Photography backpack

[xQubeZx]

Hello, 

I need some help finding another photography backpack. Not sure if this is the place to ask as I have some pretty heavy requirements. 

 

Firstly, this backpack is not going to be just for photography gear, I will need to carry other things too as it will be used for day hikes, climbing and alpine ascents. This means I don't need a generic photography backpack but rather a good system with photoinserts or smart small bags that fit well into a backpack. So, I can understand if you guys maybe don't have any good backpack reccomendations but maybe at least some for photo inserts or other creative ways to keep the gear safe. But if you are good on backpacks this is a list of features I need/want: 

• ~30-35 liters
• lightweight
• good support system, I'd preffer some small metal frame of some sort
• Possibility to attach skiis (not super neccesary but defentivly nice) 
• Places to put ice picks
• Way to fit a tripod but that should probably work where you put your skiis so that is not too much of an issue. 
• Easy way to store a climbing rope on the top of the bag

Now I expect to use this bag for several years so I need a solid one. For rock climbing it will be used quite a bit, ice climbing and alpine acsents not as much but I defentivly plan to do some in the coming years. The same goes for skii touring and off-pist skiing. It will also be used for regular day hikes in the woods or mountains. 

 

What gear I will carry will differ but camera gear it should fit is a Sony mirrorless body + 2-3 lenses. One "small" tele, one small prime, one wide angle. We are not talking gigantic 1.4 primes or 2.8 tele zooms. One travel tripod aswell however that one may depend on what I'm doing. 

 

Other gear I will have to carry will be some extra clothes, food and quite a bit of climbing/skii equipment but thats why I opt for a 30-35 liter bag. 

 

What I'm willing to pay depends quite a bit if I feel its a good deal or not. But I don't expect to get anything like this for cheap. Just give me suggestions and I will have to see if there is a good deal but also hunt around on sales and so on. Thats how I find most good outdoor gear, spend 1-2 months searching for tye best deals or waiting for things to come on sale. 

 

I know some may suggest F-Stop gear bags and yes, I'd love one. But I've heard they are a pain to get your hands on and really I feel a specialized climbing pack and inserts maybe is a better value or is better made. 

 

Thanks in advance if anyone has a good idea or tip for a config like this. Its not really the usual config people want/search for but a regular camera bag won't cut it, and I already own a nice "walk around the city bag"

[AkiraDaarkst]

If you don't mind spending money: Mindshift Gear bags, they are designed by photographers for multipurpose use.  Otherwise Lowepro, Kata, Tamrac or even just a good generic hiking/camping bag like ones made by North Face.  Wrap your camera in a t-shirt as a friend of mine does when he goes camping.

[cc143]

Why don't you buy a regular rock climbing backpack, (I have my 10 year old salewa peuterey for 10 years) and it's still going. Then attach a peakdesign qr thingy on the strap and a nice padded insert at a place where you have easy access. 

 

I'm not entirely sure, even with your relatively lightweight configuration if you will be able to carry everything in a 30-35lt though. 

 

Mindshift does have that system where you can basically sling a small quick access pouch around your waist, which is small but will probably fit a small csc with 2-3 lenses fine (a6000 if I'm not mistaken?) But i'm not certain you can attach skis to it. 

 

Also, maybe a military style rucsack with molle webbing could possibly work. 

 

I guess it depends on what you want to shoot mostly, if you are looking at landscapes where you have time to compose when moving from one place to the next, then just put an insert in your normal rucsack, if you need quick access, I think mindshift is the way to go. 

[AkiraDaarkst]

29 minutes ago, xQubeZx said:

• ~30-35 liters
• lightweight
• good support system, I'd preffer some small metal frame of some sort
• Possibility to attach skiis (not super neccesary but defentivly nice) 
• Places to put ice picks
• Way to fit a tripod but that should probably work where you put your skiis so that is not too much of an issue. 
• Easy way to store a climbing rope on the top of the bag

This is one of the bags I use: Mindshift Gear Rotation 180

https://www.mindshiftgear.com/products/rotation180-professional

Main compartment has a metal frame, separate waist bag for a single camera body with lens (will fit a Nikon D800 + 24-70 lens combo easily), two different ways to carry tripod, room for ice picks or hiking poles on the sides, and probably can hold a pair of skis on the back (not a skier so never tried it before).

 

Or get a good technical bag (e.g. from NorthFace) for skiers and see how you can fit camera gear.

 

Also look at the Modular skin/component kits from ThinkTankPhoto if you decide to go with a non-photography technical bag.  These bags can be strapped around belts, shoulder straps of larger bags, etc.

 

If you really want a bag that lasts, it will require spending some good cash.

