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Ed Richards
29-May-2006, 08:05
I am curious about how folks carry their shooting accessories in the field. Not packs and the like but when you are actively using the camera. I have a pack to get to sites, then I walk around with about 7 holders and what I need to shoot. Several places I shoot you would not want to set anything down, so I use abn old Zone VI belt with a couple of pockets for holders and a notepad, and separate pouch on the belt with a meter, loupe, and reading classes. I stick my main filter in with the notepad. It is pretty clunky and I am looking for alternatives. Vests are not a good choice in my very hot and humid climate.

Louie Powell
29-May-2006, 08:25
I use a Lowe Pro Trakker backpack to carry most of my stuff, with the miscellaneous odds and ends thrown into a separate over-the-shoulder bag. The auxiliary bag typically stays in the car unless I need something from it.

I also carry a table with me. Several years ago someone posted a suggestion on one of these boards to purchase one of those inexpensive (US$5 at Target) canvas folding tables to use as a support for the pack while setting up - something to provide a little elevation, and mainly to avoid having to put the pack down in the muck/dust/whatever is inevitably found in the vicinity of good image material.

Yesterday, my wife and I drove out to Hanford Mills, a restored and fully functional 19th century sawmill that uses a waterwheel and/or steam engine to power a line shaft system that runs all of the milling equipment via belts and pulleys - everything from large log-splitting saws to table saws, band saws, planers, moulding cutters, and lathes, as well as a variety of specialty tools. A real mechanical engineering marvel and toy shop for anyone who likes old tools. I found several great images, and simply put the table in a corner while I set up the camera, composed and made the picture. There were people around - but not enough to be a major concern (I would never do that in a large crowd) - and besides, this was in the boonies up upstate NY where people tend to be nice and not steal everything that isn't bolted down.

Bill_1856
29-May-2006, 08:28
An extra battery in my pocket and a large CF card is all that...whoops, I mean...anything (except the tripod) that doesn't go conveniently into my over-the-shoulder Domke F2 bag stays in the truck. If there's some reason that I can't set it on the ground or it's windy then I hang it from the tripod. (Dang, you nearly caught me there.)

David A. Goldfarb
29-May-2006, 08:40
I usually carry my things in a knapsack or a bag, depending on which camera I'm using, and if I can't put my bag down or it doesn't make sense to carry it, I hang it from the tripod. I carry my tripod on a strap that goes over my shoulder.

I like ExOfficio safari-type shirts, which have very generous pockets--big enough for a 4x5" Grafmatic, and they are very cool in hot weather. I have my meter and loupe on lanyards, so I can hang them around my neck or from the tripod.

Ed Richards
29-May-2006, 08:46
> I like ExOfficio safari-type shirts

I use LL Bean fishing shirts and pants. Lots of pockets, light, quick drying fabric. I do use the lanyards, but I need reading glasses to see the GG, a meter, and a loupe, and they get tangled.

Alan Davenport
29-May-2006, 08:49
I'm not sure there's any solution that will leave you less hot and sweaty than a vest, Ed. Large format stuff is simply, well, large. I generally keep everything in a LowePro Super Trekker; it will hold as much as I want to carry and a bit more. If I know I'm going to be unable to lay the pack down, I've got a vest that holds enough to work with and isn't too bad. Granted I don't live in a hot and humid area. Thing is, the problem (for you) may be the humidity, not the vest...

Keith Pitman
29-May-2006, 08:58
I use the large Tamrac shoulder bag that converts to a backpack. It makes an uncomfortable backpack if you try to hike with it, but it's a great shoulder bag with room for everything and then some.

bruce terry
29-May-2006, 09:42
f/64 pack, sans side bags and waist belt, carried fairly easily by the side strap for very short distances. Contains the 8x10, light old 9 1/2" and 19" lenses, spot mtr, loupe, notepad, cloth and two holders. Shoulder-straps to the ground, it's top-load design is quick to work with without picking up ground junk. If sand or mud are in the offing I bring along a rolled rattan mat. Spare holders stay back in the car.

