Camera belt system vs backpack

I've been doing some reading on using a belt system vs backpack and most of what I've read seems pretty positive. Does anyone here use this and what are some thoughts from the group. The biggest problem I have with the backpack is that after putting all the gear in, you dont have much room left for anything else (jacket, supplies, etc.)

Thanks,
Jack

Jack,

Are you thinking about long dayhikes or extended overnights?

For long day hikes, I like using a ThinkTank belt-pouch system along with a small daypack for supplies. It keeps all the lenses handy, and I like the weight distribution. But, I doubt the ThinkTank system would work well with a full pack on multiday trips.

If you are in the Denver area, you are welcome to borrow my ThinkTank gear and give it a try.

I have both types of systems (both LowePro), and which one I use depends on what I'm doing.
The backpack is my primary means of carrying and storing my equipment. The backpack is very comfortable, even for extended hikes. I will use it if I will need to carry all or most of my equipment, even if it's a long distance.
If I think I will only need a few pieces or will be swapping lenses frequently, I'll wear the belt system. I have a pouch for each lens and body and will attach whatever I need to carry. It also allows me to swap parts without having to put everything down, pull something out of a bag, etc.

Check out some of Tim Fitzharris' books for his advice on his belt system. He's sold on it big time.

I'm re-thinking this a little....maybe I need a backpack I was hiking in Utah a few weeks ago and my biggest problem was not having my hands free because I was holding my tripod all the time. Maybe what I need is a backpack with tripod support...any recommendations based on that?

Jack

Buy a Backpack, not a camera backpack, but a regular backpack. It will fit a lot better and will have plenty of room for all your stuff.

Agree with the above, you need both, a backpack for those days/trips when you need lots of gear. Its easy to fix your tripod on with carabiners and straps or whatever works for you. My pack has polystyrene compartments for the cameras and lenses.

The beltpack is very useful for a lot of day hikes where you need just some water and a lens or two and batteries and memory cards.

Morris, that is w3here I got the original idea for belt packs..thanks. Jody, how do you keep your lenses from rolling all over without compartments and do you have a system for keeping all the stuff organized in a regular backpack?

Jack

If I am day hiking or backpacking I only ever take 2 lenses. I just normally wrap my lenses and camera body in hats or fleece. I never have any issues with this.

How much gear are you planning to hike with?
I use a Mountainsmith Borealis pack which holds a camera with lens attached, plus two small lenses comfortably.
The top half of the pack holds some food, water, a first aid kit, a sweater and other assorted goodies, while the tripod holder on back works well with my short tripod. Mountainsmith makes excellent day and backpacks, so they know what they're doing.

If that interests you, someone at Flickr has posted a series of photos going into great detail about this pack.

Jack, for a system that will adapt to most standard backpacks, checkout PhotoBackpacker.com. Even though most of the gear descriptions are tuned to LF gear, you can buy one of the larger square cases and a divider system and partition it up yourself to fit your gear. I use two square cases, one for my 5DII, two lenses, and acces plus one for my LF camera. A smaller 3 LF lens case rounds out my backpack outfit. In a Kelty Redwing, which is a small-med pack, I have room around these cases for my LF film, dark cloth, filters, light meter, plus coat, food, and water for an extended day. When on multi-night trips I just pack the individual cases, off of the velcro backing board, in the pack with the rest of my gear. I've never had any issues with protection of my equipment.

There are a few other thread where this gear has been discussed if you search back a little.

Good luck!
Kalin

The current version of LowePros Nature Trekker AW comes with a small "regular" backpack (more like a day pack, I guess) that attaches to the back. It's useful for the non-photo stuff you may want to carry along.

Thanks for all the input. I'm thinking that I need to stay with a backpack that will also support my tripod. I looked at the Trekker AW and although a little bigger than what I need, I can grow into it. I really liked the Mountainsmith Borrealis but I couldn't find one locally to look at. Amazon has it so I need to think a little more on it before I order.

Thanks again,
Jack