Which back pack for a Safari?

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Ed
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Morning all,

We're going on a Safari later in the year so I'd like to get a decent back pack for the trip.
It's going to need to contain:

Canon 80d
Canon 100 - 400 (mounted on the 80d)
Canon 550d with either a 18-200 or 10-18 mounted on it
Whichever lens isn't on the 550, probably the 18-200.
A bean bag
Maybe a clamp and ball head
A small tripod

Ideally I'd really like it to have a built in rain cover like the Lowepros do which won't loose a pocket on the bag like it does with the Manfrottos.
An added bonus would be if it has room for a water bottle and snack, but I don't want the bag to get huge.

From what I've read it's really important that I can have the 80d ready to shoot, with hood mounted, in the bag and then just whip it out when needed to avoid getting dust in/on it etc.
Ideally I'd like to be able to do the same with the 550 too, but understand that might not be possible.
I'm looking second hand ideally as these types of bangs are crazy money new.

Any tips of which bag might be able to do all of this?
At the moment I've been looking at a Lowepro flip side 400 aw but I'm not sure how easy it would be to quickly get the camera out.

Thanks

Ed.
 
Lowepro Flipside 400 would probably be fine (but worth checking everything fits before buying - Sony shooter so can't help).

You can spin the bag around on your waist and get access to all your gear without putting the bag down (Missus has this bag).

I have a similar bag, the Mindshift backlight 26l - worth looking at as well, as has a lot of features and really well made. More expensive though.
 
Hi Ed, what sort of safari are going you, walking or in a vehicle? I would suggest that you check the airline dimensions for the bag as if its too big they may want to put it in the cargo hold and not the overhead locker. Looking at your kit I don't think you need the uwa lens unless your doing any nightwork/star trails.
This was at 160mm and I was uncomfortably close although felt safe in the landrover.
Drying in the sun, Camp Hwange by Paul__100, on Flickr
 
May I make a suggestion....is it a mk1 100-400 or a mk2?...........either way, I'd take a 1.4x converter as well, sometimes you'll need as much reach as possible even with the crop factor, and I agree with Paul, I'd forget the UWA, you might only use it once or twice...(if at all!!)

I take a couple of old pillowcases for sticking my camera bodies already built with a lens when you are in the jeeps as there is always loads of dust about, and a monopod is also great....forget a tripod, you won't have room...and a beanbag (empty) which you can fill with rice when you are there.

Shoot from as low as you can is my general rule also!!

Have fun!

George.
 
Thanks for the replies guys.

I'll get down to LCE and have a look at a Flipside 400 in the flesh, as with all of these things it can be a bit deceiving looking at pictures on the net.

Will double check the airline dimensions but they seem to be pretty generous these days for cabin luggage, loads of people take silly rolling suitcase things and they're fine, this will be smaller than that I'm sure.

We're mostly based in a vehicle so it's a good point about maybe not needing the 10-18, have to say though, lately it's my favourite lens! We went on a road trip around California recently and it became the lens that lived on the body. I'm thinking it might be good for taking a picture of my new wife (it's our honeymoon) a giraffe behind her or something.

Unfortunately my 100-400 is a MK1, but one of the reasons I went for the 80d is that the autofocus should work to a degree with the 1.4x, I just need to find one at a sensible price before September.
Need to make enough posts and get into the classifieds to hopefully start buying new toys :D

Love the pillow case idea! will do that for sure.
I was thinking of a tripod for night time star/sun set/ sun rise shots.

Would you recommend any particular type of bean bags? would a bag be better than a clamp and ball head? I can imagine some companies might be funny about you clamping to the side of their land rover anyway.

Thanks for all the advice :)


Ed.
 
Ed,

Firstly I reiterate my earlier comment....an empty bean bag and fill with rice when you het there is the most weight efficient method of working, and I'd forget the clamp and ball head, it's too limiting and you may want to shift your viewpoint really rapidly, hence my recommendation of a monopod...we never take a tripod however if you are intent on star shots then I accept you'll need one...sunrise and sunset you won't generally need to shoot with such a low shutter speed.

