Backpacking with a Monorail

[sheldonnalos]

Hello Again -

 

You might remember me from the "LF - Doing it on the Cheap!" thread

about a month or so ago...

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00FtU8&tag=

 

I've been busy shooting quite a bit, and really enjoying the camera,

process, and results. I strayed a little bit from the ultra cheap

beginnings mentioned in the previous thread, purchasing a couple

modern lenses (Fuji W 135mm f/5.6 and Nikkor W 210mm f/5.6) to

replace the press camera lens. So far the total spent is about $550

for camera and two lenses, no complaints at all!

 

However, since I live in the beautiful Pacific NW, there are a lot

of places that I would like to hike and shoot. My first 1/2 mile

hike carrying the giant hard case that the monorail came in (about

the size and weight of a 30" television) was not pleasant. I decided

I had to find something more field friendly. I've checked out a lot

of the wooden field cameras (Shen Hao, Tachihara) but even buying

one used would double the amount that I've spent to date. So I

decided to make my Cambo SC into a field monorail.

 

Here's what I did:

 

1) Went to the local used sporting goods store and purchased the

largest front loading backpack I could find. I also purchased one of

those roll up dense foam mattresses. Total cost $25.

 

2) Spent a considerable amount of time washing the dirt and odor out

of the backpack - one of the reasons it was cheap! ;-)

 

3) Cut up the foam mattress and built an insert system to hold the

monorail standards, extra lens and lensboard, film holders, loupe,

dark cloth, shutter release, and film SLR (for metering and scouting

compositions). I used a hot glue gun to put the whole thing

together. I even made a custom pad to fit between the monorail

standards so they don't bang into each other.

 

All the gear fits nicely into the pack, with a reasonable total

weight of 25 lbs, not counting the tripod and main rail. The main

rail and clamp stays attached to the tripod, and can either be hand

carried or lashed to the side of the backpack. I've timed myself

setting it up, and it takes me just under 2 minutes to go from

tacking off the backpack to having the camera completely set up on

the tripod.

 

Anyhow, thought this might be of interest to someone thinging about

dragging a monorail into the field. Don't hesitate to be creative in

making something that fits your needs.

 

Sheldon<div></div>

[bill_taylor2]

Looks very good. How secure do you geel going long distances? Things shift and bump and grind. When you open up the pack, you don't want any nasty surprises.

[BrianS1664879711]

... and how did you carry food, water, clothing?

[sheldonnalos]

I'm still testing that part out, but I think it'll work well. I didn't include in the photo a couple things I would normally use. I have a padded cover that goes over the top of the monorail to hold it in place and protect the ground glass. I also use a couple small hand towels to wrap the SLR and extra lens/lensboard for extra protection. I'll have to give an update after taking it out for a good hike.

[BrianS1664879711]

Sheldon... forget that question... now I re-read original post and realize that I skipped over the sentence indicating that you are "day-tripping" rather than deep-woods backpacking.

 

Like your original attempt, I put my Cambo hardcase on a luggage dolly (4 or 5" diameter wheels, not the tiny ones)and it's a real pain if the trail isn't smooth. I like your solution, especially the low-cost aspect!

[sheldonnalos]

I think this is going to be primarily for day hikes. Theres a couple extra pockets in the backpack with plenty of room for lunch, extra water, and clothes if needed. If i were going to be doing overnight stints, I would probably need something a little more compact. The camera isn't too heavy, but it sure is bulky!

[pico_digoliardi]

You can always add a chest pack for food, clothes.

[ranong]

great work. please show us some pics. i am putting together something for my wooden korona view now. it does not fold anymore (well it does, but after the new bellows it really requires some squeezing. better to leave it set up for now) but i think i can get it into a pack similar to yours. thanks fo rthe info.

 

eddie

[sheldonnalos]

Here's an update to this thread for the archives. I used my backpack on several occaisions, and it worked fine. I did have to stuff in several small hand towels to keep everything from shifting around, which added to the weight. However, I've since acquired a few new lenses and other accessories. This didn't fit correctly anymore in the backpack insert, so I needed a new approach.

 

I started from scratch with a nicer foam mattress pad, more dense and stiffer foam but still lightweight. I spent much more time measuring and cutting, building double thickness walls, and really thinking about the layout of the gear in the pack. There's also a lot of strategic blocking/support structures to keep things in place. The end result is much, much better!

 

The new pack holds the following: 5 film holders (down from 10), Kodak Readyload holder with 10-15 Fuji Quickloads, Fuji Loupe, Pentax Spotmeter V, Cambo SC Monorail, Nikkor SW 90mm f/8, Fuji W 135mm f/5.6, Fuji A 240mm f/9, and a few misc filters. Each lens has its own lensboard and cable release, and I made simple lenswraps out of soft black fabric I picked up at WalMart for $2. Not shown in the picture is the lid that covers the monorail and holds it in place(with a hinge made from Gaffers tape), and the darkcloth which fits on top of the film/light meter/loupe section.

 

The total weight of the pack is now 23.5 lbs (sans tripod/rail), much more functional, and much sturdier. I think losing the EOS 3, some film holders, and the extra towels/stuffing in the old pack contributed to the lighter weight, despite having adding lenses.

 

Here's a photo of the new baby, before being wedged into the backpack.<div></div>

[sheldonnalos]

PS. In case you hadn't noticed, the whole "Budget Camera" idea has sort of gone by the wayside. Although, I did buy/sell a few things and paid for most of this with the profit, so technically it hasn't cost me that much.