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Alright guys, here's what Im getting at, when your traveling with gear that weighs anything at all, you want comfort, hence, a regular backpacking backpack with a chest holster is the way to go. Its a bit more of a pain, but the bottom line is they just havent made a truly comfortable trekking bag made to carry photo gear and regular gear yet... some designer is sitting on a fortune if it gets one... I would buy a Gregory (or Osprey, Arc Teryx, whatever) pack made for trekking (say a 55) with a seperate special compartment for photo gear in a sec.

Go with a trekking backpack and just put your gear in the pack.

-Bri

(trust me, I had about 4 different packs i tried).
 
I have one of the large Lowpro backpacks and hate it. The reason is that the waist strap cannot be removed which makes this pack huge for stowing in a car closet or anywhere (never get it on a plane). The waist straps are at least 4 feet wide in the open position. Another problem is that the shoulder harness straps are so close set that I can't get it on alone. Maybe I am just big, but maybe not.

Also, you need to remove the bag to get access which is a royal pain, then set it on the dirty ground to open it. In the field where you have no flat surfaces, it may tend to slide into a river or over a cliff.

Looking for a sling style bag that could hold a 1ds-mk3, 17-40, 24-70 and 70-200 plus a 50 prime.

--
http://www.pbase.com/roserus/root

Ben
 
John,

I see you have the 400mm f5.6L. I do too. Thought you might be interested to know that with the Lowepro fastpack 350 you can actually fit a body with that lens on, despite on paper it being a bit too long. It stretches things a little, but not too badly. I have a 350D but I can't imagine your body would make any difference.

I would recommend the fastpack 350, I have been very happy with it, especially being able to keep the 400 on the body.

Murray
Sydney
 
I had the Lowepro Trekker AW, got rid of it b/c of the lack of quick access and little space for anything besides lenses

Then I got the Lowepro Slingshot AW200, held a whole lot, but the one shoulder deal bothered me after awhile, and it didn't have enough space for anything else

Now I have the Fastpack 250 and it holds all my lenses, gives me quick access, and has room for jackets, and what not. Only thing it's missing is the AW cover. If you need bigger, the 350 is there too. Oh, and the fastpack also has a laptop sleeve. I know you don't need it, but it's there.

-Kones
--

 
Im telling you right now, try the mini with some stuff in it and walk around with it a bit as if you were trying on a hiking pack... terrible straps and suspension. You dont want that. The Kata is a bit better, although I still think if its going to be on your back (so not accessible) just go for a real backpack with a decent suspension, and put a crumpler in it.
 
I use three main bags, a Domke F2, a Mini trekker backpack and a Kata H14. It depends on what you are doing and for how long.

The best is the Domke, as I get everything in there and it's easy to get to while wearing. But at 6 kgs you are dead if you have it it on the entire day.

The mini trekker backpack fits everything in too and is easy to wear or carry, but the pain is accessing the equirpment which on the 25th time on any day gets to be a reason for giving photography up. But it takes the tripod too which the others don't.

What works best for me is a photo jacket (Nikon make some great ones but they don't seem to be on sale a lot in the West, only in Japan), together with a Kata H14. I can get up to 4 kg of equirpment in the photo jacket, camera with lens, two spare lens, cards batteries, camera body, while the Kata H14 is a delight to wear and you can stuff an awful lot in there too.

Some people swear by backpacks but I hate them, using the mini trekker only on rare occasions when I need everything and will be out all day. It is surprisingly comfortable to wear, I just hate trying to get at a lens or something.

Try Cambags.com and read as many of the reviews as you can. Also see which bags have the most reviews, generally a good guide to which ones are really the best. Above all try one out if you can. And think about how much you will be accessing it, if a lot, then something like the Domke is the answer, so handy so easy, and stays on your bag, unlike Lowpro bags that tend to be bricks on a sting, swinging all over the place.

One thing for sure, no bag will be perfect for each occasion every day.
 
SteB said:
I think that is the most important decision when deciding on a back
for camera gear - do you want it to take extra gear such as drinks,
food, extra clothing - or do you just want it for camera gear.

