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Archive 2016 · Am I worrying too much about backpack concerns?

  
 
kaitlyn2004
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Am I worrying too much about backpack concerns?


I'll be traveling to Japan, Thailand and Korea soon and planning to have my F-Stop Loka as my main camera bag. I've been thinking about (somehow) also bringing a smaller daypack when I don't intend to have my tripod or all lenses with me, walking around the busy city, etc.

But now I'm wondering if I really need the 2nd bag. Do you think I'd be fine to walk around i.e. Tokyo for most of the day, through traffic, etc. with the Loka backpack? I originally was thinking I'd want a shoulder bag (like ThinkTank Retrospective) but a) I've never used shoulder bags; and b) Though lighter, these are inherently not as comfortable when heavier or being used for longer periods of time...

Really appreciate any thoughts or advice before I make myself crazy



Oct 18, 2016 at 03:43 PM
rstoddard11
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Am I worrying too much about backpack concerns?


I generally walk around with a regular (non photography specific) backpack and place a sling pack inside with my camera and have a second pouch with 1-2 other lenses. If I am relatively stationary or driving I have all of my gear, but when hiking or walking, I take only the sling pack with one zoom and one prime. Having too much gear detracts from the experience for me though and I find that I get better compositions and shots if I limit both my gear that I carry and the number of shots that I take.




Oct 18, 2016 at 03:50 PM
Mike_Lee
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Am I worrying too much about backpack concerns?


I just did two weeks in Thailand / Phuket with my F-stop Lotus. This went pretty much everywhere with me, on hikes, to waterfalls, on boats, in tuk-tuks, etc. Only took the lenses I really needed for each mission to keep weight down and left the rest in the room safe. I find that if i try and chop and change bags then important things inevitably get left behind. Japan will be your main concern though, as it gets super busy and cramped on the subways, etc. I can see a pack of that size being a bit of a pain in this case.


Oct 18, 2016 at 04:45 PM
rscheffler
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Am I worrying too much about backpack concerns?


My understanding from a week in Tokyo and subway etiquette is that you're supposed to carry your backpack on your front or off your body at your side, rather than your back, so you're not shoving it inadvertently in other people's space, faces, etc.

During that trip I travelled with my partner and was the designated pack mule so had a daypack backpack that was very low profile (just a long, shallow main compartment) for clothing, drinks, snacks, umbrella, etc. and a small messenger at my side for photo gear. But I didn't travel with any DSLR type cameras and related large SLR lenses, so was able to keep everything fairly compact.

For a smaller day bag I would suggest something totally unpadded that you can stuff in your luggage and augment it with some inserts, like those from Domke and others. Perhaps something like this from Tenba, which is similar to the messenger I used. Note they offer four different sizes.

Another option is to wait until you're there and have had a chance to try your existing configuration. If you think it's a problem, there's no shortage of places to find nice bags, at least in Tokyo.

What gear do you plan to take?



Oct 18, 2016 at 07:46 PM
ontime
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Am I worrying too much about backpack concerns?


Depends a lot on how much weight you will be carrying.

On many trips (e.g. London, Tokyo, Okinawa, Paris) I have brought a backpack (~30-40L) and a Retrospective shoulder bag. The shoulder bag fits inside of the backpack when we're traveling by train or plane and I don't want to have two bags out.

On day trips, I carry just the shoulder bag if I am just bringing my camera and couple other things. I really do not like traveling with a big honkin' backpack. First, they're hard to access. Second, they're big and a pain to bring on crowded trains. Third, they're ugly. Fourth, there are places that don't allow backpacks, like certain museums. The downside of a shoulder bag is if you're carrying a lot of gear, it gets old fast unless you have iron shoulders. I don't, so it can be painful. I just picked up the Fujifilm X-T2 which will more than halve the weight of my travel kit, so that should no longer be an issue.

On long day trips, multi-day trips where you're not bringing your luggage, or if you're going to be outside a lot (e.g. taking the train to a temple) the backpack is great to have. Backpacks are more comfortable to carry and you can carry more stuff, like a bigger water bottle, rain jacket, change of clothes, etc.

In summary, I do a two-bag system and it works really well for me.



Oct 18, 2016 at 08:50 PM
kaitlyn2004
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Am I worrying too much about backpack concerns?


ontime wrote:
Depends a lot on how much weight you will be carrying.

