Any lightweight backpack for heavy telephotos ?

[birdsofearth]

I am looking for a lightweight backpack for a heavy telephoto lens +

other lenses, flash and accessories.(500mm f4 P + other gear!)

 

I did searched the database, based on the search I tested Lowepro Pro

Trekker AW. However, though its very good, its heavy also. The 500 f4

P lens weighs 2968gm, and the pack itself weighs 4309gm (9+ lb).

 

When we already have 12-15 lb's of weight, what is the point in

adding 9+ lb's weight just of the backpack ?

 

Isn't there any lightweight(<=5 lb) backback which is comfortable

enough to walk for few miles? The backpack which came close is

Lowepro Photo Trekker AW which is 3290gm(7 lb). Is there any other

choice ? How comfortable this Photo Trekker AW is for a few miles

walk ? (I could not find tamrac's weigh details on their site!)

 

Thanks,

Narendra Bhagwat

[mark_erickson]

Check out the Lowepro Street and Field stuff (www.lowepro.com).

Looks like a Deluxe Waistbelt, Shoulder Harness, and Lens Trekker 600AW weigh in at around 4.5 lbs total.

[frolov]

I said it before, and I'll say it again: Photo backpacks are heavy! I sometimes think they are not made for actually hiking with. Smaller ones (like Trekker Mini) are OK for light hikes, but on the big ones suspension is really bad (it's just as bad on small ones too, but it does not matter that much). I would skip the build-in padding and go for a good climbing backpack. Those are tall and slender and sit on the body well. Or get a full blown real backpack, stuff it with 60 pounds of gear and enjoy life :).

[ShunCheung]

I guess there is a trade off here. Some of the better photo backpacks have a lot of rearrangable padded compartments inside. Plus they are made from durable materials that can take some abuse while holding fairly heavy and expensive equipment. As a result, these backpacks are on the heavy side themselves.

 

You probably don't want to use a cheap backpack that may have difficulty holding the weight of your 500mm/f4 + body and other lenses nor something with insufficient padding such that your lenses could bang against one another inside the backpack while you hike.

 

Admittedly, I am no strong hiker, but I have hiked a few miles with a Photo Trekker AW with a 300mm/f2.8, a 80-200/f2.8 zoom, a couple of small lenses and an F5 body inside. Getting that much weight on and off my back is a bit of a pain, but I did OK.

[kaetheko]

I'm only 5'3" and recommend a mountainsmith large lumbar pack (carries the load close in the lumbar area for more stability rather than swinging away from your back in an oversized photo pack) or whatever kind of 'real' day pack you find comfortable. Add Domke inserts, which you can buy separately to fit the gear you have, cut up a piece of backpacking 'blue foam pad' to put on the bottom of your pack, as the Domke inserts do not have foam on the bottom, and you can hike much more efficiently than with a photo pack. I have found this quite comfortable for carrying my MF and SLR gear both hiking or skiing. It also adds versatility if you want to carry more or less gear on any given trip. Many of the day packs designed to carry snow shovels or skis adapt quite nicely to tripods. Most mountaineering shops welcome your arrival with your own personal gear to try out the fit of a pack, so I recommend picking up the Domke inserts first.

 

Good luck, happy hiking. kaethe

[walter_woolard]

Try looking at www.vestedinterest.com. I had a vest made with the main pocket on the back sized to fit a 600mm F4. I also ordered it with the optional belt. The vest is very comfortable to wear and carries every thing. I refer to it as the backpack that you wear as a vest. I am very happy with my vest.

[terry_danks]

I have "The Scope Pack" by Betterbirder of Seattle. It holds my 800mm/5.6 comfortably but might be overkill for a 500/4. Weight is about 5 pounds according to my scale.LL Rue carries it. See

http://www.rue.com/cases.html#e393

[mark_haflich]

Ditto on the scope pack. It is about the lightest I have found though I do not hike with it. Thats because I do not hike. Do take it on trips. Holds the lens a 500 or 600 with tele and F5 well in the car or van.

[brian vega]

I agree with the recommendation about climbing packs. They have good suspension systems are in the 3- 5 pound range. AND can be considerablly less expensive than photo packs. Some of the packs I have looked at are; Osprey Backside, LoweAlpine Attack 50, REI Talus, and Arc'Teryx Bora 40. I choose the Talus based on simplicity, features I wanted, REI's 100% satisfaction policy, and price $75. I have been very pleased with it. It carries 20 - 30 lbs comfortablly for a day hike usually anywhere from 5 - 15 miles.

 

If you would like I can send you (or anyone) an "article" I wrote that chronicles my search for a pack. I keep meaning to get ahold of Bob Atkins to see if I can post in the static section.

 

e-mail me if you would like. I have it in Word 97

 

Brian

[robert_p._boner]

Another vote for the scope pack. It consists of a padded tubular main compartment with 4 outside pockets, two of which are lightly padded. I use mine for 600mm f/4, 2 camera bodies, 2 teleconverters, 2 ext tubes, film, flash, lens cleaning acc., cable release, and a 17-35mm zoom. It is also the least expensive of the packs I am aware of--$83.97 at B&H. The literature says the pack weighs 3.8 pounds. The harness is reasonably comfortable, with curved, padded shoulder straps, a sternum strap, and a padded belt.

