Edwin Barkdoll Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 <p>Curious what people use, how much you like what you use and why you like it.</p> <p>Over the years I've use Lowe, Kinesis photo back packs as well as a "non-photo" Kelty pack to carry camera equipment. They have generally been adequate - good capacity, average convenience of access to equipment, comfortable - but not stellar.</p> <p>I got a MindShift Gear rotation180 Pro a couple of months ago and have gradually transitioned completely to it for day hikes with camera equipment.</p> <p>Today went on a 11 mile hike, 2500 ft elevation. In the pack were: Nikon D610, Nikon 80-210 f/2.8, Nikon 17-25 f/2.8, Nikon 105mm f/2.8, Nikon 16mm f/2.8, Olympus point and shoot, lunch and drinks for 2 people, handheld satellite GPS, warm clothes. The rotation access to the hip pack is fantastic - easy and the pack stays on your back. Access to the main compartment is also easy - flip the pack around to the front of you and you have zippered access without removing the pack. I did not bring a tripod today - should have - but the tripod is also easily accessed without removing the pack and I did bring it on another 11 mile 4500 ft elevation hike a month ago.</p> <p>Personally, I feel that whoever designed the pack deserves a genius award!</p> <p>Only minor downsides are access to the hip compartment with the pack is off is less easy, however, I am becoming accustomed to that so it is rather minor; the clips for attaching certain straps are a little awkward, I prefer the Fastex style but this is also minor.</p> <p>So anyone enamored of their pack?</p> Test Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stemked Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 <p>I have recently been using Lowepro. I love their packs, and they stand behind their work. My Nature Treker had a zipper problem and they replaced the bag with a newer model. What's more the rep who handles it was VERY patient with me (I was a pain in the neck to the poor guy).<br /> So for my current packs I have a Pro Runner to carry my 600mm and several lenses. It is very comfortable. The only downside is there isn't an outside pocket to put a water bottle, I'll have to add something. I've hikes 10 miles with this bag and the 600 couple other lenses comfortably with the pack, no complaints. I acyually like this one one better than the Nature Treker although I suspect the zipper isn't as water proof (haven't had to test it yet).</p> <p>I also have the Rover AW II. Incredible bag. I have had it for many years, built wonderfully and still looks great even though I abuse equipment. It has a top compartment that I can put a 400mm f5.6 or rain gear, food, etc, and then a bottom part for up to 4 lenses and a camera body. It has two outside pockets for water bottles that are easy to get at. It does have a tripod carrier but I never use it. It replaced a Trenbra which I really can't say much good about. The Rover is my favorite of all the bags and I have hiked 100s of miles with it in very harsh conditions (notably in Western Australia; any bag that comeone out in one piece there deserves praise!)<br /> I also have a Toploader Pro sling bag. It replaces a similar model that I finally managed to wear out. The bag is very roomy for a sling so much so that I sometimes stash a light raincoat as well as the camera and mabe two shortish lenses. I can easily handle a 80-200f4.8 and even my Sigma 400mm f5.6 APO, but off camera. The new version has a zipper and a buckle. You can use the latter if you want quick access to the camera.</p> <p>The rain covers work wonders although sometimes on the Rover I had to play around to get it to stay. The zippers are great on all the models; this is usually why I have to replace camera bags in the first place.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin Barkdoll Posted October 25, 2015 Author Share Posted October 25, 2015 <p>A Nature Trekker was my first photo bag (it's still in the basement somewhere I think). I believe it was the first iteration and was on the heavy side with poor hip support; my understanding is that it has improved dramatically in more recent versions.</p> <p>I don't have any heavier glass than 300 f/4 or 80-210 f/2.8 but I'm pretty sure the MindShift won't carry anything much larger. However I'm pretty sure my shoulders would be mutinying if I tried to carry a 600mm for 10 miles regardless of the pack!</p> <p>Regarding zippers that is another minor issue I've noted with the MindShift: although they haven't jammed or failed they can be somewhat sticky around corners of the flaps.</p> Test Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Ingold Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 <p>MindShift appears to be a spin-off from ThinkTank, and both have been highly innovative in creation of bags and backpacks for photographers. MindShift, in particular, seems to cater to ourdoor activities which involve photography, including serious hiking. ThinkTank places more emphasis on photographic activities and travel. The founders of ThinkTank split from Lowe to further their own ideas as to what would better serve active photographers. All of these companies have very high quality products.</p> <p>I have managed to accumulate more bags than I should admit. However my working bags, at present, are all from ThinkTank. I am especially pleased with their Airport backpacks, and my collection now includes four of them for various purposes - mobile video production (Accelerator), medium format, Nikon digital (both Commuter) and most recently the smallest, "Essentials" for a Sony A7 kit. I find the semi-rigid rectangular profile of the Airport bags highly efficient, and the construction capable of withstanding years of daily use.</p> <p>I turned to MindShift for a bag to hold a GoPro kit. It's about the size of a child's lunch bag, yet holds everything I need for the camera and most-used accessories. MindShift has some cool products, worth watching. The Rotation backpack is a crossover from ThinkTank, also very cool.</p> <p> </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_kent2 Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 <p>Like everything photographic, all backpacks are a compromise.