Help - Need Suggestions on Hiking Gear - Backpack, Camera Strap & More

[spacefuzz]

Several brands of camera packs come with some sort of way to attach a tripod. As far as waterproof goes good luck... Nothing with zippers is going to ever be "waterproof" however, they sometimes come with rain covers. If you're that worried about it you could always carry a dry bag or the cheaper version being a garbage bag or something like that to put the important stuff in in case of rain. Hope that helps

I dunno, my f-stop bag took 8 days of straight rain in Iceland and even got hit full on by a few ocean waves. Never leaked and wasn't using a rain cover.

 

[dannylightning]

I used to work outside, drove a tractor type thing around a airport and towed big containers, I had these snow pants that I always though were waterproof, zippers all the way up the sides. in normal/light rain no water got it. one day the rain came pouring down like crazy and it was probably around 37o outside. I am setting there on the tractor nice and dry at first, but 10 or 15 min into the heavy rain storm I started to feel my legs getting wet, another 10 or 15 min my legs were soaked. all the water came in thew the zippers.

in light/moderate rain those things always kept me dry but when it poured down like crazy for the fist time I realized it was time to go out and gets some real rain pants and that zippers leak even if you may not think they will.

 

[CmazzJK]

Several brands of camera packs come with some sort of way to attach a tripod. As far as waterproof goes good luck... Nothing with zippers is going to ever be "waterproof" however, they sometimes come with rain covers. If you're that worried about it you could always carry a dry bag or the cheaper version being a garbage bag or something like that to put the important stuff in in case of rain. Hope that helps

I dunno, my f-stop bag took 8 days of straight rain in Iceland and even got hit full on by a few ocean waves. Never leaked and wasn't using a rain cover.

I should have said nothing with zippers is "generally" ever waterproof... However as Lambert has shown that's not always the case. I may buy one of those waterproof Lowe bags. That's a good investment for anyone who spends time in the great outdoors especially mountain areas

 

[theraven871]

These are all great options.
I'm looking to visit The Badlands in spring of 2015.
If I'm just going to be on "daytrips" while I camp there (meaning, I intend to return to a base camp each day) then this is simply a matter of finding a bag to hold only camera gear.
However, I'm also looking into the possibility that I may want to day a 3-5 day hiking trip.
That would require me to haul a tent, food, water, first aid supplies, etc - along with my camera gear.
I'm curious what solutions people use for those circumstances.

Also, I'm assuming that the APS-C format, with its smaller size and weight lenses, are popular for long hiking trips?

 

[lambertpix]

These are all great options.
I'm looking to visit The Badlands in spring of 2015.
If I'm just going to be on "daytrips" while I camp there (meaning, I intend to return to a base camp each day) then this is simply a matter of finding a bag to hold only camera gear.
However, I'm also looking into the possibility that I may want to day a 3-5 day hiking trip.
That would require me to haul a tent, food, water, first aid supplies, etc - along with my camera gear.
I'm curious what solutions people use for those circumstances.

Also, I'm assuming that the APS-C format, with its smaller size and weight lenses, are popular for long hiking trips?

The big pack in my photos was for a trip like this. We were on the trail for ten days, but picked up food every 3 days or so. I was carrying my 40D, 15-85, 70-300, and 50, plus a slew of batteries & cards.

If you're really worried about size & weight, something like a M43 setup might be interesting. APS-C is really only "smaller" for APS-C-specific lenses (on the wide end), and even there, the difference isn't drastic. Good-quality glass tends to be heavy-ish even for APS-C.

 

[spacefuzz]

For multi-day trips take the minimal amount of equipment you can get away with. Every once of energy you save can be put towards your photography. Hard to be creative when your exhausted! Usually for my multi-day trips I bring one body/lens combo and a tripod. I pick the lens based on what type of images I'm going for and it helps keep things light and simple.

 

[jsecordphoto]

I agree, if I was doing multi day trip I would probably only bring my 24-105, tripod, and some filters.

 

[Mirrorless Journey]

I Agree with lambertpix, if you worry about size, check the Mirrorless Cameras instead of DSLR APS-C. I'm a big Micro 4/3 Fan myself. The first one I bought (OM-D E-M5) was for a hiking trip. I didn't want to bring my 5D2 and Lenses. Since then (two years ago), I made the switch completely to Micro 4/3. Fuji has excellent Mirrorless too and I hear very good things about the Sony A6000.

 

[Tailgunner]

I just finished a serious hiking day trip. It didn't take me long to realize that my gear wasn't up to the task.
By the end of the day, my BlackRapid camera strap literally fell apart from my camera bouncing around so much. (Yes, my camera took a fall. Thankfully, my lens survived!).

I nearly had the same thing happen to me walking around D.C. with my D800/28-70mm, the only difference was, I was also using a Joby Camera Tether. It connects one end to your camera's natural camera strap location and the other end to your blackrapid strap. In the event the base screw comes loose, the tether catches the camera.

Best $8 I ever spent!

Joby Camera Tether for Pro Sling Strap JB01307 B&H Photo Video

As so many of you have discovered before me, I need a better method of bringing my gear along with me.
What do you all recommend? I'm looking for some type of a backpack. If it has a way to attach a tripod, even better. Waterproof is highly desired.
What camera strap do you use when you're out in very rough terrain? I'm looking for something that won't bounce around.

Any other tips and/or gear you've found to be of great value?

Check out Mindshift gear. Mindshift gear is ThinkTanks Adventure gear. I picked up Mindshift Panorama backpack just before my recent Colorado trip.

Outdoor Camera Bag Products, Camera Backpacks | MindShift Gear

This backpack makes day hikes fun! The camera is very eay to deploy for starters. You simply unhook the shoulder bag connector and swing the bag around 180 to your front. Then you just unzip the bag, pull camera out and shoot! You don't have to take the backpack, no digging!

Now the Panorama camera bag is bit small for my D800 and only fits inside side ways with my 28-70mm 2.8. Anyhow, I loaded it up with some filters, remote shutter butter, time-lapse controller, camera rain coat, 18-35mm wide-angle, blackrapid sport strap, gel packs, snack bars, flashlight, 1.5 hydration bladder, Mefoto globe-tritter tripod, and extra bottle of water. I still had more room in my snack pack section for more food and hair more room in the main section.

The pack is very comfortable! My only complaint is the size, I'm going to pick up the R180 Professional soon for the extra room.

Outdoor Camera Bag Products, Camera Backpacks | MindShift Gear