Backpack recommendations.

Chris Barlow

Chris Barlow

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Hi all, I was wondering if anyone can give me advice on a good backpack. I'm looking for one to carry a dslr with lens attached (canon 60d with a canon ef-s17-55 mm ) plus these lenses. canon 70-200 F4, canon ef-s 10-22 and a sigma 105mm macro. Plus some Lee filters, memory cards etc. Obviously it needs to be weather proof as I shoot a lot in the Peak District and have room for food and drink plus water proof clothing and also have a tripod holder. It isn't essential to have a laptop compartment. I currently use a tamrac adventure 7, but I've always struggled to fit anything other than camera equipment in and with me recently adding the canon 70-200mm to my lens range it has become too small for my needs. I could always do away with the 17-55mm lens when out in the peaks but I love that lens and ideally would always like it with me. What are people's thoughts and experiences. Many thanks.
 
Having looked at all the other, mostly overpriced stuff (£400 for a rucksack with a bit of padding?) at the Photography show last weekend I came across these guys and bought one, for 'tog gear the prices were OK and you certainly get a lot of features for the money.
 
sirch said:
Having looked at all the other, mostly overpriced stuff (£400 for a rucksack with a bit of padding?) at the Photography show last weekend I came across these guys and bought one, for 'tog gear the prices were OK and you certainly get a lot of features for the money.
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Which bag did you get, I've seen their website recently and it looks pretty decent and cheap (as these things go).
 
I got the Diverse 20 and the Diverse 20 Full Insert. Basically it is a Rucksack with two smaller camera bags inside it, either of which can be taken out and used as a shoulder or waist bag. If you take both of them out and fold down a velcroed flap in the middle you can put the full insert in so it can take a long lens. I'm guessing you would need to use this for the 70-200 which means not a lot of room for other gear. It is obviously possible to use half the bag with one of the small inserts for camera gear and one for walking gear/lunch but I think that may be a little small for your longer lens, it would be fine for the body plus 2 lenses and other bits.

They do bigger bags, the Hiker 200 is a big beast but TBH my plan, for long walks with waterproofs and lunch etc., is to use one or both of the inserts inside a normal walking rucksack and use the Diverse 20 for shorter walks where I will take more camera gear and less other stuff.
 
Google for "Camera Bag Insets". There are lots available on Amazon/Ebay etc. They can be fitted into an ordinary rucksack and might give you the ability to carry your photo gear and food and waterproofs.

Dave
 
I'm a great fan of the FStop rucksacks with their removable ICUs. Can't fault the design, they are really well built and very versatile. Only downside is the cost and some availability problems in the UK. Look out for bargains on here or ebay.
 
I have too many backpacks (the eternal search for the elusive "perfect backpack" is expensive!)! I currently use either the Lowepro Pro Trekker 650AW or the slightly smaller Pro Trekker 450AW. Both are excellent but quite heavy even when empty.

I love the look of the F-Stop range but availability in the UK is pants and I have heard lots of grumbles about their customer service. This has put me off........for now!

Andy
 
What tripod do you think would be a good one to take a heavy but good quality or a lighter but worse quality with a 7d and 17-55
 
OMG I may have found my perfect backpack!!

The Mindshift Backlight 26l ticks nearly every box, as near perfect as I have found.

F stop looks good, if you can get one. hoho
 
I have an f-stop Lotus, normally have the Small Pro ICU in it. You can get a surprisingly large amount in the ICU leaving plenty of space in the backpack for other items etc.
 
Another vote for f-stop. I have a Loka and it's the most comfortable and versatile bag I've ever owned.
 
lionfish said:
OMG I may have found my perfect backpack!!

The Mindshift Backlight 26l ticks nearly every box, as near perfect as I have found.

F stop looks good, if you can get one. hoho
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They were my thoughts when I saw the reviews on this bag. I ordered one earlier in the week and can honestly say it's perfect for my needs.

Really pleased with it.
 
Wasn't dodgy at all dude. Very informative, well lit with good audio I thought - ideal YouTube video.

Seems a good bag as well as it can easily be transformed for more or less camera gear and more or less hiking etc gear.
 