[xQubeZx]

8 minutes ago, AkiraDaarkst said:

If you don't mind spending money: Mindshift Gear bags, they are designed by photographers for multipurpose use.  Otherwise Lowepro, Kata, Tamrac or even just a good generic hiking/camping bag like ones made by North Face.  Wrap your camera in a t-shirt as a friend of mine does when he goes camping.

 

2 minutes ago, cc143 said:

Why don't you buy a regular rock climbing backpack, (I have my 10 year old salewa peuterey for 10 years) and it's still going. Then attach a peakdesign qr thingy on the strap and a nice padded insert at a place where you have easy access. 

 

I'm not entirely sure, even with your relatively lightweight configuration if you will be able to carry everything in a 30-35lt though. 

 

Mindshift does have that system where you can basically sling a small quick access pouch around your waist, which is small but will probably fit a small csc with 2-3 lenses fine (a6000 if I'm not mistaken?) But i'm not certain you can attach skis to it. 

 

Also, maybe a military style rucsack with molle webbing could possibly work. 

 

I guess it depends on what you want to shoot mostly, if you are looking at landscapes where you have time to compose when moving from one place to the next, then just put an insert in your normal rucsack, if you need quick access, I think mindshift is the way to go. 

I looked at the mindshift ones, they may have one or two that may work. The most are however a bit "boxy" and not so streamlined, like most camera backpacks. 

 

I have defentivly though about getting a proper mountaineering/climbing pack, that may even be my main choice but if I go that route I need tips on what inserts to get and how to keep it efficent. The kit needs to be easy to adapt to different situations. If I'm out climbing I want to access it quickly (why wrapping the gear in clothes wont work, not organized enough) but if I'm just on a day hike I have plenty of time to set up and find my gear. 

 

And yes right now my camera is a A6000 but I have plans on moving to FF as soon as I finish high school. 

 

I can link some examples of what I'm looking for and maybe someone know a good way to configure it or maybe there exist some brand I have missed that makes packs similar to that but for photographers. 

[xQubeZx]

4 minutes ago, AkiraDaarkst said:

This is one of the bags I use: Mindshift Gear Rotation 180

https://www.mindshiftgear.com/products/rotation180-professional

Main compartment has a metal frame, separate waist bag for a single camera body with lens (will fit a Nikon D800 + 24-70 lens combo easily), two different ways to carry tripod, room for ice picks or hiking poles on the sides, and probably can hold a pair of skis on the back (not a skier so never tried it before).

 

Or get a good technical bag (e.g. from NorthFace) for skiers and see how you can fit camera gear.

 

If you really want a bag that lasts, it will require spending some good cash.

I'm well aware I have to spend quite a bit, but thats also why I want to do proper research and try to find the best setup. But if I spend hundreds on climbing gear/ropes (and things like a jacket for $400 on sale..) its not more than right that I get a proper bag too. 

[xQubeZx]

If I were to look at proper bags I'd look at something like these: 

 

https://www.mammut.com/p/2510-03931-5611/trion-light-50/

 

https://www.mammut.com/p/2510-03280-5611/trion-felsturm/

 

http://eu.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_SE/climbing-packs/speed-zip-33-pack-BD681181_cfg.html#start=21

 

https://arcteryx.com/ca/en/shop/cierzo-28-backpack

 

With these ones I'd need some kind on insert of some sort. 

 

I guess there is a pain to reccomend anything to me as I'm quite specific and picky on what I want (maybe don't even exist) but I do appreciate the differenr views and opinions on how I could go about this. 

 

And @AkiraDaarkst the mindshift one you linked seemed pretty good (except for the color heh..) but I don't know if it is worth almost $400 of course I will need to pay a lot but that one seemed to push it for what I would get, at least for my usecases. 

 

 

 

[cc143]

3 minutes ago, xQubeZx said:

 

I looked at the mindshift ones, they may have one or two that may work. The most are however a bit "boxy" and not so streamlined, like most camera backpacks. 

 

I have defentivly though about getting a proper mountaineering/climbing pack, that may even be my main choice but if I go that route I need tips on what inserts to get and how to keep it efficent. The kit needs to be easy to adapt to different situations. If I'm out climbing I want to access it quickly (why wrapping the gear in clothes wont work, not organized enough) but if I'm just on a day hike I have plenty of time to set up and find my gear. 

 

And yes right now my camera is a A6000 but I have plans on moving to FF as soon as I finish high school. 

 

I can link some examples of what I'm looking for and maybe someone know a good way to configure it or maybe there exist some brand I have missed that makes packs similar to that but for photographers. 

Well an a7 sort of camera with FF glass, especially if you go for G master lines, or (considering at some point you will probably be looking at a 70-200, even the f/4) will be pretty similar in bulk to an APS-C dslr, possibly even FF in some instances, which may make mindshift's system improper. 

 

That said, if you are hanging by a rope, unless you have the camera strapped to your side, slinging the backpack around won't be as easy either. In that case the capture clip is probably your best bet, although it does leave the camera pretty exposed. 