Re cabin baggage, you won't have a problem on the scheduled airlines on long haul, however if you are hopping around on the light aircraft to or between camps, then you will be EXTREMELY limited with baggage, check with your tour operator, we usually have to buy a spare seat just for our (admittedly heavier) hand baggage.

George.
 
Without knowing who or where you're going, I would check the safari company/lodge website or e-mail direct with your questions. They will be very knowledgeable, helpful and passionate that you have a good time.
When I went to Zim I did just that and they were most helpful. The driver and ranger were both into photography and will try and get you to the best angles. I never used any clamps in the land rover and didn't feel the need to either.
Are you flying internally on a small aeroplane to a landing strip? as they normally have a smaller kg allowance.
 
I'm not sure about the sizes of Canon lenses but I have the lowepro flipside 400 and with my D750 and Tamron 150-600mm there isn't room for another camera with lens attached. I can squeeze in another small/mid size lens such as a 24-120 and a small/mid body but not attached.

When I was reading about this bag I read about how the flap doesn't unzip all the way to the bottom and it gets in the way and can make awkward getting gear out from the bottom of the bag but I didn't think it would bother me. How wrong I was :facepalm:
 
After reading Snerkler's post above, I wondered if my bag was any bigger than the Missus's Flipside. It is, so I thought a side by side image might be useful:

DSC01560.jpg



DSC01561.jpg


Also on my bag (Mindshift Backlight 26l) the zip is all the way down which means it will stay open by itself. For the image above I had to hold open the Flipside.
 
After reading Snerkler's post above, I wondered if my bag was any bigger than the Missus's Flipside. It is, so I thought a side by side image might be useful
Also on my bag (Mindshift Backlight 26l) the zip is all the way down which means it will stay open by itself. For the image above I had to hold open the Flipside.
To be fair, they're not like for like... the flipside 400 is a smaller bag in all dimensions...
A fairer comparison would be the flipside 500, which is closer (at 24L vs your 26L capacity (y) ).
 
After reading Snerkler's post above, I wondered if my bag was any bigger than the Missus's Flipside. It is, so I thought a side by side image might be useful:

DSC01560.jpg



DSC01561.jpg


Also on my bag (Mindshift Backlight 26l) the zip is all the way down which means it will stay open by itself. For the image above I had to hold open the Flipside.
I like the look of that flipside in that the flap looks less annoying. Does the back have a tripod attachment?
 
I like the look of that flipside in that the flap looks less annoying. Does the back have a tripod attachment?
Scrap that, I've just seen the price of it :eek:
 
Scrap that, I've just seen the price of it :eek:

lol, yeah not the cheapest bag.

For anyone who isn't aware, Mindshift are the sister company to ThinkTank who aren't exactly known for making great value products (very good though).

In case anyone else was wondering, it has a rear tripod mount, but with a large tripod I prefer to slot into one of the side pockets (it has straps and mounts all over the place so easy to secure). With a big tripod mounted to the back it feels a bit unbalanced if out all day with it IMO.
 
lol
The flipside does have a tripod strap and 'bag' at the base to hold the feet.
I paid £53 for my flipside - 5 years ago brand new from Jessops - seems to have really held its value!
Sorry for the confusion I have the flipside and use the tripod mount all the time, it was the mind shift I was querying as to whether it has a tripod mount ;)
 
I also wonder whether you could squash a waist bag like the Think Tank Speed Freak into your luggage... I put my stuff in an airport essentials bag and then mooch around with one of these...gives a resting place for the camera. I can get e 100-400 mk2 in, 5D3 or 7D2 body with another lens, usually 24-70, the 1.4 converter plus another lens underneath the grip side of the camera. Just a thought..
 
Ed,

Firstly I reiterate my earlier comment....an empty bean bag and fill with rice when you het there is the most weight efficient method of working, and I'd forget the clamp and ball head, it's too limiting and you may want to shift your viewpoint really rapidly, hence my recommendation of a monopod...we never take a tripod however if you are intent on star shots then I accept you'll need one...sunrise and sunset you won't generally need to shoot with such a low shutter speed.