The elephant in the room is the A100-2 tripod+accompanying head. A real pain to move around, even my wife refuses to carry it. But always worth the effort for the stability it affords - not for just the camera but for older, unstable me (used to have a J600 but came dangerously close to putting all my weight on it in several instances).

Wish I discovered LF about 30 years ago when I was light on my feet!

darr
29-May-2006, 09:48
I bring my husband along since he says he's my "mule". :)

Leonard Evens
29-May-2006, 09:51
I keep my Toho FC-45X with 4 lenses in a relatively small photographer's back pack I bought many years ago. I put it, film holders, my tripod, and other accessories, such as exposure meter, filters, etc. in a Baby Jogger jogging stroller with 20 inch wheels. It can go over grass and gravel without problems, but it is difficult to use it if any significant climbing or going over rough trails is necessary. In such a situation, I could leave the Baby Jogger behind and carry what I need on my back or hanging from my belt. I have a bad back, so generally I try to avoid carrying much weight on my person, and one other advantage of the Baby Jogger is that I can use the top of the canopy as a platform on which to lay things out. That avoids having to bend over.

Bob Gentile
29-May-2006, 11:29
"... I also carry... one of those inexpensive (US$5 at Target) canvas folding tables..."
That's exactly what I've been searching for! Heck, Some of them even come with a carrying pouch, don't they? Great idea!

Donald Qualls
29-May-2006, 12:22
What *I'm* looking for is a bag that will carry ten or so 4x5 film holders, preferably with a snap, latch, or hook-and-loop closure to keep them secure when I'm walking. Carrying the Speed by its handle strap and my tripod by its shoulder strap, meter on its lanyard around my neck, the film holders are the only thing causing trouble. An outside pocket on the bag that would accept a wrapped 4x4 lens board with lens and shutter mounted would be a nice bonus...

David_Senesac
29-May-2006, 12:28
I'll comment on what I do once I'm shooting however first I'll relate the rest of my gear since that puts it in the perspective of my style of field work. I spent a lot of time brainstorming how to work efficiently out in the field.

I don't carry all my camera gear in a dedicated photo backpack but rather a Black Diamond climbing daypack with one large compartment plus a typical small overlap compartment at the top. Any dedicated photo backpack I've seen would never work for me. Too bulky and little place for other gear. My current pack size is 36 liters although I used to use a similar 40 liter pack until it was stolen. The 36 liter pack translates to 2200 cubic inches. Climbing packs tend to be narrower, longer, and fit in more gear than usual daypacks. Into the pack I fit my wooden field camera, extra bellows, dark cloth, 3 lenses each on separate boards, film holder case with 12 holders, a 22" Litedisc, and a small REI fanny pack with lots of small stuff. That still leaves some space for some more sheet film, clothing and food. On the back I strap my big Gitzo G1325. The whole thing weighs about 30 pounds. I readily take all this backpacking and have done so for up to 9 day trips into the wilderness. When backpacking this whole daypack attaches to another more classic backpack via a custom system of quick release buckles. (very heavy) I also use it when just day hiking about road areas too.

When I reach a location to start shooting, everything in the main pack compartment is quickly dumped on the ground. After setting up my camera atop the Gitzo, the containers and what else are immediately pushed back in the pack in a way I can readily get to the other two lenses and film holders. I wear the fanny pack backwards towards the front. I am continually moving the lens cap in and out of it and taking a brush out to dust my lens. Also lots of small stuff inside like map and loupe. Will also hang my light meter and if desired the Litedisk on the fanny pack belt. If I am shooting at a precarious location where I cannot leave my camera, I'll also temporarily attach the film holder case to my fanny pack belt.

After completing a shot, I'll return to my daypack, hoist it on my back, and carry the Gitzo with camera atop my shoulders most everywhere unless I have to negotiate some pretty difficult terrain or if I know I won't be taking any more shots for awhile and prefer to hike more comfortably. Of course I usually shorten the long tripod legs for travel. Putting my gear back in the pack takes just a couple or three minutes since I've done it so many times.

