2000 meters (ones in a

year)... The further I will go I will take less equipment or will stick to mine Hasselblad system. I'm

not afraid to take just old Rolleicord and Canonet aswell, but I would like to go to the easiest

climbs with my "new" Sinar... that is.<br>

btw, anyone can tell me how many "that" lbs goes to one kilo? Or how many Kg is one

"lib"/"lb"?</p>

<p>Tnx again and again and... have a nice light!</p>

Don't have a picture of this, but I doubt that it would add anything. I get my Zone VI 8x10 into an older Super Trekker, the one with the tripod case on the front. One divider - the camera is below it, with two film holders on top of the camera. Eight more take up the upper half of the pack, with the spotmeter fitted into the slight bit of 'room' created by the curve of the top of the pack. Lenses (wrapped) and filters go into the outside pockets - I'm VERY careful not to let it fall forward! I use a flange for the lenses, which lets me keep them in smaller packages than if I had to wrap up lensboards with them.

 

Not a lot of extra room, but it works.

 

Tony

I have the second largest Lowepro AW, and to be honest, I don't like it. I cram in a lightweight 5x7, four compact lenses, seven film holders, Lee filters and hood, meter, cloth et al. I have no idea what it weighs.

 

As backpacks go, it fits me pretty poorly. That said, I am pretty short, 165cm, so many packs are simply too big. I have another (regular, not photo) backpack, a Kelty Redwing, which I use for longer hikes which fits me like a glove.

1 lb = .45 kg, 2.2 kg = 1 lb.

 

US measurement is a pretty stupid system, but you get used to it after a while, although I can never remember how many feet in a mile.

C'mon Jason Sanford Greenberg, get the arithmetics right!

Steve,

 

Where does the cat fit into the bag, and who let it out? :-)

 

Cheers,

Graeme

sorry,

 

I reversed it.

I found the Lowepro to be well made except for one problem - I'm too tall for the waist strap, it's closer to my ribs than my waist. I'm 190cm and have to use the pack without the waist strap. As someone pointed out, the bigger packs let you take more equipment, which isn't always a good thing! I can fit my Sinar F inside if I take the standards off the rail. I have the Trekker AW (not pro), but they're very similar in size (the Pro has an internal frame).

I use the Super Trekker AW for hauling around all manner of gear, be it 4x5, medium format, 8x10, or sometimes even darkroom gear when I need to haul a bunch of stuff to another building. I find it a very comfortable pack to carry, even when fully loaded. The harness on it, properly adjusted of course, is excellent and of expedition quality. I also have the bigger of the two F.64 backpacks and while it certainly is lighter than the LowePro, the harness is practically worthless and in fact I took of the waist belt long ago as even at it's smallest it was still quite loose around my waist. It holds an 8x10 field, 4 film holders, focusing cloth, a lens or two, meter, and filters perfectly, but I wouldn't want to carry it more than a few miles. But anyway, long story short, the LowePro packs are top-notch and I would definitely consider one, particularly at the prices you mentioned.

I am using regular pack (Kelty) with internal frame since I do a lot of alpine skiing and backpacking tours. I just wrap my Linhof and all photo gears (max. 2 lenses and 8 cassettes at a time) in several plastic bags, though you must guard it against wind. It is the lightest arrangement.

 

Dave - these mountain packs are manufactured in several sizes (same volume) so you can choose the right length for your hight.