Re cabin baggage, you won't have a problem on the scheduled airlines on long haul, however if you are hopping around on the light aircraft to or between camps, then you will be EXTREMELY limited with baggage, check with your tour operator, we usually have to buy a spare seat just for our (admittedly heavier) hand baggage.

George.

Thanks George, at least I can cross the clamp and ball head off the list, I've seen quit a few different shaped bean bags for sale, including one that has a screw so you can fix it to the tripod fixing, some are designed to go over the sides of the land rover. Do you just use a normal one? The tripod I was looking at I think can be used as a mono pod too, were you using the mono in the vehicle or when outside?
Luckily there's no light aircraft for us so that shouldn't be a problem.

Without knowing who or where you're going, I would check the safari company/lodge website or e-mail direct with your questions. They will be very knowledgeable, helpful and passionate that you have a good time.
When I went to Zim I did just that and they were most helpful. The driver and ranger were both into photography and will try and get you to the best angles. I never used any clamps in the land rover and didn't feel the need to either.
Are you flying internally on a small aeroplane to a landing strip? as they normally have a smaller kg allowance.

We're going to Tanzania, I didn't really think the Safari company would have the photography knowledge that you guys have, I guess it depends on the company. We don't have any internal light aircraft flights so that makes the baggage side of things ok. We do have a private tour though so at least we'll be in control of where to go.

Just a quick point on the tripod - I use a tiny Manfrotto in my small walkabout kit. Takes up no room at all but easily holds my Sony A7ii, even with a 70-200 mounted.

Of course it limits to ground level shooting (or using a wall etc) but it's stable, so good for long exposure and star trails etc

This is the model I use:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y-O8Ff44IM


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Manfrotto-...1469279040&sr=1-1&keywords=manfrotto+evo+pixi

That looks pretty good, amazed it's that sturdy! Thanks!

I'm not sure about the sizes of Canon lenses but I have the lowepro flipside 400 and with my D750 and Tamron 150-600mm there isn't room for another camera with lens attached. I can squeeze in another small/mid size lens such as a 24-120 and a small/mid body but not attached.

When I was reading about this bag I read about how the flap doesn't unzip all the way to the bottom and it gets in the way and can make awkward getting gear out from the bottom of the bag but I didn't think it would bother me. How wrong I was :facepalm:

Thanks for the tip on the flap thing, that does sound incredibly annoying! Maybe it'll be worth looking at the Tamrac bags instead.

After reading Snerkler's post above, I wondered if my bag was any bigger than the Missus's Flipside. It is, so I thought a side by side image might be useful:

DSC01560.jpg



DSC01561.jpg


Also on my bag (Mindshift Backlight 26l) the zip is all the way down which means it will stay open by itself. For the image above I had to hold open the Flipside.

That Mindshift bag does look nice! also looks to be out of my price range unfortunately, will keep on eye on eBay though, thanks.

I also wonder whether you could squash a waist bag like the Think Tank Speed Freak into your luggage... I put my stuff in an airport essentials bag and then mooch around with one of these...gives a resting place for the camera. I can get e 100-400 mk2 in, 5D3 or 7D2 body with another lens, usually 24-70, the 1.4 converter plus another lens underneath the grip side of the camera. Just a thought..

Thanks for the tip there, will have a look into those :)
 
First off, why the two bodies? I'd travel as light as possible as it'll be hot and you'll probably just be shooting with the 100-400 on safari. I've learnt to keep it light as before I've taken kit just in case and never used it.

I'd take another walkabout lens. Beanbag can be handy, depends on transport, but I didn't have issues handholding, there's usually plenty of light.
1.4x tc is another good suggestion.
I didn't find issues with the dust, a couple of microfibres cloths in case for cleaning, but I didn't have issues in the back of a land rover.
I use lowepro Trekkers, I have two Different sizes.
 
