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Archive 2018 · Field review: Cotton Carrier Strapshot backpack mount

  
 
NorthMac
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Field review: Cotton Carrier Strapshot backpack mount


As an adjunct to the threads on quality backpacks, I recently tried, on a month-long trip to NZ, the Cotton Strapshot mount for backpacks. I have always had a fine daypack but struggled with the camera access part, in particular for hikes where an image may occur anywhere (as opposed to 4 hours walk to get to a “spot”), and neck straps are a no-go for me. The Cotton uses the same clip as on their Cotton Carrier vest, attaches to the tripod socket and cannot fall out of the clip unless rotated about 45 degrees. In practice you rotate the camera as you slide it out and it its ready for shooting - reverse to “dock it”. As I am right handed I mount on the left pack strap. The Strapshot slips on with velcro around the pack strap, and its weight is supported with a secondary strap up to your top snug straps on the pack (or a D-ring which many packs have). They supply a safety lanyard too, but as I typically use a light wrist strap loop, I just loop it through the sternum (chest) strap on the pack, and it serves the same no-drop risk function when I am on cliff-edges, boats, etc.

What impressed in a month of use now is that the camera weight just disappears while on the clip - I have also used the original Cotton Carrier vest for long-lens rigs and it was never this comfortable due to the high chest tension it requires to support the weight. As long as you are mounting the Strapshot on a serious pack with full hip belt, AND the pack is properly adjusted, most of the camera weight is transferred to the hips. My Olympus m4/3 rig with 12-40 Pro zoom is just under 1 kg, but I tried pushing on the camera to simulate a 2-3 kg rig, and it still works. Seriously heavy wildlife lens combinations would, I feel, eventually overpower this clip and end up with too much imbalance and shoulder strap pressure, but for the average walk-around combination this is the best I have found. For the money, if you are already walking with a good pack on longer hikes, this is a fantastic shooting assistant.

Only a phone shot to show this (camera on the clip!) but it shows the general arrangement. I had the pack off prior to this shot and the sternum strap is a bit loose, so when snugged a bit the camera sits exactly down the strap, and just inside of where your arm might swing while walking.





Mar 01, 2018 at 10:56 PM
Frogfish
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Field review: Cotton Carrier Strapshot backpack mount


To be honest the camera is far too exposed for hiking for my liking (I've still got the original Cotton Carrier and a Spider - neither of which are used now - so am well aware of how these systems work). Over numerous hikes sooner or later there are going to be slips, maybe a fall and certainly pushing through undergrowth / trees / narrow rocky passages etc. or maybe I'm just more accident prone / clumsy !

I much prefer the Mindshift Rotation series for day hikes (though I had and loved it on 2 week mountain hikes with porters too) and when I am porter-less (90% of the time) then I love having my gear in the exterior pockets (central or top) of my Boreas backpack (both of which can easily take a Nikon D800E with mounted Tamron 15-30), they have never been at risk from my clumsiness or lack of attention and I can access them in under 20 seconds (so wouldn't suit wildlife shooters but then that's another genre of shooting altogether). I've also taken to removing the belt/camera section from the Mindshift and using it with the Boreas, best of both worlds though you have to adapt to having it on your stomach rather than contained in the Mindshift pack in normal use.

I wrote a review on the Boreas 45L (I use the 60L now - identical bar an extended neck) which contains pictues on how I use the pockets : https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1366149/0



Mar 02, 2018 at 02:52 AM
NorthMac
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Field review: Cotton Carrier Strapshot backpack mount


Fair comment if you are indeed scrambling through heavy bush etc., but that is not the reality for most hiking trails I and most people venture on. I have never fallen on an actual trail (as opposed to routefinding in unmarked ground), but I have dropped my camera several times, so for me a system that allows instant access and prevents drops meets my needs. Likewise if I were fording a stream I would put away the camera in the pack, but even that is one in 20 hikes where I travel.


Mar 02, 2018 at 02:24 PM





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