...David

http://www.davidsenesac.com

Emrehan Zeybekoglu
29-May-2006, 14:26
Ed,
I carry my 4x5 wooden camera, 2 lenses, a meter, a small number of filters, a scientific calculator (solar), a spare battery for my Gossen, a cable release, my dark cloth, a handy little bubble level from Lee Valley, a measuring tape, a small notepad, a pencil, some black tape for emergencies, an air can and no more than 6 holders in a Tenba DB15C backpack.

On myself I have a mechanical pocket watch, my Swiss Army knife (that I never go out without) and a compass.

I NEVER carry the camera on the tripod. Even when I have to move the setup a short distance, I pack everything up and then leave. So I have the backpack on my back and the tripod in one of my hands.

The backpack is very secure, although it adds to the overall weight. I decided to play it safe rather than risking the equipment in some makeshift arrangement. So far so good..

David Martin
29-May-2006, 14:38
I have found that it depends on the location. For one shot I carried the kit in a 99p plastic bucket as I was working on some weed covered rocks. I had also changed into wellies first and by the end of the shoot I was standing in 6 inches of water. Everything kept nice and dry int he bucket and I could easily just pick up the tripod with the camera attached (lens wrapped in the bucket) on my shoulder and the bucket in the other hand to make my way back over the rocks.

In hindsight a square bucket, such as is used for wallpaper paste or paint rollers may have been more convenient. But I got the shot I was after without damaging any kit.

Other times I have just used my jacket, knowing that I had everything else set up already (right lens etc.).

I haven't taken the camera any great distance yet. That has yet to come. A pair of waterproof (ortleib style) cycle panniers has also been pressed into service before (and will be again - many of the locations I shoot are readily accessible by cycle, saving a few hours of hiking)

..d

reellis67
29-May-2006, 14:53
I guess I'm the cheap skate here. I use a shoulder bag, primarily because I can't afford a $450 photo backpack. I also use a mountain bike outfitted with paniers, which I walk over rough terain and ride over the smoother stuff. This works fairly well for getting along the trail with a pile of gear since it carries the load so I don't have to.

I typicaly can fit my 4x5 camera, 6-10 holders, two lenses, light meter, and dark cloth in my bag. The tripod goes over ye olde shoulder as well. While not overly comfortable, it does the job and is actualy not a hot as wearing a backpack in the Florida sun. Then again, most of my destinations are over relatively flat ground and not more than 2-4 miles from the parking area.

- Randy

Graham Patterson
29-May-2006, 15:30
At the moment my 4x5 gear lives in a California Innovations cooler/cart. That's the darkcloth, wood field camera, a couple of lenses, spotmeter, around 8-9 film holders, and a rollfilm holder with film, filters, cable releases etc. The tripod travels on top. Most of the time it will roll, though I keep the shoulder strap in the bag in case I need to carry it. I forget who brought it to may attention (it was probably here), but it was an excellent $25. My wife has two that she uses to transport materials when she is presenting art classes.

On site the spotmeter goes around my neck. Since the cart is mobile, it stays handy close to the tripod. So far I have not needed to pare down the kit on-site. My old Palm PDA lives in a belt pouch 90% of the time, as does a pen and any other small items I don't want in pockets. A tripod apron is a handy place for lens caps and other things you have to put away before moving on.

John Kasaian
29-May-2006, 20:51
I'll second the California Cooler soft sided cooler/cart. I dragged one all over Mariposa Grove with an 8x10, six holders, meter, filter kit , dark cloth, loupe and three lenses. Sadly, a year later it sprung a leak when pressed into service as a...a...cooler for my daaughter's 7th birthday party :-(

Ed K.
29-May-2006, 21:44
Hi Ed R -

To actually carry stuff around...

