Bag choices for landscape

I have a Lowepro Flipside Sport 20, which will take my 7D2 with 150-600 & 1.4TC attached, plus a 300mm f4 as well. Or, it will take both my X-T bodies (1 with grip & 100-400 attached) plus a number of lenses, filters etc. I can get a tripod on one side, and a jacket/fleece in the other side pocket. Not a huge amount of space for food & drink, but that generally goes in the other bag that the wife is wearing :)

I was really surprised with the adaptability of the Flipside Sport, although for serious walking I would invest in something a bit more focused on the hiking side of things.

http://store.lowepro.com/ca/flipside-sport-20l-aw-ca
 
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Really useful thread. Thanks to all the comments.

I ended up plumbing for a Dakine Poacher 36L with the Yimidear insert as a day out bag. With hindsight I'd have gone for the larger 45L version. As a maxiumum, I can take 2 Fuji X-T bodies (1 gripped normal, 1 IR) the 16-55, 55-200, the 10-20, and the lee filter pouch. Can also take a strapped tripod and a kneeling pad (which is a godsend for me) in the helmet carrier thing. There's not a lot of space left. Just enough for a waterproof, map, packed lunch, & 2 500ml bottles of water. If I just take a single body (&1-2 lenses), there's a lot more space. All I need is a sherpa to lug it around. The best thing about it is the way it opens from the back, so all the gear is easily accessible (much like the other packs illustrated on p1)
 
I have the Lowepro flipside 400 AW for short trips. For balance and to save the odd ache as I get older I use bungee cord to support and ensure that my tripod is in the centre.
For longer walks when I need to take extra gear with me I use the Lowepro photo trekker AW 2. Lots of room, especially when I use the detachable outer bag for clothing.
 
I want a decent bag to replace the National Geographic one I've had for ages, and I keep looking at the F-Stop bags (either the Ajna or the Tilopa) as they look really quite special, rugged, well made, flexible and built for the job. But given they don't have a UK stockist, I'd be loathed to spend the best part of £300 on a bag, plus ICU, plus postage and packaging from the US, to find it wasn't the right one or actually it was rubbish. I like the styling on some of the Manfrotto bags, but not sure they're quite big enough as a daysack / camera bag combo. For some reason, Lowepro don't float my boat (in my head they're a bit dull and samey, but I've no idea where this has come from!)

The problem really though is that I carry a bag of expensive kit around with me, and then never use the contents, just what ever is on the cameras I'm carrying on my shoulders! (and that's another saga on straps).

Those in the UK with F-stop bags, are they worth the import costs? anywhere have some to try?
 
James Blonde said:
But given they don't have a UK stockist, I'd be loathed to spend the best part of £300 on a bag, plus ICU, plus postage and packaging from the US, to find it wasn't the right one or actually it was rubbish.
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It doesn't help with seeing the bags in advance, but...

The f-stop bags are distributed in the UK from a European depot, with the prices in Euros that include VAT, and obviously don't attract import duties (at the moment). If you go to the f-stop shop you can select Europe, instead of USA. (it also means that kit out of stock in the USA, may well be in stock in Europe).

They are good bags, I have two (Tilopa and Guru, first shipped from USA, second from Europe ), and I would say they match the quality of my Berghaus and Karrimor rucksacks. I'm generally pleased with mine, but would have liked it to be easy to add external pockets for when I want to carry some extra non-photographic gear.

Now that "normal" rucksacks are available with rear openings, I would seriously consider one of them as an alternative, but might still end up with f-stop as the newer bags seem to offer a few more features than my older versions e.g. the new Tilopa has side pockets.

Cheers,

Graham
 
Eloise said:
Never buy a rucksack online ... go to a store and try. What suits one person's back and body won't suit another. Not quite as bad as buying boots online but close!
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This one of the most oft stated bits of walking b****x out there. Provided the dimensions; mainly back length are correct the bag will pretty much fit. My last 4 bags were bought online and were all fine.

Smaller bags - under 30l rarely need a suspension system but hip pockets are useful for putting snacks in.

Bags don't need to be ultra robust ether. It's useful for climbing but are you going to throw your camera gear around like it's a haul sac on a crag? They also make the bag unnecessarily heavier. FWIW I use a normal bag with a F stop ICU inside.
 
