I posted on here last year about a Photo backpack. I never did take the plunge though. I've been looking very hard on Tamrac's website though.
I feel that my 100-400, which I usually have mounted, limits my options on a small pack. I also feel that converting a "real" outdoors backpack to a photo pack would be more of a pain then it's worth. You can feel free to prove me wrong on that though!
Anyhow, I'm looking the hardest at the Tamrac Adventure 10 and Model 777, also the Lowepro Nature Trekker AW II and Vertex series.
I'd use the pack mostly for just transporting my gear within a mile or so of my truck but on occasion it would be used to pack into the woods for wildflower hikes and such. I'm wanting to carry my 100-400 with Rebel XT mounted, my Sigma 150mm macro, a small 28-90 that came with the camera, a little water, food, etc. in one pack. This pack would also need to be able to grow with me if I pick up another lens in the future as I don't want to have to buy another pack later on!
I'm just curious if I should be looking anywhere else for a pack and what you guys are currently using? I'm going to go to my local store today and look around but their selection is usually very limited, which is why I'm asking for guidance from you all.
I've got Tamrac's Adventure 9, Adventure 10, and 777.
The 777 is long on gear space and short on space for anything else. It's roomy for my usual load: a bulky D2X mounted with my 500 f/4, along with a 300 f/4, an 80-200 f/2.8, a 12-24, a 24-105, a 105 macro, my light meter and more. I can even get a spare body in there when I'm so inclined. But anything else you want to carry is going in the detachable outer pockets.
The Adventure 9 is going to be slightly small for your camera needs. but provides useful space for the rest.. I'm doing good to carry a mounted 80-200 f/2.8, a 12-24, a 24-120 a 105, a strobe and my light meter.
The Adventure 10 hits the right compromise bewtween the two for my needs. It's got even more room for personal gear than the 9, while also packing a mounted 300 f/4, the 80-200 f/2.8, 12-24, 24-120, 105, strobe and light meter. Plus my 15" laptop! I don't have a 100-400, but there's enough room for the 300 that I bet it won't have any issues. It really is the right pack for my regular loads and uses, though it's about 25% bigger than the 9 my wife prefers. I still use my 9 when I don't need to carry the 300 f/4. It's just enough smaller that I can get it under an airline seat, while the 10 is strictly a resident of the overhead bins.
Posted by Ron Niebrugge on February 19, 2009 at 11:39 AM
Posted by Jim DeWitt on February 19, 2009 at 12:04 PM
I am extremely pleased with my LowePro CompuTrekker Plus AW. It may be more than you need - it has a thoroughly padded slip-in pocket for a laptop. But the pack stood up to 30 plus pounds of gear for three weeks in Ecuador. The integrated rain cover worked perfectly in drenching tropical rains. And it's comfortable on my back. I like products that work right without fuss. This is one of those gems.
Posted by Mitch Erwin on February 19, 2009 at 12:40 PM
Kyle, I'll second the recommendation for the Gura Gear Kiboko bag. Prior to purchasing one back in December, I was a Lowepro user pretty much exclusively - having 3-4 bags. I've now sold all of them except my chest mount system, and utilize this bag exclusively. It's kinda spendy, but I use it to day hike with, hold my gear in my house, in my truck etc. It is extremely light, 4 lbs as opposed to 8-11, it is made out of the same material as racing sailboat sails. It has butterfly opening which I find really works well, and it hold alot of gear. Right now it is probably overkill for the amount of gear you have, but it will easily grow with you, and what space that isn't taken by camera gear, you can stuff - food clothes, water in for your dayhikes. Also, the suspension system tucks away flat in it's own little zippered pouch ( VERY NICE ) and meets the measurement specs to be a carry on for airways. I'm going to do a full review in May after I put it through it's paces for a week trip out West in April. Sorry for being so winded with this, but I REALLY like this bag!