On many trips (e.g. London, Tokyo, Okinawa, Paris) I have brought a backpack (~30-40L) and a Retrospective shoulder bag. The shoulder bag fits inside of the backpack when we're traveling by train or plane and I don't want to have two bags out.

On day trips, I carry just the shoulder bag if I am just bringing my camera and couple other things. I really do not like traveling with a big honkin' backpack. First, they're hard to access. Second, they're big and a pain to bring on crowded trains.
...Show more

Whats your shoulder bag?



Oct 18, 2016 at 09:05 PM
ontime
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Am I worrying too much about backpack concerns?


kaitlyn2004 wrote:
Whats your shoulder bag?


ThinkTank Retrospective 7. My travel kit is a 6D, 24-105L, Sigma 35 Art.




Oct 19, 2016 at 11:36 AM
Mar73
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Am I worrying too much about backpack concerns?


Visited Shanghai last April....you will want a smallish backpack that can also be worn in front as mentioned above.


Oct 19, 2016 at 06:25 PM
Michael White
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Am I worrying too much about backpack concerns?


I use pelican hard cases to transport and store my gear in. My gear gets a think tank modula pouch or similar then they are placed in the pelican. I carry a plain Jane backpack and my speed belt. When going out for the day I pack the gear in the backpack with the tt pouch or on the speed belt. Everything else is returned to the pelican thenit locked and cabled to a non movable object so it will be there when I return. My grip and tripods also get a soft case and are placed in either the skb hard golf case or the nalpak then too are cabled and locked. My clothes they can have.


Oct 20, 2016 at 12:58 AM
TMaG82
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Am I worrying too much about backpack concerns?


What gear will you be bringing? Maybe not a shoulder bag but have you looked into a sling style bag like the a Think Tank Turnstyle or even the Clik Elite Impulse Sling if you're carrying less gear (maybe a body, one standard zoom, and one prime). I've done trips where I've carried a larger backpack but carrying around a large pack that's not easily accessible can slow you down and weight you down as well. I did a trip to San Diego with a D810, 24-120, 70-200, 35/85 and tripod all packed down in a Guru Gear Uinta which is a 30L pack. Carrying that around for about 6 hours started to be a hassle, and that's not including banging into people with my pack, stopping to change lenses which annoyed my wife, etc.

Now I would pack a backpack for longer excursions but say for a walk around town and if I could get away with a zoom and a prime, I carry around a sling pack. Keeps the gear on your back, is smaller than a full scale backpack, and keeps your gear readily accessible.



Oct 20, 2016 at 05:55 AM
kylebarendrick
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Am I worrying too much about backpack concerns?


I always thought people wore bags in front to help prevent theft. From that standpoint, I like my Loka since the gear opening is against my body.


Oct 20, 2016 at 11:57 AM
kaitlyn2004
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Am I worrying too much about backpack concerns?


TMaG82 wrote:
What gear will you be bringing? Maybe not a shoulder bag but have you looked into a sling style bag like the a Think Tank Turnstyle or even the Clik Elite Impulse Sling if you're carrying less gear (maybe a body, one standard zoom, and one prime). I've done trips where I've carried a larger backpack but carrying around a large pack that's not easily accessible can slow you down and weight you down as well. I did a trip to San Diego with a D810, 24-120, 70-200, 35/85 and tripod all packed down in a Guru Gear Uinta which
...Show more

I did indeed look at the Think Tank Turnstyle. Not extensively though - never really used a sling before. But yeah I'd probably have my 5D Mark III with a mounted lens and an extra lens - MAYBE 3rd lens but unlikely.



Oct 20, 2016 at 06:06 PM
TMaG82
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Am I worrying too much about backpack concerns?


kaitlyn2004 wrote:
I did indeed look at the Think Tank Turnstyle. Not extensively though - never really used a sling before. But yeah I'd probably have my 5D Mark III with a mounted lens and an extra lens - MAYBE 3rd lens but unlikely.