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Jannyfox said:
That's fine if you're a fairly standard bloke. Okay, most people here are, but Eloise and I clearly aren't.
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The thing is if you look at some of the more specialised walking forums lots of the better ultralight/long distance stuff is only available from cottage manufacturers in the States, some of it being imported through specialist online retailers in this country. Most of them also are just online retailers in the USA too. Unless you are very strangely shaped it is not difficult to get various sized bags in the correct back length with the correct hip belt size. Most of these companies are regarded as being at the top of their game with regards wight and comfort. If personal fit was so difficult to achieve they wouldn't be in business.
 
I've always found it way better to just use a normal hiking backpack if I'm not carrying much photography kit. I'm comfortable enough with the fact my camera gear is a set of tools that I can throw it in a normal bag without special protection. I've never quite understood why people both with special bags for minimal kit. Special bags just add weight and bulk. Why bother?
 
an1uk said:
F-stop Sukha can be had for £184.50 https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/index.php?threads/660686/ (£310 excluding delivery direct from F-stop, which would probably involve waiting).
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Thanks to Alan's previous thread I've ordered the F Stop Lotus for £130.50. If it's purchased from F stops European website or camera user.nl it would be around £225 including delivery so a good saving overall. It's the smallest of the mountain series but can take up to a Large Pro ICU. I'm planning to use it for landscapes with a medium sloped ICU so I've got more room for other non photography items.
 
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rob-nikon said:
Thanks to Alan's previous thread I've ordered the F Stop Lotus for £130.50. If it's purchased from F stops European website or camera user.nl it would be around £225 including delivery so a good saving overall. It's the smallest of the mountain series but can take up to a Large Pro ICU. I'm planning to use it for landscapes with a medium sloped ICU so I've got more room for other non photography items.
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The Lotus has arrived and first view is it looks good. It fits the medium slope ICU with plenty of space left over. The large pro ICU fits in well too with a small space on top of the ICU for a fleece or some food. The side pockets will be useful addition. Looks like it's going to be my got to landscape bag as the tilopa feels huge for landscaping.
 
Another vote for the f-stop bags. I find them really excellent. And they come in a good range of colours!
 
I was on holiday in the Lakes last week and decided to use my LowePro Photo Sport BP 200 AW (I only had my OMD EM5.2 with 12-40 lens attached, plus filters and a small tripod). Even so it was too small to carry food, waterproof etc as well. And it reminded me that I hate side-access bags. I ended up carrying the camera in my hand until I got to tricky terrain. So I think I am going to go back to using my Osprey rucksack (top loader), which I spent ages choosing a few years ago because I have a long torso and wanted one that fitted me well (the LowePro doesn't). Any recommendations on inserts?

Also, I am tempted to buy one of those Peak Design Capture Clips so that I can still carry the camera in hand but, when I get to a tricky bit of terrain, I can just clip it to my rucksack strap. The only thing that's putting me off are the stories elsewhere on the 'net that pointing the electronic viewfinder up towards the sun risks burning the EVF. Not something I'd normally bother about in the UK but last week was pretty sunny in Cumbria! Any thoughts?

Ian
 
I use a Swedish Army surplus LK35 pack, made in significant numbers by no less a company than Haglofs.

It's an external frame canvas bucket pack with a waterproof inner coating. I use a padded Lowepro insert to carry my photographic gear, and then hiking essentials like waterproofs, socks etc go in a dry bag underneath, mainly for ease of access than for waterproofing. One of the main benefits is that it has a centrally placed loop and strap, originally intended to attach an entrenching tool, that is perfect for carrying a tripod (I hate side mounting a tripod, it's a recipe for shoulder pain). There are strapping points on top which is where I usually store my softshell for water/windproofing when needed, and strapping points on the bottom as well - the pack would easily carry a light tent, sleeping bag and bedroll if required.

I have modified it by sewing webbing pouches to the side which hold a first aid kid, head torch etc, and adding a MOLLE waistbelt bought from eBay which I've tied to the bottom of the frame. With this, the pack is extremely comfortable even when fully loaded. The straps have a fantastic adjustment system - pull the long tabs to tighten, the short loops to loosen.

Best of all, the pack itself costs about £15. With the addition of the pouches and waist belt, the whole thing costs less than £30 and will last a lifetime.

As I'm a new user (hello) I can't include links, but they are available online from a company called Military Mart, and you can see an example of a modified one on YouTube if you search 'MCQ Bushcraft LK35'.
 
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