Rucksack buying advice please

[tijuana taxi]

Looking to buy a rucksack and due to the huge amount available would like some help please

Want to carry a DSLR with three or four lenses and the usual accesories with decent padded protection, also like to take a bit of food/drink and other gear like phone,money,keys, bit of first aid stuff etc etc
Somewhere to strap a tripod would be handy too.

Not wanting anything too huge, but not keen on anything that sits too low down especially with the photo stuff hanging off the back
Waterproof cover might be a good idea too and needs to be fairly light (reasonable cost wouldn't be bad either:))
Also not worried about having one that can be swung round to access the gear whilst remaining over the shoulder.

I know moon on a stick, but all advice gratefully received
Cheers
Rich

[mastertrinity]

well believe the closest you'll get is a fastpack. it holds loads but i would recommend the 200 for three lenses or the 250 for lenses. the personal compartment holds loads, but the only catch is there is no raincover or tripod strap but you can fit a very compact tripod in the personal compartment safely.

[swanseamale47]

My main concern with all the rucksack type bags I have seen is the food and drink compatment is above the camera area, personally I'd prefer it the other way around, then my coffee can't "leak" all over my camera gear.
I have a Lowepro but it doesn't hold anything like enough gear for what you want.
Wayne

[Wilky76]

I have a Centron Rucksack I bought from Jessops that i use for hiking, as it got room for both camera gear at the bottom & room at the top for drinks, butties ect It's pretty small and light to no weathersealing but i carry a waterproof rucksack cover with me just in case.

To stop the flask form ever leaking, I just stick it in a sealed poly bag.

Any other time i will use my Tarmac Expedition 5x

Funny thing is there isn't many options about in camera rucksacks that has enough room at the top.

[tijuana taxi]

Thanks for the replies, still can't really find what I want and beginning to think I need to compromise.
Seems to be that the camera carrying compartment is either so huge that there is little room for all the other stuff one needs as I mentioned above and forgot a waterproof in that list
Or the camera and lenses are down the bottom which not only unbalances the bag, but as stated makes them vunerable to leakage from above

Surely someone has designed a sensible bag, seems common sense to me, but maybe i am missing something.

[Syx]

Usually the camera & lenses are at the bottom due to the weight distribution! I know it's not quite what you want in terms of layout, but I have a Tamrac Adventure 9 which is great for me, maybe look at the Adventure 10 (http://www.tamrac.com/5550.htm) for holding more camera gear?

[dapprman]

Usually the camera & lenses are at the bottom due to the weight distribution! I know it's not quite what you want in terms of layout, but I have a Tamrac Adventure 9 which is great for me, maybe look at the Adventure 10 (http://www.tamrac.com/5550.htm) for holding more camera gear?
I'm another happy Adventure9 owner, though it won't take my D300 with a Tamron 70-200 f2.8 mounted on it (actually the latter unmounted is a squeeze). Thing about the Adventure9 (part of the reason I bought it) is that it just fits under the size restrictions for airline hand luggage.

[Amp34]

It sounds like you want an fstop (http://www.fstopgear.com/now/) bag. They seem to be the only company that makes true walking bags, the only problem is they are stupidly expensive and need to be shipped from the States... :p

There is also another US firm that makes a similar style of backpack that I found recently too http://www.clikelite.com/shop/, similar to the fstop gear though, expensive and from the states.

[Paddysnapper]

For best value and very good quality (I have one of these)..... Look on Amazon.Gem SLR backpack...... You can't go wrong at that price!

[Chaz Photos]

Well I had a Lowepro but have moved on to a Tamrac CybePack 6 (http://www.wilkinson.co.uk/store/product.php?productid=18087#)
I find it a very good backpack with compartment for a laptop as well.

[gsix14]

I have a LowePro Primus AW. It has a camera compartment and a good sized top compartment as well as a tripod holder, rain cover and a compression section with is great for a coat or fleece.

It's currently available for £59 with free postage (https://secure.ffordes.com/Shop/Store/Itemdet.asp?Type=new&sub=1&Code=CH&SubCode=LP&id=32029&promo=0) from Ffordes (http://www.ffordes.com/). That price is only for the blue version. The black is over £100

[reddeathdrinker]

I'm a fan of the Lowe Pro Mini Trekker - takes all my gear in my sig, plus one of my film cameras and all my filters, flash etc. The front pocket is big enough for my waterproofs, a small flask, and some grub... I also have a Crumpler Loyal Chap I use about town, takes the gear, but no room for anything else.

[Craikeybaby]

It sounds like you want an fstop (http://www.fstopgear.com/now/) bag. They seem to be the only company that makes true walking bags, the only problem is they are stupidly expensive and need to be shipped from the States... :p

There is also another US firm that makes a similar style of backpack that I found recently too http://www.clikelite.com/shop/, similar to the fstop gear though, expensive and from the states.
I was also going to say FStop, they are great bags!

[Amp34]

Did you ever get one of the rucksacks in the end?

(You had a satual type didn't you?)

[Craikeybaby]

Nope, not yet, what with the exchange rates going the wrong way and all that. The Bard is still holding up well, and my Dakine Sequence is too small to hold a pro body without it digging into my bag, so will have to pony up for a Tilopa sooner or later.

[blue max]

http://www.avforums.com/forums/digital-camera-camcorder-classifieds/1010379-sale-crumpler-pretty-boy-backpak-xl.html

Any good?

Graham