<br /><br />For travel, work near a car, or around the city there must be hundreds of options, recognizing that this is the majority of the market. However for active use on the trail I have yet to see a backpack with the comfort and weight bearing capability of a proper backpacking backpack. The, e.g., F-Stop and Think Tank products are superb. However, they don’t yet have the torso length variations, quality padded waist belts, and good back airflow/cooling that you can get from any major backpacking manufacturer. Compare Lowepro/F-Stop/Think Tank etc. with what you can get from Gregory/Osprey/Arcteryx/Deuter/etc. Despite owning many, I am moving away from photo backpacks and towards backpacking packs with good access, combined with clips/belts/holsters for ready camera availability. In their defense, adding a tripod to a photo backpack is usually easy, while rigging a tripod on a backpacking pack can be difficult.<br /><br />Are there any photo backpacks that rival smaller-sized backpacking packs? <br /><br /></p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnfarrar Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 <p>Edwin, just reading what you carried made my ageing body ache! Like Paul, I'd pretty well given up on photo backpacks as they just don't carry well, and used my 30 l Osprey daypack to take a camera bag. Still do that for M43 kit. But last year I bought a Lowepro Sport 300, designed a bit like an Osprey and which carries nearly as well. It has a removable side compartment that takes a D800 and 3 lenses (OK, not Nikon's biggest lenses, say 20/35/85) and plenty of sack space left for spare clothing , emergency stuff, water etc. Although this sack has a waterproof cover thing, if it really rains you can remove the camera compartment and drop it into a drybag inside the pack. Tripod? I attach a length of cord to the haul loop, use this to restrain the tripod head while tripod feet go in the wand pocket.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnfarrar Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 <p>Addendum: I've just looked at the Lowepro website and they've redesigned the harness of the Sport 300 so it's nothing like an Osprey.........</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerry_grim Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 My Lowpro AW Trekker (It is small, cost about $100 years ago) finally fell apart on my last trip. I did get my moneys worth out of it. So I have been researching a lot. This is what I found: Camera makers make good packs for cameras, but piss-poor for hiking. For day hiking, I want some storage room and a minimum of one, but preferably two mesh pockets to hold a water bottle. When camera makers produce a pack for the use of both there is not generally much room for camera gear and common complaints are that access is not easy. If you are hiking in Utah...you need storage for water bottles. For my hikes I carry may a Canon 6D, 17-40, 24, and 100 macro, a few filters and other accessories, but also want room for 8X42 Leica binoculars when coming back after dark and no longer want them around my neck. However, I want more room than this. If traveling, I want room for expensive equipment like my RRS ball head that I don't want to keep in luggage. As states above...it certainly is a compromise. As a replacement for my Lowpro...one, preferably two water bottle holders, big enough storage to hold maybe 6-7 lenses, but not hug or for long lenses, and space for some clothing. I spent hours search for the right pack in the $100-$150 range. Some look pretty good and likely OK, but really what I wanted. Then I started looking at higher price range and did find what I think is more suitable. But they are not cheap! Anyway, I am currently saving for a GURU 30L backpack. Their other models look fine for carrying a lot of gear, but not quite as comfortable on the back. Of course I could change my mind or even new models could appear before I purchase the 30L. These are designed by people from Utah and I believe that are made in the U.S. As an analogy, I wanted a RRS tripod for a long time but looked at cheaper alternatives. Couldn't bring myself to buying a cheaper Chinese tripod (which still may have been fine) so I did get what I want with the RRS tripod and never looked back even though it killed my finances. Thus, I will save longer and get something I really want, which is not something cheap. Everyone's needs and preferences are different, but I would suggesting to take a look at Guru. As fantastic as B&H website is, it is far better in this case to look at the gurugear.com website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerry_grim Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 To clarify the above, it it the Guru Unita that looks to be a good compromise with backpack and camera gear. The Bataflae Series appears to be better for transporting gear as opposed to the comfort of hiking with a pack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin Barkdoll Posted October 27, 2015 Author Share Posted October 27, 2015 Paul, John and Kerry: I agree completely that photo backpacks are often poor compromises at best which really what prompted me to comment about the MindShift pack because I was so pleasantly surprised at how well they pulled it off. If I can wear it for >10 miles without whining too much and with excellent access to my equipment I'm happy. Not as comfortable as my frame pack but I never use that unless on multi-day trips. And like you said, Kerry, they're not cheap but then I've spent a moderate amount on packs that have not satisfied me over the years as well. I bought the MindShift untested because there is no real camera store around me but I believe they have s good return policy. Check them out if you're in the market. Test Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Weishaupt Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 <p>I use two different Lowpro backpacks, Pro Runner 300aw and 350aw. Both serve me well and carry what I need. I prefer the wider set, heavier padded straps of the 350. I also really like the tripod holder on the 350. It's comfortable even with a gimbal head. I don't need access to my gear while I'm walking. I need hands free to carry the mushroom basket during the season or to hug trees on the way down a steep slope, and carry the basket. When I see something I want to shoot I stop, and put everything down, and use what I need. I repack everything, then continue on. I can carry a full macro kit with a pair of small binocs, lunch, a couple of trash bags, water, gps, and a small book that doubles as an emergency plant press. The winter kit is usually carried in the larger bag as I'll shoot birds more often then (no fresh fungi about). </p> <p>At first I thought the 350 was going to be too big as I'm a short person, but the more I used it, the more I liked it. I got the 300 to use during the hottest part of the summer. I'll amend the shoulder straps to suit me better. The way I see things, when carrying potentially thousands of dollars in gear, the bag is not a low budget item. I had a cheap bag and it was comfortable. A perfect stranger warned me of zipper failure because he had the experience. Eventually, so did I. The zipper came open and out fell my camera with a 70-300mm lens onto tarmac. What a terrible sound. I put a small carbiner on the zipper pulls to hold them together and added more straps on the outside of the bag, just in case. Then I went shopping. The next time I saw someone with the same bag, I warned them about the zipper.