Backpacks

[glsmyth]

Backpacks. It is time for me to get my LF camera out of the bag and

into a pack (my shoulder just can't take it any longer). I am looking

for suggestions. I only have three lenses, so my equipment is not

extensive. I've got a Zone VI field camera, a set of filters in a

wallet about three times the size of the one I keep in my back pocket,

and the regular small necessities. I normally carry half a dozen film

holders, and roll back, and a pocketful of 120 film rolls.

 

It would not make much sense for me to get a large pack that will

remain essentially empty. Any suggestions as to what might work for

me? I assume that the tripod just has to be carried (it ain't light).

All recommendations appreciated.

 

Cheers -

 

george

[bruce watson]

I backpack my 4x5 kit. I'm using an Osprey Eclipse 42.

 

http://www.ospreypacks.com/eclipse_42+5.htm

 

This pack fits me really well, and keeps nearly all the weight on my hips and not my shoulders. For photographers, the foam sides can be pulled tight across the back to a) keep the contents up against your back, and b) pad across the back in case you fall.

 

Since it's basically designed for skiing, there are enough straps that you can strap your tripod onto the back, right in the middle. You get excellent balance, the weight is as close to your own center of gravity as you can get, and the suspension system for the pack is the best I've run across in the last 30 years.

 

I've used mine on many a day long hike up and down the mountains. It's been nearly three years now, and I don't even think about other packs. This is one problem that is completely solved for me.

[vinny_walsh]

I use a Lowepro Photo Trekker Classic and carry about the same gear you do with tripod

on my shoulder. Plenty of room and internal frame keeps gear from digging into your

back.

[eric_leppanen]

I have been very happy with my Lowepro Super Trekker AW II. I originally purchased this pack for my 8x10 outfit, but found that the shoulder harness and waist belt were so comfortable (and well designed for a tall person like myself) that I use it even for my smaller gear. It does a good job of placing most of the weight on my waist, so that even though it is a heavy pack it does not feel that way.

 

I believe the smaller Pro, Photo, and Nature Trekker packs also have the same adjustable harness.

[johnmarkpainter]

I got a "Large" f64 pack from B&H. Excellent. Cheaper than the Lowepro packs of the

same size.

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=NavBar&A=search&Q=&ci=4429

 

I also have a Mini Trekker. You could fit all of your gear into it (tightly), but it won't carry

as easily as a larger pack like the f64 or the Photo Trekker.

 

jmp

[www.graemehird.com]

George,<p>

 

I made my own lining for a travel pack for my LF gear. I'd recommend going slightly larger than what you expect to need - you may need to carry water or clothing occasionally.<p>

 

Go to this <a href="http://www.scenebyhird.com/OtherPages/TechniquesPage.htm">URL </a> and choose the "Build Your Own Backpack" option to see what I've done.<p>

 

Cheers,<br>

Graeme

[scott___1]

hi george... i haven't gone through a ridiculous number of packpacks, but i have worked with three. the first was a lowepropack super trekker which was, by my estimate, the worst backpack i've ever used. it's heavy, bulky, and uncomfortable to shoulder. i then moved to a dana designs new world, a fabulous backapack, but a top loader. the pack carries wonderfully, but the top loading got a bit tiresome. i've now switched to a ospery switch, very similar to the pack hogarth is using, and it AWESOME. carries very well and is a oanel loading pack. if i were you, i'd forget about the photo backpacks and look for more traditional backpacks, and panel loaders at that. read the article on grame's site, it's very informative. also, check out the lowepro onmi series of bags... they will make any backpack a 'photo' backpack.

 

good luck,

scott

[glsmyth]

Thank you for the helpful suggestions. I used a backpack for the past 15 years for going into the wilderness, but never really considered using it to carry my camera gear, as the internal section is not partioned. Perhaps that should be my first consideration, then I should move to something dedicated if that does not work well. Good information - I appreciate it.

 

Cheers -

 

george

[benjamin_lineberry]

I can second the mini-trekker. I carry a wista 45sp, 6x9 back, 72mm, 120mm, and a 210mm lenses, polaroid back, meter, filters, 120 roll film and 4x5 readyloads, all in the one back.

 

b.

[hugh_jaramillo]

George,

 

I backpack with my linhoff view camera, tree lenses a polaroid back and a whole bunch of asorted equipment. All off it fit into two padded bycicle cases and inside a german army ruck sack which I purchase at cabelas for 14.99

 

http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jhtml?id=0026022516442a&navAction=jump&navCount=1&indexId=cat20124&podId=0026022&catalogCode=IF&parentId=cat20124&parentType=index&rid=&cmCat=MainCatcat20075&hasJS=true

 

The item number is IF-516442 at cabelas.com.

