Need a Backpack Recommendation

[Tim the Grey]

Billingham 335 will handle that lot, as an 'Off The Shoulder' number...
Backpack wise, that will all fit pretty easily into any Minitrekker from LowePro.
My lad has similar size kit, with a 300f4 to boot, and he fits it all in either of the above. I have seen him also stuff a laptop in there!

Never had any issues comfort wise with either set up, personally, but Jake is tall, and finds the Mini Trekker doesn't work too well for him on extended use. It is like any backpack, find one that suits your shape, I guess?

[minimangler]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

Billingham 335 will handle that lot, as an 'Off The Shoulder' number...
Backpack wise, that will all fit pretty easily into any Minitrekker from LowePro.
My lad has similar size kit, with a 300f4 to boot, and he fits it all in either of the above. I have seen him also stuff a laptop in there!

Never had any issues comfort wise with either set up, personally, but Jake is tall, and finds the Mini Trekker doesn't work too well for him on extended use. It is like any backpack, find one that suits your shape, I guess?

He says that, but he's passed the Billingham to me because his shoulder can't handle it! Best to carry small amounts if you can, at anyone time. Leave the rest in the boot/locker etc if it's possible. I tend to leave most of my stuff in a locker and then take as little as poss in the bag to save my shoulder.

And yeah, the Minitrekker is nice but the straps just cut my shoulders, sadly. Tim has an upgraded version (not sure what it is).

[andrewc]

For my motorsport photography I tend to wear a vest - I've got 2 Alpinestars media vests which can be loaded with all the bits and bobs that are going to be needed. I then have one camera slung around my back with a short lens, and one one a monopod with a long lens. Everything else is left locked up in the car.

As for bags, I use either a Computrekker which takes a lot of kit and when I do need to wear it is comfortable with wide straps and without the laptop is very comfortable - I'm about 6' tall. Its significantly more comfortable than my old Mini Trekker.

I have a shoulder bag for when I need a shoulder bag as well.

[Tim the Grey]

Andrew, I'm 5 foot 9, Jake's 6 foot 4 or 5...
I think we have found why MiniTrekker fits me, and not you 2!
No adjustable back?

[GreenMachine]

Watch the zippers.

I have just had a Lowepro sling bag replaced (under warranty) as the zipper failed. With the benefit of hindsight, it was in need of lube or something, and the heavy pulling eventually had the predictable result.

A word to the wise.

[Aysedasi]

I haven't made my purchase yet - I'm not in a great rush - but I've pretty well decided on a Fastpack 350.

[Aysedasi]

May I resurrect this one?

I took the plunge a few weeks ago and bought a Fastpack 350. Managed to get it for £50 and a few pence, postage included from Amazon.

I used it for the first time at Silverstone last weekend for the LMS. What a revelation! I have always used a traditional camera bag in the past - never tried a backpack before - by the end of day one my shoulder would have been crying 'enough!', but even with the Fastpack fully laden with camera, lenses, video camera and other gubbins in the top, I hardly felt it and after walking around Silverstone for two days, aside from some tiredness in the old legs, I felt so much better than I used to with my old bag. So, if anyone's interested, I'd very happily recommend the Fastpack 350 and many thanks to those who steered me in this direction

[Woolley]

Mine accompanied me through the Samaria Gorge in Crete last week. 400D+grip, 24-105L, 10-22, two bottles of water, food, swimming costume and a few bits and pieces. Quite a weight. 16.8km over rough ground in 30deg temperatures and it was extremely comfortable.

[Cougar]

Ah yes I also bit the bullet. Was in a bit of a rush so did not get the cheapest one but am happy with my purchace.

In the end I got a Lowepro Vertex 300 AW

Fits both my bodies. all my lenses/flash guns and extra goodies. Weighs a ton when full though!!

[lemansnsx]

After 30 years of shoulder bags and waist / lumbar packs I am finally breaking down and buying a Lowepro Pro Runner 350 AW backpack. More money than I want to spend but I need something a big step up from what I have and, I guess, the laptop compartment will be handy.
Tried to support local business by buying at camera shop a couple of towns over from me but they wanted $50 over and above the suggested retail price which puts them $100 higher than any of the big online places!