MrDrizz said:
I bought the Nest Diverse 20 and here is my well dodgy video

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Any more to report on the Nest in use? BTW, you didn't mention a rain cover, is one included?
 
ChrisR said:
Any more to report on the Nest in use? BTW, you didn't mention a rain cover, is one included?
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Alas no rain cover, while I am happy with this bag I think the Manfrotto Off Road hiker might be a better buy. But the camera holer in the Manfrotto isn't as good as the Nest.
 
MrDrizz said:
Alas no rain cover, while I am happy with this bag I think the Manfrotto Off Road hiker might be a better buy. But the camera holer in the Manfrotto isn't as good as the Nest.
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Thanks for that pointer... but yes, from the images the Off Road Hiker camera holder looks smaller with room for fewer lenses (and only one of them). Hmmm.
 
I've used (and still own) a variety of bags from Kata, Tamrac, LowePro and F-Stop. My favourite is the F-Stop due to the rigidity and the close fitting of the ICU. The LowePro was good but if I was carrying a large amount of kit there was too much movement. I'm using the F-Stop Tilopa with the Large L/T ICU and usually take out 2 FF bodies and 7 primes, together with various other odds and ends and have absolutely no issues after 10 or 12 miles. Much less shoulder and neck pain than when using the others.
 
This ICU idea sounds great, but don't you find it an extra bit of faff? To access gear the backpack comes off, zip it open, remove the ICU, zip that open, take out gear, zip up ICU, return to backpack, zip up backpack, darn it, I need a different lens, here we go again?

Mostly what I want is a smallish backpack with room for (say) two small film bodies (Pentax MX) with lenses attached, and a couple of other lenses, plus room for waterproofs and water bottle, plus somewhere for tripod or more likely monopod... for less than £100... ;)
 
have a look at proper walking backpacks and add a camera insert. I've got a 40lt Deuter ACT Trail PRO that's great. it opens on the front with a zip.
 
niko said:
have a look at proper walking backpacks and add a camera insert. I've got a 40lt Deuter ACT Trail PRO that's great. it opens on the front with a zip.
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The beauty of the nest one I have is that the camera insert fits into my much larger backpack.
 
ChrisR said:
Mostly what I want is a smallish backpack with room for (say) two small film bodies (Pentax MX) with lenses attached, and a couple of other lenses, plus room for waterproofs and water bottle, plus somewhere for tripod or more likely monopod... for less than £100... ;)
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been researching for several days now for a decent backpack with AW cover
D300 + 18-70
55-200 VR
35/1.8
Canon AE-1 film body
FD 50/1.8
tripod, films, CF cards etc etc

Becca at WEX has been helpful
I finally chose a LowePro Flipside 400 AW at £79
http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-lowepro-flipside-400-aw-backpack-black/p1028114
 
Eljay said:
I've used (and still own) a variety of bags from Kata, Tamrac, LowePro and F-Stop. My favourite is the F-Stop due to the rigidity and the close fitting of the ICU. The LowePro was good but if I was carrying a large amount of kit there was too much movement. I'm using the F-Stop Tilopa with the Large L/T ICU and usually take out 2 FF bodies and 7 primes, together with various other odds and ends and have absolutely no issues after 10 or 12 miles. Much less shoulder and neck pain than when using the others.
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I have a F-stop Guru with insert, which makes a great day pack. It seems very well made but you do pay for the quality. In my opinion the big problem with F-stop bags (and probably others that use the same system) is that bits and bobs from the general storage area above the insert tend to slip down around the ICU. Personally I think that a proper two compartment bag is much better.

I'm coming to the conclusion that one of the Mindshift rotation bags would be almost perfect for me. No need to take it off to access your gear! Only trouble is there's a big gap in the range between the 34l Horizon and the 22l panorama. One of these days I'm going to pull the trigger on the Horizon!
 