 

The tripod I carry on a separate sling bag.

[george_stewart1]

from 6x9 to 12x20, fron the Sahara to Antarctica, the Kifaru line of Packs can carry it and more. They are very impressive and custom made for the customer. They are not padded though. http://www.kifaru.net

[shawn_kielty1]

I bought two -- A Kelty redwing and a Kelty Red cloud -- for about $250 all day. Handles my gear nicely -- is panel loading-- is hydration compatible and doesn't beat me up too badly. The redwing handles the camera -- a first aid kit, and lunch, The redcloud is good for an overnight or three.

 

Shawn

[lars ake vinberg]

I use the current SuperTrekker II for my 8x10 monorail - this pack has a very good harness for heavy (55-70lbs) load. I was a bit surprised to read Scotts negative comments on the Supertrekker above, I guess experiences vary. The smaller trekkers are not very good for tall people as they will sitt too high on your back for the waistbelt to be functional. Try them out!

[huw_finney]

'ere you go....<div></div>

[huw_finney]

Now has a new Gitzo tripod instead.<div></div>

[Sandeha Lynch]

What does that weigh, Huw? The green insert looks like 9mm marine plywood.

[huw_finney]

15kg, the green stuff is 3mm ply and balsa for packing covered in baize.

[paul_e._cassidy]

Hello George, I use a very large Tenba with dividers for a field or press, instead of a rollfilm camera. I have packed a complete 4x5 woodfield kit with three lenses, filters, shades, cloths, meters, etc etc. . . it will easily take my 4x5 field, 5x7 wood field and I am currently looking into packing a Kodak 8x10 2D BUT!!! the stock bag will not protect the groundglass I need to make an acrylic cover to protect the 8x10 window. To summerize it is a huge bag that will take clothing and small field kit for a one bag excursion. It is wonderful for transport of camera gear and a feature I love here in Florida, it has a build in rain fly cover! It is L12 x H21 x D6 model P264 with a few additional dividers I purchased from the Tenba folks in NYC who made them to sizes I requested. This allows for quick reconfiguring depending on the camera format I want to kit up with. Hope this helps, Paul

[paul_e._cassidy]

I just wanted to add the weight since it was asked earlier in this thread. The "stock" retail PBL264 weighs in at "8lb 8oz" I believe that would be about "4Kg."

 

Also failed to mention the well designed and corfortable wide padded harness & waist straps are quick to adjust and easy to position the load on the wearer.

[shawn_kielty1]

What weighs 8 lbs? the pack. I was really *wanting* my camera and gear and the bag to be 8lbs -- not just the bag.

[paul_e._cassidy]

Shawn, the backback with its basic set of internal dividers is 8lb 8oz Tenba makes different photography backpacks perhaps the smaller of the series will work?

 

My lightest field camera weighs in at just over 3 lbs without a lens.

 

I do not know of any "protective" photographic backpack that will hold a field kit with a few lenses, filter, shades and lightmeter and of course your film holders . . . that will load out at 8lbs of protected photographic system in a field kit ready to go???

 

Please if you find one post the result I would truely like to review the product. I just counted seven different size packs with the lightest being a little over 3lb. Here is the Tenba link to the pack listings.

 

http://www.tenba.com/camera/backpack3.htm

 

Enjoy, Paul

[nige_buddy]

I'm copying Graeme's. It's half finished and usable, although the seamstress (the wife) seems to have forgotten about the finishing touches that need to be completed and I'm not allowed to show anyone until it's finished!

[david_senesac]

I've backpacked several times a year for over three decades. Have backpacked with heavy 6x7 or 4x5 gear for several years, and extensive 35mm gear for two decades. From what I saw in the past, dedicated photo backpacks after being filled with photo gear left little space for the rest of gear one usually brings into the backcountry. Also there is nothing particularly special about the padding I've seen in typical dedicated compartmentalized photo backpacks that are better than many other things a creative person might do. In fact I consider all the compartmentalized stuff inflexible and space inefficient. Another problem is if one has all one's gear in the same pack, that is photo and non-photo gear, ie tent, sleeping bag, cooking gear, food, extra clothing etc, then one is lugging about too much weight when just doing photo work out in the backcountry.

