I have a Mountainsmith Tour Lumbar pack for short outings. I like it quite a bit. Normally I carry my 200-600 on a BlackRapid strap, but I wanted to be able to hang it on the belt periodically, like I do with my Atlas pack, via QD. My Atlas Adventure hipbelt from my pack fits me very well, so I tried it in the Tour and like the result.
I used the M/L Atlas Adventure belt. The S/M hipbelt is a tad short to fit the Tour the way I did it.
The quick summary: I ran the Atlas hipbelt through the tunnel of the Tour. I routed the belt loop from the Tour in the tunnel to tuck it away. I used the straps from the Atlas belt (for the lens changer bags in the wings of the Atlas pack) in the Tour ladderlocks to hold the Tour wings on the Atlas hipbelt. These loosen over time and I need to add a clip to hold it better (suggestions for that are welcome!). I then stuffed a Seek Outside lumbar pad in the tunnel to add some padding and round out the shape. This fits me very well and stays in place, and has remained comfortable on every walk.
Inside the Tour, I added some leftover padded dividers to protect a lens or two. I carry water, snacks, hat, gloves, bug spray, sunscreen, batteries, memory cards, etc, as needed.
The water bottle pockets are easy to reach while wearing the pack.
The shape of the Tour wings against the Adventure belt lets me use the side pockets on the Tour and still use the front molle loops on the belt.
I think other hipbelts could work for this as well.
Great thread John! One of my passions is waterfall photography, which means I'm shooting from the edge of stream where there can be mud, or even from in the water or rocks in that are in the stream. Somewhere along the way I learned about inverted tripods, mainly used for hunting and rifle competitions and I became intrigued. Not having to bend down so far to adjust the twists and also keeping them out of the mud and muck that I'm often shooting in. Over the past year I've been shooting the RRS Versa-22i, which really clicked with me (other than the collapsed length).
Late January RRS teased a new tripod (focused mainly on their SOAR customers), and I could tell from the shadowed photo it was a 3 section inverted tripod. I was hoping they'd come out with a Versa-33i, as I think a 3 section would be about perfect for me. I had sent RRS an email saying a 3 section series 2 or 3 would be something I'd be really interested in. It was released on February 3rd, but turned out to be a series 4 tripod that was a limited edition (only 70 made), sold as a package with the Anvil-30 head (for rifle shooting). Long story short, I hemed and hawed for a couple of hours, but eventually pulled the trigger (no pun intended). It was a birthday present to myself. While a little bulky, it's similar to RRS series 3 tripods in weight, which is about the cutoff for me.
I put a Arca Swiss P1+/Acratech Lever Clamp on it, along with a QD adapter for my protector, and then added an Obi Link Tripod Post (another nifty thing I picked up from watching some of the rifle shooters). That way I can carry it on my backpack strap, as I hate stowing tripods on my backpack. When shooting waterfalls I had often used my tripod as a walking stick.
The P1+ does not come without a clamp, and the one it comes with may have Loctite on it. If so, you have to use a heat gun to get it off (or some form of heat). It also comes with an M6 thread, but I was able to get a stainless M6 threaded rod with an allen wrench notch on one end. I then used a Nodal Ninja M6 to 3/8" adapter to mount the Acratech clamp. (And an aluminum knob that I had to rethread from 1/4" to M6).
In any case, I doubt there is anyone using this tripod for photography, but those who a familiar with me here on FM....I'm a little odd.
Looking forward to spring waterfalls coming up in a couple of months. Still going to keep my eye out for a Versa-33i, I really do think RRS will make one.
Some photos to share. The smaller tripod in the one shot is a TFC-24L with an Arca Swiss P0/Acratech Lever Clamp on it. I also have a Leofoto QS-60 quick link that allows swapping of heads easily.
I use an old Osprey backpack to carry my gear and other things during travels. I added a couple layers of bubble wrap to the bottom of the pack to cushion the gear when putting the pack down. Works like a charm.