I purchased an inexpensive one from Amazon made by top max. For £15 I'm very happy - I take it out on the bike and its holding up well. It's not huge, but it's adequate for a DSLR, a couple of lenses and a couple of 35mm bodies, as well as the charger, batteries, some filters and a tele converter. Can't complain at all.
 
niko said:
have a look at proper walking backpacks and add a camera insert. I've got a 40lt Deuter ACT Trail PRO that's great. it opens on the front with a zip.
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Trying this now. Got a Berghaus Remote 30 daypack (my wife has kept saying, surely you don't need one THAT big, why not by x, y or z smaller one?). I was going to get a Tenba BYOB 10, they look really neat and solid with a zippable lid, placed an order but apparently Teamwork are awaiting stock. Since we go away tomorrow, cancelled and got a cheapo fleabay floppy blue insert. Not really big enough for two cameras, but if I only bring one camera and two or three lenses it should be fine, with stacks of room i the bag for waterproof gear etc on top. There is supposed to be a fitting on the Berghaus for walking poles that I thought would work fine for a monopod (I generally avoid tripods), but it seemed like an enormous amount of faff just getting it in and out of the fitting. Then I found I could pop the monopod into one of the many pockets, just fine.

While testing this, the OH came in and had a right go about taking too much gear. Can't you just take one camera, like normal people, she said. But I am, I am. Well, plus a second film camera for b&w in the suitcase (for monochrome days), and the X10 for group shots etc. And a few filters. And a dozen rolls of film...

And I know, since this is a group walking holiday, I'll be lucky to expose even one roll!
 
ChrisR said:
Trying this now. Got a Berghaus Remote 30 daypack (my wife has kept saying, surely you don't need one THAT big, why not by x, y or z smaller one?). I was going to get a Tenba BYOB 10, they look really neat and solid with a zippable lid, placed an order but apparently Teamwork are awaiting stock. Since we go away tomorrow, cancelled and got a cheapo fleabay floppy blue insert. Not really big enough for two cameras, but if I only bring one camera and two or three lenses it should be fine, with stacks of room i the bag for waterproof gear etc on top. There is supposed to be a fitting on the Berghaus for walking poles that I thought would work fine for a monopod (I generally avoid tripods), but it seemed like an enormous amount of faff just getting it in and out of the fitting. Then I found I could pop the monopod into one of the many pockets, just fine.

While testing this, the OH came in and had a right go about taking too much gear. Can't you just take one camera, like normal people, she said. But I am, I am. Well, plus a second film camera for b&w in the suitcase (for monochrome days), and the X10 for group shots etc. And a few filters. And a dozen rolls of film...

And I know, since this is a group walking holiday, I'll be lucky to expose even one roll!
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tell me about it!
i do find proper packs are-surprise surprise designed to carry and distribute weight properly. but camera backpacks are just that, designed for protecting the kit but not your back!
 
Been using the Mindshift Rotation Pro 180 for the past month ... LOVE IT ... Not cheap .. but for me worth every penny ... Love having easy access to both camera gear and other bits without leaving the bag down ... certainly much safer when doing coastal photography ... Very comfortable wear as well ... Have it loaded with Fuji cameras x 2 with 2 lens (10-24 and 18-135) ... in the main compartment (without an ICU) I also sometimes put the 100-400 ... In there also day gear and food etc ...

cheers,

Nige
 
monkeyleader said:
Been using the Mindshift Rotation Pro 180 for the past month ... LOVE IT ... Not cheap .. but for me worth every penny ... Love having easy access to both camera gear and other bits without leaving the bag down ... certainly much safer when doing coastal photography ... Very comfortable wear as well ... Have it loaded with Fuji cameras x 2 with 2 lens (10-24 and 18-135) ... in the main compartment (without an ICU) I also sometimes put the 100-400 ... In there also day gear and food etc ...

cheers,

Nige
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As I've now had the Mindshift Backlight for about a month, I thought I'd give this a thumbs up as well.

Same as the Rotation, it's not cheap - but a lot less (and easier to purchase) than an Fstop. Being able to swing the bag around my waist and have access to the whole camera section of the case without taking the bag off if invaluable. I can be standing in a foot of water and still change a lens safely.

Size wise, it's fits everything I want to carry (standard zoom trinity, a body or two, couple of flashes etc) in the camera section, plus has loads of room in the other side for anything else. Very comfy to trek with all day and can easily hold a large tripod. The build quality is fantastic. Basically it has everything I personally wanted from a backpack and I'm really happy with it.

