Equipment & Techniques > Cameras, Lenses and Shooting gear

Towards a better travel camera backpack

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rdonson:
Have you considered something like the ThinkTank Airport TakeOff V2.0???  It doesn't look like the standard photo backpack.  It is carryon size.

armand:
Mindshift professional 180 has a pretty good suspension. It does waste some space with the rotation module but it's convenient when you need it. I took out the insert from the top and you have about 30 liters available for stuff if I recall correctly.
It is however a nice looking backpack and a keen eye could make it that it's in the photography business.

Paulo Bizarro:
Well, from what you describe, I think the best option is a hiking backpack with dedicated camera inserts.

Farmer:
The Mindshift gear looks great, but they don't seem to ship internationally :(

shadowblade:

--- Quote from: NancyP on May 15, 2017, 07:25:23 pm ---You should look into inserts for hiking packs. I just can't carry a standard photo pack for very long - suspension and transfer of weight to hips is nil for me. Consider panel zip packs (as opposed to top-loading only). Plus, an inconspicuous way of carrying a tripod. Here's where you could 1. get more sections or shorter total height for your travel tripod, stow it inside pack 2. stick it into a roll-top generic long narrow bag for kit - I happen to use an f-stop tripod bag because of its great daisy chain selection - you can lash that thing to the outside of the pack any which way. I think that Outdoor Research may have a long thin dry bag. Tents come in long thin bags. I also researched "cantle bags" (soft tubular bags with a zipper, meant to be wrapped around a saddle). I didn't research possible fishing units that would hold rods/tripods, but I do use a reel case at home as a nice padded storage unit for lenses - Cabela's, 20 bucks.  Or - DIY something out of PVC pipe. 3. I don't know what to do about airline requirements. What size do you need?

Research the types of packs available, and find out if there is a used gear swap near you - outdoor outfitters often have this service because it brings new customers to the store. Why buy used? If you dress like an ordinary tourist and carry your gear in a pack that looks like it is used for camping, you are of less interest than the next guy with a cleaner pack. FleaBay, if you know your pack sizing and models well.

I don't know how to appear professional AND like an econo-tourist at the same time.

Finally, if you have design chops and time, you could work out your own pack - there are a lot of cottage manufacturers out there who will do custom packs. Even the most expensive custom pack will cost less than one of your lenses. I know of a fellow who designed a large-format backpack using  custom-made version of back-panel support as a place to attach lens holders or camera insert. He made a small business out of it (now defunct because he's fully retired).

Start studying up on backpacks. Internal vs external frame? How to fit harness?

 Remember, the military uses backpacks too. They tend to have packs with standardized outside strips (Molle type) that you can use to attach stuff, first aid kit, tools, ammo cassettes. Hunters use packs, and those packs can take enormous amounts of weight because these are designed such that you can hike out with your deer/sheep/goat/moose meat. Most of the military / hunting packs are in drab, look rather military, danger there is that the ordinary thieves won't want to tangle, but you are more likely to get attention from police and from folks looking to steal guns.

Relatively Cheap - Boy Scout type external frame packs - there are adult versions - Kelty has always had an external frame option.

Me: off the rack women's proportioned harness pack: Osprey Ariel 55L for overnight, Gregory Jade 38L for day + f-stop padded insert + on the outside the f-stop tripod bag.

Logo issues - used-looking pack plus zipstop nylon repair material/tape over the logo.
https://www.rei.com/product/783045/gear-aid-tenacious-tape-repair-tape

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--- Quote from: nma on May 15, 2017, 04:24:03 pm ---Hide by blending in. It is relatively simple to modify a backpack made for hiking or trekking. For example, there are Dueter packs that have front and back openings, allowing you to access a customized camera/accessory module to hold your gear. The charm of this approach is that you can use a real hiking pack with a frame and proper suspension, instead of strapping a box to your back. Als, tend to be cheaper than photo packs.

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--- Quote from: hogloff on May 15, 2017, 08:11:46 pm ---My travel pack is an Osprey trekking pack into which I put my camera gear in camera and lens wraps. I also carry with me the necessities of travel in this same pack...it is beat up from all the travel I do...I dress down and look like a world trekker living from hostel to hostel.

I've tried all the different camera specific packs and they are all overly padded, too heavy and have a very lousy support system which makes my shoulders and back ache after just 1 day...forget about 3 weeks of travel.

My suggestion is to get a trekking pack that fits you comfortably and has a great support system for you, then make it into a pack that can carry your equipment. This will not only make you look like a broke world traveler carrying his unwashed clothes in your pack...but also it will allow you to carry your gear and other necessities on your back for extended time without getting pains in the shoulders, neck or back.

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--- Quote from: Paulo Bizarro on May 16, 2017, 04:07:15 am ---Well, from what you describe, I think the best option is a hiking backpack with dedicated camera inserts.

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That's the whole point. Something that looks like something full of clothes and travel accessories rather than electronics, that holds weight like a hiking daypack (i.e. with a proper suspension system) and has the insides configured for cameras.

Thing is, hacking apart a regular backpack isn't an ideal solution either, if you carry a fair bit of gear. Access tends to be slow, since there are multiple things you need to open and close, while gear capacity is never as great as the pack size would suggest, nor as great as a dedicated pack of the same size.

So, why not a dedicated camera backpack, built with a proper suspension system and camouflaged to look like something else? Made specifically for purpose, rather than rigged together from something else. I can't be the only photographer out there looking for such a product - built not for capacity and protection at the expense of all else (like most dedicated camera packs), nor for multipurpose/casual use (like most hybrid packs), but built primarily for camouflage and discretion, while retaining full carriage capacity.

Airline compatibility is a problem. The usual maximum length is 550mm. The RRS TVC-34L has a length of 629mm when folded. This would require a collapsible section that allows the pack to be collapsed down to 550mm for flights (with the tripod carried separately), but can be expanded to accommodate the tripod once at the destination. It also can't look like something that's expanded to carry a specific piece of gear. I believe this would be doable using a rolltop design with a rear access zip for the camera compartment.

Either way, I doubt it would be something too difficult for a custom outdoor gear maker to produce. All it would take is a few buyers to make the cost of each one reasonable.

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