<p>You might want to start off with Secrets of Digital Bird Photography's <a href="http://www.digitalbirdphotography.com/3.12.html">"Carrying Lenses In The Field"</a> article. He's talking about much larger lenses than your Tamzooka. Canon's 500mm, 600mm & 800mm are all significantly larger and heavier, and folks take them to all corners of the earth daily, often just attached to their tripod.</p>
<p>As far as carrying them on a hike, I think you may need to prioritize. By that I mean, is the hiking more important or the photography? If the former, you might want to use a backpack, and have to "put up" with unpacking, changing lenses, etc, when a photo op comes up. But, it will leave your hands free, and nothing heavy will be dangling from your body if you need to clamber over rocky terrain.</p>
<p>If, on the other hand, if you want to prioritize photography, and the hiking trails aren't too difficult, then you could opt for one of the cross-body strap options, some of which offer a dual arrangement, whereby you have one lens/body on one hip, and a second lens/body on the other.</p>
<p>As for the monopod, you might want to look into the <a href="http://acratech.net/long-lens-head/">Acratech Long Lens Head</a>. It'll give you all the maneuverability you need on a monopod. And always use the tripod collar on the big lens to mount the camera when the big lens is attached.</p>
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<p>Ellis said:<br>
Oh and Phil, if you aren't doing it already, hit the gym.it sounds like you need to build up your stamina.</p>
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<p>Not a bad idea, either! I know a photographer who shoots quite a lot - <em>Handheld</em> - with an EOS 1DMarkIV and a Canon 800mm f5.6L. That's <em>twelve and a half pounds</em> of lens and camera! Of all the times I've seen him, I've seen him use a tripod exactly twice, one time of which was while we were waiting in the cold for a light morph Rough-legged Hawk to do its hovering act.</p>