Can't recommend enough :)
 
ChrisR said:
Trying this now. Got a Berghaus Remote 30 daypack (my wife has kept saying, surely you don't need one THAT big, why not by x, y or z smaller one?). I was going to get a Tenba BYOB 10, they look really neat and solid with a zippable lid, placed an order but apparently Teamwork are awaiting stock. Since we go away tomorrow, cancelled and got a cheapo fleabay floppy blue insert. Not really big enough for two cameras, but if I only bring one camera and two or three lenses it should be fine, with stacks of room i the bag for waterproof gear etc on top. There is supposed to be a fitting on the Berghaus for walking poles that I thought would work fine for a monopod (I generally avoid tripods), but it seemed like an enormous amount of faff just getting it in and out of the fitting. Then I found I could pop the monopod into one of the many pockets, just fine.
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Well, it sort of worked. The first day it rained all the time, and we got soaked... so did the daypack, which it turns out is not waterproof and doesn't have an included waterproof cover. Lesson one!

Then, I thought the backpack had dried out really well. But next day I realised that water had got in and the blue insert thingy was still damp... worse still, there was damp between lenses and covering filters, such that I couldn't use those lenses until I'd dried them out! Lesson 2.

Lesson 3 might still be, how to prevent lenses that have got damp from developing fungus!

Finally, once the weather improved, and my jacket and my wife's jacket were in the backpack above the insert, there was pretty much zero chance I was going to get it all out to get another lens out. The zips don't go down far enough to get at what's underneath the weather gear. Still, the 35mm lens did a pretty good job for most situations. We were thinking of going to the Eden Project (didn't work out in the end), and I'd planned to stick a 100mm semi-macro on for that, and keep the 35mm in my pocket. Anyway, not really convenient. Lesson 4!

So I'm bemused. I'm thinking perhaps for the situation I need a daypack for the weather gear, and use my shoulder bag for the camera stuff. Not sure how well this will work.

But I'm pleased to say I've shot at least 6 rolls of film Ektar 100 and Portra 400. I'm less pleased to say that the "black and white" Pentax MX has developed an issue (on the rainy day), not flipping its mirror up. Which is flipping annoying. Luckily the "colour" one performed (apparently) flawlessly. By Wednesday I should know for sure, when I get to see the pics!
 
Just a follow up on my nest style diverse 20.
Well it has a lot of good things but for me it just isn't big enough, might be OK if on short hikes and you know the weathers going to be fine.
There just is no space for general gear, a rain coat and leggings will take up have the top compartment no matter how tightly you roll them. The website doesn't mention it's litre capacity.

So it back to the search, still the manfrotto off road 30L has promise but lacks the hydration system and decent tripod mounting.
I do wish these bag makers would start adding molle to their bags it'd make adding extra pouches so much easier.
 
MrDrizz said:
Just a follow up on my nest style diverse 20.
Well it has a lot of good things but for me it just isn't big enough, might be OK if on short hikes and you know the weathers going to be fine.
There just is no space for general gear, a rain coat and leggings will take up have the top compartment no matter how tightly you roll them. The website doesn't mention it's litre capacity.

So it back to the search, still the manfrotto off road 30L has promise but lacks the hydration system and decent tripod mounting.
I do wish these bag makers would start adding molle to their bags it'd make adding extra pouches so much easier.
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I have a very cheap backpack (from 7dayshop) for the camera. For short trips on dry days it is great but if the weather looks iffy and/or I want to take extra clothing, food, drink I use any ordinary rucksack. I'm usually carrying enough to provide cushioning for the camera and as my main interest is in landscapes I rarely need to get very quick access to the camera. If you want a more permanent camera solution then camera inserts can be found online which look as if they will provide good support. The only thing to be careful about is matching the size of the inserts to the openings of the rucksack.

Ordinary rucksacks might be a bit less likely to attract unwanted attention and there is a huge range of sizes and I reckon the ice axe/walking pole straps that are found on many sacks would hold a tripod.

I could be doing rucksack makers a diservice but I assume no rucksack is waterproof.

Dave
 
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