4x5: I use Quickloads in a pouch that has three compartments and a snap-over top. My wife made it for me from old khaki pants, so it is light, soft and durable. It has a perforated mesh plastic sewn into the middle divider. The whole thing weights nearly nothing, and it fits 20+ shots, a Sharpee and a Quickload holder in not much more space than the box the film came in. It has the added advantage to slip exposed sheets into a divided compartment, which eliminates that nagging thing of immediatly putting the "exposed" tag on sheets while trying to capture the moment. It has Drings to clip to just about anything, or sometimes I use a small strap designed to hold corporate name tags when I'm wearing a shirt with epaulets.

Alternatively, I use a couple of the venerable graphmatics, which fit neatly into, ugh, cargo pants! Not exactly the best for style I suppose, but it does work without adding to the heat. A ziplock or two helps prevent dirt / moisture intrusion.

The rest - to get compact, I fold the camera with a small lens and then use a sholder strap, or just put the whole thing in a small camera bag. For distances under a couple of miles round trip, I carry the camera atop a carbon fiber tripod leaned on my sholder. For longer distances, I find that a cloth bookbag with a darkcloth as padding works well enough. Sometimes, I skip the tripod and then use a beanbag pillow, which also acts as padding for protection. The beanbag is often better than a small tripod...

8x10: For the Gowland Aerial, I just lug the thing either with bean bag, or atop a pod. The absolute best 8x10 filmholder bag I've ever seen is something I got free with a computer power supply of all things ( Enermax ). I don't know what they were thinking when they put the bag into the powersupply box, but man, it holds and perfectly fits 6-7 8x10 holders, a GPS, a cell phone, a meter, cable release and perhaps a tad more. Weighs darned near nothing, and it's a soft, yet bullet-proof canvas. It even has drings and a shoulder strap.

The Deardorff - that gets lugged short distances locked tight on a pod ( really tight and secure ), but so far, it doesn't get to go where the truck can't go. ( to paraphrase one of the saints, "it ain't scenic if it's too far from the car" This is why I use big Pelican cases with foam so that even the roughest terrain won't break the GG - take the truck there as much as possible. I'm planing to make a soft yet durable bag for the 'Dorff, so that perhaps just the Dorff and 2-3 holders can join me.

I find that most backpacks add too much weight, and are too much of a hassle to open. I'd rather sacrifice a little protecting for something that is light, strong and soft against my body - so a sort of "Dorff bookbag" will be just the thing. I'm sure that Canham users with small lenses don't have my troubles - I just happen to love plasmats and somehow end up liking the shots from some heavy lenses. Imagine a bag mostly made from canvas, but with some sections more like the material in lenswraps. Then just add two shoulder straps and some drings to clip other odds and ends to - should be good to go.

To get the wife to make such things can involve various techniques for some of us. Mentioning the cost of camera bags helps, as do making dinner, and washing some dishes... however the mechanics work well if one mocks up the prototype with paper and glue / staples - then it's pretty easy to figure out. Materials for just about any light-weight but strong bag are very inexpensive - so are sewing machines. Wives on the other hand..."priceless" ?

For the car, I use coolers on rollers from the local store, and often also toolboxes with padding inside - they work fine for that. When I have to do a job, it often involves interior and exterior work, so the kit gets huge - especially including lights and stands. I fill up a whole truck with it, yet my personal effects take up one very small "airline pilot" type of bag.
Most of the time, a day out with some film out of the cooler isn't so bad - plus exposed shots go back into the cooler.

Once a year, Old Navy has some neat canvas bags that could be useful. Last year I got a shoulder sling army bag that holds a whopping amount of equiipment - much more than a vest, however it fits on one shoulder. Lots of places to clip things too. In warm weather, I hardly ever use a vest - it's just too hot for comfort.

I'll try out the bookbag type setup soon, when the pack trains start up again. I figure that a mule ( literally ) can do a great job lugging both me and the gear...

It seems to be a trade-off between protection and weight / comfort.

John Berry
30-May-2006, 01:21
I use lowepro backpacks. a bag for 8x10 holders from the apug site (they are perfect). I made a shoulder strap for the tripod, and a smallbag for my packard shutter and 4 lenses. With 8x10 I have a coffee cup rule, if I can't set my cup under the tripod, it's too far from the truck.