 

https://www.mindshiftgear.com/products/rotation180-professional This one should have you covered (quite pricey though!) And with the 180 belt thing you may even be able to access the camera when climbing. 

 

I also can't think of anything DIY you can do with any sort of military backpack (they tend to be heavier than those used for rockclimbing too) that might be better in this case. 

 

What I do is put the camera gear in the sleeping bag compartment of the pack in a cheap insert off amazon and just keep my tripod on the side my tent isn't. This allows me (given I don;t have to carry heavy winter gear) to also be able to pack for 2-3 days, although water is a bit of an issue there. It does mean you cant sit the bag standing down, but it beats carrying a seperate camera bag. It is also very bad weight distribution;P 

[xQubeZx]

9 minutes ago, cc143 said:

Well an a7 sort of camera with FF glass, especially if you go for G master lines, or (considering at some point you will probably be looking at a 70-200, even the f/4) will be pretty similar in bulk to an APS-C dslr, possibly even FF in some instances, which may make mindshift's system improper. 

 

That said, if you are hanging by a rope, unless you have the camera strapped to your side, slinging the backpack around won't be as easy either. In that case the capture clip is probably your best bet, although it does leave the camera pretty exposed. 

 

https://www.mindshiftgear.com/products/rotation180-professional This one should have you covered (quite pricey though!) And with the 180 belt thing you may even be able to access the camera when climbing. 

 

I also can't think of anything DIY you can do with any sort of military backpack (they tend to be heavier than those used for rockclimbing too) that might be better in this case. 

 

What I do is put the camera gear in the sleeping bag compartment of the pack in a cheap insert off amazon and just keep my tripod on the side my tent isn't. This allows me (given I don;t have to carry heavy winter gear) to also be able to pack for 2-3 days, although water is a bit of an issue there. It does mean you cant sit the bag standing down, but it beats carrying a seperate camera bag. It is also very bad weight distribution;P 

You got some good points. The capture clip may be good but I'm a bit afraid it may get in the way when doing high clips when on the rock. For just hiking it seems very nice. The largest lens I would ever get would be a 70-200 f/4. And a 24-70 2.8 is not planned. My ideal kit is really two primes and a 70-200 f/4 for the low weight and "small" size. 

 

Swinging around a pack when haninging on a rope works decently howver. Just ask your belayer to take home and then you can sit down and just hang. The rope is usally not too much in the way. 

 

Now if I were to get some sofisticated inserts what would I look at as there seems to be hard to find a regular camera pack to fit my needs. I have two now where one is horrible because it takes too long to acces and the other has to weak velcro so it doesn't hold together good enough when you drop a heavy lens in it. 

[cc143]

33 minutes ago, xQubeZx said:

You got some good points. The capture clip may be good but I'm a bit afraid it may get in the way when doing high clips when on the rock. For just hiking it seems very nice. The largest lens I would ever get would be a 70-200 f/4. And a 24-70 2.8 is not planned. My ideal kit is really two primes and a 70-200 f/4 for the low weight and "small" size. 

 

Swinging around a pack when haninging on a rope works decently howver. Just ask your belayer to take home and then you can sit down and just hang. The rope is usally not too much in the way. 

 

Now if I were to get some sofisticated inserts what would I look at as there seems to be hard to find a regular camera pack to fit my needs. I have two now where one is horrible because it takes too long to acces and the other has to weak velcro so it doesn't hold together good enough when you drop a heavy lens in it. 

I notice that none of the backpacks you linked have that much of potential for easy access. They also are pretty basic in many respects and I have no idea where skis would fit. However, I can now see that you would probably be ok with something likt the protactic 450 or 350 even given your csc setup. look at the whats in my bag thread and you can see how I've configured mine.

 

You could use the bottom for camera gear and still have quick access and room on the upper half for some stuff like clothing etc. Its not the most perfect solution, but it is one of the best I can think of and quite reasonably priced in comparison to the mindshift. It also has the molle webbing on the outside making it pretty versatile. 

 

Alternatively, for an insert, just look for something whose inside is made up of velcro so that ot's more configurable. Other than that its basically a rectangular cloth pouch with padding. If you could find one that has a zipped side it might be better for what you need though. Also, Look for something with a bright interior. 

[xQubeZx]

I might just get one of these inserts (or a slightly larger variant) I liked this one because it has a see through "roof" that makes so my lenses wont fall out. 