Posted by Wim Reyns on February 19, 2009 at 2:02 PM
Kyle,
i would have a look at the Lowepro vertex 100, it would take everything you described pretty easily.
however it might not allow for much growth so the 200 may be better suited,
my advice would be to go to a shop where they have several of the packs you listed and compare them in the shop !
Ok...so I looked at the Adventure 10 and the Nature Trekker AW II. The Nature Trekker came with another small backpack? I don't know if this was just an in store thing or if they all come like that? It seemed to be built better than the Adventure 10 but I like how the Adventure had the cargo storage area that the Nature Trekker did not. The price of the Adventure 10 is also nice.
Good observation on the 10, Kyle. It's in Tamrac's import line and carries only a 5-year warranty rather than lifetime, if I recall correctly. Importing is the way they kept the price down, as it was explained to me. My 9 was roughly 3 years old and experienced a fabric separation, and they replaced it faster than immediately. I couldn't believe how quickly they shipped (Fedex 1-day) a new one to me.
I picked up a Super Pro 13 bag (#613) at the same time I got the Adventure 10 a month or so ago, the first new bag for me in a few years. And is it ever well made! Nice to see they've kept up their quality standards over the years, even as they added the import line with a lesser warranty. We use a bunch of their big studio bags and roller cases in our studio, and they've held up like main battle tanks in spite of many years of serious abuse.
Posted by Mike Klarich on February 20, 2009 at 2:14 PM
Kyle,
I have the Tamrac Expedition 6x, and I love it. I carry 2 bodies, and a few lenses (including a 100-400) and it has a nice system to strap on a tripod. It is very durable, protects all my equipment very well. I've had it for about a year now without any wear or problems. It's also small enough to carry-on for flight travel, but can still carry everything I need encluding a laptop. http://www.tamrac.com/5586_lrg.htm
Good Luck!
Posted by Mike Klarich on February 20, 2009 at 2:32 PM
Kyle,
I have the Tamrac Expedition 6x, and I love it. I carry 2 bodies, and a few lenses (including a 100-400) and it has a nice system to strap on a tripod. It is very durable, protects all my equipment very well. I've had it for about a year now without any wear or problems. It's also small enough to carry-on for flight travel, but can still carry everything I need encluding a laptop. http://www.tamrac.com/5586_lrg.htm
Mike...how much extra gear storage did it have though?
I'm looking for a bag that'll carry my camera gear. Maps, trail book, cellphone, first aid kit possibly, a little food a water...the usual hiking stuff.
Posted by John Mumaw on February 20, 2009 at 10:21 PM
Then the Adventure 10 is exactly what you need, especially if you plant to 'grow' your gear .
Posted by Bruce Painter on February 20, 2009 at 10:38 PM
I know this one has not been mentioned but last year I was looking for about the same thing and on a trip to meet some of the SENP members. I saw the Mountainsmith Parallax. Jerry Greer and Jamie Simone both had one. It was just what I was looking for. You should check it out before you decide. Oh, before this one I was using a Lowepro Micro Trekker 200. I needed something a little larger but not large enough for a week long trip. The straps on the Mountainsmith actualy are more comfortable even though when full it is heaver.
You see the ONLY thing I don't like about the Adventure 10 is that it doesn't have a good tripod mount area like most of the other packs I've looked at.
Now I do like that Parallax! I am leaning hard towards that due to the price...I think it's a great pack for the price. Mountainsmith is a good company also.
I am also thinking this....I've got numerous packs right now. I have an Osprey Kestrel for example. I could use that pack and the purchase something like the Tamrac 5630 for my Rebel with 100-400 mounted. I would then have to carry all of my gear in separate cases though, and have them all in the pack kinda shuffled up. I don't know if this is the best option but it is an option none-the-less. Although I can get the Mountainsmith for slightly more money and it seems to have good storage for gear other than my photography stuff.
I'm just exploring all of my options before I do this...but I'm definitely getting one soon as it was a pain last year with my Micro Trekker.