Ed Richards
30-May-2006, 09:52
Readyloads are nice, but I have not figured out how to mark the film in them. I have all my holders binary coded, and I log the shots with exposure info and a GPS location, then match it all up after processing. I then put the holder # on the storage envelope along with the unique negative #. Makes it easy to make sure I have get the negative back in the right envelope. Bottom line, I still have to carry holders. Otherwise I also put the tripod over my shoulder with the camera on it and carry away. My wife attached a clip to my dark cloth so I can clip it to the tripod and use it as a pad for carrying the tripod.

Ted Harris
30-May-2006, 11:33
I am just finishing up an article for "View Camera" on using fishing gear bags for toting large format gear, focusing on bags that will fit under your seat on an airplane. The article will be in the next issue. As a prelude, I am attaching a picture of an Orvis Safe Passage® Kit bag filled with lotsa stuff. Photo by Evan Barlow, Bruce's son. Bruce was testing the bag. As you can see there is room for lots more stuff in addition to the gear shown. Bruce said he was prepared to hate the bag but ended up liking it a lot. The Tupperwared container holds two lenses.

84

Slade Zumhofe
30-May-2006, 14:51
Sorry if this had already been mentioned.......I get all my gear with room to spare in an f/64 bag which also holds the tripod and has removable film holder pouches that can be taken off and put on your belt.

The greatest thing I have ever purchased was a tripod pouch--fits between the legs of the tripod and holds everything I need while shooting. Weighs next to nothing and just folds up with the tripod when done. I use to struggle with laying "items" down on rocks or the ground or continually opening and closing the bag to put stuff away--now, it all goes into the tripod pouch. Mine came with my Velbon tripod but I have seen them sold seperately---trust me, you can make one in less than a few hours for almost no money--not much to them.

I rarely have anything around my neck or in pockets anymore--very nice.

Ed K.
30-May-2006, 15:56
Readyloads are nice, but I have not figured out how to mark the film in them....

Ed R - true, however Quickloads have a white tab that allows use of a Sharpee. Of course, then you would have to use Fujifilim instead of Kodak, and that might not suit you. Grafmatics have a numbering system ( which you might not like either ) that exposes a small number on each piece of film. Many people remove the little wheel that does this because they don't like it intruding upon their image.

reellis67
30-May-2006, 18:50
That looks pretty nice! A lot better than the bag I'm using right now. You've got basicaly what I carry right now stuffed in there so I have to take a closer looks at one of those. Thanks for the heads up!

- Randy

Ed Richards
30-May-2006, 19:12
Ed R - true, however Quickloads have a white tab that allows use of a Sharpee. Of course, then you would have to use Fujifilim instead of Kodak, and that might not suit you.

Doesn't that white tab get stripped off before you process the film? Readyloads also have the white tab, but I need something that marks the film. The Graphmatic is interesting - how high can you set it to number, or does it just number the sheets in one holder? I typically shoot 30-60 sheets in a day's work, so I need to keep that many sorted out, plus some spares sorted out.

Ed K.
30-May-2006, 19:38
Ed R -

Ah, gotcha. Yes, the white tab is part of the outer holder, and the rest of all the innards get torn off before processing on Quckloads. You're right if you need to mark the film itself. When I referred to the Sharpee, I meant the outside. On the other hand, I wonder if you could slide some kind of metal marker into the pack that would prick the edge of the film somehow...

As to the Grafmatic holders, they just number 1-6. I suppose a careful dremmel job might put a little hole or notch in the wheel to identify which Grafmatic they came from - that would work fine. It's a little magnetic wheel that turns to the correct position based on the sheet that is in the holder.

It IS still possible to find some good ones that are intact, however they cost money for ones with all their pieces, in good working order. The Grafmatics do hold film very flat ( for me at least ). However if you need to do 30 shots per batch, you'd need 5 of them. Good ones go for 75+ each, perhaps more for near perfect ones if you can find them. I'd gladly pay $125 each for PERFECT ones ( like new ). Too bad they are not made anymore.