[ShunCheung]

I hope this won't offend any (Domke) ScopePack owners, but I have seen it a few times at B&H and other stores. The design looks very nice but the material the ScopePack is made from doesn't appear to be as durable as, for example, the material for the Domke long-len bag. Now, this is merely an impression from playing around with some samples. What really matters is whether the ScopePack stands up during actual field usage after a couple of years. Could ScopePack users comment on this issue?

 

Thanks in advance.

[steve_rosenblum1]

Have you looked at the OutPack? This is a serious backpack with an internal frame, waist belt, and an excellent strap system that is very light and comfortable. It is much lighter than comparable Lowepro packs (I own both). It can be configured in a nearly infinite amount of ways, but if you rearrange the inserts it is possible to easily fit a long lens into the pack with a lot of room left over for other stuff. When I first saw this pack, I was dubous, but I hauled a bunch of stuff around Yellowtone in September and I am now very impressed with it. I think it is the best thought out, lightest, and most versatile photopack. It's only drawback is that it does not have a tripod mount on the back, because of its design which allows access to different levels of the pack from the back without opening the whole thing. Also, it easily converts to a "suitcase" set up that meets all of the new airline requirements for carry on.

[andy_chen1]

I bought the ScopePack, when it was priced at about $130, and have liked it immensely. Carries a 500/4 + converter + FA in the main section; couple bodies + lenses go in the side pockets (4). While I don't subject it to strenous use/abuse, it holds up well, and does fit in airplane overhead bins.

[ralf_grambrock]

Hi, I'm using a LowePro Classic for my Nikkor 800mm f8.0, some other lenses and two bodies. The LowePro Classic isn't bad, but could be more stable.

You may look to http://www.tenba.com

See at the backpack 253. It seems to be the right one for you.

Good luck, Ralf.

[jason_elsworth3]

You might want to look at the Kenesis web site.

[richard_seery]

The best option in terms of quality and function are the Kinesis long lens bags. They are completely modular, you can add a top-grade shoulder or pack harness to the bags when needed. Check out the website given above. Don't waste your time or money with anything else, buy a Kinesis bag and do it right.

[peter_bick]

Another vote for the Kinesis long lens bags. I have a Lowepro backpack which will hold my 600/4 and a ton of stuff, but that is the issue...a ton of stuff.

 

The Kinesis pack will take the 600 with a body attached and you can attach a few other pouches to the bag or wear them on the belt system. The harness is sufficient for this weight and is quite comfortable. Kinesis has a few options for the bags. I chose the one that collapses down for packing. It recently went to Africa packed flat and I used it to carry the 600 in the Land Rovers and to and from the vehicles. This pack will get a lot of use. I saw several scopepacks for comparison and I would still go for the Kinesis. Richard Stum is also very willing to adapt components to fit your needs suchs as special compression straps, etc. Take a look at their website or give them a call.

Good stuff. Great service.

 

Peter Bick

[kinesisphotogear]

Regarding the above comments I would look at the <A HREF="http://www.KinesisGear.com/l.html#l525"> Kinesis L525 Long Lens Case</A>. It weighs only 2.75 lbs w/o the harness or about 3.5 lbs. with the optional shoulder harness. This set-up is OK comfort for short distances or if you want something a lot more comfortable then you can upgrade to the Heavy-duty Pack Frame (K570). Our stuff is NOT cheap, but then a 500mm lens is not cheap either!

[bruce_rideout1]

The reason why good photo backpacks weigh so much is that a good harness system is heavy. There is an obvious trade-off here, but I think it is worth it. I don't know the dimensions of your 500 f4, but if it will fit in a Lowe-Pro Nature Trekker I would highly recommend you try one out. It is the smallest backpack with a truly serious harness system. It can carry quite a bit of weight very comfortably (I have carried it fully loaded with about 35 or so pounds of gear on 13+ mile hikes with over 2000 ft of vertical elevation gain, and I was VERY glad to have this pack). If weight of the pack is your one and only consideration, buy a cheap $15 day pack and throw your lens in...

[Mike D]

Add a sturdy tripod to your heavy lens and backpack and you have a package that you may want to roll whenever possible instead of carry. Eagle Creek makes several rolling backpacks, which, with a few padded inserts and a few extra straps, can be set up to carry or roll your large lenses and tripod. The middle sized pack also fits nicely in the storage compartment above your seat in a Boeing 737. Check the tripod in your luggage. On a trip to Yellowstone in late September, I was able to roll the pack to most locations. My only complaint is that the wheels could be larger.

[robert_p._boner]

This in response to Shun's question. I have had the ScopePack for about a year, use it about every two weeks, primarily working within half a mile from the car. It is holding up very well. I also have the WaistPack-same material. I use it with about the same frequency (past two years) and it is holding up also. I have a small Kineses pouch which holds a body with booster, which I use to carry an extra body inside the main tube with the 600mm f/4. The construction (material & stitching) of the Kineses pouch is much better than the Domke ScopePack.

