Fanny Packs, how useful in practice?

[kinesisphotogear]

Philip answered this question in part, through his explanation at: http://www.photo.net/photo/bags.html (see heading called "The Belt") where he discusses using the modular belt & case system from Kinesis Photo Gear. The Kinesis system uses a different approach, i.e. no pouches are permanently attached to the belt, providing a "true" modular approach.

[chris m., central florida]

Lots of useful information here. But what kind of terrain ill you be subjecting your photgraphy equipment to? I'm athletic, coordinated, and I've got the usual phtographer's attitde of protecting my equipment at all costs. I have a high quality waist pack, but when I'm on rougher terrain, the waist pack can take a beating (along with your equipment). As humans, we have a tendency to fall on our butts more than we do on our backs. You may want to consider a small, well padded backpack that rides high on your back. Especially if you eed to climb on/ver boulders or will be hiking in snow or ice.

[paulo_bizarro]

I find the Orion (Lowepro) very good and well padded. I carry in it a 1n with a 50 1.4 attached, a 20 2.8 (or 28 1.8), and a 135 2. This is my default kit, and the pack is comfortable for me.

[GerrySiegel]

Actually I decided to buy the PhotoRunner with next batch order to NYC. The idea of stashing it in a larger daypack has appeal- good thought. Disguises the camera too. A minimalist solution I realize,compared to the Orion line, but my terrain is easy, my equipment list small, and I rarely take a tumble. That is where the climbing pole helps. Plus that ole mountain goat agility :-).

[gary_gervin]

I couldn't reccomend fanny packs highly enough, although I'm not using

any of the above. I like longer hikes, and hate wearing daypacks, so

I always take my Dana Designs "Galliath" (? I think that's the model),

which allows me to take my ten essentials plus a jacket, plenty of

water (up to 3 quarts), food for the day, and my camera gear (a 24mm,

a 28mm, a 2x teleconverter, a 400mm and collapsible shoulder stock,

film, light meter, along with the body and a 45mm which go around my

shoulder). I use LowePro lens cases, which I attatch to the fanny

pack compression straps. With all this, the fanny pack is very

comfortable for treks of 10 miles or more.

 

<p>

 

My point isn't to emulate what I've done, and carry 25-30 pound fanny

packs over hill and dale. I just wanted to point out that if you need

to take more than just photo gear with you (which should be done on

any hike), the photo bag companies just don't give you a lot of

flexibility. Other big fanny packs can be easily adapted to carry the

photo gear plus a lot more, while being easier and more comfortable to

carry. If you are interested in increasing your hiking distances, the

comfort issue could become important.

 

<p>

 

The big hiking fanny packs - the Dana, and the Mountainsmiths, and a

recent REI design - all have much better hipbelt designs which come

from backpack design expertise. The photo bag companies are literally

using 15 to 20 year old hipbelt technology which just doesn't handle

weight as politely. (I find this old technology situation especially

suprising with LowePro, since they are the same company as Lowe, which

makes some very nice backpacks.)

 

<p>

 

Anyway, that's my 4 cents worth. :o)

[kinesisphotogear]

Gary, funny thing you should mention about the photo

bag companies being 15-20 years behind. That is

exactly what inspired me to design the Kinesis modular

belt system some three years ago. The photo belts

available at the time were just a boring, uncomfortable

2-inch piece of webbing--they weren't modular either.

As an experienced mountaineer, I know the necessity

of a well designed belt & suspension system to carry

heavy loads comfortably for hours and days at a time.

This has always been an obvious shortcoming with

traditional photo "shoulder bag" companies.

[carl_h_becker]

Kelty makes a convertable day/fanny pack. It can carry a 300 f4. It

is designed for hikers but very usable for camera/personal gear.

About 30 dollars.

[roy_amatore]

The November or December Outdoor Photographer features a camouflage fanny pack from Fieldline. I just received this pack and have found it unsuitable for carrying heavy loads, as the pack droops backward and ends up being an "under-the-fanny" pack. I'm starting to think that a fanny pack, and other belt-attached packs, are best used in conjunction with some kind of suspension unit, like the Lowepro street and field system has, to keep a heavy pack from falling backward. Infantryman in the army carry alot of equipment very efficiently on their "web gear," which is a belt and shouilder harness unit very similar to the Lowepro street and field system. An infantryman has alot in common with a nature photographer.