Currently my 2 backpacks are Lowe. I have a Rover AW and a Slingshot
300 AW. In some ways neither is ideal. The Rover AW is good in that
it has a reasonable sized camera compartment and a good sized top
compartment, with 2 nice large mesh side pockets which are useful for
pushing spare clothing or drinks into. It is also a comfortable pack
to carry for a long time. The main problem I find with this type of
bag is that firstly it is not so good for taking a long lens, and it
is difficult to access your gear and you have to take it off to
access anything. My solution to both of these problems is is to use
it with a with a Lowe Toploader AW on a chest harness (which will
take my Sigma 50-500mm).

The Slingshot 300 AW is much better in that you can easily access
your gear without having to take it off. Also it will take quite a
long lens fitted to your camera (such as the 50-500mm) but I don't
think it would quite take the 400mm fitted to a camera. The down side
is that there are no external mesh pockets and there is a limited
amount of none camera storage. The other problem I have found is that
the single strap puts a lot of strain on one shoulder if you carry it
for long periods.
Click to expand...
I spent some time last night looking at the Slingshot 300. The main downside to it is that the video says it has a waist belt. I hate waist belts and this is a main reason for me to ditch the big Lowepro backpack I have now (I have considered cutting it off, but may like to sell it).

Some Lowepro cite images look like there is no waist belt but the video says it does. If it is removable, I would be happy, but no more built in waist belts.

All I need is for this to hold a 1DS-mk3, 17-40, 24-70 and 70-200. My 500 is carried in a Kinisis bag and I don't mix wildlife with landscapes so I carry one or the other. All non camera/lens stuff goes in a vest.
SteB said:
I am still looking for the perfect solution as I will probably be
getting a 400mm soon. The Tamrac Expedition series look quite nice,
but I've never actually used one and have only looked at them in the
shops.
Click to expand...
--
http://www.pbase.com/roserus/root

Ben
 
yokochanie said:
I use three main bags, a Domke F2, a Mini trekker backpack and a Kata
H14. It depends on what you are doing and for how long.
Click to expand...
I mainly use a MiniTrekker AW, the Slingshot 200AW and soon a nature trekker as well. Also some smaller bags and lens holders.
yokochanie said:
The mini trekker backpack fits everything in too and is easy to wear
or carry, but the pain is accessing the equirpment which on the 25th
time on any day gets to be a reason for giving photography up. But it
takes the tripod too which the others don't.
Click to expand...
This is true. Accessing the gear regularly is a pain and will leave one frustrated. This is why I got the slingshot 200AW as getting the gear out and changing lenses is a breeze. Also, you can wear it on the front in, say, a crowded bus, thus protecting the gear from theft.

However, the bagpacks are the thing to use if you need to take a boatload of lenses and have to walk longer distances. While getting the gear out can be a hassle, this is somewhat mitigated by the fact that you can wear one body and your favourite lens (for the situation) on your neck ready to shoot.

I'll get my NatureTrekker hopefully in a few days and expect to get a lot of value out of it. It has an apparently great harness system and will take as much gear as I can possibly want to carry for any given hike or a daytrip.
yokochanie said:
Some people swear by backpacks but I hate them, using the mini
trekker only on rare occasions when I need everything and will be out
all day. It is surprisingly comfortable to wear, I just hate trying
to get at a lens or something.
Click to expand...
Yep, it's not the bag for situations where constant fast access to gear is a must.
yokochanie said:
One thing for sure, no bag will be perfect for each occasion every day.
Click to expand...
Agree wholeheartedly.

Earthlight

--

Mostly harmless
 
yokochanie said:
I use three main bags, a Domke F2, a Mini trekker backpack and a Kata
H14. It depends on what you are doing and for how long.

The best is the Domke, as I get everything in there and it's easy to
get to while wearing. But at 6 kgs you are dead if you have it it on
the entire day.

The mini trekker backpack fits everything in too and is easy to wear
or carry, but the pain is accessing the equirpment which on the 25th
time on any day gets to be a reason for giving photography up. But it
takes the tripod too which the others don't.