[birdsofearth]

To Richard Stum (Kinesis Photo Gear),

 

Your system looks interesting. Could you please tell us the specific Part names, dimensions, weight, cost, remarks for easyness/comfort to use it it the field for the following gear ? This will help us understand your system easily.

 

2 Camera Bodies, 500mm f4.x , 300mm f4 , 2 TC's, 1 80-200mm , 2 small lenses, 1 flash, flash bracket and few rolls of film. (as an example!)

 

It will be even better for us if you could show all of the above gear assembled using your system into a single unit. (possibly a model loaded with above unit)

 

Thanks.

 

(P.S.: Since the issue is of everybody's interest I thought of asking you thru the site instead of personally)

[kinesisphotogear]

You ask for it...here we go...the long answer. First off, let me say that our long lens case and/or pack frames are NOT designed with the carrying capacity as the Trekkers or the Tenba equivilent. These "system backpacks" will hold much more than our single cases. For a further (candid) explanation on us vs. the other brands visit the Kinesis

<A HREF="http://www.kinesisgear.com/competitors.html">Competition Page.</A>

 

OK, back to your original question, to haul the following:

2 Camera Bodies, 500mm f4.x , 300mm f4 , 2 TC's, 1 80-200mm , 2 small lenses, 1 flash, flash bracket and few rolls of film.

For the 500/4.x either the L520 or the lightweight L525 case would do. Either will hold the 500 with any SLR body attached (except maybe some of the digital SLRs). For the 300/4 or the 80-200/2.8 use an E280 Lens Pouch for each. Up to four of these pouches will fit on this case. The extra body will fit on the provided pouch (A442) which is mounted on the center of these cases. The A442 is deep enough that even with a body inside, a TC or film may stack on top (you will want to put some padding between of course). TCs or other smaller lenses will fit inside another E280 Lens Pouch or you may try the next size smaller lens pouch called the E140. Film or smaller flashes will also go inside the lid pocket. A second A442 can be mounted directly above the provided one for flashes, a brick of film etc. All these pouches can be removed from the LL case in the field and placed on your Kinesis belt for convenience or for added capacity. To haul the whole thing as a backpack I would recommend adding the K250 Padded Harness which will attach directly the LL case. A B30x Heavy-duty Belt will also mount to the LL case making the whole load a "pack." This would work for lighter loads. For heavier loads (i.e. what you suggested) I would recommend the K570 Heavy-duty Pack Frame which will also hold a tripod. The Heavy-duty pack frame is tall (which provides a very comfortable ride), but is too long for most airline carry-ons. It can be detached from the LL case and checked however. The L52x will pass every domestic airline carry-on that I know about.

I don't have photos of this fully loaded system, but will take them at my next photo session. I hope to get a megapixel digital camera soon for this purpose.

To find any Kinesis product by number visit our

<A HREF="http://www.kinesisgear.com/productindex.html">Product Index.</A>

[mark_haflich]

My scope pack has held up well. I use it on domestic trips. All the pockets are useful but not all are well padded. The unpadded pockets work fine for film etc. I would not send the pack as baggage. In fact, I have carried the pack almost empty in my baggage duffel bag and then just use it to protect my big lens in the car and van and for short walks.

[andy.kim]

Narendra, since you're trying to fit so much gear into one pack, I'd pretty much abandon thoughts of a lightweight pack. I just stood on a scale with the gear I'm taking for a full day hike this weekend:

 

F100, 400mm f3.5, 80-200mm f2.8, 20-35mm f2.8, 60mm f2.8 Micro, 2 TC's, SB-26, macrorails, Arca-Swiss B1, Gitzo 1325, 8x40 binoculars, some filters and film, a fleece vest, small first aid kit, and rain slicker...total weight packed ~35 pounds. It all fits (barely) into a Photo Trekker AW (7.25 pounds)...your load is going to be about 5 pounds or so heavier and may have a little trouble fitting into a Photo Trekker AW.

 

Any backpack with a good harness system is going to weigh about 4-5 pounds, so the added weight of the Photo Trekker AW is negligble compared to the total packed weight if you're really going to carry around so much gear. I used to use a big North Face daypack with some homemade padding, weighed about 4 pounds and fit everything fine. The Photo Trekker AW now wins because it protects the gear better, has a better harness that lets me put most of the weight on my hips, and is more rigid so that my tripod strapped to the side doesn't sway and move independently (which is a HUGE pain when I just lash it to the side of my daypack with compression straps).

 

I can shove this all into my 90 liter (6 pound) expedition pack, which has a slightly better harness, and I have room for another ~40 liters...but what more am I going to carry?? Given my relatively poor physical shape these days, 50 pounds packed weight is my maximum for any reasonable hike, so the expedition pack doesn't really buy me anything and the resulting package provides less protection and more hassle (to load and unload) than the Photo Trekker AW.

 

The Kinesis system sounds awesome for really travelling light, though...just a lens with light body attached, a tripod, and some film, all in light cases strapped to the lighter harness system, probably only end up being around 20 pounds!