Hello everyone.
Good to be here. Lots of info for noob like me.

Gotta a question.
Just both for myself a new 70-200 IS II and I am planing to go ski in a month.
I would like to take several pics with my new lens while skiing.
What safe back pack would you recommend for this (expensive) lens and body?

Thanks a lot.

Hi niktnowy,

Welcome to FM. Are you a good skier?

Cheers, Jim

Yes Jim I am but still I would like to be on the safe side and have something comfortable.
I would love to take tons of pictures.
Breckenridge will have a lot to offer

Thanks

Tones typo, sorry

Well, if you're not too worried about an impact from a crash, then you should get a decent ski or back country backpack or sling bag. Put the lens in a neoprene LensCoat or OpTech lens bag, and you're good to go.

niktnowy wrote:...I would love to take tones of pictures.

P.S. for pictures, that would be "tons" or "tonnes" - maybe "tones" for the tunes.

What do you think about this one.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000YIWR8G/?tag=squidcarlitto-20

Thanks again for helping me.

Nik

I JUST looked at that bag not 30 min ago in my quest for a light weight, carry-on bag. It is very nice, but not something I would trust with my gear when skiing on a mountain.

Look at the Porta Brace backpacks such as the PB-3500DK if you don't mind weight.

I'd just visit a local MEC (REI in the USA) and pick one.

I have skied with my D7000 and 18-200 in a lowepro 100 and it was fine. Bag didn't move around at all when skiing and I ski quite hard. I would sugest a sling type so that you can slide it around to the front easily when getting on and off the chair. I don't think that the Lowepro 100 would take that lens but anything well padded where the camera and lens can't rattle around at all. I would think it would be more likely to get damaged bouncing around then the odd basic fall. Now if you had a full on yard sale, well I don't think that the camera would do well in any bag.

I saw Lowepro 350 AW backpack with 70-200 mounted already and it was a great fit. I thought I could reinforce sides a little to make it stiffer.

Thanks for all help
Nik

I take a LowPro backpack for cross country skiing, but in truth its not as well made as a proper backpack. My previous solution of a proper pack with LowePro lens cases was better i think, if less convenient.

Theres some very popular Loka, F-stop models out there for skiing.

Personally, i really like the way the Flipside sits on my back and allows me to spin it around and access my camera quickly but without having to put it down, or if i do need to put it down, it keeps the wet snow off my back. Catch is, i'm not sure how weather proof it is.

Sling bags never sit comfortably enough during sports for me to recommend them.

i know you asked about backpacks, but Cotton Carrier would make your camera much more readly available while skiing.
Best wishes.

If you are still looking for a good backpack to ski with, you may want to consider the Tamrac Evolution 9. It is light and very stable on the back. It also can provide quick access to your camera with lens mounted. Howver, it may be a little more than what you need.

Two years ago at Telluride, I had a strap from a backpack catch on the chair as I was getting off. The lifty didn't notice until I was hanging six feet off the ground on my way down. Whatever pack you choose (if you do not want to ride with it in your lap), get one with a waistbelt to keep the pack tight to your back and make sure your straps are secure.

Lutefisker: I bet that was very interesting. I had a similar experience several years ago. I was wearing a heavy jacket and part of the lift caught my pocket jus as I was getting off. Made for a good laugh at my expense and also taught me to get off the lift with a little more care.
Never would have thought it possible, Best wishes.

Thank You guys for all answers.
I went with Lowepro 350 AW (All Weather). I will try it in a three weeks at Breckenridge, Co. Will post results.

I ski with a backpack all the time-- sometimes with a camera, sometimes just my avalanche shovel and probe (the beacon has it's own sling against the body, under the jacket).

Important considerations are chest and waist straps that you can get relatively snug. That prevents bouncing when you hit any jumps. Others include straps to tighten down the bag so that loose stuff inside doesn't bounce around too much internally-- both to protect those items and because it makes the skiing more fun. OR, having enough stuff/padding in there to keep everything in place and calm.

Honestly, provided you're not taking yardsales against icy moguls, protection FOR the camera isn't a big deal. Although with a 70-200 mounted the leverage if you hit just right could damage the mount interface. I'd be concerned with whatever's in the bag not being padded enough that it becomes a hard fulcrum under the spine AKA protection FROM the camera. But... I may be biased in that earlier this summer I took a massive pile-driver on MTB that resulted in 3 x thoracic vertebra compression fractures (a relatively minor injury... I did a 100+ mile ride 3 weeks later).

Bottom line: a secured pack, and stuff it with a fleece/extra t-shirt. The camera is going to be fine. Personally, I'd rather keep one or two light/short primes + camera (one mounted) if I'm skiing to ski (perhaps 35mm and 85mm) rather than a big, long mounted zoom. The zoom is more useful for instruction videos of a skier, in case you want to follow their movements as they approach and pass you for teaching purposes.

Another consideration: Wear mittens as the outer, and fingerless, lightweight gloves (or just really light/tight gloves) as liners. And see if your mittens have a strap that attaches to your wrist or jacket. Makes it a hell of a lot easier to drop the mittens and work the camera without having to do multiple pack/hold/unpack/hold movements.

I use a Dakine Mission photo pack year round. I fit a D700, 14-24, 70-200f2.8, 50, speed light, and all my accessories in the pack just fine. You can strap a tripod to it for hiking around, but probably wouldn't ski with a tripod back there. An avalanche shovel fits perfectly back there.

There aren't many straps to get hung up and it fits to my body perfectly, with or without a jacket. I would take it anywhere in our out of bounds except avoiding hard transitions off a cliff or jackhammering the moguls, which is quite obvious. Have hiked a lot with it and doesn't hurt my back since the gear is kept so close to your body. The pack is pretty cheap as well. It sells itself when people see me using it.

They make a larger sized pack now for those that want to carry more gear. I'm sure it would be good as well.

another suggestion, clik elite probody sport. great bag that can handle a hydration sleeve as well...or look at some of the other clik elite bags.

Basically, don't do it. Go skiing.

If you have to, look at Fstop gear.

It's just no fun skiing with a backpack full of camera gear.

J.