What works best for me is a photo jacket (Nikon make some great ones
but they don't seem to be on sale a lot in the West, only in Japan),
together with a Kata H14. I can get up to 4 kg of equirpment in the
photo jacket, camera with lens, two spare lens, cards batteries,
camera body, while the Kata H14 is a delight to wear and you can
stuff an awful lot in there too.
Click to expand...
I agree I hate backpacks, and I do wear a vest for everything but lens and camera. I have been looking at the Kata but they don't have one listed for a 1DS-mk3.
yokochanie said:
Some people swear by backpacks but I hate them, using the mini
trekker only on rare occasions when I need everything and will be out
all day. It is surprisingly comfortable to wear, I just hate trying
to get at a lens or something.

Try Cambags.com and read as many of the reviews as you can. Also see
which bags have the most reviews, generally a good guide to which
ones are really the best. Above all try one out if you can. And think
about how much you will be accessing it, if a lot, then something
like the Domke is the answer, so handy so easy, and stays on your
bag, unlike Lowpro bags that tend to be bricks on a sting, swinging
all over the place.

One thing for sure, no bag will be perfect for each occasion every day.
Click to expand...
--
http://www.pbase.com/roserus/root

Ben
 
Earthlight said:
yokochanie said:
I use three main bags, a Domke F2, a Mini trekker backpack and a Kata
H14. It depends on what you are doing and for how long.
Click to expand...
I mainly use a MiniTrekker AW, the Slingshot 200AW and soon a nature
trekker as well. Also some smaller bags and lens holders.
Earthlight said:
The mini trekker backpack fits everything in too and is easy to wear
or carry, but the pain is accessing the equirpment which on the 25th
time on any day gets to be a reason for giving photography up. But it
takes the tripod too which the others don't.
Click to expand...
This is true. Accessing the gear regularly is a pain and will leave
one frustrated. This is why I got the slingshot 200AW as getting the
gear out and changing lenses is a breeze.
Click to expand...
Looking at the web page images, it seems you can open it part way and take out the camera, but the other lenses require further unzipping, which it seems to me would allow them to fall out. Can the bag be rotated so this does not happen while stil on your chest?

Also, how is the sling system for moving from back to front when wearing say a heavy jacket plus a phot vest? IE is the strap system pretty generous?
 
Ben_Egbert said:
Looking at the web page images, it seems you can open it part way and
take out the camera, but the other lenses require further unzipping,
which it seems to me would allow them to fall out. Can the bag be
rotated so this does not happen while stil on your chest?
Click to expand...
Well, I just rotate it to the front and carefully pick the lens I want to use. Sitting down while doing this is nice but it can easily be done while standing up also. The bag is quite deep so the lenses don't really fall out that easily, at leats that's my experience. It's then easy to change lenses using the opened bag on your chest as a platform. I love the bag and give it top marks!

However, the 300AW fully loaded would be far more heavy than I'd be willing to carry in this type of bag. So for me, it's the 200AW that fits the bill pperfectly.
Ben_Egbert said:
Also, how is the sling system for moving from back to front when
wearing say a heavy jacket plus a phot vest? IE is the strap system
pretty generous?
Click to expand...
Difficult to say but for me it has never been a problem. You can adjust the length of the shoulder strap easily. Perhaps a fully loaded photowest would inhibit the free movement somewhat but I guess the only way to find out is to try it out yourself.

For streetshooting and that sort of stuff I find it unbeatable. When I go hiking or shoot subjects that aren't busy (say, landscapes) I'd rather carry the MiniTrekker and in the future the NatureTrekker.

Oh, one more thing, the 200AW also has the all weather cover which is often a life saver.

Earthlight

ps. Just remember to zip the bag ALWAYS when you're done changing gear. Not too long ago I was shooting with a buddy of mine and he had left the zipper open. He then slung the bag onto his shoulder and his camera & the brand new lens flew out and hit the asphalt at full speed... not a pretty sight.