Ed Richards
31-May-2006, 11:56
I once heard tell of someone who punched holes in the side of readyloads to notch the film. I gave it a try - if you have a jig to make sure you are in the right place, you can notch the film without exposing it. Made me really nervous, however, to punch holes in my exposed film, so I stuck with the holders. Graphmatics sound fun, esp. for when I am doing hand held, but how are they with contaminates like sand?

Ed K.
31-May-2006, 12:17
Grafmatics could be cleaned if they got sand in them, however you'd want to avoid that for sure. I think just about any LF gear is bad with sand. I wouldn't want to get sand in a Grafmatic or any other LF part. The sliding part does tend to get burred / sticky on bad ones, so again, sand would be bad. That said, if you put them in ziplocks until ready to use, you should be fine.

j.e.simmons
31-May-2006, 12:39
I was in Lowes (a US home improvement store) over the weekend and saw a number of bags made to carry tools. The were made of a heavier material than the fishing bags that I've seen, and most had a heavy duty bottom - obviously for carrying heavy tools. They come in a number of sizes - probably not large enough for my C-1, but certainly large enough for 4x5 and possibly an 8x10 field camera.
juan

Michael Daily
31-May-2006, 16:41
Kelty Redwing pack holds DD 8x10 with Comm. Ektar reversed and folded inside camera, 5 Holders, changing bag, Pentax Spotmeter, filters, loupe, darkcloth, Leica M2, two lenses, lunch. Giotto CF tripod slips into slot for skis. Water bottle in other outside enclosure. Total weight: about 30 lbs. Used in Rocky Mtn. Nat. Park on trails up to 5 miles@ 11,000 ft.

Armin Seeholzer
1-Jun-2006, 13:36
Hi
I use an old tramper rucksack for my 8x10 Burke & James with a bit foam inside, so I can walk with 3 lenses 2-3 miles!
But if possible I using my car as near is it goes!

John Powers
3-Jun-2006, 06:28
I keep my Toho FC-45X with 4 lenses in a relatively small photographer's back pack I bought many years ago. I put it, film holders, my tripod, and other accessories, such as exposure meter, filters, etc. in a Baby Jogger jogging stroller with 20 inch wheels. It can go over grass and gravel without problems, but it is difficult to use it if any significant climbing or going over rough trails is necessary. In such a situation, I could leave the Baby Jogger behind and carry what I need on my back or hanging from my belt. I have a bad back, so generally I try to avoid carrying much weight on my person, and one other advantage of the Baby Jogger is that I can use the top of the canopy as a platform on which to lay things out. That avoids having to bend over.

Let me second Leonard Evans’ suggestion and add some of my own experience. Not only does this baby jogger have 20” wheels, it has shock absorbers to save the fragile, expensive parts, a 100 pound capacity and a locking emergency brake. http://babyjogger.com/performancesingle.htm Go for the newer version if you can with twin locking brakes on the rear wheels. Mine has a brake on the front wheel which can easily be over powered with weight and a down hill slide. The large wheels get you over puddles and dips in the terrain. They now offer one with 24” wheels as well as a 16” model. I got mine on eBay. The polite father was surprised at my intended use.

I carry a padded cooler bag in the seat full of lenses in open zip locks, dark cloth, meter, loupe, tools, First Aide kit, etc. I have drilled two holes in the foot rest. I mount the Phillips 8x10 on the Ries 600 and double tilt head with the spikes going through the foot rest holes and the camera and tripod bungied onto the padded cooler bag. There is a net bag or two for water bottles, a towel and sun screen. I have mounted a bicycle compass so if I see a neat shot I can figure out when to come back for the right sun angle. I have two bags, one a cheap Wal-Mart, the other a light back pack. Each bag holds 8 to 10 film holders. For dust and dark I wrap each two holders in the black plastic bags 16x20 print paper comes in. One or the other bag rides on the two rails connecting front and back axles under the seat. The bags are water and dust proof and the one I am carrying is bungied in place.