 

For these and more reasons, I've been using a dual pack system which separates all the photo gear into daypacks which piggybacks onto my backpacks. Through the years I've adapted a couple backpacks and several day packs to that use. For MF/LF gear, one will need considerable space for which I use bare bones climbers packs which are much better than the typical cheap day packs one sees. They tend to have more capacity, are longer, and narrower so as not to interfere as much with climbing moves. The last two I've adapted are Black Diamond Stone L36 and L40 models which are no longer made but there are many others among several brands which fit the same functionality. Basically I attach the daypacks to the rear of my backpacks using sewed on standard plastic quickrelease latches, webbing, and buckles. Something available at any outdoor store. One doesn't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out what to do. Often while enroute hiking to a destination, I may decide to drop my backpack and hike offtrail in areas. All I need to do is unsnap the daypack latches, pull my big Gitzo off the pack via releasing bunji, and I'm off. Likewise when returning, putting the daypack back on is less than a minute operation. Thus I reduce annoying others in a group by not taking much time to get work done. Flexibility.

 

As for inside the daypack. Mine are about 2200 and 2000 cubic inches with single large sections and a top lid section. Of prime concern is protecting one's precious large format body. I have a Wisner Expedition which folds up to a a bit less than 10x10x5. To protect that I simply bought a fold your own corrugated cardboard shipping box slightly larger than those dimensions. Container and shipping stores have a large selection of sizes dirt cheap for just a few buck. Check www.uline.com for typical sizes. Single ply is fine. Super light weight and strong enough for typical inside the pack trail abuse. Believe me unless you drop your pack a ways, the boxes are not going to collapse. And if they start to get bent out of shape after a few trips of use, like on the corners, buying a new one for $3 is no pain. For lens boxes I have three similar mini shipping boxes of small 4x4x4 inch size since I keep them mounted on their own lens boards. I also have room for a couple quickload 20-pak film boxes, a quickloader. Quickloader has its own box. Each box gets a flap with a velcro closure. That leaves enough space in the daypack to toss in some extra clothers and other gear. I do need to dump the whole contents out to set up the camera, but I'm fast. Taking a shot, especially focusing is more an issue.

[shawn_kielty1]

I am sorry Paul -- I was being a bit facetious. When I said *want* -- that is exactly what I meant, but having it is a completely different story. I think 8 lbs is a lot for a bag. I have several condsiderations -- first -- I am fairly small -- so carrying 60 - 70 lbs any miles is potentially a problem. I currently have a tripod that is fairly heavy, which I have been considering changing -- but the graphite ones are pretty pricey. It seems alot to pay for the few pounds it buys. My original objective was to get all my gear in under 20 lbs. I am not even close to that now. At this point - the lighter it gets - the more it costs; Exponentially. <br>

<br>

For padding -- I wrap the camera in the dark cloth -- it's homemade and provides good padding. The padding in the bag seems a trivial, heavy and bulky extra -- that seems necessary only if you ship your gear ups or fall down a lot. I don't ever check my camera as baggage, and hopefully I won't have a problem with destroying it. I think it's more likely to get damaged when it's on the tripod. <br>

<br>

If I put the camera in my Northface Yavapai daypack (1 lb 12.3 oz) the total weight for the things listed below (minus the tripod+head) is 10.5 lbs. It's imaginable that I could reduce my tripod's weight by 2-3 lbs, which could mean a minimal setup might be as light as 15 lbs. <br><br>

 

This I think is the minimum I would carry:<br><br>

 

Tripod and head -- 6lbs 12oz <br>

 

Wista + symmar-s 135mm, dark cloth, release, and 1 uv filter -- 5 lbs 12 ozs<br>

 

Readyload film, one box -- 1 lb 4.6 oz <br>

 

Luna pro meter, readyload holder and fuji loupe -- 1 lb 10.5 oz <br>

 

Kielty Redwing 2650 with hydration -- 3 lbs 13 oz<br>

<br>

Total 19 lbs 4.1 oz<br>

<br>

With all the rest of my gear -- including roll film and Polaroid back -- plus holders, 3 lenses and filters, timer etc. it's about 28 - 30 lbs.

<br><br>

Should you be curious, the Kielty Red Cloud 5600 (with hydration bladder) is 6 lbs. I think the 2 lbs. (the difference) represents a day of food at least -- or something like a stove or a summer sleeping bag. Ideally I bought the redcloud because of it's panel access and internal sleeping bag compartment and small size. There are definitely much lighter packs available The previous one I used was 4 lbs.

<br><br>

Ultimately -- I don't want the weight of the pack to represent 10-50% of my total load...

[paul_e._cassidy]

David I agree with you. If I were going deep into wilderness country I would want pack animals like goats or dogs carrying the kit in identified weather proof hard cases. I am to old to load up like a pack mule even if I look like one!

 

I will disagree on the dividers though. I like the easy flexiblity of Tenba's design. I even take the extras and shape out an old bookbag for small transports of a 4x5 outfit.

 

My experience is the military hardform cases with molded foam inside do the best to protect. I lugged 65lb aircaft cameras through combat zones and they withstood the abuse of transport in cargo aircraft and truck beds!