[Tim the Grey]

I do TRY to shop local, but I wave chain/internet prices at them, and ask them to at least TRY to get close!

Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. Their choice!

I guess I shall have to look at these things, as a new home for the new kit coming for next year. Time to retire my venerable Olympus gear... It's been great, and I'll miss it, but I need to keep up!

[JurekB]

Another vote here for the Fastpack 350. My only problem is there is no dedicated place for a monopod howeve I get around that by sticking it in the laptop bit which works very well. I'm not sure if I can attach a tripod anywhere either so I may need to improvise for Britcar next weekend.

[Woolley]

I carry my monopod by sticking the leg in the elasticacte bit on the side (when it's not being used for it's primary purpose of carrying a water bottle) and then runnng the strap through the top carrying handle. Works a treat. If your monopod doesn't have a strap you can always make a loop of something through the handle which you slip the monpod through.

[lemansnsx]

If you go to the Lowepro website and click on their "bagfinder" make sure you check all the right choices for your gear!

I didn't - I missed the difference between "pro DSLR" and "pro DSLR with grip" and that means that I ended up with a bag that is 2 inches shallower than what I really needed.

In a way it's okay because it is more compact and has a better chance of fitting on airplanes but it's just barely deep enough and with the laptop in the back slot the camera bodies are sitting up out of the bag.

Oh well, I'll just transport the cameras with the grips removed I suppose. Once I get where I'm going the laptop will come out anyway and if I travel by car the laptop won't be in the backpack.

[grantp]

Bought a LowePro Vertex 300AW last week and immediately deployed it in the rain at Spa.

The AW worked well.

Despite being full (must revise what I pack) and heavy and me being very unfit for the hills of Spa I was able trek for several hours in general comfort and had no follow-up aches - which is pretty good for my age! I have not used a backpack before but in general I found it to be a great back support though after about 5 hours some of my lower back muscles were reminding me that they were short of training! No discomfort - just that they were feeling tired when marching downhill.

All in all very successful. The only problem I have is remembering which of the many storage pockets I put things in!

[lemansnsx]

Originally Posted by lemansnsx

If you go to the Lowepro website and click on their "bagfinder" make sure you check all the right choices for your gear!

I didn't - I missed the difference between "pro DSLR" and "pro DSLR with grip" and that means that I ended up with a bag that is 2 inches shallower than what I really needed.

In a way it's okay because it is more compact and has a better chance of fitting on airplanes but it's just barely deep enough and with the laptop in the back slot the camera bodies are sitting up out of the bag.

Oh well, I'll just transport the cameras with the grips removed I suppose. Once I get where I'm going the laptop will come out anyway and if I travel by car the laptop won't be in the backpack.

Just a follow up: I think it's probably best that I didn't get a deeper bag. That extra 2 inches for the cameras with grips attached would have meant not fitting in the overhead bins and that would have been a real problem!
Carried the bag for 3 days at Petit LeMans plus 2 travel days and was quite happy with it. Much better than any shoulder bag.

[Aysedasi]

I've used Lowepro now for 10-15 years and I heartily recommend their gear.

[Cougar]

This seems barganous!?

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/prod...ucts_id=110009

Anyone want to risk it? hah

[Aysedasi]

Very good at that price. I've bought a lot of stuff from 7 Day Shop over the years (long before they were called that, actually) and have always been satisfied.

[stefan]

I had a cheap 7dayshop bag for a while - it might have been a hama one - it was ok for the price but didn't last that long - eventually the heavy gear made it tear near a seam.

I have a small Delsey backpack which I bought when I got my first dslr (9 years ago I think) which is still holding up fine. My larger bag is a Kata 103 which came with a raincover and looks similarly well made and will I'm sure last for ages. I also got a free LowePro Bag with a magazine subscription - it looks well made too (though it had a really sharp label just inside the top zip which sliced be under the fingernail once - I've cut it out sice)

The difference between these and the cheapest 7dayshop ones is difficult to see from a photo but obvious in day to day use. The cheap ones have slightly thinner straps which are less comfortable, the padding is thinner - offering less protection and they don't last as long. I think if you spend twice as much you'll get a bag that will last more than twice as long.

Who'd have thought I could write so much about bags? Hope it helps.