I’m just getting into 7x17. Yesterday I set up the Jogger a little differently. The cooler bag is the same. The Phillips 7x17 on top of the Ries A 100 and 250 double tilt tipped the Jogger over backwards. I took the camera off the head, folded it flat, stuck it in a water proof bag. The camera now fits in the seat behind the cooler bag. The tripod and head are bungied on top of the cooler bag with the spikes through the holes in the foot rest. I found a nylon back pack shell made by Body Glove Bags and sold at Dick’s Sporting Goods (a national chain sporting goods store) that holds four 7x17 film holders separately wrapped. This again straps under the seat on the rails. I haven’t weighed all this, but the Jogger is definitely sitting lower on the shocks than it was with the 8x10.

I am 66 years old with a bad back. When pushing the Jogger the only thing I carry is a cell phone. This Jogger tool allows me to walk on trails in the Cuyahoga National park, about five miles from home. Last summer we took it up to Acadia National Park in Maine and into the western mountains of NC. It will easily go up and down trails, cross fields, mud and through the woods. It won’t go up stairs easily or down rock cliffs, but neither do I. I can easily take this two miles round trip from the SUV. I walk a mile or two with the dog five days a week. Two miles with the rig is more my limit than the Jogger’s. The Jogger tool makes LF and ULF possible for an old guy, who could be stuffing his face, sitting at home in front of the tube, filling the arteries with cholesterol.

Enjoy,
John Powers

j.e.simmons
3-Jun-2006, 07:27
I strongly agree with the baby jogger. I carry my 8x10 - Black Beast (the heavier version of the C-1), a Zone VI heavy duty tripod, plus seven film holders, meters, filters, notebook, an RB67 and a few grafmatics - all about 100 pounds. I hike several miles through the Florida swamps in 90F+ heat with mine. I'm 58 with a bad back, too, and there's no way I could make that hike without the jogger.
juan

Vick Vickery
3-Jun-2006, 08:01
Someone might have mentioned this, but I didn't see it...if you don't want to lay things down for fear of them wandering off, alot of sporting goods outlets sell "fisherman's vests" that have about 20 pockets of all sizes that would hold most everything we use but the camera & tripod. Many even have a mesh body or back so they are cool on hot days.

Dan Jolicoeur
5-Jun-2006, 06:26
I'll 2nd or 3rd, that LL Bean, outfitter/guide, type of fishing shirt. Also Take a look at police/military mole packs, and vest like a swat team would wear.

Any good sporting store has the fishing shirts that are UV protecting. The long sleeves are nice for the black flies, and the material breathes real well. They are about $50, but you can find them on sale often. Especially in the mid summer to fall.
Regards,
Dan

MIke Sherck
5-Jun-2006, 07:50
My Calumet C400 with the Fuji 210mm lens goes over my shoulder on its tripod with the focusing cloth as a pad; everything else is in a small (6-pack sized) cooler bag: 9 4x5 film holders, loupe, meter, Lee filter holder and 4 filters in their box, the Fuji 150mm lens, notepad, pen, multi-tool, spare stuff (shutter release cable, rubber bands, lens caps, etc.) Pretty compact and, once I sawed 10" off the Calumet's monorail, not too inconvenient.

mjs

Graham Patterson
5-Jun-2006, 10:51
Wandering around the local hardware store at the weekend I spotted a small California Innovations shoulder cooler. Turns out it is just the right size to hold 10 5x4" film holders in Ziplocks in the main compartment, and a further four in the expandable lid pocket.

Frank Petronio
5-Jun-2006, 11:04
If I can't carry the mounted camera and tripod over my shoulder, it isn't photogenic.

While cases are nice, when I want to move fast I have these big Patagonia shorts with large butt pockets. I can shove several holders into each cheek. Meter in a holster on the belt, loupe on a string around my neck, darkcloth is whatever shirt I'm wearing. I may look stupid but I can get the shot with minimal fuss.