--

Mostly harmless
 
Earthlight said:
Ben_Egbert said:
Looking at the web page images, it seems you can open it part way and
take out the camera, but the other lenses require further unzipping,
which it seems to me would allow them to fall out. Can the bag be
rotated so this does not happen while stil on your chest?
Click to expand...
Well, I just rotate it to the front and carefully pick the lens I
want to use. Sitting down while doing this is nice but it can easily
be done while standing up also. The bag is quite deep so the lenses
don't really fall out that easily, at leats that's my experience.
It's then easy to change lenses using the opened bag on your chest as
a platform. I love the bag and give it top marks!

However, the 300AW fully loaded would be far more heavy than I'd be
willing to carry in this type of bag. So for me, it's the 200AW that
fits the bill pperfectly.
Click to expand...
Could the 200 hold a 1DS-mk3 with a 70-200plus a 17-40 and 24-70?

I like smaller bags and more of them. I travel exclusively in my own car and have had problems stowing large bags with all the other stuff we take along, including my wifes sewing machine.
Earthlight said:
Earthlight said:
Also, how is the sling system for moving from back to front when
wearing say a heavy jacket plus a phot vest? IE is the strap system
pretty generous?
Click to expand...
Difficult to say but for me it has never been a problem. You can
adjust the length of the shoulder strap easily. Perhaps a fully
loaded photowest would inhibit the free movement somewhat but I guess
the only way to find out is to try it out yourself.
Click to expand...
Yep, nobody local carries these bags, which is why I am asking details here. It can't be as bad as the large backpacks which have the straps so close together that it is nearly impossible to get into the second strap. I have to remove my wristwatch to get the strap started up my left arm. To remove it, I need to jump up and down and allow gravity to pull the stupid strap down my arms.
Earthlight said:
For streetshooting and that sort of stuff I find it unbeatable. When
I go hiking or shoot subjects that aren't busy (say, landscapes) I'd
rather carry the MiniTrekker and in the future the NatureTrekker.

Oh, one more thing, the 200AW also has the all weather cover which is
often a life saver.

Earthlight

ps. Just remember to zip the bag ALWAYS when you're done changing
gear. Not too long ago I was shooting with a buddy of mine and he had
left the zipper open. He then slung the bag onto his shoulder and his
camera & the brand new lens flew out and hit the asphalt at full
speed... not a pretty sight.

--

Mostly harmless
Click to expand...
--
http://www.pbase.com/roserus/root

Ben
 
Earthlight said:
This pretty much shows how it works:
Click to expand...
Yep, and notice the waist belt in the video, this is the kiss of death for this product. I would hate to buy a new bag and then have to cut off this abomination.

I have the larger Lowepro backpack and even fully filled with gear and about 30 pounds, I almost never fasten the waist belt. But the belt makes the bag so large because the belt tends to lay fully extended and flat where it is about 4 feet wide. You can't stow this bag in the back sate of your car, in a closet at home or even in the trunk without first folding up these protrusions, and they are very stuff.

I never fly or use public transportation, but I can't imagine getting on a plane with one of these. I would be too embarrassed for using up so much space.
Earthlight said:
http://vidego.productvideocast.com/player.php?p=06f3925r

Earthlight

--

Mostly harmless
Click to expand...
--
http://www.pbase.com/roserus/root

Ben
 
I believe only the 300AW has them...

Earthlight
Ben_Egbert said:
Earthlight said:
This pretty much shows how it works:
Click to expand...
Yep, and notice the waist belt in the video, this is the kiss of
death for this product. I would hate to buy a new bag and then have
to cut off this abomination.

I have the larger Lowepro backpack and even fully filled with gear
and about 30 pounds, I almost never fasten the waist belt. But the
belt makes the bag so large because the belt tends to lay fully
extended and flat where it is about 4 feet wide. You can't stow this
bag in the back sate of your car, in a closet at home or even in the
trunk without first folding up these protrusions, and they are very
stuff.

I never fly or use public transportation, but I can't imagine getting
on a plane with one of these. I would be too embarrassed for using up
so much space.
Ben_Egbert said:
http://vidego.productvideocast.com/player.php?p=06f3925r

Earthlight

--

Mostly harmless
Click to expand...
--
http://www.pbase.com/roserus/root

Ben
Click to expand...
--

Mostly harmless
 
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