Question for hiking photographers

[Dexter]

Hi all,

I've found it really tricky to combine hiking and photography and just wondering if others have overcome some of the issues I've come across. I've carried photography gear all around the world, and have never let the size or weight stop me. But I find the logistics of combining multi day hikes and camera gear to be difficult. In fact I've never actually taken my camera gear with me, instead opting to take a small Sony point and shoot or just use my phone.

I have an F-stop pack that works great for shorter walks, but when test packing it for a multi day, It doesn't really have the space for hiking gear and probably more importantly, the pack’s hip belt isn’t as supportive as what you’d get from a full hiking pack. It doesn't seem to handle the extra weight properly with a full pack and camera gear. Most of my gear aside from a few options is approaching ultralight, or at least I have an ultralight option even if I prefer a specific item over it. Packing size of most of my kit is pretty good.

I’ve been considering trying to retrofit my camera gear into one of my Osprey or One Planet hiking packs, but I’m not sure how well it will fit using the F-stop ICU. Also gaining access to it doesn't seem ideal. For context, I plan to take a fairly minimal kit... Canon R5, a wide-angle lens, filters for landscapes, and a travel tripod. I'm leaning toward trying to make the One Planet work, it seems to handle higher loads better. I don't usually use it because the weight of the pack itself being canvas is getting up there.

I'm interested to see if anyone has had success with a system that works well for them. Have you found a solution that still offers good weight distribution, comfort, and decent access to the camera? Any suggestions or advice on how you’ve managed your setup would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers!

[peregrinator]

Aarn.

[Dexter]

Aarn.

Yeah Aarn is one option I've looked at. Have you found they work well?

This was another similar sort of solution I've seen.
https://www.leichtmut.de/?fbclid=PAZXh0 ... Ora8Lzds9g

[north-north-west]

Aarn is your best bet.
They used to make separate holsters that could be fitted to other packs, and that's what I use on the Catalyst. It's a great system because it not only carries the camera gear (and often a lot else) conveniently, but also balances your load better than conventional packs.
The one drawback is that I've found the harness system to be a little fragile if you're doing a lot of pack-hauling (which is why I shifted to the Catalyst), but for general walking on and off track - even with a lot of scrub-bashing - it's great. Might take a little while to get used to it and you need to make sure whichever pack you choose is properly fitted to you.

You're in Victoria, so talk to Tim at Backpacking Light; he's a wizard at setting those packs up.

The issue with most other front-carry cases is that they attach only to the straps, so that's where the weight goes. The Aarn system transfers the load to the hipbelt.

[Dexter]

Aarn is your best bet.
They used to make separate holsters that could be fitted to other packs, and that's what I use on the Catalyst. It's a great system because it not only carries the camera gear (and often a lot else) conveniently, but also balances your load better than conventional packs.
The one drawback is that I've found the harness system to be a little fragile if you're doing a lot of pack-hauling (which is why I shifted to the Catalyst), but for general walking on and off track - even with a lot of scrub-bashing - it's great. Might take a little while to get used to it and you need to make sure whichever pack you choose is properly fitted to you.

You're in Victoria, so talk to Tim at Backpacking Light; he's a wizard at setting those packs up.

Just down the road from my work!

I was hoping to avoid buying yet another pack haha.
The old seperate holsters sound like they'd have been excellent, that's a shame they aren't made anymore. I'll have to venture down to backpacking lite and have a look.

[Huntsman247]

I've got a Panasonic s1 which I carry using a peak designs capture clip and their raincover to keep the dust off and protect it from scratches.
I use an 85L osprey pack with the Ag system that they no longer use. But it's brilliant. Camera goes on front and a mefoto carbon fibre Tripod in one side pocket. I tried the smaller size but found it unreliable with the heavier camera so I went back to the medium size Tripod.
I used to carry 150mm graduated filters in the drinking bladder compartment but I found it was just easier to exposure stack in photoshop. But never broke the glass.
I carry batteries and a few other nicknacks in a drybag. I use my phone as a wireless remote.
Oh and I carry a dust lens brush in my hip pocket.
What more do you need for landscape photography?
Having the camera on the front is awesome. The capture clip is great. The soft shell rain cover is a must to protect the camera from scratches and scrapes.

Most my waking is offtrack and I'm the navigator out of my group of friends. So my gear gets a hammering from all the exploratory scrambles and scrub bashing. Yet the camera is survives.
If it rains hard or when I float the pack for compulsory swims, it goes in the dry bag and in the pack. Any sketchy pack passing or hauling with rope it goes in the pack under the lid.
My osprey pack looks a bit beat up and I've patched a few holes but more from my lousy packing. The side pocket has a constant hole where the tripod has busted through the mesh during scrapes but I just glued the edges of the fray and its fine. It's not as 'tough' as some other packs but it's good enough and it handles the weight really well. It's also a fair bit lighter than other more durable canvas packs. I recently did 7 days of offtrack in the ettrema wilderness with camera gear, fresh food, beer and cream for every day. Would have been over 35kg on day one. But it felt pretty comfy felt good in the scrambles.

It's a great system I'm very happy with.
I would like to bring a 600mm lens in the future as well but for now I'm happy.

I find I can do most scrambles with the camera in front and the capture clip allows you to take lots of happy snaps along the way that you otherwise would not be bothered taking.

I'm thinking of buying a new osprey pack and use my current one as a good working spare as it's about 8yrs old but I've got to make the sojourn into Sydney to try one on with the weight first to see what it feels like since they got rid of the Ag suspension system. Sadly no one stocks them where I live.



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[deadwood]

I have been carrying a canon r3 with a 100-500 zoom and a 16-35 wide angle along with a tripod on multi day hikes. I have a black rapid strap that connects onto my osprey packs shoulder straps and the zoom is always connected to this usually with the camera attached. Wildlife is fleeting, landscapes (although not always the light) generally wait for a quick lens change. The wide angle I carry in a lens case that hangs off of the carabiner of the black rapid strap. If I want to leave the wide angle on for a period of time I leave the zoom on the black rapid strap and put the camera with wide angle on a peak design capture clip on the other shoulder strap. Cameras and lenses in packs don't take many photos and cameras left at home take even less!