I like a nice big case in the car to work out of too. Plastic and mess bags for organizing and keeping things clean.

If I was a backpacker, I think Kerry Thalmann - Leonard Evans have it worked out really down to a science with the Toho.

Chris Strobel
5-Jun-2006, 12:52
Being down here in So.Cal. with plenty of beach and desert sand, I finally settled on the Roleez cart to tote around my C1 Black Beast, Large Ries Tripod, and cooler full of sodas.
My Lenses and 8x10 film holders are in Gnass Gear cases which get tucked into a daypack worn on my back.So far so good.

http://www.pbase.com/cloudswimmer/image/61372367.jpg

Gregory Gomez
5-Jun-2006, 17:57
Because I am a backpacker, my preference is to use a backpack that fits my frame, and not to use a specialized photographic pack, which tends to be somewhat expensive and does not have the best of suspension systems, especially if I want to carry a 50-to-60-pound load for up to eight miles. If a pack does not properly distribute the weight between my shoulders and hips, I won't be able to hike very far with it.

I usually carry between six and ten 4x5 double film holders and a 4x5 camera, light meter, focusing cloth, four lens, filters, accessories, and tripod. I load everything into the pack, including a couple of Power Bars; I carry the tripod in my hand. To the outside of the pack, I tie a one-liter water bottle.

I prefer internal frame packs that have a sleeping-bag compartment. In the top compartment, I place the camera wrapped in the focusing cloth. In the sleeping bag compartment, I place the film holders. In the side pockets of the pack, I place the lenses and light meter.

When I arrive at my location, I remove the camera from the main compartment and affix it atop the tripod. Because each lens, accessory, and light meter has its own individual pocket, or place within the pack, I do not have to dump the contents of the pack onto the ground to find what I need. Everything is well organized and is easy for me to access.

If I intend to stay in the area for additional shots, I leave the camera on the tripod, close up the pack, and put the pack back on my back. I then sling the camera and tripod over my right shoulder; I use my dark cloth for padding. Carrying the camera in this manner, I can usually walk several hundred yards before setting the camera down.

Currently I am looking to update my backpack to one I saw at REI. Here is the URL:

http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=47990949&parent_category_rn=4500572

Chris Strobel
5-Jun-2006, 20:24
Nice looking pack Gregory.I've used REI packs and tents for years and have no regrets.Great bang for the buck.Arc-Teryx Kamsin 62 is my current choice which is now also owned by REI


Because I am a backpacker, my preference is to use a backpack that fits my frame, and not to use a specialized photographic pack, which tends to be somewhat expensive and does not have the best of suspension systems, especially if I want to carry a 50-to-60-pound load for up to eight miles. If a pack does not properly distribute the weight between my shoulders and hips, I won't be able to hike very far with it.

I usually carry between six and ten 4x5 double film holders and a 4x5 camera, light meter, focusing cloth, four lens, filters, accessories, and tripod. I load everything into the pack, including a couple of Power Bars; I carry the tripod in my hand. To the outside of the pack, I tie a one-liter water bottle.

I prefer internal frame packs that have a sleeping-bag compartment. In the top compartment, I place the camera wrapped in the focusing cloth. In the sleeping bag compartment, I place the film holders. In the side pockets of the pack, I place the lenses and light meter.

When I arrive at my location, I remove the camera from the main compartment and affix it atop the tripod. Because each lens, accessory, and light meter has its own individual pocket, or place within the pack, I do not have to dump the contents of the pack onto the ground to find what I need. Everything is well organized and is easy for me to access.

If I intend to stay in the area for additional shots, I leave the camera on the tripod, close up the pack, and put the pack back on my back. I then sling the camera and tripod over my right shoulder; I use my dark cloth for padding. Carrying the camera in this manner, I can usually walk several hundred yards before setting the camera down.

Currently I am looking to update my backpack to one I saw at REI. Here is the URL:

http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=47990949&parent_category_rn=4500572