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_kent2 Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 <p>Following Kerry's suggestion I just looked at the Gura Uinta. For anyone familiar with F-Stop products it will look very familiar. Worth comparing both manufacturers. Good for consumer choice, but what a tough business!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnfarrar Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 <p>Laura says 'when I see something I want to shoot I stop....'. This is very wise. It means that if you have to take the pack off, fiddle, get gear out... you only stop when you really think you have a good picture in front of you. A readily accessible camera encourages frivolous shooting (followed by much deletion of files later) - at least for me. It also reduces the demands on backpack design. Different if you want birds, mammals and other fleeting things, but for stationary objects it's no bad thing to have gear that is not instantly accessible.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffm Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 <p>I've always liked the backpacks with a separate compartment for general gear. I used a Lowepro Orion Trekker until it fell apart a couple of years ago, then replaced it with a Lowepro Hatchback 22l. The bottom compartment holds DSLR, 24-105, 10-22, filters, battery, cards, etc, and the top compartment is for raincoat, lunch etc. I find this a good setup for general travelling. If I am out for serious photography, I put a Crumpler Haven in the top compartment and I can carry telezoom, macro, flash, etc, as well.</p> <p>It seems quite well made, and the bag itself is very light. I wish it had a more substantial waist strap, though.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Sorensen Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 <p>I have had numerous photo backpacks from multiple manufacturers. There is one main feature I'm looking for that none have been able to deliver. I need a backpack that can hold 35 pounds of gear nicely while feeling like you are only carrying about 15 pounds. Anyone else had luck with this?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Sorensen Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 <p>Edwin, which size of the rotation 180 degree pro do you have?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Doo Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 <blockquote> <p>I have had numerous photo backpacks from multiple manufacturers. There is one main feature I'm looking for that none have been able to deliver. I need a backpack that can hold 35 pounds of gear nicely while feeling like you are only carrying about 15 pounds. Anyone else had luck with this?</p> </blockquote> <p>One of the Guru Gear bags may fill the bill for you. I have their <a href="http://www.guragear.com/kiboko-22l/">Kiboko 22L+</a>. It feels light and actually soothing to my lower back. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin Barkdoll Posted November 7, 2015 Author Share Posted November 7, 2015 Hi Rod, here's a link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1006565-REG/mind_shift_gear_200_rotation_180_pro.html I wouldn't say it makes 35 pounds feel like 15 , unfortunately. Total volume is 37.5 cu in. Test Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerry_grim Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 A lot has happened with the photo bag and photo backpack market recently. Apparently Tamrac was bankrupt but bought by GURU, but will use the Tamrac name. I was able to purchase the Guru Uinta pack at a reduced price because that is discontinued as are the Tamrac packs and an entire new collection (which don't meet my requirements). F-stop has a large collection of photo packs suitable also for hiking/mountaineering. I believe Lowe is also in financial trouble. I always rely heavily (and purchase from) B&H, but in the case of camera bags/packs, they must have a huge inventory. I've saved several links to them recently, and I am finding they are no longer available. At any rate, I would recommend first checking with the manufacturers website for latest models as the market is changing rapidly. If you see the price suddenly reduced on a particular model, it may well be because it is discontinued. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny_kleso Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 <p>I have a Lowepro Photo Trekker Classic<br />I bought it used at eBay for $50<br />There is one there now as I type this..<br />Nice backpack, not super duty but made well..<br /><br />Make sure you buy one lightly used and there are plenty..<br> I also own a Tenba PB-17C ProDigital 2.0 I picked up for $150 @eBay <br />Bigger (fits my 400mm 2.8) and has more padding but I more often use the Lowepro..</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trygve_thorsen4 Posted August 11, 2016 Share Posted August 11, 2016 <p>The Lowepro Rover Pro (35L and 45L) are very comfortable backpacks to wear for long hikes. I have a 45L that is both used for photo trips and multiday mountain hikes and the harness system is excellent.<br> The included camera bags are sized for DSLR with grip, so now and then I use my F-stop 'medium shallow' ICU if I want more space for other gear. The camera inserts from Lowepro fits nicely in my F-stop Lotus as well. The Lotus (32L) is not as comfortable to wear but I find the back opening more practical for access to gear especially when it is wet or muddy. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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