Todd Warnke Offline Upload & Sell: On
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Landscape backpacks....What are you using? | |
I am a monogamous person, but when it comes to camera packs I am anything but. I have one nighters, long weekend trips and the odd season to year long semi-commitment, but more than any other camera related item I find settling in on a backpack the hardest thing to do.
That said, my F-Stop Loka is the one landscape/outdoor pack I've had the longest. I tried a Guru and found it too small for my full kit and too big for the quick run-n-gun trip.
For the short trip shoot I used to use the F-Stop Kenti (D800E, 24-70, 16-35, 100MP, 70-200, water bottle, light tripod), but am currently using the new Patagonia Snow Drifter 30L, a rear opening semi-snow pack, with an F-Stop Large, Shallow ICU in it. It holds the above listed gear better than the Kenti as well as carrying my larger tripod better (RRS 24L + BH55). But even as I say that I'm trying to track down a Gregory Targhee 32L to see if that works better than the Patagonia.
For a full day outing I still use the Loka. Carries more with the Large ICU, rides pretty well, and has more room for the rest of the trail essentials for a long day. But If I am carrying more, or need more room I have several Deuter, Osprey and Gregory bags that I'll use with an ICU. They may be less convenient, but they carry better, weigh less and have more room.
Still, I come back to certain bags because I have found that the rear entry packs work great out in the field as I can drop my bag and work out of it without getting my back dirty/wet/muddy when I put the pack back on. To that end I tried the Gura Gear Uinta and found it too fiddly (the ICUs are not as flexible as the F-Stop ICUs, the divided rear opening is, frankly, stupid, and for an outdoor pack the way the add either a tripod or water bladder is a kludge at best).
Over time I have tried just about all of the LowePro stuff though not the new Whistler line. But from looking at it online they seem heavy for what you get.
The MindShift Rotation bags are too confining for me, though the new FirstLight bags are intriguing. I use Think Tank bags exclusively for urban/travel use and am impressed, so perhaps these will impress as well, but without the rear opening they will have to be very, very good to make me an owner.
In short, having tried all the contenders, they are all lacking in some way. The new FStop bags look interesting, but perhaps a bit too streamlined (side pockets sound cool, but I'm not sure they work for tripods, etc.). Inevitably, I will pick one up but with my history I'll be out looking for a new fling afterwards. I guess I'm just the Ashley Madison of camera bags.
Peace,
Todd
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