Well I ordered the Mountainsmith Parallax!! I found one for 109 dollars and figured that was too good of a deal to pass up! They are on Sierra Trading Post if anyone else is interested.
Thanks for the info everyone. I hope that I made a good decision. Just didn't want to break the bank on a photo backpack and figured that a 100 dollar pack that has all that I need would be the way go to.
I'll let you all know what I think of the pack when it gets here.
Yeah, let us know. It looks like a really credible pack, but in photos and ads anyway, it never looked like it was set up to carry personal items in addition to your camera gear.
I own Lowepro DryZone 200 Backpack. I am tall and it is still pretty comfortable backpack for me to carry fully loaded. It is comparatively small but quite spacious. I usually carry two Canon Mark cameras with mounted 300mm+teleconverter and a wide lenses and a bunch of accessories. It looks like I can even fit another macro lens. Outside pockets give more room for water bottle, etc. The inside dividers are completely customizable.
The best part is that the backpack zips completely waterproof. Still, I have yet to try it submerged with my equipment, but it sure gives me peace of mind when I am hiking the rainforest caught by the tropical rain downpour, or just want to store my equipment away from moisture and dust. It does a great job.
Hank, when I look at that pack I seem to think that the outer zipper area would be for personal items. I'll let you guys know.
Thanks for all the help.
Posted by Bruce Painter on February 21, 2009 at 10:36 PM
Kyle is correct in that the outer zipper is for personal items. It's not huge but is larger than it looks in most of the online photos. Like I said in the previous post it's not going to hold a lot for overnight trips and Hank since you are in Alaska it might not hold enough heavy clothing for day trips in fast changing and extreme weather. I can get my rain jacket some food extra water There are also two side pockets that will hold one water bottle each and keep the more handy. There is also a middle section that will hold a 15" laptop.
I have not done a lot of hiking since I bought it but what I have done it carrys well for my 5'10" 190lb frame.
The one thing I don't like is that the zipper pulls are not the strongest I've seen and I'm not sure yet about the vertical carry spot for the tripod. It puts it a little higher overhead than needed it the trail calls for ducking under limbs and downed trees and also farther from the body making it seem a little heaver than a horizontal under the pack carry.
Bruce
Posted by John Mumaw on February 22, 2009 at 11:27 PM
I own the Mountainsmith Borealis pack, which is a daypack/camera bag combo like what you were looking for.Only reason I didn't recommend it is because I thought you would be carrying more camera equipment than it can hold.
Discussion
19 repliesI feel that my 100-400, which I usually have mounted, limits my options on a small pack. I also feel that converting a "real" outdoors backpack to a photo pack would be more of a pain then it's worth. You can feel free to prove me wrong on that though!
Anyhow, I'm looking the hardest at the Tamrac Adventure 10 and Model 777, also the Lowepro Nature Trekker AW II and Vertex series.
I'd use the pack mostly for just transporting my gear within a mile or so of my truck but on occasion it would be used to pack into the woods for wildflower hikes and such. I'm wanting to carry my 100-400 with Rebel XT mounted, my Sigma 150mm macro, a small 28-90 that came with the camera, a little water, food, etc. in one pack. This pack would also need to be able to grow with me if I pick up another lens in the future as I don't want to have to buy another pack later on!
I'm just curious if I should be looking anywhere else for a pack and what you guys are currently using? I'm going to go to my local store today and look around but their selection is usually very limited, which is why I'm asking for guidance from you all.
Thanks!
The 777 is long on gear space and short on space for anything else. It's roomy for my usual load: a bulky D2X mounted with my 500 f/4, along with a 300 f/4, an 80-200 f/2.8, a 12-24, a 24-105, a 105 macro, my light meter and more. I can even get a spare body in there when I'm so inclined. But anything else you want to carry is going in the detachable outer pockets.
The Adventure 9 is going to be slightly small for your camera needs. but provides useful space for the rest.. I'm doing good to carry a mounted 80-200 f/2.8, a 12-24, a 24-120 a 105, a strobe and my light meter.