 

http://www.crumpler.eu/camera-bags/director-s-cut-camera-inlay-1-4

 

Then combine it with the capture clip @cc143 mentioned and then buy a bag like these one. (Not entierly sure on model, need to find a store and try them out on to see how they fit) 

 

https://www.tindeberg.se/produkter/utrustning/ryggsackar-och-vaskor/klatterryggsackar/ortovox-peak-32-s-blue-ocean.html

 

https://www.tindeberg.se/produkter/utrustning/ryggsackar-och-vaskor/klatterryggsackar/mountain-hardwear-scrambler-30-outdryr-backpack-hardwear-navy-r.html

 

Sadly most mounteinerring packs only have one opening and very few pockets. But they will fit best when out in the mountains and I value that higher than super easy access. I will have to live with the pain sometimes to get out my camera I think. 

 

And @cc143 not all packs I linked before could carry skiis but usally you strap them to the sides in a "A" form with one on each side of the bag using the straps. Some have more creative ways where you attach them on the back at an angle kinda. Or you just make a ghettto solution with some carbiners and straps (not ideal) 

 

I kinda know this was not the best way to ask for this but I appreciate you guys help. Got some ideas at least on how to work it out kinda neat. 

[AkiraDaarkst]

22 minutes ago, xQubeZx said:

 

Why don't you also discuss this on a forum or Facebook Group where a lot of travel photographers (mainly trekking, mountaineering, skiing) hang out and see what other ways they bag up their kits.

[xQubeZx]

11 hours ago, AkiraDaarkst said:

Why don't you also discuss this on a forum or Facebook Group where a lot of travel photographers (mainly trekking, mountaineering, skiing) hang out and see what other ways they bag up their kits.

Have started this discussion on a few other places too, but haven't gotten much better answers there either sadly. Almost all reccomend F-stop gear. But they seem so hard to get your hands on but maybe I should try anyways. 

[cc143]

If you get a chance, go into the store and look at the Lowepro I mentioned. It is quite versatile and the molle will probably allow you to attach your skis to it with a couple of carrabinners.

 

Also, the issue with the inserts you mentioned is that they would make your gear very inaccessible. Given that, I;m not sure its worth spending the 50Euros rather than half that on a cheap insert from ebay. 

[xQubeZx]

1 hour ago, cc143 said:

If you get a chance, go into the store and look at the Lowepro I mentioned. It is quite versatile and the molle will probably allow you to attach your skis to it with a couple of carrabinners.

 

Also, the issue with the inserts you mentioned is that they would make your gear very inaccessible. Given that, I;m not sure its worth spending the 50Euros rather than half that on a cheap insert from ebay. 

Yea I plan to go to a few stores before buying anything. Then about the insert it was one of the better I found. These guys did however make an awesome one that was "top loaded" and only had a cord to "close" it. It looked perfect untill I realised that one too was very hard to get your hands on. 

[MTROB]

As suggested above the best solution is to find a backpack that will accommodate your equipment, then add a camera insert. I climb, mountain bike, and ski, and wanted a backpack that would allow me to bring my camera and tripod with me. I ended up with a deuter freerider pro (http://www.deuter.com/DE/en/winter/freerider-pro-30-3303417.html0) and an evoc camera insert (http://www.evocsports.com/products/bags/cb-12l).

 

I found that bags specifically marketed for photography did not suit my needs or where not made well. No ski straps, ice axe straps, helmet carrier, or room for an avalanche shovel/kit. I also really wanted back panel access to my camera gear. Although it is awkward to get to while climbing, it makes access to all my gear easier for other sports. For tripods, I suggest finding a backpack that will allow the tripod to be mounted centre. Unless you can counter balance with another piece of equipment, the offset weight of a tripod mounted on the side makes it hard to balance while doing activities. On the freerider pro, there are two straps on the backpack that allow for my tripod to be centre mounted.

 

If helpful I can send some photos of my setup with gear attached. 

[xQubeZx]

14 hours ago, MTROB said:

As suggested above the best solution is to find a backpack that will accommodate your equipment, then add a camera insert. I climb, mountain bike, and ski, and wanted a backpack that would allow me to bring my camera and tripod with me. I ended up with a deuter freerider pro (http://www.deuter.com/DE/en/winter/freerider-pro-30-3303417.html0) and an evoc camera insert (http://www.evocsports.com/products/bags/cb-12l).

 

I found that bags specifically marketed for photography did not suit my needs or where not made well. No ski straps, ice axe straps, helmet carrier, or room for an avalanche shovel/kit. I also really wanted back panel access to my camera gear. Although it is awkward to get to while climbing, it makes access to all my gear easier for other sports. For tripods, I suggest finding a backpack that will allow the tripod to be mounted centre. Unless you can counter balance with another piece of equipment, the offset weight of a tripod mounted on the side makes it hard to balance while doing activities. On the freerider pro, there are two straps on the backpack that allow for my tripod to be centre mounted.

 

If helpful I can send some photos of my setup with gear attached. 

This looks quite good tbh. Thanks a lot for the tips. But how much space do you have left after the camera gear is packed? 

 

And I defentivly agree you want quick access to the avalanche kit. Thats like a number 1 priority.