Hiking Camera Packs

[RauschPhotography]

Hey everyone! Just booked a 10 day trip out West. Planning on doing a lot of hiking in Montana and Wyoming, with trips to Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, and the Grand Tetons... Sounds great, except my camera bag is going to be freaking uncomfortable to lug with me the entire trip. My current bag is a Canon 100DG, which I don't even want to bother bringing. Looking for a backpack hiking/camera bag, preferably less than $150. Must be able to fit two camera bodies, plus lenses/accessories and then some (we are hiking, after all!). Anyone have a great pack that you'd recommend, or know of anything up my alley? Thanks guys!

 

[theregoesjb]

ive been looking for a good hiking/sports pack with camera storage recently as well. Check out the lowepro sport 200 AW, Lowepro | Photo Sport Series i think its pretty nice (not sure the $). Also the company clik elite has some nice packs Products | Clik Elite some of these are larger, might have more camera storage. Both of these companies make packs that hold hydration bladders too... which is nice.

ive been looking for something a bit smaller, post whatever brands you come across with decent hiking/sport packs. good luck!

 

[RauschPhotography]

Thanks for the suggestion! I should have probably mentioned in my original post, but since we'll be up in the higher altitudes waterproofing or water resistance would be highly preferred!

 

[theregoesjb]

the more i look at them clik elite is probably closer to what you want for the camera storage space, this ones called the 'venture 35' Venture 35 | Clik Elite
I was going to link to the Venture 30 | Clik Elite but i noticed they dont show the camera storage on it, although it seems to be the same as the 35

I believe some (if not all) of Clik Elites and the Lowepro sport packs have pull out rain guards.

 

[theregoesjb]

also, amazon has these for decent prices (compared with the company website)

 

[cgipson1]

check out the Lowepro Flipside 400

I have one.. and love it! The hip support is great.. transfer a lot of the load to your hips... I might even be up for selling mine as I am looking at something larger!

http://www.amazon.com/Lowepro-Flips...JZ50/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330092668&sr=8-1

 

[Overread]

If you want 100% weatherproofing Lowepro has their Dryzone range which are totally watertight (capable of being used as floatation aids when in water)
Lowepro - DryZone 200

You might also want to check out their pro-trekker series
Lowepro | Pro Trekker™ AW Series


Also for hiking you might also want to check out the idea of using a photography vest instead of/inaddition to a regular backpack. This thread here:
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/.../273510-camera-vests-what-do-you-use-why.html
discusses some of the options on the market and items that people use.

Somewhat more bulky but a lot of camera storage space and a very good harness setup.

 

[o hey tyler]

Looking for a backpack hiking/camera bag, preferably less than $150.

If you want 100% weatherproofing Lowepro has their Dryzone range which are totally watertight (capable of being used as floatation aids when in water)
Lowepro - DryZone 200 - ~$350 (USD)

You might also want to check out their pro-trekker series
Lowepro | Pro Trekker™ AW Series - ~$350 (USD) (The smallest one)

I think tacking $200 bucks onto her price range might be pushing it...

 

[o hey tyler]

This one looks like it fits the bill: Lowepro - SlingShot 202 AW

 

[Overread]

I've still not gotten used to the new US to UK price comparisons (I recall things used to be almost number for number identical)

 

[EIngerson]

The lowepro - Prorunner 350 looks like it would fit the bill. Looks like you could squeeze a second body in there.

Amazon.com: Lowepro Pro Runner 350 AW Camera Backpack: Camera & Photo

 

[Big Mike]

I have a Lowepro Computrekker AW that I've toted around the world. It's a decent pack, the fabric sheds water, but the AW stands for All Weather, so it also has a built-in rain cover. It's got a a belt strap and chest clip, so it distributes the weight well.
It holds a good amount of photo gear and has room up front for extra stuff. It's got a laptop sleeve, but I rarely use it (great for magazines though).

There are a few things I don't like about it though. First is the way it opens. Like the flipside shown above, the whole 'front' opens up. So if you don't want the gear to fall out, you need to orientate it straps down. That is easy to do if you have a table, bench or if you are sitting on something. But if you're standing in a wet field, the only option is to lay the bag down, with the straps on the ground. That's not ideal because you have to put the bag back on. You can try to hold it and reach in, but that is awkward. For this reason, I don't like it so much for weddings, where I'd rather use a box shaped shoulder bag. The bottom is always the bottom and you can set it down and not worry too much.

Another thing about the Computrekker, is that when full, it's rather bulky and almost ball shaped. In other words, a lot of weight is far away from your body. A better design, is something like the Naturetrekker series, where the pack is wider and shallower, so the weight is closer to your body. This is better for long term comfort but it's also an issue when your walking in tight situations, whether it's trees or people....it's harder to move around when you have a big lump on your back, compared to something that is closer to your body.

 

[RauschPhotography]

The Slingshot 202 is looking pretty promising at the moment. Thanks for the suggestion on the Computrekker, Big Mike! Being up in the mountains and rough terrain makes it less than ideal for the situation, especially having to lay it down to really have access to all of your gear without falling out. Right now it's down to two different bags. Have them on my B&H wishlist. Check it out if you'd like. Wish List | B&H Photo Video

 

[Big Mike]

Unless you will also be carrying another bag, I'd go for something larger. The slingshot 300 (or whatever the current model is).
Not necessarily for camera gear, but for other stuff that you'll surely want to have when hiking in the mountains etc.
For example; water, extra clothing (or place to stash clothes that you take off), food, first aid kit etc.

 

[mishele]

We hiked in Hawaii and St. John w/ our Lowepro Sling that had a nice thick hip support belt. We bought it over 4 years ago, so I can't find the exact model. One thing that I would really like to recommend is the hip support!! If you are going for long hikes w/ weight on your back, it's nice to have it distributed!!! When I bought the pack, I believe I spent about $140.

Happy shopping!!!