The Adventure 10 hits the right compromise bewtween the two for my needs. It's got even more room for personal gear than the 9, while also packing a mounted 300 f/4, the 80-200 f/2.8, 12-24, 24-120, 105, strobe and light meter. Plus my 15" laptop! I don't have a 100-400, but there's enough room for the 300 that I bet it won't have any issues. It really is the right pack for my regular loads and uses, though it's about 25% bigger than the 9 my wife prefers. I still use my 9 when I don't need to carry the 300 f/4. It's just enough smaller that I can get it under an airline seat, while the 10 is strictly a resident of the overhead bins.
i would have a look at the Lowepro vertex 100, it would take everything you described pretty easily.
however it might not allow for much growth so the 200 may be better suited,
my advice would be to go to a shop where they have several of the packs you listed and compare them in the shop !
Wim
I'm still shopping around though.
I picked up a Super Pro 13 bag (#613) at the same time I got the Adventure 10 a month or so ago, the first new bag for me in a few years. And is it ever well made! Nice to see they've kept up their quality standards over the years, even as they added the import line with a lesser warranty. We use a bunch of their big studio bags and roller cases in our studio, and they've held up like main battle tanks in spite of many years of serious abuse.
I have the Tamrac Expedition 6x, and I love it. I carry 2 bodies, and a few lenses (including a 100-400) and it has a nice system to strap on a tripod. It is very durable, protects all my equipment very well. I've had it for about a year now without any wear or problems. It's also small enough to carry-on for flight travel, but can still carry everything I need encluding a laptop. http://www.tamrac.com/5586_lrg.htm
Good Luck!
I have the Tamrac Expedition 6x, and I love it. I carry 2 bodies, and a few lenses (including a 100-400) and it has a nice system to strap on a tripod. It is very durable, protects all my equipment very well. I've had it for about a year now without any wear or problems. It's also small enough to carry-on for flight travel, but can still carry everything I need encluding a laptop. http://www.tamrac.com/5586_lrg.htm
Good Luck!
I'm looking for a bag that'll carry my camera gear. Maps, trail book, cellphone, first aid kit possibly, a little food a water...the usual hiking stuff.
http://www.mountainsmith.com/products.asp?productId=143&categoryId=13&subCategoryId=14&subCategory2Id=0
Bruce
Now I do like that Parallax! I am leaning hard towards that due to the price...I think it's a great pack for the price. Mountainsmith is a good company also.
I am also thinking this....I've got numerous packs right now. I have an Osprey Kestrel for example. I could use that pack and the purchase something like the Tamrac 5630 for my Rebel with 100-400 mounted. I would then have to carry all of my gear in separate cases though, and have them all in the pack kinda shuffled up. I don't know if this is the best option but it is an option none-the-less. Although I can get the Mountainsmith for slightly more money and it seems to have good storage for gear other than my photography stuff.
I'm just exploring all of my options before I do this...but I'm definitely getting one soon as it was a pain last year with my Micro Trekker.
Thanks for the info everyone. I hope that I made a good decision. Just didn't want to break the bank on a photo backpack and figured that a 100 dollar pack that has all that I need would be the way go to.
I'll let you all know what I think of the pack when it gets here.
The best part is that the backpack zips completely waterproof. Still, I have yet to try it submerged with my equipment, but it sure gives me peace of mind when I am hiking the rainforest caught by the tropical rain downpour, or just want to store my equipment away from moisture and dust. It does a great job.
Thanks for all the help.
I have not done a lot of hiking since I bought it but what I have done it carrys well for my 5'10" 190lb frame.
The one thing I don't like is that the zipper pulls are not the strongest I've seen and I'm not sure yet about the vertical carry spot for the tripod. It puts it a little higher overhead than needed it the trail calls for ducking under limbs and downed trees and also farther from the body making it seem a little heaver than a horizontal under the pack carry.
Bruce
Best of luck with your new bag!