backpacking

[Joseph O'Neil]

reading the thread on the Luminouse landscape article, cconcerns about hauling batteries and the like around with you, the thought came to me - how many people actually do backpack?

For me, I backpack my 4x5 everywhere, litterally from downtown Toronto to the mountians of Colorado. My two graphics - 4x5 - they alternate "living" full time in my Lowepro backpack. I very seldom drive anywhere with my monorail.

Also, I learned the hard way 25 years ago when I bought my first "real" camera - a Nikon - that very cold winter temperatures can kill a battery real quick, a spoil a day of shooting. Murphy's law and all that.

Ever since then, in any format I ever shot, it was always a mechanical, manual camera - Nikon FM series, Mamyia C330, and then LF. That backed up with one of a handfull of hand held light meters that are pwoered by light - no battery. In fact, the only thing I use today that needs a battery is my Pentax spot meter .

So just curious, how many people do haul around thier LF cameras backpacking, is is ther more LF work done by people in studio, or driving to a site, etc?

joe

[Scott Rosenberg]

i hike with my 4x5 all the time.

i hike with my 8x10 some of the time.

technika when great distances or overnighting in the wilds, f-line when i don't need room for food/bag/tent/etc.

[Bruce Watson]

The only camera bag I've got is my backpack. Total kit weighs about 16-17 Kg with water. I mostly day hike these days, but I'm at my happiest and most productive on a 15+ Km trek.

[Michael Gordon]

If you own the appropriate gear for the job, hauling around the right 4x5 kit is no different than carrying a multi-lens MF or smaller kit. Almost all of my photographs are made some distance from a car, whether it be day-hiking or overnight. I'm perhaps still too young, so my daypack weight is irrelevant, and it wouldn't concern me if I carried 40lbs of kit (although I do not). My average backpacking kit is about 17lbs (everything, including three lenses, a few filters, tripod, and film). I can trim a couple or three pounds off of that for more difficult terrain or greater elevation gain.

[Juergen Sattler]

I backpack with my 4x5 and my 8x10 - both are reasonably lightweight (Canham and Wehman). I hardly ever shoot from near the car - I like remote locations. When I go on a really long trek I backpack with my Mamiya 645 and two to three lenses - a long trek would be more than 12 miles or an overnight hike.

[William Mortensen]

My 8x10 kit in a big f/64 backpack weighs 45-50 pounds, including 5 lenses, 7 filmholders, lf condiments, and water. Add a tripod (the big ol' Ries or Bogen 3021), and it's 60+ pounds...

I tore the meniscus (it ain't just a lens!) in my right knee landing a hang glider last summer, (http://www.sahga.com/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=58). It's not back all the way, so I'm good for about a mile or two day hike. But it's not so much the distance as the speed; when I'm photographing, I move slowly because I'm looking all around, pausing to examine, and if I set up the camera, it's a 10-20 minute break. Not gonna cover much ground at that pace...

[Brian Sims]

I backpack with my 4x5 all the time. Three to four days. 30-40 miles, often 3,000 to 5,000 feet ov elevation. 25-30 lbs of photo gear depending on how much film and whether I take a third lens. If I don't have kids (teenagers who are stronger and faster hikers than I) then I leave the stove and fuel at home and just take finger food (I take chocolate espresso beans to keep the DTs under control). I've got a very lite bag and tent...so the total pack is about 50 lbs. So, when I solo, I just take it slower--more rests stops.

I've noticed that my best shots are after I've been out there a couple of days. For those of you who climb or hike for multi day trips, do you seem to see more clearly after you've been out there a while?

[Robert Skeoch]

Yes, I back pack with my camera. This fall I spent four days on the north east end of Algonquin solo hiking.
I walked into high falls area with my tent and kit, then in the morning hiked back to the car and grabbed the 8x10 and gear. I shot in that area for three days then made the two trips out.
Lot of work....... but it was great to get out.
-Rob Skeoch

[Bill_1856]

"If it's more than 100 yards from the car, it ain't photogenic." (A well-know quote by one of the Westons -- probably Brett.)

[Scott Bacon]

Count me in as an LF backpacker. These days, with a growing family and shrinking free time, I still try to get into the backcountry for at least 2 overnights per year, 2-4 nights each. LF in the wilderness is one of the joys in my life!

[Larry Smith]

We drive to a campsite and from that point I backpack the speed graphic on day hikes. The filmholders, lenses and camera weigh around 20+ pounds. We don't hike fast-- we just go at our leisure. The water and snacks are in my wife's backpack!

[Harley Goldman]

I backpack with my 4x5 kit. I go out for 3 to 5 nights. I have a lightweight Toho for backpacking (Arca for everything else). I take 3 lenses (80, 150 and 240) with a few boxes of Quickloads. Photo gear weighs about 18 pounds.

Nothing like getting out into the high country, with few people around and a camera to play with.

[Michael Rosenberg]

I also backpack with my camera gear. This year is the first that I have not gone on an overnighter, but instead have just done day hikes. Usually I do car camping in NPs in those trips, and for the second summer in a row went to Iceland and stayed in campgrounds.

I did a couple Llama backpack workshops with Don Kirby in the four corners area - and that is really the way to go! Check out Don's web site for information. My wife and I rented a couple of Llamas from Buckhorn Llama company one year and went down a canyon for 6 days. The Llamas carry the camping gear and food, and you carry your camera gear and day food. My wife rides horses and loves animals so she was the Llama wrangler on the trip. We had a great time, and enjoyed the solitude and beauty of the landscape.

My gear goes in a Redwing backpack. A Linhof and 4-5 lenses (all small lenses except for the 58XL) which are protected in OR padded cells, readyloads, and 3L of water. For a tripod I use the Mountaineer 1349 with a mag head.

Mike
www.mprosenberg.com

[Hugh Sakols]

I'm also curious how many people really backpack with their large format gear? The problem with this question is it does not address how far folks really travel with their load. Personally I can't imagine hiking 10 miles a day over rugged terrain for 5 days with a complete large format system. However, photographers such as Vern Clevenger and Claude Fiddler are known for long backcountry treks, as well as, some scary first assents. My new appoach to backpacking and photography is to load my equipment for mulitple short treks of 0ne to two nights where I try to get to high ridges or peaks.

[Emrehan Zeybekoglu]

I also carry my 4x5 gear in a backpack. The bag includes the camera, two lenses, a light meter and various odds and ends. Added to this are 4-6 holders usually. I carry my tripod wherever I go; it's a heavy Ries, but it's worth it. Overall, I carry close to 20 kg. of load, and mostly use my LF outside the city. After parking the car I walk and hike several miles on a day trip.

If I decide to use the equipment in the city, I choose out-of-the-way places and usually go early in the morning when most folks are still having their breakfast.

E.Z.