Camera & Backpack Advice

I recently bough a new backpack (the Osprey Waypoint 80), so I could carry my LF gear and have enough space to carry backpacking gear. Although it is more of a "travel" pack, it has a really nice suspension...and a well fitting suspension is really tough to find when you are 6'8" tall!!!!

Anyway, while it was a pleasure to carry the pack compared to my old Lowepro, I found that my gear was hard to deal with inside the pack. I put everything into smaller soft cases – lens case, camera case, film holder case – and then put these into the bag. However, setting up and breaking down the equipment took a long time since I had to reorganize everything.

Does anyone know of a good (hopefully lightweight) insert with separators, like traditional camera bags, that I could use to keep the gear somewhat organized?

I figure you hardcore backpackers have some ideas...

Thanks for any recommendations in advance.

Does anyone know of a good (hopefully lightweight) insert with separators, like traditional camera bags, that I could use to keep the gear somewhat organized?

Have you looked at photobackpacker gear?

Cheers,

I use a Lowe Pro Orion AW fanny pack with it's attachable small backpack inside my Ospry Crescent 100 for my digital camera gear, and an old Photoflex (don't remember the model) fanny pack with it's attachable backpack for my 4x5 lenses and film etc. plus a separate Lowe Pro case for my camera. I suspect the Orion or similar fanny pack would work for 4x5 lenses, but probably not the film holders. If you can find one of the old Photoflex fanny's the outside pocket is perfect for my quickload holder and 20 sheets of quickload film. Don't know if you can still find them. Finding a fanny pack that you can put 4x5 film in holders in is the challenge. Don't know what's currently available.

Using a fanny pack with a detachable pack allows you to hike around an area after you arrive with all your gear accessible. In fact, the fanny pack systems are what I use most of the time when the bigger pack is not needed. With the 4x5, I carry the camera around on the tripod when using the fanny pack.

Of course I don't carry them both at the same time

Hope this helps

Hey Rene,

I just accept that 4x5 from a backpack is slow. I all my photogear in one of these. Smaller items I group into small dry bags. But that's the extent of my organizing. Then I just put the entire bag in my backpakcking pack.

Although I'm a 35mm guy, I use Outdoor Research insulated water bottle holders for spare lenses when backpacking. I also have a few OR zip pouches for misc stuff - filters, batteries, etc. Between OR and Eagle Creek, you could probably come up with a solid compartmentalization strategy at REI that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg.

Rene,

If you're really using it in conjunction with backpacking, then I'm afraid you're not going to find many other options that truly allow you to carry the camera and your camping gear well. What you need is a panel loader pack, but panel loaders (like suitcases) suck when you've got to slightly overload. I'm in the same boat with various photo backpacker cases and lenswraps etc.. strewn throughout my backpack. In my case I use the Gregory Palisade which is also near 80 liters. If I'm planning to day hike from camp I carry my 3lb Deuter daypack strapped empty onto my big pack..

If you're just using it to hike, and will only be carrying the camera gear + water, food, clothing, then a daypack is fine. Photobackpacker's system is definitely daypack oriented. The thing I would worry about based on Kalin's Photobackpacker Kelty setup is that the frame would not be long enough for you. With that in mind, you might call the owner of photobackpacker and see what he could do. Gregory makes a tall narrow backpacking pack that I think would work as a nice 4X5 pack, but it is a top loader. Perhaps photobackpacker could convert it to a panel loader for you.

So far I haven't seen a good answer to this problem for true backpacking. For dayhiking, the photobackpacker converted packs from Kelty and Granite Gear are really slick.

I use the Photobackpacker system, as Mel mentioned. For day hiking, I use their cases on the velcro backplane inside a Kelty Redwing pack. I have a case for my Shen Hao 4x5, a case for three 4x5 lenses, and another square case (Shen Hao size) that I used their partitioning system to hold my 20D, 3 35mm lenses, and some accessories. For overnight backpacking, I use an Osprey Cresent 80 and depending on which outfit I'm packing (never both yet), I just pack the RPT cases in with the rest of my gear, usually near the top of the pack. The Osprey has a daypack that hooks onto the larger pack which is really nice. It's large enough to fit the RPT cases plus food/light jacket for day hikes while backpacking. I also just carry my 20D and lenses loose in it. So dayhiking affords faster setups and the full backpack does not. Like Laurent said, I accept the fact that backpacking with 4x5 means slow setup.

I know Jack uses a different system that I believe he had customized. He obviously gets around a lot with it

Thank you everyone for the great feedback.

Mark (and others) – the Photobackpacker gear seems to be the ticket! Using their backerboard and attaching the various compartments seems to be the solution I am looking for…although a bit expensive!

Mel – my Osprey Waypoint 80 is a panel loader. I looked at a ton of packs, it came down to a Gregory and an Osprey, and the Osprey was much better suited to photography. Even though it is a travel pack, it has a fantastic suspension, it fits me, and it carries very well even loaded to the top! I hauled it into the subway with way too much gear this fall.

Although a little unorthodox, the setup that worked best for me was to load my LF gear into the lower part of an Orion AW. That part has a hip belt, and I'd wear the pack in front so as not to interfere with my backpack. It let me have easy access to the camera without having to take break deep into my pack repeatedly. The detached upper portion held film and holders, and I put that in the top of my pack.

Then, when dayhiking, I would attach the two parts like Jack described, and use it as a camera bag and daypack. Versatile, small and light. You can see the setup here.

On steep sections where there might be rock steps, it would brush my knees as I stepped up, but never enough to be a problem.

Like I said, unorthodox...