Packing your Camera Gear on Overnights

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mountainLight
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Packing your Camera Gear on Overnights

Post by mountainLight »

Wanted to see how all of you pack your camera gear on overnight backpacking trips. I have a couple lenses the camera body and filters, etc. and want a good, light, organized way of packing it. What i have found in the past is if i pack it away too deep i am too tired/lazy to get it out when i should really stop to take a shot.

What do all of you do? Any recomendations for packing?
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Post by copeg »

Great question mountainLight. I was wondering how others carry their cameras as well. I know how you feel when your tired and really don't want to take off your pack to swap lenses or take out your camera.

Being cheep, and wanting something custom made, what I did a month or so ago was to sew my own. I used a closed cell foam pad as cusion, and sil-nylon with water-resistant zipper for the exterior and nylon for interior (which is lined with velcro so I can fasten things in). I sewed it so it is carried on my FRONT. This way I can access my camera, lenses, filters, etc....virtually immediately. Here are some pics just before I finished it up( 1,2) I was worried it'd be too hot but its not as hot as it looks. So far it has held up to a good amount of hiking with no ill effects. I just need to remember not to bend over when it is open, or else everything goes flying out onto the ground :( I think some companies make this sort of thing. If your interested google "camera harness" or something like that and you should find something along these lines.
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mountainLight
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Post by mountainLight »

Wow nice sewing project. My thing with things on the front is the constant banging against my chest. Doesn't that drive you nuts with something like this?
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Post by copeg »

mountainLight wrote:Wow nice sewing project. My thing with things on the front is the constant banging against my chest. Doesn't that drive you nuts with something like this?
Thanks. It is pretty secure to my body that it really doesn't bounce around too much, and if it does it doesn't bother me too much. When it does I can tighten it up a little. Of course, I think this may depend upon your body type (for example, this may not be the best solution for females). Sometimes this rig can get uncomfortable (like when I wear it for hours on end and the unpadded straps start tearing into my shoulders :angry: ), but I just pad it up with a sock or bunch up my shirt and bear with it, I'd rather do this then take off my pack every time I want a photo. Also, I should say it doesn't really get in the way of seeing the ground in front of me. Granted I can't see as well when its not there, but its easy to see over.
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Post by Hikin Mike »

Nice set-up!
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Post by SSSdave »

Over the last couple dozen years of serious photography I have always caried my camera gear in daypacks that I custom modified to attach to my backpacks. Note that is a backcountry backpack and not one of those photo backpacks marketed to photographers. I have never used a dedicated photo backpack because they are overly padded thus excessively heavy, and are non-functional for someone that needs space for additional gear. For many years I carried quite a pile of 35mm SLR camera gear, then 6x7 medium format, and these days 4x5 gear. My Gitzo G1325 with head is 6.5 pounds alone and the rest of the camera gear in my daypack is over 22 pounds without additional gear like clothing, water, and food. I use high end packs marketed to climbers. Such packs are narrower than usual daypacks as climbers need a narrow pack that doesn't interfere with side to side movement and are often longer. That extra length is useful for strap mounting a tripod outside. My current such pack is a Black Diamond Stone L40. That is a discontinued two compartment model that holds 40 liters or 2200 cubic inches. I pack my fragile stuff into little cardboard shipping boxes. For instance my 90mm lens plus lensboard fits into a 4x4x5 inch box. Some might wonder about the need for foam padding etc, but that is overkill. I've never damaged anything in many years of rough work in places fit for mountain goats. When I reach a place I'm going to set up my gear, I simply turn it upsidedown and dump everything out on the ground. ...David
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