Posted by Ken Henke on February 9, 2014 at 2:42 PM
In my quest to find the illusive perfect pack to carry my photo gear, I ran upon a pack sold by Renaissance Photo Tech, out of Minnesota. Throwing caution to the wind, I went ahead and purchased the P3 photo backpack last fall. Although I don't have exhaustive experience with it, the times I have used it have been fantastic.
There are several key features I insist on to make a pack comfortable and useful. First off is the suspension system. Clearly, the suspension system, being derived from Granite Gear, is one designed to carry weight comfortably with many options for being custom fit to the individual. Like any quality backpack, the P3’s suspension system has a multitude of adjustment straps and tie-on loops. It seems other manufacturers start their pack design solely based on the internal camera holding abilities. But a true functional camera pack must consider both; carrying a load comfortably and being able to carry all the necessary camera gear. On the subject of camera gear, the internal camera module is completely customizable to whatever gear one has. And it holds a LOT of gear! Additionally, a tripod can be mounted on either side of the pack with straps and pockets. Side pockets can also be added as accessory items to hold additional items, including water. Another nice addition that is typically an extra cost on other packs, is a rain cover which is stored in a bottom zippered pocket. Although I haven’t try it over the pack, it also makes a great ground cloth, particularly in the snow. Again the bottom line for any pack I wear is its comfort on the trail. So far, my experience on the trail with my P3, is that it carries my equipment with more comfort than I thought possible. To top it off, the customer service provided by Bruce is exceptional. No doubt I also enjoy supporting a small US business that is dedicated to customer satisfaction!
And before anyone asks, yes, I have used an F-Stop pack several years ago. It too is a great pack for sure. I just would give the suspension system of the P3 the edge. Currently, the P3 doesn't have a dedicated hydration system, but I understand RPT is working on that. However, one can put a bladder in the external pocket or carry water in the optional external pockets as I do. Be aware the camera/gear modular case takes up all the room in the pack, unlike F-Stop where one can purchase different sizes. So, that would limit putting additional gear inside the bag along with the camera gear. However, one could just use a F-Stop modular case or similar, if they had the need to carry more hiking gear besides camera gear.
Anywho, just wanted to pass along this info. Bret Edge also provided some great info on packs last August. http://www.photobackpacker.com
Posted by Darren Huski on February 10, 2014 at 1:59 PM
Glad to hear Photobackpacker is making stuff for the DSLR crowd now. They built a great system for large format photographers and I bet this is an equally sweet set up. I met them at the View Camera conference in 2006 and would have bought a pack right there, except they did not have a case that fit my Arca-Swiss Discovery 4x5 at the time.
Good luck with the pack!
Posted by Doug Koepsel on February 11, 2014 at 9:57 AM
I think this is the pack my friend who shoots large format now uses. He has relegated his Lowepro packs as storage due to the difference in comfort carrying a load all day.
Discussion
2 repliesThere are several key features I insist on to make a pack comfortable and useful. First off is the suspension system. Clearly, the suspension system, being derived from Granite Gear, is one designed to carry weight comfortably with many options for being custom fit to the individual. Like any quality backpack, the P3’s suspension system has a multitude of adjustment straps and tie-on loops. It seems other manufacturers start their pack design solely based on the internal camera holding abilities. But a true functional camera pack must consider both; carrying a load comfortably and being able to carry all the necessary camera gear. On the subject of camera gear, the internal camera module is completely customizable to whatever gear one has. And it holds a LOT of gear! Additionally, a tripod can be mounted on either side of the pack with straps and pockets. Side pockets can also be added as accessory items to hold additional items, including water. Another nice addition that is typically an extra cost on other packs, is a rain cover which is stored in a bottom zippered pocket. Although I haven’t try it over the pack, it also makes a great ground cloth, particularly in the snow. Again the bottom line for any pack I wear is its comfort on the trail. So far, my experience on the trail with my P3, is that it carries my equipment with more comfort than I thought possible. To top it off, the customer service provided by Bruce is exceptional. No doubt I also enjoy supporting a small US business that is dedicated to customer satisfaction!
And before anyone asks, yes, I have used an F-Stop pack several years ago. It too is a great pack for sure. I just would give the suspension system of the P3 the edge. Currently, the P3 doesn't have a dedicated hydration system, but I understand RPT is working on that. However, one can put a bladder in the external pocket or carry water in the optional external pockets as I do. Be aware the camera/gear modular case takes up all the room in the pack, unlike F-Stop where one can purchase different sizes. So, that would limit putting additional gear inside the bag along with the camera gear. However, one could just use a F-Stop modular case or similar, if they had the need to carry more hiking gear besides camera gear.
Anywho, just wanted to pass along this info. Bret Edge also provided some great info on packs last August.
http://www.photobackpacker.com
Bret's Review
http://www.naturephotographers.net/imagecritique/bbs.cgi?a=vm&mr=75446&CGISESSID=6b3ee23c320811028f1c9016b48dba14&u=20412
Good luck with the pack!