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Archive 2017 · input on camera pack for hiking, trekking, camping etc...

  
 
K mueller
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · input on camera pack for hiking, trekking, camping etc...


For those who go on extended trips or have the need to carry their camera gear and other items like a tent, sleeping bag, clothes or whatever, what would you like to see in a pack?

I am judging interests to see if it would be worth while to design such a pack?

I know there are hundreds of packs on the market and I have tried many, but nothing I found is perfect or works like I want it too and perhaps no pack ever will be?

My favorite pack now is a Lowepro Pro Trekker 650, and the Gura Gear Bataflae 32L. The Lowepro fits a decent amount of gear (not enough for tent and sleeping bag) and is comfortable but it is really heavy ~ 10 lbs. The Bataflae isn't large enough nor is the suspension sufficient enough to wear for long periods. I like the bataflae design the best but it needs to be bigger.

I've tried the F-stop bags and wasn't really a fan.

What id like to see in a bag?
- 3400-3600 Cubic inch capacity
- Sub 6 pounds, but closer to 5 would be ideal
- Designated camera compartment. Split design like the bataflae but longer? needs to carry a 600mm mounted. Have that split design but with a ICU maybe? That way you could utilize both sides for camera gear, one side or none.
- Pocket on the side to carry a water bladder
- Robust setup to carry a large tripod on the side

What else? What would your ideal pack be?






Mar 07, 2017 at 04:26 AM
Dustin Gent
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · input on camera pack for hiking, trekking, camping etc...


i do quite a bit of backpacking every year, and am hoping to get into the Wind Rivers 3-4 times this year (was there twice last summer).

There are several packs that i am interested in. The GREGORY TARGHEE is a good one, but the one i have packed with what i would use is the MAMMUT TRION PRO. It weighs 3lbs 12oz.

The pack i have used in the past was the Gregory Baltoro 75 (used for 3 years), and then last summer i bought the Gregory Denali 75. It is a comfortable pack, but weighs almost 7lbs, and is just too much bag for me.

This is what i took on both my trips to the Wind Rivers:
MSR Hubba Hubba tent
REI Flash 32 bag
Sea to Summit Comfort Plus pad (best in the biz, if you ask me!)
First Need XLE purifier
MSR Windburner stove
Bear vault BV500
my D600+14-24+tripod+batteries
Goal Zero nomad 7 plus solar panel
Delorme inReach explorer (now Garmin) to test out
clothing and food for 7 days

I fit all this (minus my camera gear) into the Trion Pro 57 liter bag. seems sufficient. I can go lighter than what i mentioned. The Denali is a great bag and swallowed all this us and had extra room, but my weight with everything minus backpack and camera gear was about 24lbs. not bad for 7 days worth of food and such.

anyways, by chance the head designer at PeakDesign and his team i met and talked to him for a bit. I told him if he designed a pack with real suspension that they could own the market of backpacking photographers. He stated they are looking into it. I honestly am surprised the likes of Osprey, Gregory or Arcteryx aren't in this market yet. The F-stop and Cliq Elite bags just don't have the capacity/suspension for the kind of trips i do often, and the LowePro bags i have seen (and Tamrac) i wonder why even make them. just my experience.



Mar 07, 2017 at 05:08 PM
K mueller
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · input on camera pack for hiking, trekking, camping etc...


The trouble with PeakDesign is they don't have any backpacking experience. It needs to be a brand like the others you mentioned.

Not much interests in here, but I will continue to find a alternative setup. I know the owner/founder of a top of the line pack company. I am going to see what it would take for me to design something




Mar 09, 2017 at 07:24 AM
WestTexas Sky
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · input on camera pack for hiking, trekking, camping etc...


Still using a Dana Designs Terraplane for when I backpack. Have had it since 1994. It's heavy by today's standards but carried well. I just put the Sony gear in a small LowePro Omni-Sport bag and then on top part of pack.

If you design a pack, offer it in red.



Mar 09, 2017 at 06:27 PM
dodgyexposure
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · input on camera pack for hiking, trekking, camping etc...


Your problem, as I'm sure you have worked out, is trying to design a specialist pack for people who all have slightly different needs. I suspect that is probably the reason why the pack manufacturers stay out of camera bags.

As soon as you design a feature that is good for, say, wildlife photographers (such as dedicated space for a big tele), then you are potentially limiting the attraction of your bag to all other users, and therefore reducing your potential market.

It's easier to sell more general high quality packs, with options for the customer to fit to purpose (through use of ICUs, attachment points etc.) than it is to include specific uses in the design.

MindShift's Rotation bags are an interesting experiment that comes to mind, to try to combine a decent harness with specific camera usage, while maintaining some general space. Heavy, though. I wonder how many of those they sold to serious walkers?

Putting a proper harness on a decent size camera bag, like you discussed with PD, seems to me to be the best available 'niche' market at present.



Mar 09, 2017 at 06:40 PM





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