For short trips of when you don't need room to carry extras like clothes, food, drinks, etc, a sling works well I believe to reduce your footprint. If it's just a camera, 1-2 lenses, and a few extras like batteries, memory card, etc. For me personally my limit is about 3-4 hours. Any longer than that and I'll want a backpack to split the load between both shoulders/waist. 3 hours or shorter and not needing many lenses, a sling helps me to move fast and quick. I prefer a sling in this case over a shoulder bag but I'm doing a lot of chasing after my kids and a shoulder bag just flaps around too much. The only time I'll use a shoulder bag is if I'm using it like a lens changer and I'm constantly changing lenses (like when I'm on a portrait session). Otherwise it's either a sling or a backpack.

There's actually three types of sling bags that I can identify. The upper back carrying sling bags like the Turnstyle that wears tight and secure. It's secure but if you're doing a lot of lens changes it'll be less convenient to use. Also this type of bag doesn't work for everyone. Those who are wider than average might feel constraints. Also women might not feel as comfortable with this type (not sure if you're female or not). My wife dislikes using this type of bag. There's the lower body hanging ones that are like the Lowepro passport sling. And there's the back pack type sling which is like the LowePro Edge or the Clik Elite Impluse Sling. These will have side entry and often have a clip that you can attach to even the load to the other side. In my opinion this is the least effective as it'll limit entry to a side, have less room for gear (since they're trying to mimic a backpack).

If that's all your planning on carrying, take a look at the Lowepro Passport Sling III as well. It'll carry 1-2 lenses, it'll wear on your lower back (so it'll reduce swear better than a upper back carrying sling). It'll feel easy to swing around to the front to do lens changes or if you need to ride public transport or in tight spaces. It won't hold much and frankly looks like a diaper bag at times, but maybe that'll help. It's super cheap too, you can buy it at B&H for $37 new now. If you're carrying multiple lenses then it won't work well, but for body with lens and one other lens it'll work well. Has room for other small items as well.



Oct 20, 2016 at 06:34 PM
pbraymond
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Am I worrying too much about backpack concerns?


Fstop Loka would be too big for just one body and two lenses, unless you also want that backpack to carry other stuff on the plane and to serve as your carry on pack. I would suggest a sling style bag, I think the Thinktank ones can be carried a couple of different ways to change the load points on your body. I also have an unpadded mountainsmith lumbar that packs flat, I place a mountainsmith padded insert and can carry one body and 3 lenses without much issue. Enjoy the trip.


Oct 20, 2016 at 07:23 PM
kaitlyn2004
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Am I worrying too much about backpack concerns?


TMaG82 wrote:
For short trips of when you don't need room to carry extras like clothes, food, drinks, etc, a sling works well I believe to reduce your footprint. If it's just a camera, 1-2 lenses, and a few extras like batteries, memory card, etc. For me personally my limit is about 3-4 hours. Any longer than that and I'll want a backpack to split the load between both shoulders/waist. 3 hours or shorter and not needing many lenses, a sling helps me to move fast and quick. I prefer a sling in this case over a shoulder bag but I'm doing
...Show more

Yeah I saw the passport sling but unfortunately it just didn't look like it would take much. Thing is - I really do expect to have more than just camera+lenses. Could easily see a rain jacket, or a sweater being taken off as I'm out and about. Doesn't seem like even the turnstyle could support stuffing a top in there or even somehow hanging/attaching to it



Oct 20, 2016 at 07:41 PM
kaitlyn2004
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Am I worrying too much about backpack concerns?


pbraymond wrote:
Fstop Loka would be too big for just one body and two lenses, unless you also want that backpack to carry other stuff on the plane and to serve as your carry on pack. I would suggest a sling style bag, I think the Thinktank ones can be carried a couple of different ways to change the load points on your body. I also have an unpadded mountainsmith lumbar that packs flat, I place a mountainsmith padded insert and can carry one body and 3 lenses without much issue. Enjoy the trip.


I never "fill" my loka, but can easily put more stuff in it, haha. At peak, I could have:
- Remote release
- 5D Mark III
- 16-35 F4L IS
- 24-105 F4L IS
- Sigma 35 1.4 Art
- Batteries
- Cleaning clothes
- Tripod
- LEE filters set
- Strap
- Jacket/sweater
(I am sure I missed something else!)

Of course I wouldn't bring everything with me every single day (at least I hope I don't... heavy!). It's just at that point, yeah the loka is big to carry a subset of the stuff... not needed. But maybe having a second bag for that simply isn't worth it either.



Oct 20, 2016 at 07:43 PM





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