I'd read many posts that said to avoid changing lenses out in the field due to the dust, as I have the two bodies I thought I might as well use them. The other half might well have the 550 anyway as I think her point and shoot won't be much cop with it's tiny zoom.
Maybe it depends on where you are as I guess some places will have worst dust than others?

Is there much different between the Mk1, 2 or 3 1.4x converters? I presume it's best to stick with Canon rather than another brand?
 
I would ABSOLUTELY always take 2 bodies, firstly for the obvious dust problem and Byker281's been very lucky he's never had a dust problem, in my opinion.

Secondly and almost more importantly, what if your main body packs in? I've seen this happen with people with very well looked after gear, my pal's D4s packed in in India last year and it would have been a disaster if he hadn't had a second body.

It's not really necessary to travel as light as possible as you'll be in a vehicle most of the time anyway.

In answer to your question, Ed, I use the monopod in the vehicle, there isn't really room to use a tripod and it's more bulky to move rapidly from one side to the other, and anyway to get the best shots you generally want to be as low as possible, I don't bother with one with a tripod mount, the simpler the better and speed can be of the essence.



In my experience, there are two basic types of vehicles in use for safaris, the enclosed type where you can shoot from the roof ( it generally is removable or lifts up) and open ones which are just glorified jeeps.

In the former, most people shoot from the roof although my personal preference is to shoot through the side windows (which may be of the sliding type) and that's where the beanbag can come in useful, a basic one which hangs in an inverted u shape. A monopod isn't any good in this type (and a tripod even less so!) and a beanbag is the most useful form of support.

In the latter, usually the sides are much lower, and so the monopod is my first choice. I have a quick release plate which enables me to detach it and revert to a lower position if necessary.

We also take a point and shoot for the overall landscape shots, if you can shoot in raw that'll be useful.

Always assume the conditions will be bad then you'll be prepared.

Hope some of that helps.

George.
 
I second the second body if you have one, no need to worry about changing lens etc and also eliminates any potential dust issues. Also its light so always good if you have a malfunction. One of your big dilemmas is where to sit if your in an open land rover if that's what your travelling in? In the passenger front seat or higher up in the back, again worth asking the driver or ranger for their opinion. Otherwise just enjoy the whole experience.
 
Just a thought on the flipside flap problem. I have a sports model flipside. It is a later model and doesn't have this problem, it really does open all the way out. When I bought it, they explained earlier models didn't open up properly. The same may be true of later models of the other flipside 400s - worth checking!
 
Re cabin baggage, you won't have a problem on the scheduled airlines on long haul...
If I were you I would NOT rely on this advice. Airlines vary enormously with regard to what they'll allow as cabin baggage. Even on long haul, even on respectable airlines. For example BA allow up to 23kg for your main item of carry-on luggage; Virgin Atlantic only allow 6kg. Check with your airline, and double check.
 
Just a thought on the flipside flap problem. I have a sports model flipside. It is a later model and doesn't have this problem, it really does open all the way out. When I bought it, they explained earlier models didn't open up properly. The same may be true of later models of the other flipside 400s - worth checking!
I had the flipside sport 15L before I moved up to bigger lenses and yes this did not have the same irritating flap problem. However, the largest size was the 20L which I don't believe is as big as the Flipside 400 or 500, and looking at the Lowepro site it looks as though they may be discontinued as they're no longer on either the UK or US site from what I can see.
 
I would defiantly take two bodies as you have the option, safaris aren't cheap and the thought of a body failure makes me shudder. It's not only the dust issue when changing lenses, it's the speed things can happen. I used a 400mm with 1.4x converter on a mono pod over my shoulder, a 70-200mm on a strap at my waist and the bino's around my neck when walking which we did most of the time. When in a vehicle the bino's and 70-200mm got unclipped but the mono pod remained attached and was used to support the camera, we had an open sided vehicle so a bean bag wouldn't have been as much use.

This is the harness I bought for walking and it was very comfortable to use. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008RWBEW6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
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